I began my yoga journey at 19, with very little knowledge of what the future held. Like many of us at that age, I was not focused much on my future, but was deeply involved in a day-to-day struggle with my present. I was working two jobs while studying full-time. I had a hectic schedule that kept me indoors and piled my stress high. This caused me to become overweight, lethargic and uninspired. Something had to change.

Beginner's mentality

Throughout my eight year yoga journey, I have been fortunate enough to experience a drastic transition from one point of view to another. In March of 2008, I reached my highest weight of 285 pounds, despite my strongest efforts to hit the gym regularly and monitor my diet. To my dismay, it seemed like there was nothing that could keep me on track. Thankfully, it was at that time that a close friend inspired me to join her at a hot yoga class. At first I was skeptical - not only did I consider myself minimally flexible, but my knowledge of yoga was summed up by "that thing girls do on the Wii-Fit?" However, always open to new experiences and having been raised as a Buddhist, I thought, "why not try just one class?"

My first class blew me away. I was enraptured by the natural yoga-high that I experienced after class, and was instantly hooked. "Just one class" rapidly evolved into a daily practice that I sustained with discipline for over a year. With the support of my peers and the momentum of an ever expanding passion for yoga, I enrolled in a Moksha teacher training in September 2009.

Athlete's mentality

Over the next two years I maintained my strong yoga practice and began boxing regularly. These combined efforts brought my body weight down to a much stronger and healthier 230 lbs. I expanded my commitment to fitness by further diversifying my athletic endeavors in March 2011 by becoming one of the first males to perform stunts as a member of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers Cheer team. As those familiar with cheerleading and stunting know all too well, it is nearly impossible to participate in this demanding sport for a prolonged duration injury-free. My turn came near the midpoint of the season, when I strained my neck, shoulders and back. Fortunately, I relied on my knowledge of anatomy and yoga to provide me with the support I needed to continue to perform for three seasons without having to take any significant time off. I credit my hot yoga practice for my sustained physical and mental well-being to this day.

I recently made the difficult decision to part ways with my long sustained commitments to the Bombers and the studios in Winnipeg that have felt like a second home to pursue of my dream of owning and operating Awesome Hot Yoga. I will remain grateful for the people I have met and the lessons I have learned that have brought me to this point of realizing my dreams. Out of this dream I hope to create a space where people do not feel pressured to be perfect, but have the space to be their authentic selves like I did: starting their yoga journey, learning, making mistakes, and laughing a LOT (all while getting super sweaty, of course). I believe that through creating an environment where everyone can truly be present, others will be able to find the peace and stillness required to make the best decisions for the paths they're following.