Ashtanga Yoga Louisville 

Yoga is a likely, yet unlikely path for me. I dabbled in gymnastics as a kid, so I guess the interest was always in me, but after my first yoga class I didn’t think I’d ever be back again! I was one of those students with one eye open in Savasana, praying for the teacher to tell us we could get up and leave! It wasn’t until a year later that I was searching for a way to work out that didn’t feel like working out when I took my second ever yoga class and everything changed. I was resting in Savasana and came to the realization I had just spent 75 minutes completely present and focused, and understood there was so much more to yoga I had yet to uncover. I completed a 200 Hour Yoga Alliance certification through Yoga East, Inc. in 2015 in an attempt to learn just what this yoga was really about.That’s where I discovered and fell in love with Ashtanga Yoga. I made my first trip to Mysore, India in 2019 for my 30th birthday, and I’ve been back three times since. In November 2022 I was honored to have received Level 2 Authorization from Sharath Jois. I opened Ashtanga Yoga Louisville because I knew I needed to share the practice in the way my teachers shared it with me, and I wanted a place to offer to others what the practice has given me. Why Ashtanga: I practice Ashtanga Yoga because it has allowed me to realize my own potential. Doing hard things on my mat has taught me that I can tackle other difficult things outside of the Mysore room. It has also taught me that it doesn’t matter how many asanas I can do or how well, but rather that learning about myself and comfortable with what I can’t do matters more because it gives me the humility that allows me to be a better version of myself for the people in my life.

Hi! I’m not what you’d call a “traditional” yoga teacher. I worked in the service industry for about 10 years and now work in the music industry. You may have seen me in my element at Mag Bar or Headliners. Maybe that’s where I talked you into trying out a yoga class! I’ve been practicing various styles of yoga since I was in high school (shout out to all my YPAS alums!), but found my true love for it in 2014. Being a concert going, hip hop and metal loving, Burning Man attending weirdo is what I think makes me a well-rounded teacher. I’ve met, loved, learned from, and taught so many different kinds of humans in my life. And I can’t wait to meet, love, learn from, and teach YOU! I attended teacher training at Yoga East in 2016 and have been teaching since 2017. I have studied with Catherine Followell, Erin Cronin, Kim Eisner, Steven McGuire, Becky Thompson, Laura Spaulding, Susan Reid, Robert Moses, David Garrigues, Ramanand Patel, Eddie Stern, Taylor Hunt, Doug Keller, Lara Land, and

My first yoga experience was in Bowling Green, KY before there was even a yoga studio in the city. A small group of us would go to a friend's house and a local yogi, Wilson, would come and teach a group of us in the living room. I was a Theater Minor at WKU. My ballet instructor was also a yogi and taught a strength and flexibility class which was basically yoga for dancers. I remember seeing her do a headstand and was amazed and impressed with her strength! She opened the first yoga studio in Bowling Green, which I attended, starting in 1997 around the age of 18. I had an instant love for yoga, as I have always been drawn to physical movement and expressing myself through it. After moving to Louisville, I eventually attended an Ashtanga led class at Yoga East. I knew there was no turning back. I am certified RYT 500, graduating from Yoga East’s 200 Hour training in 2009 and 300 Hour training in 2012. I studied at KPJAYI with Sharath Jois in Mysore, India and have been blessed & influenced by many teachers including Taylor Hunt, Laura Spaulding, Kino McGregor, Tim Feldman & Catherine Followell. Why Ashtanga: As I said, Ashtanga had me hooked from the first class I attended. I loved the intensity of the class; however what kept me coming back was the meditative aspect of the practice along with the physical, and the internal transformation as well as the strength. I learned to breathe through the practice and this has been a blessing to me in my daily life as well as on my mat. I have learned that everyday is different, and will continue to be, on and off the mat and that that is okay. I have learned, and continue to learn, to be grateful for each and every day.

I’m originally from Portland, Oregon. I was a Kettlebell instructor and taught Functionable Mobility and group classes. I moved to Louisville in 2015 and by 2016, based on Catherine’s recommendation I started classes at Yoga East. A few months later I was enrolled in the Yoga Teacher Training program. There, I learned about Ashtanga Yoga. I learned about a lot of styles of yoga, but Ashtanga was a heavy influence. The first couple of Ashtanga classes I went to, I didn't know if I liked it. But then the more I did it, the more the practice and yoga really sank in with me. If I did any other styles or workouts, it didn't hit the same. There wasn't that resonation, that feeling of accomplishment, or even a sense of fullness. Ashtanga is a very important aspect to my life and now. I have had the opportunity to take classes and workshops from many wonderful teachers including Sharath Jois, Taylor Hunt, and Laura Spaulding. I am surrounded by a few of the best teachers in this city: Catherine, Erin, Kim, and Allison. They are not only friends, but they are also my teachers. They are a community and a part of my family. I am thrilled and honored to be a part of Ashtanga Yoga Louisville and look forward to sharing my humor and practice with all of you. Why Ashtanga: The practice for me ended up not being what I expected out of a yoga practice. What initially seemed as “too hard” ended up being an incredibly grounding and humbling experience. The practice itself is a teacher. The practice gives you just what you need. The practice doesn’t judge. Its just you, your breath, and your mat.

I honor how each moment in life can be an opportunity to learn and grow and I believe we become more open to recognizing these opportunities each time we step onto our yoga mats. I graduated from Yoga East’s teacher 200 hour teaching training program in 2006 and completed her 500 hour Yoga East Alliance Certification in 2009. Laura Spaulding has been my teacher and an inspiration for over 20 years. With 2000+ teaching hours, I hold the designation of Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher (E-RYT) 500 and have made 6 journeys to India to study Ashtanga Yoga with the Jois Family including four trips to Mysore, one trip Goa and a Yatra in the Himalayas. I am also grateful for my time and studies with the Jois family, Tim Feldman, Kino Macgregor, David Garrigues and Taylor Hunt. I graduated from Nicholls State University in Louisiana with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and a Master of Business Administration and currently work for the Legislative Research Commission in Fran