1. How has your understanding of yoga evolved since you first started practicing?

My understanding of yoga has evolved from it being a strictly physical practice with some elements of woo—into something that’s more encompassing, even life-changing. I attribute my practice to helping me prepare for motherhood, not just the actual yoga itself, but the people I’ve built a community around during my pregnancy (wow, that was eight years ago!). It was the friends I’ve made and teachers at Sonic Yoga who shared their wisdom AND humor during that transformative time in my life.

Oh, and Jeffrey Duval was one of the first ones I told about my pregnancy! Well, I didn’t exactly tell him. We used to go for Taco Tuesday all the time and one night after class, I ordered a virgin margarita and he just blurted out, “You’re pregnant! So THAT’S why you weren’t twisting during class.” Love him. (And who doesn’t love Jeffrey?!)

2. How has yoga influenced your everyday life?

While I don’t make it much to the studio these days, yoga is woven into my day to day. I’m not a strict Ayurveda practitioner but I still live by its basic premise of “Like increases like; opposite qualities bring balance” …So you’ll never find me eating a salad in the wintertime! 

Lately it’s been so hectic and at times overwhelming and anxiety-inducing, that I’ve picked up breathwork again—specifically Nadi Shodhana aka alternate nostril breathing. I’d forgotten how helpful it was, so I’m glad it’s back on the menu for me.

3. What are some of the key lessons you learned during your teacher training?

The biggest takeaway from practicing yoga and going through teacher training is realizing yoga is everywhere. It’s not just the crazy poses or sweating in class, it’s how you move through life; how you move in the world and connect to people. It’s your energy, your presence. Now that I do stand-up comedy and incorporating more fitness in my forties, I find that I’m reconnecting more and more to the things I’ve learned in and through yoga.

There was a teacher that did a meditation workshop at Sonic and the one thing that stuck is this: “Meditation should feel like an old pair of jeans: You can do it anywhere, sitting down, lying down…” I loved learning that it could be this approachable, and that “meditation” can be as simple as looking at a painting or being on a boat.

Chakra work has also been huge for me. I love how yoga can be so woo-woo and yet when you truly break it down to the basics and know where to look, you’ll find that so much of it is rooted in logic and science.