My Story
Consider me a yogi, a teacher, or a friend. I am someone who wants you to fulfill your highest calling
I was born and raised in Hawaii as the youngest of 10 children. Our parents were immigrants from the Philippines, and they brought us up deep in the Catholic church. Whether it was being one of 10 kids, Asian, immigrants, or private-school educated, each of us learned to work hard, do the right thing, and be overachievers to stand out. I, on the other hand, always felt the pull to go the other way, to question what we thought was right, and explore other ways of knowing and being.
The Journey
Trying to find what was best for me has been wrought with so many voices of judgment and criticism. Get this job. Marry this person. Don’t date that guy! Are you in a cult? What are you doing with your life? When are you coming home? My life has felt like a constant practice of trying to hear my own voice and having the courage to follow my heart. I feel this is the cause of so much internal stress.
Back in 2001, while traveling in Europe, I began to suffer from panic attacks. I didn’t actually know what they were, but I knew that fear and anxiety would arise in my body, for no good reason. My heart would race, I would start to sweat, and sometimes I would lose control of my bladder. Super embarrassing, and so weird. At this time, I was learning so many new ideas about religion, politics, cultures, and philosophies. My views of reality were getting shattered left and right. Then 9/11 happened, and this brought more fear of the future, and I fell into a depression, not knowing what the meaning of life actually was.
I had the grace of stumbling into a yoga studio in 2003, where they convinced me to try some classes. Upon my 10th session or so, the teacher asked us to try the ujjayi breath in a downward dog. I drew up my belly, closed my eyes, and breathed into my nostrils, and out of my nose. I did it again and again, and it felt amazing. It was like the first time in my life that I actually breathed.
My anxiety attacks never came back. But even though life brought challenges and emotional difficulties, I always knew how to find my breath, feel into my center, and know my strength.
Yoga was there when I went through hard breakups.
Yoga was there when my brother died by suicide.
Yoga was there when I lost my job, my apartment, my boyfriend, and my spiritual community, all at once.
Yoga was there when I was estranged from my family.
Yoga was there when my sister got cancer, another sister had a tumor, and my aging parents retired in the Philippines, all at the same time.
Yoga is here during all of todays new trials and uncertainties.
My Promise
I’ve been teaching yoga now for 14 years, and while I offer yoga teacher trainings, meditation classes, and relaxing retreats in idyllic places, my main gift is giving people the space to see themselves and to know themselves. Through the breath, through prayer, through friendship, through touching the earth, we get closer to our Truth, and we start to make better choices for our lives. We move towards our BEST LIFE.
My promise to you is that I will hold you in your highest. I will be honest with you, and I will be honest with myself. I will share with you tried-and-true tools that have gotten me through the highs and lows of life. And I will keep walking with you, steadfastly, knowing that friendship is what we need most on this journey.
I am most grateful to my teachers who have given me inner strength: my parents, my siblings, my partners, my students, the Land, Chogyam Trungpa, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Tarthang Tulku, Krishnamacharya, Srila Prabhupad, and Rev. Michael Beckwith.
Get On A Call With Me
If you are feeling stressed, overwhelmed, anxious or depressed; if you are feeling unfulfilled with work or your relationships; if you need meaning, purpose, or clarity in your life; if you just want to feel better, book your FREE 15-minute clarity call with me today! We can decide what practices will serve you best right now, whether it’s daily meditation, weekly coaching, a self-care retreat, or an immersion of yoga teacher training. The sooner you heal yourself, the sooner you can live your BEST LIFE!
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