What drew you to yoga?
I’ve always struggled with my body image and turned to yoga as a new way to achieve physical fitness. I never could have anticipated the effect it would come to have on my mind and my heart. I was very “bad at it” at first, which I found very frustrating. And that led me to ask myself why I found that so frustrating. The deeper I went, the more questions I asked. I am still asking. It turns out, the answers never really come. Because the answer is the practice. The answer, in a way, is the asking itself. I find this to be sort of a relief for some reason.

Why do you practice?
Because I am trying to understand myself better.

(Life+) How does yoga change you off the mat?
Asana is a way to experience the parts of yoga that will really come to change your life if you let them. Principles like aparigraha, satya and ahimsa can be felt and understood through the physical practice, but when they are applied to the way we treat one another, life gets easier and fuller and brighter. It’s almost as though you start to see new colors that weren’t there before. It’s nice.

What is your style?
Comfort is a priority.

Where are you when you’re not teaching?
I’m an Associate Creative Director at IBM iX, which is a global digital ad agency. I teach yoga there, too. My career is really important to me and I love the people I work with (which is even more important to me). I’ve been with the company since 2009.

What illuminates you?
Coconut oil.