My yoga story – how I became a yoga teacher

I love yoga from the bottom of my heart. It helps me move. It helps me breathe. It gives me a community where I feel I belong. Here is how it all started.

Whether you’re thinking about trying yoga, looking to deepen your practice, or interested in teacher trainings, I hope this gives you a little motivation boost 🙂

2006 – A guy friend told me that if I did yoga my skin would glow so he took me to my very first yoga class. I didn’t know what to expect, but it just felt soooo great after class. I started regular practice.

2010 – Practicing 2-3 times a week, I progressed from more simple hatha classes, to more active power classes.

2012 – I was about to go to my first yoga retreat in Thailand, and just before I left I realized it was all going to be Mysore Ashtanga (Ashtanga = A set-sequence power yoga practice, Mysore = practicing the sequence on your own). Never tried before. Panicked 😱 I did 3 intensive weeks of Mysore at Tokyo Yoga Studio as a beginner to Ashtanga, tried to remember as much of the sequence as possible. I had a blast in Thailand 🏖

2013 – Was regularly practicing Ashtanga in Tokyo at this point. Loved the challenges and the motivation, which most “advanced” classes in Tokyo didn’t offer me. (at that point I had tried many “advanced” classes in Tokyo but they were typically less challenging than those overseas)

2014 – As my practice deepened, I really wanted to do a teacher training (TT) because I wanted to learn more – the history, philosophy, etc. I researched and waited a long time for an English teacher training available in Tokyo, but nothing came up.

2016 – After struggling to find an English TT, I went for Japanese. Even though I was speaking a fair bit of Japanese at that point, it was tough work with all those anatomy and history and kanji! 🤯

2017 – Finished RYT200 at Under the Light Yoga School. I did not think about teaching at all at this point but I loved what I learned and it made me love yoga even more. My colleagues at work asked me to teach so I started teaching at meeting rooms in the office and private classes/special events.

2018 – Started to practice more Vinyasa style flow yoga overseas (US, Canada, Australia, Thailand, etc) and kept coming across a bunch of poses I could not do. I was like, “What did I miss after doing power yoga for 10 years?!” Shocked 🤔 I was very motivated to advance my practice.

2019 – Did Ashtanga Teacher Training with Ken Harakuma at International Yoga Centre (IYC). Met some of my lifetime yoga buddies.

2019 – Decided to take my yoga to another level by starting 300-hour advanced teacher training with Jason Crandell, one of the most well-respected Vinyasa teachers in the world. This time in English, yay! 😃 At this point, I still wasn’t planning to become a regular teacher. I just wanted to learn.

✈️ to San Francisco for my advanced TT. All my classmates, except me, were experienced teachers/studio owners. Panicked, again 😲, but it was stimulating.

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2019 – I started to take more overseas vinyasa classes online (not so many in Tokyo), go to other types of classes, and I also started acro yoga. Stimulating – helped develop my perspective.

2020 – My knowledge and experience continued to grow, and at this point I had more confidence and space in myself, so I thought it was time I give back to the yoga community by passing on my knowledge and experience. I started teaching regular classes at International Yoga Centre (IYC) in January 2020.

2023 - As part of an effort to continue to grow - as a teacher and a student, I completed a one-year intensive Ashtanga secondary series training at IYC.

2026 – My weekly Power Vinyasa Flow classes, 6 years old now, focus on both strength and mobility, and skills development to help students progressively advance their practice. I also try to fill the gap where I wish Tokyo had more English classes and advanced yoga classes that would help yoga practitioners grow. I truly love sharing my experience, every moment of it.