Tell us about your massage school and other trainings:
I completed massage therapy school at the Coeur d’Alene Massage School and am also a yoga teacher, certified through WE Yoga’s 200 hour program, and an expedition guide with the National Outdoor Leadership School. I have a bachelors of science in biology and have always been fascinated by the functioning and movements of the human body. Yoga has opened my internal sense of embodied awareness and brining massage work into my training seemed like the natural fit to encourage that sense of somatic awareness to others.
Other trainings:
- The Barral Institute: Visceral Manipulation 1, 2025
What bodywork are you currently studying?
I started taking visceral manipulation classes through The Barral Institute and that has opened up a whole different perspective on the work we can do as manual therapists, and what we can feel with the light touch of our hands. It is not just the connective tissue and bones we are effecting, but the organs themselves. This work is in a similar vein with cranialsacral therapy, which I am also interested in pursuing.
What do you want people to know about their body?
The mind and body are connected! Try this - You can lift your arms straight out in front of you and have a friend press downward on them to test your strength. Share a negative thought about yourself and have your friend think that thought too and then try to resist your arms against their downward pressure. Share a positive thought, counteracting that negative one, and see what happens then. Are you all of a sudden able to resist a lot more? Notice how just one thought affects our strength. And we have thousands of thoughts per day. Our physical health begins in our mind.
What do you want people to know about health and wellness?
There is no one size fits all. It is far more important to get in tune with your specific needs than to follow what you think you should do. "Shoulds" lead to shame, and ain’t nobody got time for that. I find that instead of trying to cut out bad habits, it feels more effective and empowering to add in positive ones, no matter how small. Five minutes of intentional movement. Start by just reaching for your toes and breathing. And just let the moment take you. Maybe that moment is only 1 minute. That’s fine. Just show up to start. The goal is to be healthy long-term in this marathon, not finishing first in the sprint.
Self-Care Advice
There’s a lot to gain in slowing down. Even if you think, I don’t have time for that, I have to rush from one thing to the next. There is always an opportunity to slow the breath and the mind down.
What is your favorite system in the body?
So hard to pick! But I’m especially interested in the nervous system - that bridge between mind and body, and the patterning of how we hold and move our bodies based on our past experiences. I think when we can begin to understand our nervous systems, and the ways we react to things, we can give ourselves more grace about the way we move through experiences and realize that we can rewire that patterning.
Favorite thing to do in Sandpoint?
I love finding ways to get outside during every changing season - trail running, mountain biking, skiing, paddleboarding, or finding a spot to sit and paint or write. I feel so fortunate to live in a place that has access to nature in all directions.