The Long Version…

I have dedicated two decades of my life so far to the study of movement and for half of this time, I have been studying and practicing mindfulness. For most of my adolescence, I spent the after-school hours in a youth dance company, focusing on contemporary dance and complementing my training with ballet. By the time high school graduation approached, I knew I wanted to dedicate my life to movement.

Soon after I enrolled in a BA programme in contemporary dance. I have always enjoyed the practical aspects of dance, but as the degree progressed I became more and more interested in movement science. As not all technical aspects of dance came easily to me, I started to look into research for answers. While everyone else was creating performances for their final dissertation, I decided to write a research study on the science of external hip rotation.

As I wasn’t dealt the best hand in life and full-time dance training was pretty demanding, I soon found myself dealing with an assortment of mental health issues, and so referred myself to therapy. Little did I know that the therapeutic modality I ended up in was grounded in mindfulness. I didn’t have a clue what that was at the time but as it made interesting links between mind and body, it sat well with me. So well, in fact, that I’ve spent solid five years dedicated to it.

Fast forward several years, with a solid interest in interdisciplinary movement practices, somatics and mindfulness, I ended up in yoga. Being situated at the convergence of everything I was interested in, the practice really felt like home. Needless to say, things spiraled from there! I soon completed my entry-level teacher training in yoga and shortly after in Pilates.

Straight after the training and later throughout the pandemic I was teaching multiple yoga classes every week, which eventually took a toll on my body. Concurrently, I was developing a chronic autoimmune disease that disrupted my body's natural healing processes. The combination of these factors led me to experience chronic pain, affecting multiple joints and persisting despite physiotherapy.

It was during this challenging period that I rediscovered my interest in movement science and started seeing yoga within the larger context of movement and exercise practices with all its benefits and limitations. Guided by those interests, I started searching for continuing education with a strong emphasis on anatomy and kinesiology: coming full circle since my university years to specialise in movement science.

Of course, the more you study movement, the more you realise that there is more to learn, and so the education continues. Having said that, I am excited to share my knowledge and experience with you, helping you to move freely and efficiently, build resilience for the future, all while enjoying movement.