I dedicate my life to supporting my students as they learn to soften suffering and uncover the joy in their lives. My wife, Marie, and I share this learning and practice in our daily lives. My greatest influences as a teacher come from the professional training program at the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, which include teachings and writings of Jon Kabat-Zinn. Other teachers who have influenced my teaching are Stephen Cope, Aadil Pahkaliva, and John Friend. I am a member of the International Association of Yoga Therapists and a registered teacher (RYT 500) with the Yoga Alliance.

I am dedicated to offering yoga to those who are in recovery from injury or illness. As someone who has benefited from the healing effects of yoga personally, I am dedicated to making yoga accessible to all. My interest in yoga inspired me to become a licensed Physical Therapist. As a therapist, I specialize in women's health and manual therapy. I enjoy sharing yoga with women throughout the life cycle, from pregnancy to menopause. One of the joys I find in teaching yoga is adapting and modifying yoga poses to accommodate injury, illness, or infirmity. I have been studying and practicing yoga with my husband, Brant, for over 15 years. I am thankful to all of my teachers for sharing their knowledge, but especially acknowledge Aadil Pahkaliva, Mary Forlenza, and Sarahjoy Marsh.

I discovered Yoga and Nia as parts of a healing journey. This self-discovery revealed my passion for movement and inspired me to pursue training and certification in both practices. One of my great joys is to help others explore the steadiness of yoga through presence, breath, and awareness balanced with the joyful sense of freedom inspired by Nia. I love that these two practices not only address the physical body, but stimulate the mind, tap into emotions, and cultivate the unique spirit within each of us. I encourage each of us toward well-being, a powerful acceptance of self and to "Dance through Life". I acknowledge my yoga teachers-- Leslie Ellis & Sarahjoy Marsh -and my Nia trainers-founders Debbie Rosas and Carlos Rosas.

People from every walk of life, profession, physical condition, and intention attend our courses. Some come in wheelchairs or with walkers, some are accomplished athletes and marathon runners. Some are pregnant or bring new babies to class. Many have busy family lives and bring family members. Physicians and therapists send quite a few people to us with challenges like: stress, chronic pain, cancer, diabetes, anxiety, depression, high blood pressure, MS, fibromyalgia and much more. Physicians and therapists attend our courses. There are caregivers wanting a respite. Busy professionals find an island of calm in a busy schedule. You will find a home here regardless of physical condition, size, activity level or intentions. Our students are ordinary people like you and me. Join us. Here are some quotes and student essays in pdf format: Download quotes from their writing.

Alzheimers Humor, Joy & Life

Anxiety, Acceptance & Making Peace

Engineering ,Cerebral Palsy, Yoga & Nia

Falling in Love with Life

Science, Anorexia & Worthy of Love

Yoga, Nia, Unexpected and Extraordinary

We tailor trainings in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), yoga and Nia Techniqe to support organizations with their intentions for staff health, wellness and effectiveness while enhancing the organization's ability serve to their organizational goals. Below is a list of a few of those we've served recently.

Tuality Healthcare Medical Education & Continuing Education Departments
Continuing Medical Education (CME) course: Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Training for Healthcare Professionals. 2009. "The best training personally or professionally I have ever taken." Course participant: MD, Internal Medicine.

Wildwood Psychiatric Resource Center
Staff training course: Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Training for Mental Healthcare Professionals. 2009 "It was a treat to spend 3 hours in a quiet, calming place-and special to share this precious time with colleagues." "I thought our experience was wonderful." - Course participants.

Tuality/OHSU Cancer Center
Patient education: Keep Active/Keep Moving with Mindfulness and Yoga for Well-Being. 2009. "Wonderful...Our patients are still talking about it. You are a credit to your practice and our community." - Staff coordinator.

Alaska Association of Marriage and Family Therapy
Annual Conference. Professional education course: Mindfulness in Therapy. Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Training for Healthcare Professionals. Anchorage, AK. 2009

Community Health Education Program, Tuality Healthcare
Over 150 patient, community, and staff education courses for this organization offered over 5 years: Moving Through Chronic Pain, The Sleep Well Class, Yoga for Women, Core Stability, Adaptive Yoga in a Chair, Yoga Therapy: Back Pain, Yoga for Stress Reduction, Yoga Therapy Pelvic Pain, The Nia Technique, Gentle Yoga, Beginning Yoga, dozens more. 2004-2009

Hillsboro Police Department
Post Traumatic Stress & the Returning Veteran Conference. Presentations: Warrior Resilience, Healing & Mindfulness. 2009. "Demonstrated not only extreme conscientiousness, but a remarkable effort to understand our organizational culture and the various sources of stress for our officers...did an outstanding job of introducing MBSR to a difficult audience." - Police lieutenant and conference coordinator.

Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center
Patient education: Yoga for Wellness, 2009.

Community Action
Annual Staff Health and Wellness Training Conference: Yoga for Stress Reduction, The Nia Technique. 2007, 2008, 2009.

Beaverton City Library
Staff Training. Employee education: Mind and Body at Work; Stress Reduction Training. 2009. "Knowledge and passion for the subject are unsurpassed." - Staff coordinator.

Intel Corporation
Employee education: Yoga & team stress management courses. 2006-2007.

Portland State University, Student Health Clinic
Clinic staff education: Introduction to Yoga for Better Health. 2007.