And as a Black woman navigating corporate spaces, I became very skilled at adapting…

Constantly code-switching, overperforming, staying composed, trying to show I belonged. This was an added layer that I constantly had to navigate beyond the deadlines, late nights, and everything else that comes with the fast life.

But why was it that I felt so exhausted, so unwell? I didn’t realize just how much stress I was carrying in my body until my body stopped cooperating.

The costs of my constant state of stress were showing up physically as anxiety, digestive issues, exhaustion, and an inability to just rest. It made me realize that I couldn’t keep pushing through much longer.

I began seeking help and answers. Then I found yoga.

I sought help through functional medicine and nutrition counseling first to fix my digestive issues. We discovered that while my diet needed to change, I was in a constant state of fight-or-flight which kept my sympathetic nervous system activated constantly.

That’s when I discovered the practice of yoga. It transformed my life…not just as a fitness routine, but as a way to listen. For the first time in my life, I began paying attention to how my body felt and became aware of my breath, and how powerful it was in regulating my nervous system.

Through movement and breathwork, I found mind-body connection. I was hooked to this feeling and the sense of peace that came with it.

Now I hold space for other women of color to find their own sense of peace too. I’m a Black yoga instructor based in Northern Virginia offering private yoga sessions, group classes, and guided mindfulness practices focused on nervous system healing and finding your inner peace.