Yoga

I began practicing Bikram yoga (26 & 2 Yoga) in my mid-20s, and from the very first class, I was hooked. In that room I found a way to confront my inner critic/fears/anxiety that actually worked. Over time I began to come to yoga for different reasons than the ones that initially kept me coming back to class. I have found comfort and strength in this series of postures through pregnancies, Covid years, and the many highs and lows that life has brought my way.  Sometimes it is physical pain, other times it is emotional, regardless I find what I need.  I owe deep gratitude to Elizabeth and the incredible teachers at Heart of The Valley Yoga in Corvallis, who have taught and supported me throughout my yoga journey.

I LOVE the repetition of the 26&2 yoga postures. I get it, it is not for everyone - for some it may feel TOO repetitive but to me, that is an integral part. Every day I meet myself on the mat and find out what I need on that day within the framework of these postures. I find the alignment based focus completely exciting every single day! This class is like doing your physical therapy exercises, It is not about scrutinizing your body, rather seeing where you are and taking care. It's about finding grace in the moment, showing up in whatever state you are in today and being proud of yourself for getting to your yoga class! I love to push my daily edge and that looks different pretty much every single day.

Massage clients who take a yoga class will recognize that the home stretches I suggest are often yoga postures :-)

Massage Therapy and Bodywork *Pelvic Bodywork Bio in progress

Coincidentally or not, shortly after finding my happy place in the yoga room, I attended a preview night at the Oregon School of Massage. I felt an immediate connection to the school credo Mind-Body-Spirit and somewhat impulsively (or you could say I trusted my instinct) enrolled. I haven’t regretted that choice for an instant and i have continued to grow and deepen my knowledge and passion with each passing year.

I like to treat my clients while they are clothed, but I am also flexible because many people are used to a dressed down massage. I like functional bodywork and clothing allows for this to happen more easily. It’s so great when a client can get off the treatment table to take a few steps or try a movement. Trigger Point Therapy, stretching and tissue mobilization, and myofascial release techniques are some of the various approaches I use. I always have a plan, I love a plan! though I very often find that the plan changes once we begin because of new information. I strive for clear communication so the plan changes do not feel surprising.

Core and Bodyweight Exercise and Coaching

After experiencing birth trauma and the subsequent years of discomfort that followed, I decided it was time to take matters into my own hands, I was experiencing episodes of severe pelvic pain. And it was so dang disheartening because I absolutely loved being pregnant, and I was a model pregnant lady, and I did my kegels and walked and ate well, and yet I still came out the other side of my birth experience feeling unfixable.

I tried many things: pelvic weights, apps, pilates, maintaining my beloved yoga practice, crossfit, etc etc etc. I had Pelvic PT but my insurance didn’t cover as many visits as I really needed.

I have been a massage therapist since well before my pregnancies, and then along the way I became a yoga instructor as well, and along that way I learned a few key things - like how to activate different muscles on purpose. And I remember the excitement I felt when I realized I could isolate my quad in Standing Head to Knee, and that I could turn on and off different muscle groups on command. My pelvic pain comes from pelvic floor muscles spasming when they get overtired and I taught myself how to override the spasm by isolating and contracting other muscle groups. Aha! This led to some of my best relief in years. From there I discovered Lauren Ohayon’s movement and exercise program, Restore Your Core®, and learned to breathe functionally and started to better understand the relationship between pelvic floor, diaphragm, and core. From this point I began to increase my core strength and total body strength and began to improve my overall comfort, and in particular my pelvic pain. I began to experience a decrease in episodes of incontinence as well. As I became stronger and more confident I began teaching others and have found so much fulfillment in supporting and educating others in muscle activation, breathing exercises, and proper entry level strength training techniques. I am a rehabilitative strength coach, meaning I am here to help set the building blocks in place and establish that solid foundation that you can build out into whatever direction your passion takes you.

If I could teach everyone one core exercise it would be to breathe properly. Inhale and the diaphragm descends and the pelvic floor softens, exhale and the diaphragm lifts as does the pelvic floor and engagement happens here on the exhale. From that foundational beginning all core strength, pelvic floor strength and relaxation, and total body strength comes from. I passionately believe that a little bit done correctly makes a huge huge huge difference. I believe in doing tricep pushups and starting tiny tiny tiny, but being consistent, and being proud as they steadily grow. I am always looking for the balance point of strength and rest - that amazing neutral zone.

We are all fixable! I know how it feels to be frustrated, stuck, unfixable and I want you to know you are not in this alone and things can get better. And in some of my my favorite words, now is always the best time to start :-)

More about me . . . but ramblier