I have come to the development and practice of Pastoral Yoga through my own experiences of personal suffering, loss, and anxiety, and desperately needing practices that could both spiritually and physiologically support me in my longing for and daily journey of healing. Though the road towards peace has been slow and is ongoing, I have discovered through continued study of scripture and Christian thought, and study and daily practice of yoga, including an emphasis upon various yogic breathing disciplines, practices that open the door for God’s love to enter into my life. 

I graduated from Westmont College in 2000 with a degree in history. In 2005, I graduated from San Francisco Theological Seminary, earning a Master of Divinity. I was ordained as a Presbyterian (PCUSA) minister in 2008, spending most of my post-seminary years working as a pastor in three different congregations spread across the United States. I most recently completed a Clinical Pastoral Education residency in the hospital setting, coinciding unexpectedly with the Covid-19 pandemic. I have earned four units of Clinical Pastoral Education through my work in hospital chaplaincy. My greatest passion and privilege in ministry has been working with those who have taught me, through their stories, about the suffering, resiliency, and hope of Christ, and who have been able to witness to me the great power of knowing one’s need for help and welcoming it. 

I have been a Registered Yoga Teacher since 2008, completing my 200-hour teacher training in hatha and vinyasa flow yoga at Frog Lotus Yoga in North Adams, Massachusetts. I became a Level-1 LifeForce® Yoga Practitioner in 2018. I have taught yoga throughout my years in ministry, primarily in the church setting, to both parishioners and clergy. Through my teaching, I have seen that the practices of Pastoral Yoga can offer Christians a place of rest and restoration, and can provide students tools and disciplines to more deeply connect to their spiritual lives.