Thirty years ago, becoming a yoga teacher seemed not only improbable but laughable to a sharp-tongued, cigarette-smoking single mom working in bars. Her world revolved around quick wit, hard work, and surviving one shift at a time—not mindfulness or meditation. Yoga, in her eyes, was something reserved for green-juice-drinking spiritual types.
But through decades of working since age 14—juggling jobs from bartending and advertising sales to veterinary assistance and mail delivery—one theme stayed constant: bringing a little light to someone’s day through humor or help. Despite the ever-changing job titles, a quiet belief persisted: there had to be something more. Something waiting. That something turned out to be yoga.
That something turned out to be yoga.
Healing from the Inside Out
Chronic, unexplained pain became the gateway to what would become her lifelong practice. Traditional beginner yoga classes felt inaccessible—too difficult for a body already worn from life. But instead of walking away, she met herself where she was, over and over again.
Her practice began not in a studio, but in a kitchen chair with a Rodney Yee VHS tape titled Back Care Yoga. It was a modest, repetitive routine—but one that created a quiet shift. Over three years of solo, chair-based practice, she discovered small yet profound changes: awareness, connection, and a new relationship with her body.
Yoga didn’t heal her overnight. It brought her back to herself, one breath at a time.
From Practitioner to Purpose
A decade later, she enrolled in a 200-hour yoga teacher training—not to teach, but to deepen her practice. That same year, she received Reiki attunement and, for the first time, felt an unshakable peace.
By the end of the training, a new clarity emerged: she did want to teach—not as performance, but as permission. Permission for people to show up exactly as they are. To move. To rest. To feel.
Encouraged by her sister’s advice—“Just be yourself”—she began teaching in her voice, without pretension or performance. In a new town where she knew no one, she started offering donation-based classes at the local library and, later, in a historic train station.
Slowly, word spread. Her authenticity resonated.
She wasn’t teaching yoga to be someone else—she was teaching to help others be themselves.
Building a Community-Driven Business
What began as a deeply personal healing journey evolved into a movement of community care. Her classes, now offered in multiple towns and online, attract people from all walks of life—many of whom have never felt welcome in traditional yoga spaces.
Her mission is clear: create inclusive, accessible experiences where individuals of all shapes, stories, and sizes can connect to themselves through movement and mindfulness.
She’s not interested in aesthetics or advanced poses—she’s interested in impact. In self-care as a radical act. In making yoga feel like home.
Business Takeaways from Yoga Founders Mag You Can Apply
1. Your Story Is Your Strength : This founder didn’t hide her past—she embraced it. Her unconventional path is exactly what makes her classes relatable. Instead of mimicking other teachers, she teaches in her voice.
Lesson: Use your lived experiences to shape your brand. Authenticity builds trust and connection.
2. Start Where You Are, With What You Have : She didn’t wait for the perfect studio or fancy equipment. A kitchen chair and a VHS tape were enough.
Lesson: Don’t let limited resources stop you from starting. Begin small, stay consistent, and grow from there.
3. Build Community Before You Build a Business : Her yoga business didn’t start with a business plan—it started with service. Teaching donation-based classes in public spaces created trust and loyalty.
Lesson: Serve first. Business will follow when you build real relationships.
4. Be a Mirror, Not a Model : She didn’t position herself as the perfect yogi. She showed up as a real person. And in doing so, she gave others permission to do the same.
Lesson: Your job isn’t to be ideal—it's to be real. When you’re honest, your students will be too.
