My wellness wake-up call happened 25 years ago

I lost both parents back to back to cancer.  My Mom was 52 and my Dad was 57. 

That shook me to my core and woke me up to how precious life is and to make the most of every day.

My teenage years were not easy ones for me. I struggled with low self-esteem and silently lived with bulimia for years.  I managed to recover on my own and, in that healing process, learned many valuable lessons, including how to love myself.

The implication of losing both my parents, dealing with life’s hardships, and then becoming a parent myself, well, it forced me to take a hard look at how I wanted to live my life. It sparked a desire for me to become the best version of myself.

Cultivating wellness is a practice

I have been practicing yoga for over 25 years and the practice has changed the way I move through life.

Quietly, over time, my baseline shifted.

I felt calmer in my body.
More grounded in myself.
Less reactive to stress.
More steady in the middle of everyday life.

From that place, I could hold more.

I moved through stress faster.
I recovered more quickly when life felt intense.
I made clearer decisions, not from urgency, but from presence.

People often ask how I manage to hold so many things at once, teaching, consulting, parenting, traveling, life.

Honestly, it comes back to this.

Consistent practices that regulate the nervous system.
Practice that brings me back into the moment again and again.

That creates resilience.

There is a strength that builds, not from pushing harder, but from being deeply rooted in yourself and embracing just what is.

That is the real power of practice.

The trip to Kingsburg that changed everything for me….

I am deeply grateful for the many building blocks that have shaped my journey over the years.

It started with led classes.

Then the David Swenson DVDs and Pattabhi Jois YouTube videos kept me going during my early years of parenthood.

A shift started happening once I committed and started practicing consistently.

And eventually that evolved from a not only being a dedicated practitioner but also becoming a student of yoga.

Along my path, I went to Kingsburg Nova Scotia for a workshop with Jody Manley because I was curious in what she had to share. 

I was hooked. 

The method and approach really resonated with me.  The method (which she calls the “old-school ashtanga”) is based on her learnings from her mentors Nancy Gilgoff, David Williams, and Manju Jois.

I feel so fortunate to be tapped into this lineage, rich with knowledge and experience.  And my growth continues to evolve through the guidance of my teacher and mentor, Jody, who supports and inspires me every day.

To achieve true wellness, it’s important to adopt strategies that nurture all of you
body, mind, and spirit.

Wellness became my foundation, a way of life.

It’s not just something I “fit in” but the thread that connects everything I do…from motherhood and marriage to work, friendships, and personal growth.

Initially, when I first discovered yoga. I was drawn to its physical aspects, but my practice evolved into something much deeper. It became a grounding element in my life, fostering a stronger connection with myself. It taught me resilience, acceptance, and listening to my inner voice (I like to call it my Body Wisdom).

Having a yoga practice over the years naturally extended into other areas like nutrition, sleep, mindfulness, and managing stress. I came to realize that wellness is multifaceted. To flourish, you need to nurture its many elements because they are all interconnected.

My science background fuels my thirst for learning

Not only did I love science in school, that led me to build 30 years of experience working in the biopharma world which gave me a deep respect for evidence and research.

Throughout my career, I have been fortunate to have learned from some of the leading healthcare scientists and medical experts.

I love digging into the why behind wellness and that fuels my thirst for learning and researching wellness strategies backed by science.

My qualifications

  • 200H Ashtanga Yoga Teacher Training (RYS200)

  • 500H Advanced Yoga Teacher Mentorships in Ashtanga

  • 40H Yoga for Cancer specialized training

  • Certified Health Coach (HCA-LHC™) - Health Coaching Alliance

  • Certified Life & Holistic Wellness Coach -International Association of Wellness Professionals

  • Naturotherapist designation (n.d.) - licensed member of the Academy of Naturopaths and Naturotherapists of Canada*

*(n.d.) - you may be eligible for private insurance health care coverage in Quebec, NB, NFLD, PEI, and Yukon Territories