My teaching journey began through Jack when I started offering riding lessons to a co-worker’s daughter.  Little did I know, guiding that eleven-year-old girl on Jack around the arena while being fully aware of Jack’s temperament and subtle responses to the girl’s body language would pave the way for me to one day become a confident yoga instructor capable of tuning into the energy of a room full of people responding to my cues in the air, on the water, or on the mat.  

I attribute so much of my patient presence as a teacher to my years as a riding instructor, teaching someone to connect with a horse offers the opportunity to be immersed in the present moment, to be fully aware of your body language, your breath, the direction of your gaze, and the thoughts in your mind.  A horse will let you know whether you are in the moment and if you are being intentional, but until you awaken enough to tune into all the feedback that the horse is giving you about yourself, a trainer (riding instructor) is there to aid you in softening to the horse’s feedback.   

In my early 20’s, while attending Colorado State University for my bachelor’s in Equine Science, I enrolled as a mentor in the equine therapy program that worked with a program called Turning Point for troubled youth.  I was paired up with a young lady from the program and a horse to work with over the course of a semester to teach her how to connect with, care for, and ride a horse.  My heart swelled witnessing the horse and human connection and the incredible transformation of the young lady during our time together.  I knew that serving as a guide for others called to me.

After being inspired by my own mentors, I decided to pursue sharing my passion for aromatherapy through workshops I created utilizing essential oils with horses for raindrop techniques or everyday care.  During my equine massage training, I was reacquainted with essential oils and began attending a plethora of workshops with Cherie Ross from Young Living at equine facilities in Wisconsin, shadowing Dr. John Hanover, DVM, as well as, studying Equine Raindrop Technique with Dr. Heather Mack, DVM.  After witnessing and experiencing beautiful healing results with essential oils, I found the courage to share my voice outside of the horse arena and began my growth in a new direction as a guide for others. 

Fast-forward to my mid-twenties, when I left the horse industry and decided to pursue a different path, I had just finished my personal training certification and I was serving as the metabolic coordinator and chiropractic assistant to an applied kinesiologist in Fort Collins, Colorado.  The first fitness center that I applied to be a trainer at was a yoga studio that featured a weight training area with a physiotherapist (who I later came to apprentice with).  

I remember the meeting as if it were yesterday, the owner of the studio sat with me at a coffee shop in the same strip mall as the yoga studio and told me that he was excited to have me onboard; however, he felt that the clientele would respond better to me if I had my yoga certification.  The idea of becoming a yoga instructor never crossed my mind, I had been practicing yoga since I was seventeen, but I never considered teaching it, truthfully, I highly valued my role as a student when it came to yoga and all the ways it served my own healing journey.  The studio owner happened to have a 200-hour training that was launching the next month and offered a spot to me at a discounted rate as a gesture to support me and my success.  What a gift and a blessing, I had no idea at the time that when I said yes to the offering, the trajectory of my life would change.  You can always count on Spirit to nudge you in the direction that you are meant to go.  Allow yourself to be open to the influence of Spirit and you will be in awe of the angels that cross your path. 

After receiving my yoga certification, I continued to pursue additional education since a 200-hour yoga teacher training merely skims the surface of the depth available.  I sought out mentors, workshops, and references in all the areas that piqued my interest which ultimately led me to blossom and grow in a multifaceted way as a teacher and facilitator.

I pursued my certification as a nutritional therapist, which I had a private practice with for several years.  In my practice, I worked with clients by reviewing lab work for their blood chemistry, observed their food journals and symptom surveys, and workshopped through the different feelings, thoughts, attitudes, and patterns around their relationship to food.  The goal with the therapy sessions with the clients was to work through the layers energetically, mentally, emotionally, and physically, to get to the place where their intuition could guide their food choices with their developed inner knowing of what the body is asking for to receive for nourishment and replenishment.

I find that due to all the time I spent and continue to spend as a student, is what has led me to become the guide for others that I am today.  I take into consideration different learning styles individuals have and I read the energy of a room to know how to best hold the space for whichever experience, or lesson is to be shared.  I find that attention to detail is important as well as providing students with learning materials that will aid them on their journey for deeper understanding and integration, all the while making space for the student to develop their own personalized experience for growth and understanding of the concepts being presented.  ‘Set the student up for success’ has remained one of my mottos over the years.  I have discovered that my time spent with horses has helped me stay grounded and exude a sense of calm to those around me, which aids students/participants in feeling like they have the anchored space they need to learn and grow.