I'm a 1994 graduate of Wellness and Massage Training Institute in Woodridge, Illinois. I practice a targeted, individualized, effective blend of Swedish, deep tissue and Trigger Point therapy for stress management and pain relief. My approach in both my massage therapy practice has always been holistic, recognizing that no aspect of pain or stress (or even, actually, injury) is separate in the body, mind or spirit of my client. This approach has always been informed by my original interest in the Human Potential Movement… way back in the 1960s … when there was an early recognition that the body, mind and spirit worked as one unit, either balanced or unbalanced. When one aspect becomes more balanced, the door is opened for the rest to fall into place. Massage therapy can play a vital role in relieving stress, increasing body awareness, facilitating physical healing, and bringing the entire bodymind back into a functional balance. 

My massage practice informs my Yoga teaching and my Yoga teaching informs my massage practice. I chose to take my first Yoga teacher training with Integrative Yoga Therapy, which looks at not only the physical but the energetic, emotional, thought-based and intuitive aspects of Yoga practice (and well-being). In 2016, after teaching very part time for 15 years, I completed my Yoga teacher certification through Essencia Yoga Teacher Training in Wheaton, Illinois. Essencia takes a traditional, gentle alignment-based, Hatha Yoga approach (working with postures). I have recently finished courses with Kristine Weber that promote the benefits of slow, subtle, awareness-based Yoga practice designed to soothe the nervous system, quell anxiety and depression, and promote a healthier, more balanced body-mind, through movement, mindful awareness and rest. All of these approaches emphasize that Yoga is not simply pretzelling yourself into strange poses, and it’s not just about getting lean and limber, or strong and fit, or sweating in a hot room to feel wrung out in the moment – it’s far more well-rounded than any of that. Yoga works with one’s entire being to enhance your overall functioning in all aspects of your life.