Hi, I'm Ali! I have two primary dharmas (missions, or spiritual duties) in this human life, and sharing the healing elements of yoga practice through skillful, compassionate, enthusiastic instruction is the second of them. The first and foremost is that of motherhood, a role I was blessed with mere months before becoming certified as a yoga instructor nearly 11 years ago. My daughter Mila is a light, a joy, a mirror, and I would not be the teacher or woman that I am without the rewards and challenges of parenting her. While I'd love to talk more about that, let's dive in to my journey with yoga!

 

Sometimes, the writing's on the wall... at least that's how I became a yoga instructor... Not kidding!

 

Going into the final year of my bachelor's degree program in dance and exercise & wellness, without a solid plan thereafter, I saw a flyer on the wall at the local community college for the yoga teacher training program while there for a dance competition. I wanted my path to exist in wellness with an emphasis on physical movement, but I lacked direction. I decided to enroll in the program, (directed by Certified Iyengar Yoga Teachers at the time), and discovered my calling. 

    As I worked on it, yoga worked on me. With a great deal of natural mobility, I often suffered minor injuries throughout my history dancing. Not only did Iyengar Yoga heal and prevent injuries I had developed through dance and various sports, guide me through a healthy and stressless pregnancy, I also healed completely and fully with yoga therapy care following surgery to repair a torn ACL and meniscus. This full recovery through Iyengar Yoga therapy in a little over a year without any other interventions solidified my belief in this healing science. Physically, Iyengar Yoga has also healed me personally from debilitating pack pain, shoulder injuries from a car accident, hamstring and inner groin strains, menstrual discomfort, and many other conditions. I have been blessed to pass this knowledge on to hundreds of clients and celebrate their healing stories as well. 

 

The tenets of Iyengar Yoga include precision in alignment, sequencing, and timing in the poses. This method

gives me strength and stability to manage and develop my mobility, making me a better dancer and a better athlete. It gives me mental clarity and calm to overcome both the trials of daily life, and more traumatic life experiences. It gives me connection to nature and my divine light within, a light we all share, and purpose for my life's journey. It gives me the tools to be the mother Mila deserves, to guide and inspire her so that she can have a loving, peaceful, and limitless future. It gives me the courage and fortitude to continuing progressing my own yoga practice to new heights, and share what I learn with my students. 

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I'm an aerial and burlesque dance performer, avid boxer, and nature enthusiast - trail running, hiking, chasing mountaintop views and waterfalls regularly with Mila and our dog, Peep. We love to bake and make fresh squeezed citrus juices. Embodying my knowledge of the benefits of movement, sunlight, connection to earth, an unprocessed diet, thoughtful self-reflection, and supportive communities that bring joy and enrichment, I am grateful for how Iyengar Yoga has shaped my existence. The blessings it brings are unmatched as I live a life true to its principles and witness the growth it offers to the students under my care.

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