In your own words, how would you describe what you do?
First off I just have to say that I absolutely love what I do. Several times a day I pause, take a deep breath in and soften into the moment with loads of gratitude. It’s an honor and joy to work with women in the ways that I do. I am passionate about their growth and have fun in every client session and class that I facilitate.
I support women to feel their purpose, find depth in their joy and reflect the light of who they are back out into the world. I offer my clients a safe place to explore and process their emotions and hold space for their growth. I believe that in order to live a life rich with meaning we have to get messy and open ourselves up to all the stuff that is uncomfortable. In essence, I create a compassionate container for all aspects of the self so that my clients feel seen, heard, and loved.
I work with clients very directly. I ask questions that cut through the external noise and get right into the heart of what they are seeking. The majority of my work is energetic and intuitive. I know what a particular client needs as soon as I read their email or speak with them on the phone. The core of our session work is geared towards exploring what information their body holds, clearing energy blocks through breathwork that dim their creative energies, and sharing specific practices to support their journey.
I teach women how to get into their bodies and trust their intuition. These are key elements for developing self love. The number one reason people don’t honor their intuition is not wanting to rock the boat. I support my clients to rock those boats and love themselves through the process.
In my classes I facilitate guided breathwork, partner work, and writing to release energetic blocks and accelerate connection to spirit. Students gain restored clarity on their path and accessible tools to nourish their hearts and communities.
What has lead you down the path to this point in your career? What aspects drew you into wellness?
I stumbled into wellness out of necessity. At twenty-one I was strung out on cocaine and addicted to everything under the sun. Making the decision to go to rehab to get clean was the first step I took towards wellness and I haven’t looked back since.
I grew up incredibly empathic, intuitive, and sensitive. When things went south with my parents I needed an escape from all that I felt and all that I knew to be true. I wanted out of my body as fast as possible and found a solution that worked. Eventually, I became so addicted to substances that I manifested experience after experience where I was in fear for my life. I knew deep down if I kept going at the rate I was going I wouldn’t live to be twenty-five.
Thankfully, through grace, a miracle of whatever you want to call it, my family came together and offered to send me to rehab. I went willingly knowing deep down it was my chance to heal, transform, and do the work my soul is here to do.
In the beginning of my recovery I found my way into a yoga class and immediately fell in love with the practice. For the first time since I could remember I felt safe in my body and that journey has continued to evolve and expand over time. At its root, addiction is a disease of isolation. Learning to ground myself through breathwork, meditation, and postures increased my ability to be vulnerable and develop a community of friends that were on a path towards healing and radical self care.
Through my breathing and yoga practices early on I relearned how to eat well, cultivate incredible, intimate relationships and follow my life’s passions without fear. I have learned that my empathy and intuition are gifts and that my work as a healer is to keep healing myself. The more I show up and dig into the nooks and crannies of my life the more I am able to show others how to do the same. My life is my practice and each day that goes by I am thankful for all of it, especially the parts that are painful because today I have tools for supporting myself through those moments and I trust they are rich sources of renewal.
What have you learned from your clients and your practice?
What I observe consistently in my private practice and teaching groups is that healing is a natural byproduct of witnessing each other’s vulnerability. We all need a secure place to express ourselves honestly and without judgment. This is how we learn to give and receive love which are the cornerstones of my practice.
Often when I begin working with clients I hear them judging themselves harshly for how they feel while deep down seeking attention and approval from others. Our society has really done a number on oppressing women’s sensitivity which is directly related to her ability to access and trust her intuition. I’ve always been a very empathic and sensitive person so it’s no wonder all of my clients are too! I was taught to keep my feelings to myself growing up and hide the parts of myself that I didn’t like out of fear of being judged or left behind. Covering up those parts leads to developing a loud inner critic and shuts you off from being accepted exactly as you are, which is an important aspect of love.
One of the most transformative facets of my practice is clearing the pathway for those inner critics, that nine times out of ten didn’t belong to my clients in the first place, and making room for her inner wisdom to come forward.
My clients have also taught me the precious value of deep listening. When I am present, taking in all they are saying the answers and information always comes to light. The path is illuminated and genuine healing unfolds.
Have you always enjoyed cooking, or is it something you began to enjoy more as you became health conscious?
I grew up with Grandmothers who loved to cook. I didn’t realize how fortunate this was until I was in my 20’s and ready to get back in the kitchen and start cooking for myself.
My Grandma Benny had a cabinet in her kitchen with old pots, pans, wooden spoons, and recycled plastic food containers. When my brother and I were little she let us go to town in that cabinet. We would pull out everything, set it all up on the floor and play a concert for her! She never told us to be quiet or that anything was too loud. We had such a good time making noise and simply being in her presence. And the smells, oh she could cook up a storm and everything smelled delicious!
When I think about having a family of my own in the near future I imagine us all spending afternoons like that in the kitchen. Cooking, playing, laughing, connecting. For me the the kitchen is the heart of the home, a true place to nourish love.
Tell us a little bit about your diet staples, and about what you always keep in your fridge?
My staples consist of local leafy greens and veggies, copious amounts of grass fed ghee and coconut oil, nourishing bone broths, sprout fed eggs, berries, avocados, tonic herbs, small amounts of sprouted grains, local fish, and herb infused water.
Every Sunday I am home in Los Angeles I visit the Hollywood Farmers Market and buy my produce for the week. I’ve been frequenting this market since I moved to L.A. four years ago and it’s one of my favorite rituals. I love connecting to the farmers, running into friends, and supporting sustainable agriculture.
My fridge is always full of local produce, leftovers from batch cooking, chia pudding, bone broth, supplements, fruit vinegars, and whatever kitchen projects I am working on that month. Typically kitchen projects range from salad dressings to herbal infusions and DIY beauty remedies.
How has your physical and mental state changed since adopting your current lifestyle?
My life is constantly changing. Each year I learn how to access love with less effort and am amazed at how clear my mind has become.
I feel better now in my 30’s than I ever did in my 20’s! The power of the human body to regenerate and renew itself blows my mind. To be honest this is one of the aspects that initially drew me to classical Hatha yoga. The teachers I had were full of energy, power, grace, and strength. And they all looked 10-20 years younger than they were. When I started yoga I was still chain smoking but I gave that up pretty quickly in favor of a radiant body and clear mind!
Do you have any daily practices? What are they?
Over the years I’ve had many different practice. These days I am leaning into the belief that my entire life is a practice. My life is an offering, a teaching and practice on slowing down, the art of being vulnerable and the magic that reveals itself when I commune with nature each day.
I pray and set intentions every morning and practice breathwork and gratitude each evening. Throughout the day I talk to the Hawks, butterflies and plants in my neighborhood and make sure to walk barefoot in my garden and bend down and touch the earth.
I practice calling in wishes with the new moon and releasing with the full moon. I do my best each day to practice generosity, compassionate speech and grace. And when I’m having a tough time or want to celebrate I call on my family and close group of women friends and ask for what I need.
How do you stay grounded when life gets hectic and stressful?
Constitutionally I am an airy and watery being so I need to ground daily. For my client and teaching practice grounding is essential. It’s impossible to hold a space for healing and transformation if I am not doing the inner work and connecting to the Source (for me it’s nature).
Offloading energy is the quickest way to ground and I do that with breathwork and staying in touch with nature. Breathwork calms the nervous system and is a very potent stress reducer. Developing a deep appreciation for nature and connecting with that energy daily is key for staying present and not taking on external stressors from the the hustle and bustle of L.A. or my family, friends, and clients.
I practice breathwork daily, usually in the mornings and evenings. Most days I spend one hour outside either working in my garden, hiking in nearby Griffith Park or just taking a long stroll around my neighborhood. My life is lead by my intuition and in order to receive the insights and messages that are present in each moment I must be grounded, there is no other way!
How does mysticism relate to beauty for you?
I am very drawn to the Navajo practice, The Beauty Way, which is about restoring balance and beauty in each waking moment. The Beauty Way is a spiritual invitation to be in harmony with everything: plants, feelings, nature, each other, objects, the environment. It’s a way to infuse every aspect of our lives with attention, creativity, love, and understanding.
Today may I walk out in beauty. With beauty may I walk. With beauty before me, may I walk. With beauty behind me, may I walk. With beauty above me, may I walk. With beauty below me, may I walk. With beauty around me, may I walk. It is finished in beauty. It is finished in beauty. -Navajo Prayer
Top five picks from CAP?
Oh this is such a challenge! Just five?!
The CAPtivator. Heart opener. Mood lifter. Digital Detox Bath. Clear. Relax. Restore. Jiva Apoha Atman (Spirit) Body. Grounding. Opens intuitive channels. May Lindstrom The Honey Mud. Skin healer. Makes my face happy! Sun Potion Reishi. Potent spirit medicine.
