Natalie attended her first yoga class when a band she sang with in college was looking for something to further build group unity. Feeling sick after her first few classes, she dismissed yoga for fifteen years until a friend encouraged her to give it another try. She feels blessed to have discovered a new appreciation on her mat which aligns with her focus on seeking self-fulfillment and balance through physical, mental, and spiritual growth.
With a background in psychology and neuroscience, and a career as a research scientist, she is burdened by analytical over-thinking. Natalie is drawn to the way the practice counters such rigidity, helping her to be mindful of letting go of that which we cannot control. On the mat she feels lighter, is reminded to look to something beyond the physical body for serenity, and to find peace in accepting that at any moment, life is as it should be. Natalie uses yoga as moving meditation to foster her journey of continual growth and trusts the influential power of belief on the physical body. She respects the way in which she is humbled by the vulnerability that comes with being on the mat, is grateful for the practice, and the amazing community of wonderful friends that yoga has brought into her life.
Natalie completed her 200-hr training with Alyson D'Souza at Village Yoga Chicago, where she currently teaches and practices with Heather Otterbine. She is excited to share these benefits with her students – creating more space, stillness and balance both within and beyond the physical body – and hopes that you will join her in the journey.