E-RYT500  |  YACEP  |  Shift Yoga Teacher Training 

Youth Trauma Informed  |  Barre Above Certified  |  Lagree Fitness Pilates Certified

FRCms  |  Kinstretch Instructor |  Thai Bodywork Certified  | First Aid/CPR

Quick background: I've been a part of the Midlothian community since 1998, thanks to my hubs! I've been married for 28 years to Zac - have one child: Ian, he's married to Alyssa, (All 3 of them MHS graduates!) and one grandchild who calls me Nonna. Many of you will iikely meet him: Jack.  I adore my family!

I was overweight just about my entire life, from the tween years on up. After diet/lifestyle changes in 2001 pushed me to lose 86 pounds, I began looking for a new way to maintain my weight loss. I hit the campus gym religiously with a friend, but it was getting dull. I jogged around my neighborhood, but at that time I was miserable running. I found a yoga DVD in 2002 and fell in love. I was always in my living room floor taking up all of the space. I tried my first actual class in 2006 at a major gym franchise and I decided I wanted more live instruction. Due to a series of family tragedies beginning in 2007, I stopped yoga suddenly to spend more time with my dad and the rest of my family. All forms of exercise stopped. It did not take me long to realize that yoga was what I needed back in my life, and not just for a "workout routine". It just happened. I changed through the breathing and concentration and did not even know. A friend invited me to join them at the studio in my town and I have never looked back. I began teacher training in 2014. During that time I lost a cousin suddenly and in the following 2 weeks I lost my father. Looking back I now see that facing those situations put me at a fork in the road. At that time, it did not seem like a hard decision. I knew where I needed to be. From that point on my life has been a slow transition into something completely different than before yoga. I left my career of over 20 years in graphic design and commercial print to be where I feel called, and where I feel incredible joy. Owning YogaFire Midlothian as of December of 2016 has been quite the experience! Never in million years did I see myself teaching yoga, training instructors, or much less running studios. I have grown to appreciate life for what it is and what it can throw at us. Yoga provides you with the tools to handle all situations with the same glow/light - regardless of whether the situation is ideal. It teaches balance. I feel the human body should move, and I am very passionate about that...but I also feel that we should learn to be still - and to be ok with quiet and stillness.

Through these years I've worked with yogis of so many unique lifestyles. Young, old, highschool/college students, 9 to 5ers, athletes from a very young age, all the way to professional. I am honored and feel very blessed to have seemingly stumbled into this wild time. Open to see what is next.  I lead multiple styles/variations of yoga, as well as barre classes, private one on one for yoga and Thai bodywork. 

I feel this practice should be accessible to everyone, and I will do my best to provide that. 

I am also proud to say I will be carrying on the CYS legacy as of November 1, 2022.