Yoga found me on a summer evening in Ithaca, NY, after I’d returned home from a long, rainy trail run. I’d taken no more than three bites of my peanut butter sandwich by the time my housemate began begging me to join her for a community class at a local studio. Despite my sore legs (and definite body odor), I acquiesced. That night I felt my body move unlike it had ever moved before. I haven’t stopped practicing since.
Yoga has taught me about presence and authenticity. That’s why my teaching focuses on getting out of our heads and becoming fully alive to what’s real: the rhythm of heartbeat, the melody of breath, and the harmony of skillful movement. I hope every class provides an opportunity to explore the tangent between who we are at our core and what we’ve told ourselves we’re supposed to be.
Teaching is one way I express love, empathy, and community-building, and I do so with creative sequencing, accessible cuing, and lots of humor. I draw inspiration from multiple traditions including Ashtanga, Baptiste, Prana Flow, Power, Kripalu, and Yin. I completed my Vinyasa Yoga RYT-200 certification with Jackie Mullen Mastro and Andrea Sewitsky of the Gratitude Hot Yoga Center of Raleigh, NC. This certification includes attunement for Reiki healing levels I and II. Some of my other teachers and mentors include Alexandria Crow, Abra Goldman, Sean Haleen, Tory Jenis, Gina Newlin, Gina Schatz, and Zainab Zakari. I also hold a degree in public health from the University of Rochester, and I currently serve as Program Officer with the Mt. Sinai Health Care Foundation in Cleveland, OH.
Enjoy the website, and please don’t hesitate to reach out! I look forward to seeing you on the mat.
Namaste,
Dan