My story:

My path to the art of Qi Gong is similar to the path of many others who pursue various healing arts: a quest in search for mental and/or physical wellness as a result of suffering.

​

By my late 20s, after years of working as an organic farmer and carpenter, I developed chronic pain, including a relentless shoulder injury. At the same time, I was grappling with debilitating mental health symptoms—severe anxiety, chronic panic attacks, hypervigilance, and depersonalization. Despite seeking treatment from various Western and Eastern practitioners, my shoulder pain was only ever temporarily relieved, without any specific diagnosis, and I continued silently struggling with my mental health for several years. A turning point came when eventually a therapist told me I had symptoms of PTSD, largely due to the event surrounding the unexpected death of my mother when I was 25. Further uncovered through working with this therapist was that her passing also exacerbated unresolved trauma from my childhood, largely influenced by her lifelong battle with mental illness and addiction as a result of her own childhood trauma. This was the start on my path of learning and healing.

​

During this time of striving to heal both my shoulder and mental health, I had remembered an experience I had when I was 20 years old in my hometown practicing the Chinese internal martial art Bagua Zhang. What I was remembering was specifically how it made me feel; stronger, confident, and most importantly- a more regulated nervous system. I realized that getting back into Chinese internal arts would be an important practice to support my mental and physical health journey. I then looked for martial arts where I lived and happened to find a teacher who taught Bagua Zhang. Upon reuniting with martial arts, it was quickly evident that Chinese internal arts were fundamental in supporting my mental and physical health. Through practicing Bagua Zhang I discovered Qi Gong; the grandmother of Chinese internal arts.

​

How did the arts help me personally? On the physical side the arts cultivated proper posture, joint mobility, stretching, and strength building all while being actively relaxed. On the mental health side, the somatic foundation of the practice cultivated greater nervous system regulation through gentle breathing, slow fluid movements, focused mind, meditation/visualizations, Eastern philosophy, and connection to nature by practicing outside. While I believe many Western and Eastern practitioners and modalities have their time and place, what I appreciated about learning and practicing Qi Gong was that it was a practice that allowed me to take a more empowered and active role in my own healing. 

​

The path to healing both my shoulder and mental health was neither linear nor fast. There were days and seasons of two steps forward, one step back. The key was that I kept showing up and trusting the process, even when I was frustrated, apathetic, overwhelmed, or didn’t think that true lasting change was actually possible. This journey also encompassed continued studies in Shamanism with a local mentor, the nervous system regulation work of Irene Lyon, and earning my B.A. in Psychology. All of these experiences, knowledge, and skills acquired inform how I share Qi Gong.​

​

Eventually I attended a Joe Dispenza meditation retreat where after a compelling experience during the coherence healings I felt a strong call to study Qi Gong more seriously and become certified to teach. I believe these ancient arts are both relevant and needed now more than ever, and have a lot to offer to the modern physical and mental health spaces. I believe Qi Gong has the potential to do for others what it has done for myself- that’s why I teach.

My Teachers:

•Nick Loffree (certified Qi Gong instructor)
•Bryan Isacks of Yoga Farm Ithaca

(certified Qi Gong instructor, Bagua Zhang student, and Qi Gong teaching assistant)
•Lee Holden of Holden Qi Gong (Qi Gong)
•Anthony Korahais of Flowing Zen (Qi Gong)
•Tom Bisio/Valerie Ghent of Internal Arts International (Qi Gong and Liang Style Bagua Zhang)
•Jessie Myrick/Connor Youngerman of FLX Acupuncture (Liang Style Bagua Zhang)

Other Education:

•B.A. Psychology- Empire State College
•A.A.S Natural Resource Conservation – Finger Lakes Community College

 

When not studying or practicing Qi Gong, I spend most of my time with my partner Holly and our 2 cats and dog, hiking in the FLX and ADK regions of upstate NY, practicing martial arts, hunting, DIY carpentry projects, and too many podcasts.