Finding Resilience in Chaos: The Class, the Rituals, the Community
Grounding Together in the Heart of Late Summer
There are seasons in life when everything feels like it’s moving faster than you can keep up. In those moments, it’s rarely the big, dramatic changes that save us, it’s the simple, steady things we keep returning to. For me, one of those things was a 6:30 a.m. yoga class.
It was still dark outside when I first walked into Sunrise Fusion at True Self Yoga. The streets were quiet, the air held that damp chill only the Pacific Northwest can deliver before dawn, and my body was running on equal parts exhaustion, fear, and trepidation. At the time, I was still deep in the chaos of COVID, not just as a nurse in the hospital, but as a human trying to navigate constant shifts in work, life, and emotional ground. My home studio had closed. My schedule was unpredictable. I needed something to hold onto, something that would get me out of my own head and back into my body.
That’s when I started showing up for the 6:30 am Sunrise Fusion class at True Self Yoga. In those early days, it was usually just me, Katy, and Nicole, three people moving together, uplifting each other, and quietly learning how to keep going. There was no pressure, no expectation. Just showing up was enough. Over time, the class became more than a workout. It was an anchor. No matter what was happening in the world, or in my own life, I knew that at least a few times a week, I’d unroll my mat in the same spot, share a smile with the same faces, and be guided through movement that made me feel human again.
Not long after, my journey as a teacher at True Self Yoga began, and I found myself teaching that exact same Fusion class. Some mornings, it would be just for Katy and Nicole. Two beautiful humans who had witnessed not only my growth as a yoga practitioner, but also my evolution as a yoga teacher. Their strength and awareness were a beacon in those early months, a quiet compass for my teachings as I found my own voice.
That’s the power of ritual; it grounds us, moves us, and heals us. In Ayurveda, creating a daily routine is one of the first steps in finding balance, especially in times of chaos. A consistent rhythm gives the body and mind a sense of safety and predictability. And if we can learn to ground ourselves in a morning ritual, whether that’s yoga, meditation, or simply breathing with intention, we begin to align our internal world with the external world. The steadiness we create on the mat starts to echo into the rest of our day, giving us the resilience to meet whatever comes next.
Somewhere in those early mornings, I learned that resilience isn’t about snapping back or pushing through. It’s about creating enough steadiness to meet life as it is: chaotic, unpredictable, and beautiful in its messiness. For me, that steadiness came from showing up for an early morning Sunrise Fusion class.
Looking back now, I can see just how far I’ve come. Fast forward five years and I am no longer in the hospital. I’m working in public health and have opened my own Ayurvedic clinic. A place where I care solely for women; nourishing them along their healing journeys. I’ve traveled, as I always have, but now with an even deeper appreciation for the way the world expands me. I am learning to love myself more, and to release what harms me, even when it’s difficult. No matter how unstable the ground has felt, I have always remained authentic.
With me, what you see is what you get.
I am a feminist, rooted in the belief that women’s voices and stories deserve to be seen, heard, and honored.
I am a Reproductive Rights Activist-advocating for all women to have autonomy, access, and a voice.
I am emotional, feeling the world in high-definition, which means I cry easily, laugh loudly, and care deeply.
I am messy, not in the way that needs tidying up, but in the way that is human, unpolished, and real.
I am funny, finding moments of lightness even in the hardest seasons, because humor has always been one of my survival tools.
I live behind a hard exterior-one I’ve enjoyed decorating with tattoos. Each one is a chapter in my story, a symbol of strength I return to when I need reminding. A quote that grounds me in my truth. A goddess who embodies the fire I’ve walked through and the ashes I’ve risen from. These pieces of art are my armor and my altar, holding the history of where I’ve been and guiding me towards where I’m going.
Align & Nourish
These threads of movement, ritual, and community, are what inspired my Align & Nourish workshop series. I want to offer the kind of space I had found in those early morning fusion classes. A place to arrive exactly as you are, connect with others, move intentionally, and leave feeling grounded enough to meet whatever the day holds.
It’s something you don’t have to travel far for, as it is rooted right here in our own community. Yet, maybe one day, when the Align & Nourish circle feels the call, we’ll take this work on the road together. We’ll gather in a place where daily practice is woven into the rhythm of life, where we can learn new rituals that ground and nourish us, and where the setting reflects the connection and friendship we’ve built here at home.
Keeping the cost low is important to me. I want Align & Nourish to be within reach for anyone who feels called to join us, not just as a special occasion, but as something you can return to again and again. My hope is that these gatherings of movement, ritual, and connection give you a meaningful way to replenish yourself, close to home, and without a big investment
I keep the group intentionally small. There’s a magic that happens in an intimate circle, offering more space to speak, to feel heard, and to be safe. In smaller groups, it’s easier to share what’s on your heart, knowing that you’ll be met with compassion and understanding.
And finally, each time we change the venue, it’s not just for the sake of a fresh experience, it’s also a way to support our local community. Our small business owners are feeling the hit right now, and part of the Align & Nourish vision is to lift each other up. When we gather in these spaces, we’re not just nourishing ourselves, we’re contributing to the health and vibrancy of the place we call home.
This upcoming session of Align & Nourish will focus on ways to help us ground the nervous system through the Pranamaya Kosha and the Manomaya Kosha. We’ll explore somatic movement and breathwork, and you know I’ll be discussing the Vagus Nerve and the Lymphatic System. Would there ever be a class or workshop where I didn’t weave in those two incredible, built-in healing systems of the body? Not likely.
Our next Align & Nourish gathering is just around the corner, and it’s a special one, blending grounding yoga, reflective ritual, and heartfelt conversation, followed by a nourishing brunch. A true morning to nourish mind, body, spirit, and belly. The perfect reset in the height of late summer bloom
Date: Sunday, August 24th
Time: 9:30–11:00 a.m. workshop, brunch to follow
Location: Underhill Plants + Octapas Café Patio
Cost: $85 (includes workshop + brunch)
Only 1 spot left—reserve yours now before it’s gone.
In the middle of chaos, it’s not the grand gestures that hold us, it’s the quiet, consistent ones.
For me, it started with a 6:30 a.m. class and expanded into a whole new journey.
For you, it might be something else entirely.
Find it.
Keep showing up for it.
Let it hold you, until you can hold yourself again.
