Greetings

My very first yoga class was a community class at Modo Yoga Portland. Back then it was called a "Karma Class" and it was on a Friday night. I was invited as a guest by a friend. At the time I was searching for a way to establish more connection with my body. I have always been athletic. I love sports, dancing, martial arts, all very physical activities that demand connection between mind and body, and yet I felt disconnected. I had an active meditation practice and there was something missing. The community class at Modo created a much needed new wrinkle in my brain. It was a Hatha yoga class, very similar to the one I teach. It was in early November and the hot room was perfect for a chilly Friday night. I was all in by the first savasana. The instructor had no idea how much they changed my world that night. Class was great. 

That same night I learned about the Energy Exchange program. Energy exchange is a trade system where I could volunteer four hours a week and in return I could attend all the classes Modo offered. It sounded especially fulfilling to trade labor for a yoga practice. I emailed the owners the very next day.

 My shift was Friday nights 4 to 8 pm. My job was to wash, fold and stock the towels; clean and roll mats; clean and mop the change rooms, general areas and the hot room; basically to keep the studio looking pristine and in working order. I loved every minute of it. 

In the following months I practiced yoga almost everyday. Friday nights became my favorite night of the week because I spent four hours paying for my practice. Also, Friday nights were pretty dope in the city. The Modo studio was a great location for me to go out after my shift and enjoy downtown Portland.

I was an energy exchange student for 3 years. I never wanted to leave. The third week of my yoga journey I knew I was going to teach. I held on to that goal for years. Once I had that realization I made a silent commitment to attend the teacher training that Modo Yoga offered. The universe has a way of testing our resolve. I started playing this weird cat and mouse game with the yoga training. There would be an opportunity for me to take the yoga training, but, I couldn't afford it. Then there would be times where I could afford it, but, there was no opportunity. I balanced between those two parallels for five years, however, the idea of teaching yoga stayed with me. There was even a time I discontinued my personal practice of yoga all together. For some reason, teaching was still in my heart. Finally, the opportunity and money came together. I didn't hesitate. I completed the course and the very first class I taught was a Zoom class. My first student was my mother at 6 am. For most thats probably a little early, but we are both early risers. The next class, my student was my dear friend Kendra. After that I started inviting more family, other friends, and it all began growing from there. I thought, what better way to honor this dharma of yoga than to make it available to all the people I love; and everyone else too.