Reflections from the Natural Living Expo

Last weekend, I had the honor of presenting at the Natural Living Expo in Marlboro, Massachusetts, sharing a deeply personal and transformative talk on Yoga as a Lifestyle.

I began by introducing myself and sharing my journey— Growing up as a latchkey kid in the early ’90s, I was the eldest of four children in a household deeply impacted by addiction. My parents struggle with addiction and substance abuse significantly shaped my early years, and by the age of fifteen, I found myself a teen mom, caught in a repeating cycle of relationships with addiction and substance abuse.

I shared with the audience that it was through a domestic violence outreach program that I was first introduced to yoga. A counselor suggested it as a way to manage my stress and anxiety. I stepped into a local gym expecting nothing more than a workout, but that initial encounter with the physical practice of yoga planted a seed. I soon immersed myself in the discipline of Ashtanga, leaning into its structure as a way to escape my chaotic life.

I explained that life has a way of demanding deeper engagement. I went on to talk about how the deaths of my younger brother and father—both due to substance abuse related causes—forced me to confront the realities I had been trying to avoid. In those moments of profound loss, yoga became more than just a physical escape; it became a means to truly live.

I went on to talk about the pivotal moment when I traveled to India with my Ashtanga teacher. It was there I realized yoga wasn’t something I did—it was something I needed to be. This realization led me to Vira Bhava Yoga and the teachings of Tantra, where I began learning to face discomfort, embrace the shadows, and integrate all aspects of life. Tantra taught me that yoga is about holding space for the whole—not just the parts we find easy or beautiful, but also the messy, uncomfortable truths we often want to push away.

I shared that this journey of integration brought me to an unexpected opportunity: teaching yoga and meditation to people in recovery. Initially, I resisted. My own history had left me with animosity and fear toward addicts and alcoholics. But stepping into this work as a role of service transformed me. Building relationships with people in recovery shifted my perspective and allowed me to heal my own wounds surrounding addiction.

Through this, I learned that integration—bringing everything into the light with reverence—is the heart of yoga as a lifestyle. It’s not about escaping pain or compartmentalizing our experiences; it’s about honoring the totality of life, even the parts we wish to reject.

During the talk, I invited the audience to reflect on the struggles in their own lives and explore how they might integrate those challenges into a yoga practice. Together, we discussed how even everyday tasks—like washing dishes—can become acts of mindfulness, pratyahara, or gratitude. We also delved into navigating polarizing conversations with family members and other moments of tension, discovering how yoga offers tools to hold these experiences with grace and presence.

The audience’s engagement and excitement to explore yoga beyond asana reminded me of the power of this practice to meet us exactly where we are, in every moment of life.

Thank you to everyone who joined me at the Expo for holding space and leaning into these ideas with me. I’m inspired by your openness and courage to bring yoga into your lives as a way of being.