My Story
Movement in various forms and types, has always been a part of my life.
At 8 years old, I began my movement journey with competitive swimming. I was not naturally good at it, thus I had developed a mindset to physically train my hardest to improve. As a result, I began training and researching exercises on my own. Every morning at 5am before school I would go to the gym. My grandma would accompany me so that I would be allowed in. I would do a mix of strength and bodyweight exercises while she would ride the stationary bike. This period my life, helped me develop a strong discipline and self awareness.
At age 14 I started Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu because I still had a desire to compete but, my interest in swimming had faded . I learned quickly and after a couple months of training started competing and assisting in teaching, eventually teaching my own Jiu-Jitsu program to children as well. During this time I also taught swimming and Aquafitness of various types (certified in shallow & deep water, people with arthritis, and parents wth their babies).
In 2017, at 19 years old I won the IBJJF World Championship, but at my core the desire I had when I was the little kid that got up at 5am everyday to discover movements and develop them was still strong. So, I stopped competing to allow myself to explore and understand this aspect. In 2018 completed my YTT-200 at Breathe Yoga studio in Toronto and began teaching at various locations in the city. I then also became very interested in Ashtanga Yoga and devotedly practiced at Ashtanga Yoga Centre of Toronto.
Although this yoga practice was beautiful in its own regard in observing mental patterns through a physical medium, I found it still did not fully encompass the physical freedom that I was looking for. The modern movement culture piqued my interest. In 2019, I completed a year long certification in interdisciplinary study of movement and mindfulness education at Spirit Loft in Toronto. This opened up my mind to seeing the body as a whole and a world of possibilities in the combination of various training methods that can be used to cater to an individual's unique needs and desires. As a bonus, in 2020 I completed the Agatsu Kettlebell certification (before the COVID outbreak occured), ISSA personal trainer certification, and continued my studies with various teachers online around the world, especially the mobility method of Joachim Hilderson. To stay up to date with the latest methods of training.
I am obsessed with learning, studying, and practicing the ways the human body can move. What I feel has been critical in my life throughout all these experiences is always having a solo physical practice of some sort despite everything else I am doing. Here I can connect with my inner world, understand myself deeper, and expand the exploration of my body. I have a strong desire to help others understand and strengthen the movement of their bodies for their goals, sports, and lifestyles. It is beautiful to see movement principles applied to different bodies and assisting many different challenges and goals.
I believe movement is an art that is beautiful in its own right, and helps to deepen what a person can experience through their body. I wish to spread that beauty to as many people as possible, worldwide.
My Approach
Every person is unique. What we have done previously with our bodies, injuries that we have experienced, and the anatomy our ancestors have gifted us, all play a role in our current ability. When training people I try to consider all these factors to equip the individual with tools that will best help them. I draw from my experience and knowledge of various training modalities to find the best solution.
Self Practice
Having a physical self practice is incredible for growing the mind body connection. The benefits can be viewed from multiple perspectives. First, observing the emotions that you experience each day and learning how to cope with those emotions through your training (whether they are good or bad). Another benefit is becoming aware of your body. Its strengths, weaknesses, boundaries, and what areas are numbed out. Through continued consistent practice neural networks to certain muscles and movements can be strengthened. Test out for yourself how having a self practice affects you and don’t be afraid to try out different things to find the best medium suitable for you.
Mobility
Currently mobility is the main focus of my teaching and training. I see flexibility and strength not as two separate things, but as teammates that help develop range of motion in the body safely. Therefore i do not only use passive stretching as a method of increasing mobility , but a variety of training methods together to unlock a person’s range of motion. This can enhance the experience a person has in their body by giving them freedom to use it in every way. Be supple, stable, and skillful.