I was introduced to Yoga at age 15 but fell in love with Yoga about 9 years ago during a Shinzen Young meditation retreat I attended in Sherman Oaks, California. We were playing with different poses, letting the breath guide us into a movement meditation. In later years the fascination led me to explore the variations in Ashtanga, Iyengar, and Bikram Yoga working with LA’s amazing yogis like Sean Corn and Erik Shiffman. Then Integral Yoga came into my life and a deeper love unfolded. I found that sacred meditative space again and those mindful and flowing expressions had returned. I soon realized that every intension and every moment of my life had to come from the heart. I opened up to love, to vitality, to peace, and a taste of equanimity. Yoga wasn't purely about the asanas (postures) any more, it was the whole package; integrating mind, body, and spirit to awaken the energetic fire in all of us. After practicing for many years, in October 2004 I decided it was time to take the step to integrate yoga in my career and share this joy in my work and community. I received Teacher Training at the Yogaville Satchidananda Ashram in Buckingham, Virginia. I was taught by many wonderful dedicated yogis including Swami Devotees, Doctors, and professionally trained Yoga instructors whose influence has literally changed my life. Currently I am a Reiki practitioner using hands-on healing to promote stress reduction and relaxation. I am also a Recreation Therapist with an additional BA in Child Development. I work with youth and adults with and without disabilities, using intrinsically motivating leisure activities that inspire an individual to heal. These activities can include participation in sports, arts and crafts, fitness, gardening, and Yoga. Integral Yoga in particular is being discovered as a safe, comfortable, and peaceful space for so many people. My hope to bringing Integral Yoga to Recreation Therapy and into the clinical arena as an option for optimal wellness has become a reality. Peachford Behavioral Health and Hospital has given me the opportunity to design and implement the Peachford Yoga Program for all patients, as well as the Yoga Program for the corporate staff. It has been an honor to see the remarkable success at the hospital, witnessing patients and staff becoming their own healers and empowering their lives. Yoga has helped students to gracefully push through those emotional barriers with energy (Shakti), peace (Shanti), and pure surrender. In the evolution of this journey, I wish to return to teaching full time in the community to share and grow in this revitalizing experience. The class I teach mainly consists of breath work, postures (asanas) including backbends forward bends, inversions, and now an influence of flow postures to invigorate and build energy, deep relaxation (yoga nidra), and meditation. Integral along with areas of influence from Vinyasa flow brings about a harmonious dance on a physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual level. The yoga I’m inspired to teach has evolved into an energetic release of playfulness, empowerment, and surrender, reminding us to return to the community (Sangha) within our own hearts.