Shortly after earning my Masters, I thought I would take the natural next step and become a principal. I earned an Administrative Credential and almost immediately knew that was not the direction I wanted to go.   Uncertain of the next step, I decided to enroll in a yoga teacher training and it was during that time that I had an Ah-Ha moment- the themes in yoga were so empowering, inspiring, simple, and logical. I thought, wouldn’t it be incredible to bring these “lessons”  to my students, to somehow integrate the principles of yoga with my GirlFriends curriculum….  The wheels were turning.  

Changing Life Path

At the same time, I became engaged.  I was thrilled! Getting married and having a family were dreams I’d had since childhood.  My wedding plans were underway- we were going to have a small celebration in Kauai. I found my dress, organized travel, and confirmed all the details of this special day.  Then, two months before our wedding date, I had the shock of a lifetime.  A gift arrived on my doorstep from a woman I did not know.  There was a note addressed to my fiance, reminding him that honesty is the best policy.  My intuition was sharp and I knew something was off. 

I remember the moment I decided I could not marry this man.  He was proclaiming love and apology but I was feeling that I didn’t know this person anymore.  I saw two clear choices: I could move forward with him and realize my dream of becoming a wife, or I could go into the unknown, a path where only one thing was certain: the man who had so badly betrayed me would not be on it.  I called off the marriage and moved into the unknown. 

Taking this step sparked another leap of faith.

I relinquished my full-time teaching contract and dedicated more time to yoga. I began teaching yoga at studios all over San Diego and designing Teen Esteem Yoga,  classes that used creative yoga as a vehicle for teaching girls about self-esteem, friendships, stress, and compassion. Then, I met a woman who was teaching mother-daughter yoga classes.  As a teacher, I knew how important it was for parents to be involved and in partnership with teacher and student, so mother-daughter yoga seemed perfect!  

Both my teen and mother-daughter yoga classes were popular and the feedback from girls and moms was positive. As I followed my heart and pursued my passion, I learned about Teen Life Coaching.  I thought:  this is it! 

After all the years of wondering how best to help young people realize their potential, make choices aligned with their values and goals, and overcome obstacles with optimism and resilience, I finally encountered a career that fit! I pursued it with full force, completing a teen life coach training with Teen Wisdom, and a few months later, became a certified Family, Parent, and Teen Life Coach through Impact Coaching. 

Life has a strange way of preparing you and bringing you what you ask for.

My teen years provided me perspective and sparked a desire to help teens.  My teaching years connected me to my interest and passion for teaching social-emotional skills. Those years in the classroom also revealed what was missing in education.  Yoga introduced me to mindsets that not only helped me develop as a person, but they became the foundation for my yoga classes and coaching programs. The ending of my engagement broke my heart and put me on a very different path, but it was one in which I found a meaningful, fulfilling career and a loving partner.  

I never became a mother but I feel a daughter-like connection with each one of my clients, something that brings me great joy and    —–means more to me than I can put into words.