Pittsburgh has always been home for me, with its vibrant sounds, colors, and character shaping my perspective on the world. Music was woven into my everyday life, especially growing up next to Caruso’s Music Store (if you know, you know). I picked up the guitar early on, and spent my high school years playing punk shows around the South Side—my first taste of what it meant to be part of something bigger.

Between rehearsals and late-night songwriting sessions, I stumbled into Hatha yoga at my neighborhood rec center. My first teacher, Kristen Kolenda, introduced me to the concept of tuning into my body—finding harmony and beauty in the duality between strength and softness. Later on, I discovered Vinyasa and was drawn to its musicality: the rhythm, the energy, and the sense of freedom that felt a lot like composing movement as you go.

After finishing yoga teacher training in 2020, I didn’t set out to teach. But the first time I guided a class, I felt that same spark I’d always found in music: genuine connection. Supporting others on their path of yoga and self-discovery became its own kind of shared experience—one where I could hold space for others to grow, and that felt truly meaningful.

Now, I’m grateful to share a practice with YOCO Yoga Collective, where we come together as a community to breathe, move, and discover what we need—letting go of what we don’t.