One of my favorite childhood memories is Running cross country. I ran from middle school through college, and every fall when I smell cut grass and falling leaves, I am immediately back in my spikes and lucky socks, nervous on the starting line. When I think about the transformation that happened – from a bundle of nerves at the start to giddy, proud, free and relieved at the finish – week after week, race after race, it blows my mind. I get tears in my eyes every time I watch a race!
I love teaching yoga because It is both incredibly different and strikingly similar to what I do in my “day job” as an academic pulmonary & critical care physician. It reminds me that everyBODY comes to the mat (just like they come to the office or the hospital) with their own story – the story of their unique anatomy, prior injuries, strengths, vulnerabilities, and opportunities for opening. When people feel seen in the context of this history, there is possibility for huge learning and growth.
a lesson I learned from my yoga practice is Life (and yoga) is a dance with your sacred partner, your body (thanks, Bryan Kest). For years, I viewed my body and physical capacity as something to be “overcome” or changed. When my ears opened to the idea that there is power in being gentle, in listening, in working with my body, there was a tremendous shift in my relationship with myself!
Three words that describe my teaching style: Evolving, welcoming, precise
When I’m not teaching yoga, you’ll find me Rounding in the ICU, thinking and writing about how to improve care for seriously ill patients, and jumping in lakes with my husband and children!
Three people who inspire me are my patients, my parents, and Odette Harris (seriously, look her up)
One of my favorite quotes is: : “Change the way you look at things and the things you look at change.”