Taylor’s Story 

When I was 17 years old I took my first heated yoga sculpt class. At the time, I (not knowingly) used excessive exercise as a form of dissociation. Being in constant motion allowed me to avoid repressed emotions that threatened the false self that I hid behind. For four years, I attended class 2-3 times daily, appearing to others as a dedicated yogi but internally I was a young girl in distress seeking peace of mind. In a society that encourages such habits, it is easy to use healthy coping mechanisms in an unhealthy way. The practice wasn’t the problem; my relationship to it was. The physical practice was a gateway to my liberation.

While I used to use movement as a way to tune out, yoga invited me to tune in. Over time, it showed me the armor protecting my heart, gifting me the practices and awareness needed to rekindle a relationship with my true Self, confront my pain, and find meaning in life’s harder questions.

"Inner peace begins the moment you choose not to allow another person or event to control your emotions.” — Pema Chödrön

Sometimes, we prefer to stay in a comfort zone that avoids the intense sensations of existing in a body that feels foreign. Yet, this default protective mode often compounds the very discomfort we are trying to flee, leaving us feeling farther and farther away from harmony within ourselves. For me, there eventually came a day when the high of false comfort wore off, and the cycles of self-sabotage and daily mental dramas were no longer entertaining. When we are open to the possibility that the body is not something to escape, we can skillfully harness our innate wisdom and regulatory capacities to heal. This shift evolves our aspirations from merely reducing suffering to actively seeking to thrive. Mindfulness can give us the hope to live a life not predetermined by the past, the tools to feel and deal with the present, and the wisdom to trust the future.

Buddhism, Meditation, Plant Medicine, Sound Healing, Somatic Therapy, and Yoga have been my greatest teachers. These traditions reveal to us that, while we are all unique, we are not so different in nature. You are not alone in the agitation, worry, fear, anger, jealousy, shame, envy, joy, happiness, sorrow, and excitement that boil inside, and the frustration that comes trying to navigate how to coexist with it all. 

“Trauma is not what happens to us, but what we hold inside in the absence of an empathetic witness.” — Peter A. Levine

To see and be seen is both the scariest and most rewarding choice we will continue to be confronted with. When I stopped hiding from my shadow and shame, I gained the insight and confidence to walk away from my corporate career, replace harmful habits, and experience greater intimacy with myself and others.

I am here to hold space and offer mindfulness and embodiment practices for those who long to slow down, reconnect with their true selves, and nurture supportive relationships with their inner experience—all while being in relation to and community with others. I value holding a non-judgmental container, where all of you is welcomed and needed.