My journey to authentic happiness began with a desire… to not be fat.

Superficial, I know.

I honestly believed that if I was thin and fit and sexy all my problems would fade away. As if six-pack abs cured depression. Well, I did lose the weight and tone up, but oddly enough, my problems weren’t magically solved. In addition to still being anxious, depressed, lonely and unhappy with my body, I also had a very unhealthy relationship with food and exercise.

Lesson learned: Skinny does not equal happy.

Despite a looming mental health crisis and disordered eating journey, I was feeling less anxious and a bit happier. The exercise I was doing gave me the gateway to a better life. While I was moving in the right direction, I had a ton of inner work to do.

Enter running & yoga.

Through running, I learned the value of community, of setting & reaching a goal, and of listening to my body. When my desire to feel good overtook my desire to look good, authentic happiness was right around the corner. Through yoga, I was able to tap into my inner wisdom. I learned to love and care for my body. I soon found the balance between healthy and indulgent and this new lifestyle became effortless.

So was this the solution? Was this authentic happiness?

Whop-whop-whop. Another curve ball from the universe.

Being dependent on exercise to manage my physical and mental health backfired… big time. An injury to my knee forced me to a sudden stop. Weight crept on fast, my exercise-endorphin addition became very apparent, and my mood plummeted. Turns out the injury was just what I needed allow me to focus on my mental game, but that wasn’t the only challenge coming my way.

To support my daughter through her mental & physical trauma, we turned to therapy: family therapy, couples therapy, psychotherapy, physical therapy, and even yoga therapy.

It became my mission to heal myself and my family - body, mind, and heart. Ironically, I was obsessively trying to cure my obsessive-compulsive disorder, but that’s a story for another day.

I did the work, read the books, attended the workshops, and found my way through the trauma.

The biggest trauma of my life was the kick-in-the-ass that saved my life.

Now I’m not suggesting that you cripple your kid to improve your life. But the lessons we learned through the crisis were the power of resilience, gratitude, healthy living, connection, authenticity, mindfulness and humor.

Turns out, these are learnable skills! Who knew! 

I could just sit on this information and enjoy the spoils of our hard won battle. But that was not the universe’s plan for me.

I’ve been called to share these lessons.

I completed certifications and training in run coaching, yoga instruction, children’s yoga, positive psychology, the science of happiness, body image empowerment, conscious leadership, and empathetic parenting (which conveniently applies to more than just children).

Being the passionate learner that I am (cough cough… obsessive), I simultaneously delved into research around mental health, mindset, positive education, DBT therapy, cognitive therapy, yoga therapy, gratitude, mindfulness, meditation, sleep, trauma healing and, funny enough, humor. I attended workshops, applied therapeutic practices, worked with coaches, interviewed experts, and even cyber-stalked a few industry professionals to absorb their wisdom.

I absolutely love sharing my insights with my students, family and friends. I weave the science of happiness & positive psychology into all of my teaching. I love seeing my students embrace my lessons and bring positive improvements into their lives. I’ve been rewarded with feedback and testimonials from my students ranging from grateful hugs to full-blown happy tears. I cannot even begin to express my love and gratitude toward my community.

Interested in learning more about my credentials? Scroll down to my resume section below.

here’s the best part!

My improved happiness also improved my family’s happiness & connection!

We are closer than ever, stronger, and making the most of every day. We broke away from social comparisons, built stronger relationships with friends & neighbors, learned to set boundaries like bosses, and leaned into what makes us unique.

My husband is my best friend. I have an envy-worthy relationship with all of my children. And we have big plans for our life that are becoming a reality more and more each day.

I love how authentic and unapologetic my family and I have become.

While I may seem very amiable and sweet, I must warn you… I thrive on sarcasm, puns, witty commentary and innuendos. Some other things that may turn you off about me include my overuse of ellipses… which isn’t going to change… and … my fondness of colorful language (in the correct settings… obviously not during a kids’ yoga class).

The sign over my desk reads “highly caffeinated and wildly ambitious” …which I think is an apt description. I don’t take life too seriously, but I have strong values and passions.

As you will learn, I’m very nerdy and… a bit crazy. I’m a huge Disney fan, San Francisco Giants devotee, a Potterhead, book enthusiast, overzealous hostess, and Psych-o/Psych fanatic (I’ve heard it both ways).

I enjoy staying active with running, yoga, hiking, dance, Pilates, and strength training. I’ve completed countless 5k, 10k, 15k, half marathons, and relay races, as well as multiple obstacle races. (Think mud, sweat, tears, blood, regret and full-scale bad-assery).

welcome friend!

I’m so glad we found each other.

Seriously, if I can manage to find peace, health and happiness through trauma, mental illness and motherhood, so can you.

Start your journey now, by grabbing your free chaos control kit.