A profound shift

2025 turned out to be a year of profound shift—one I hadn’t been expecting. In hindsight, I probably should have seen it coming (and maybe, somewhere deep down, I did). After fourteen years at the same studio—a place I never imagined myself leaving—I suddenly found myself “on my own.”

For the first time in my sixteen-plus years of teaching yoga, when people asked me, “What studio do you teach at?” I had no response. To be clear, it wasn’t my decision to leave. And yet, in many ways, it felt unavoidable. I had reached a point in my teaching where I wanted to develop my own projects independently, and doing so within that studio’s framework was no longer possible.

After many years of teaching and managing at various yoga studios throughout the city, I suddenly found myself without one to call “home.” Being a yoga teacher is strange in that way: we are technically independent contractors, yet most of us have a main studio—or sometimes a few—where we regularly teach. So, being without one felt unexpectedly lonely, though not for long.

Thanks to the connections I had built within the yoga community, new opportunities presented themselves quickly. A studio soon offered me a regular class on their schedule, and other invitations to teach followed. I was also fortunate that my first yoga teacher, Yasmin Fudakowska-Gow, has a yoga space in her home and was generous enough to collaborate with me, allowing me to rent it for weekly classes and occasional workshops.

photo credits: Javier Pelaez

Being on my own gave me the freedom to reflect on the kinds of classes, workshops, events, and retreats I wanted to offer, without having to worry about whether they fit into someone else’s programme or timeline. At the same time, it meant that promoting and marketing these projects now rested entirely on my shoulders—which naturally required having my own website.

Thankfully, a teacher, mentor, and friend, Jules Febre, had long encouraged me (or rather, insisted) that I create one—particularly to promote the Jivamukti Yoga Retreat he invited me to co-host this past year. He put it matter-of-factly: “If you don’t have a website, how will your students find out about what you’re offering?”

Coincidentally, years ago I had taken a Business of Yoga workshop as part of an advanced teacher training, and the instructor posed a similar question.

“Why don’t you have a website?” she asked.

“I use the studio’s website,” I replied.

“And what happens when you’re no longer at the studio?” she pressed.

The thought had never crossed my mind—until then.

And so, although I ended last year with what felt like a significant loss, it opened the door to a year of personal and professional growth that would not have been possible had I stayed where I was. Leaving a space where I had taught for so long felt like stepping into the unknown: would students still show up for my classes, workshops, and events now that I was on my own?

As it turns out, the answer was yes.

This past year I:

• Launched my own website with the help of a long-time student and friend, Marina Di Done

• Taught a Refining the Art of Assists workshop, which led to a Mastering the Art of Assists workshop series at Loft108

• Created an intimate weekly community practice, Saṁgama Yoga, held Thursday evenings at Loft108

• Authored my first Jivamukti Focus of the Month and led a special class exploring its theme: Love's Grief

• Co-led my first Jivamukti Retreat, Align & Awaken, with my teacher, mentor, and friend, Advanced Jivamukti Teacher Jules Febre

• Co-led my second fall yoga retreat, Embrace Joy, with my dear friend Elsa Tellier

• Taught Sanskrit, Chant & Mantra workshops in Yoga Teacher Trainings at Studio Mile End and Akasha Yoga

On a personal note, I also had the opportunity to travel quite a bit: New York in January; Tulum, Mexico in March; Stavanger, Norway for the Jivamukti Tribe Gathering & Amsterdam, Netherlands to visit my brother in May; Dallas and Austin, Texas for a family wedding in June; Boston, Massachusetts to watch my nephew perform in a circus show in September; Maui, Hawai‘i in October; and Atlanta, Georgia for American Thanksgiving in November.

New York

Tulum, Mexico

Stavanger, Norway

Stavanger, Norway

Stavanger, Norway

Stavanger, Norway

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Dallas, Texas

Boston, Massachusetts

Maui, Hawai'i

Maui, Hawai'i

Maui, Hawai'i

Maui, Hawai'i

Atlanta, Georgia

Atlanta, Georgia

I closed out 2024 feeling very uncertain about the future—and, in truth, I still am. But rather than feeling anxious or uneasy, I’m entering this year with a sense of hope and possibility. Whatever this new year holds, I know there will be more learning, new experiences, and growth ahead. I’m deeply grateful for the support of my students, teachers, and loved ones through the major shift that 2025 brought, and I remain open and receptive to whatever unfolds next.