Having long benefited from movement practices that stimulate the mind and elevate the emotions, I was drawn toward qigong after more than 20 years of personal practice in belly dance and yoga. Qigong spoke to me in a way no other practice had. Its simplicity was also its complexity; thus, it was accessible yet challenging. It had no goal of performance, rather, the opposite–practitioners were guided to let go and find presence, free from the performance of roles.

In 2021, I decided to harness my 15-years of experience as an educator and redirect my energies toward qigong instruction. I sought out training opportunities with qigong instructors whose personal style spoke to my heart. I also started teaching small group sessions to friends and family. I am now proud to hold a 200-hour Teacher Certification from Holden Qigong as well as a 30-hour Qigong and the Chinese Five Elements certificate from Mimi Kuo-Deemer. And in 2024, I began Mimi Kuo-Deemer’s year-long Teacher Mentorship Program.

While no two qigong sessions will be exactly the same, my sessions blend the characteristics of my own training which have resonated most with me. Among these are Lee Holden’s ‘recipe’ for qigong classes, which follows a general progression of warm-ups, stretches, and activations before transitioning into flows. This recipe is tempered by workshopping, which is an aspect of Mimi Kuo-Deemer’s sessions, allowing practitioners to experience the breakdown of complex movements to better incorporate them into the body. Inspired by Rose Allen and my own training as a linguist, I add a layer of nature-based metaphor; I see qigong as a rich tapestry of imagery that invites us to explore our inner and outer worlds through embodied movement.

When I am not teaching qigong, I can be found surrounded by the natural world. I have a part-time position in the beautiful Home Orchard Education Center, where I regularly play with tree qi. At home, I love to care for our feather and fur babies and spend time in the garden.