I was first introduced to yoga by my best friend over 8 years ago. At first, I was skeptical that "yoga" would be my thing; I imagined what I think most people do, something gentle and soft, not at all what I was in to at the time. None-the-less, I said yes. Best friends though, they know you sometimes more than you know yourself. She took me to a Vinyasana class, the room was not heated, but I still got a great sweat. It only took that one class and I was hooked. After that, I found myself going more and more often, even by myself. Soon after, the studio that I was attending was shut down and I went searching for a new studio. In my search I found Anchorage Yoga and with it I found Patrick McGownd whom was my first introduction to Bikram yoga. I fell instantly in love with the heat, sweat, and intensity that Bikram yoga offered, and for a long time Patrick's classes were the only classes I attended. After a while though I began to try new things and one day, I found myself walking into one of Katey Inman's classes. Her classes were unlike anything I experienced. They are soul lifting, energizing, and mind-relaxing. That, I would say, is when I truly found Yoga and not just Asana. Over time Anchorage Yoga became more than just a studio for me - it became a second a home. I became more relaxed and willing to try new things, and with that my own practice started to shift. I found myself drawn to the flow classes that encouraged me to be free. I still enjoy a great sweat but the intuition I found by tapping into myself is what finally lead me to become an instructor. I recently graduated from Anchorage Yoga's 200-hour Teacher Trainee program under the instruction of Katey Inman and I couldn't be more thrilled to join the team of instructors at AY. Every instructor at AY has something uniquely beautiful to offer and I hope, I too, can bring an offering that will inspire my students in the ways they need. I encourage my students to be in tune with their bodies; I still love a great sweat and my classes have been known to "kick butt," but through purposefully sequenced classes and modified instruction, I encourage my students to sweat with intention.