When I moved here in 2005 with my ex-husband, our dream was to open a yoga studio together. Life didn’t go that way; it went better than planned. During the divorce, instead of building a business, I chose to get certified—not with any plan to open a studio, but simply to find relief, to come back home to myself.

By July 2009, I had entered and left a codependent relationship while I was teaching about 30 classes a week—parks, gyms, assisted living communities, apartment complexes. Teaching yoga was my lifeline. It kept bringing me back to me, reminding me that no matter where I go, if I am with myself, I am home.

✨ 16 years ago today, y Respira officially became an LLC. ✨

The journey since then has been anything but easy. I opened my first studio downtown in an old bank vault and had a 2nd location in North Raleigh called y Vivir. I was still teaching all over, trying to make it all work. After two years of owning the studio, I became pregnant with Victoria and chose to move to a garage space off Millbrook. That transition was painful—the people who took over my old location also took my name, my Yelp page, and my Facebook page. It was an ugly betrayal from people I knew, and it hurt deeply. With the help of my attorney, I was able to move past it, but it was a heavy time.

Our open house at the new location was beautiful—we had acro yoga, capoeira, and a wonderful community gathering. But my postpartum brain also thought it was a good idea to offer a Groupon/Living Social deal: 10 classes for $10. That nearly broke me.

During all this, my relationship with Chris was still brand new. Within ten months, we had our first date, got engaged, bought a house, became pregnant, got married, and gave birth. We didn’t fully know one another yet, but it felt so right—and I never thought I would marry again. Chris believed in me and suggested we build a studio in our backyard. I jumped on the idea right away. The first builder I hired from Craigslist poured a foundation and then disappeared with my money. And you can say, OMG, and I learned. As we all do. Some learn and fall harder than others and others never have the opportunity to fall.

But the universe had my back. I wished out loud that my friend John could build it, and three minutes later, I ran into him at the gas station. John built our little casita—Majia—in three months. I even managed to get my money back by fighting back through the credit card company on my own. We didn't have proper heat and a/c until the 3rd year. Every little thing in moderation, bc I was literally learning as I went.
Through the years, I have had many different teachers teach in all 4 locations, and they, like life, come and go. I dealt with a lot of greed and envy, insecurities, and lots of projections of me on them and them on me. And there were some wonderful teachers, and some I still hold very dear to my heart. Our friends and family come and go, some pass away, some move, some have priority shifts. I lost 3 dogs and 2 horses within 5 years. At the end, it is all about life, living, and loving everything little moment and intention that you set out for.

Chris reminds me... a season, a reason, or a lifetime.

Through all of this, I was navigating brand-new motherhood, which I had no clue about. I had never babysat; kids weren’t really “my thing,” but I chose Victoria, and I am forever grateful for her. I learned how to breastfeed at corporate classes, bring her into gym childcare, and somehow keep working while homeschooling, going back to massage school, running teacher trainings, and sustaining the studio. I would not have made it through without my in-laws—especially Katie, my mother-in-law, who has always been there at the drop of a hat. And a shout out to my neighbor Carol Ann, for patiently trying her best to help me during the first year after Victoria. My post-baby mind couldn't focus and stay grounded, let alone maintain for the life of me.

And I will always be grateful to Julie, who gave me the first opportunity to step into studio ownership all those years ago.

Looking back now, I can hardly believe I’ve arrived at this moment: 17 years of teaching, 16 years as an LLC. I once flunked out of business school because I couldn’t grasp economics, switched to art, then turned to trade schools, where I could learn what I needed a la carte under my terms and what I was willing to learn. And yet, here I am—still standing, still teaching, still loving this work.

I share this bc we don’t always see the backdrop of Disney World. The hardships, betrayals, exhaustion, trial and error, and survival mode that run beneath the surface. But perseverance and love for what I do have kept me moving forward.

I absolutely love every little thing that I do and do it with all of my heart and soul.

This year, I am choosing to float. To bathe in the rivers of my accomplishments.

And my deepest gratitude is to my students. You have been my greatest teachers. Some of you have practiced with me for more than a decade, some now own your own studios, some continue your practice quietly, and some reach out years later to tell me how yoga shifted your lives. I see you everywhere I go, and I am humbled knowing I have taught thousands of people who were willing to open their hearts.

🌿 To celebrate:

• This weekend: a group of us will see Paperhand Puppets in Chapel Hill.

• November 8th: join us for a Friendsgiving + mini celebration here at the studio. Flexitarian potluck, and I’ll bring dessert.

Seventeen years feels like a teenager —awkward, uncertain, but also full of growth, resilience, and possibility. Thank you for walking this path with me. I couldn’t have done it without Chris, Julie, John, Katie, my in-laws, Carol Ann, and above all, each of you who showed up and continue to show up even in the ugly and uncomfortable times.

With love and gratitude.