Sugarcane Yoga

04/26/2026

What does it mean to have happy, healthy hips?

To me it means hips that can support my daily activities today and in the future.

A squat to pet my dog.

A stable foot to hip connection that enables me to move on one leg even with said dog underfoot.

Hips that flex and extend, abduct and adduct, rotate internally and externally.

Hips that connect to foot, knee, and spine actions.

Hips that can help to prevent falls, and give strength to get up off the floor.

This is the practice. Functional movements for today, and tomorrow. This is what I teach and practice.

What are you doing for hip health? You can join in my public classes or online. Group classes flow in a series over several weeks. Currently running a hip series. You can also check out my online workshop Happy Healthy Hips in the Sugarcane Yoga Online library.

04/23/2026

Outdoor yoga season is almost here...

Who's excited and ready for some outdoor yoga?

From rooftops to beaches to rivers and backyards, Sugarcane Yoga offers public and private outdoor events so you can get the most out of our limited warmer sunny days.

Stay tuned for this year's events, or contact directly at sugarcaneyoga@gmail.com to book your own event.

04/16/2026

The foot bone's connected to the ankle bone.

The ankle bone's connected to the leg bone.

The leg bone's connected to the knee bone.

The knee bone's connected to the thigh bone.

The thigh bone's connected to the hip bone...

You can probably sing along to the familiar song. A little simplified, anatomically, but you get the gist. It's a concept I talk a lot about with clients- everything is connected.

Almost 20 years ago I had foot surgery. It didn't heal right, and I've been dealing with residual pain and complications ever since.

I've also had problems with my left hip for years. Chronic pain, nagging, instability and weakness. I realized that moving into more flexibility with my already flexible hips wasn't helping, and I started working on stability and strength.

I've been working the past few years to strengthen my back and my hip. Adding strength training and cardio in addition to a regular yoga practice has helped a lot.

But there was still a missing piece. Can you guess what it was?

If you guessed my foot, go ahead and pat yourself on the back.

I still needed to address the almost 20 year old injury of my foot. Why? Because it's all connected.

It felt like a little bit of a facepalm moment for me. This is literally what I do for work! Of course it goes back to my foot surgery. How did I not identify this earlier?

The thing is, when you live with an injury, or a compensatory pattern for so long, it becomes your normal. You don't even realize the ways you have learned to live around it.

My foot is why I can't hinge and feel my glutes properly fire on the left side. My foot is why I shift my left hip out to the side when I balance on one leg, and why my ankle and knee hurt when I try to correct it. My foot is why I have trouble correcting the moment patterns on my left side.

My foot is why my hip hurts.

So I've been working on retraining my foot after all this time. It's slow, and humbling, and it's the path to healing.

Con't in comments...

04/08/2026

When it takes two hours to get to Fremont from Burien...

03/19/2026

Move better, longer.

Movement has the potential to change both the way your body feels and how your mind works. But if you've been doing the same form of movement for weeks, months, or even years without seeing the results you're after, it could be time for a change.

Most of us go through life largely disconnected from our bodies.

When we start to move intentionally—investing our attention from the neck down rather than from the neck up — it's possible to bring more strength and ease into everything we do (both on and off the yoga mat!).

Perhaps you're living in pain, working with an injury, or managing a chronic condition that limits your ability to do the things you love.

If any of this rings true, you're in the right place.

The way you move matters. Learning the "why" behind every movement option—from squats and push-ups to downward dog and tree pose—will have a ripple effect into the rest of your life.

Sugarcane Yoga brings a modern approach to traditional movement practice. Whether you’re embarking on a 1-1 journey or participating in a group class or event, you can expect to build deep, strong roots in your fundamental movement patterns. The tools you’ll gain here will help you cultivate resilience to move with a new sense of freedom and confidence.

Welcome to Sugarcane Yoga: Rooted & Resilient

Stay connected - join my email list today at www.sugarcaneyoga.com

02/26/2026

One of my favorite parts about teaching yoga is sharing all the ways props can enhance the practice.

If you are a yoga teacher in training, a new teacher, or a current teacher looking to learn more about how to integrate props into your yoga teaching, this workshop is for you.

Props in Asana is part of 200 hour training curriculum. We have a select few spaces available open to other teachers and teachers in training.

Feel free to reach out to me directly with questions, or to sign up online through Aya Yoga Oasis website.

02/02/2026

That feeling you have when the local high school walks out and marches right in front of the yoga studio to protest...

This morning during my yoga class, the local high school walked down the street to protest 🧊 . I could hear from the door the chants, the honks, the voices of our young neighbors. Familiar sounds of protest.

I opened the door to the studio and said to my class- these are kids protesting.

We were in the middle of a balance sequence, standing on one foot on a block. In the middle of class- everyone cheered for these brave folks expressing themselves. They cheered back.

I spent the rest of class trying not to cry. I felt pride for the high school students marching. Joy and comfort for the yoga community I am a part of. Anger and deep sadness that this needs to happen at all.

It was a reminder that there are so, so many good people.

01/30/2026

In solidarity with everyone participating in the national strike, Sugarcane Yoga Online is offering classes free of charge this weekend.

Yoga has helped me through some difficult times, and I'm always honored to hold that space for others.

Whether you want an active practice or some time to tend to quiet, there is something for everyone in the SYO on-demand library. Over 100 classes to choose from Vinyasa, Slow Flow, Yin, Meditation, Chair yoga, Myofascial Release and more.

Use code "FREE4ALL" to access classes at www.sugarcaneyoga.com/on-demand . Take part in boycotts tomorrow, take to the streets on Saturday, and take time on your mat this weekend. Classes are free Friday 1/30 to Sun 2/1.

Here's to staying Rooted and Resilient ❤️

12/29/2025

Another turn around the sun.

This year brought epic challenges and joy, true heart work and inner peace, deep grief and gratitude.

I'm grateful for all of it.

This is 48.

12/18/2025

The last class of the lower body series we are focusing on the quadriceps. This dynamic flow will build awareness, add challenge and deepen your understanding of the powerful group of muscles along the front of the thighs.

Each flow builds onto the last, layering in concepts and complexity.

Stay to watch me fall out of the downdog variation in the last video 😂 We're here to practice, not to perfect.

**Over the past year, I've been teaching in a series format. That means we use several weeks to break down a larger concept rather than changing class ideas every week. The classes change weekly, but they link to one another in a progressive learning program. It's made it possible to explore everything with more detail and attention.

Every time I double down on something I think is too "basic", or "easy" or "boring", folks remind me how impactful teaching like this is. It affirms I'm doing the work that feels truly authentic and exciting to me.

I look forward to more deep diving in 2026!

12/12/2025

On Tuesday nights, I take a yoga class at my local studio. It's nice for me to be a student in community at a place I teach weekly, and to be guided by a fellow teacher.

It's a time I put on my calendar and look forward to even though I head to this class after a full day of teaching. For the past few weeks, as I leave my final class of the day, I haven't wanted to go. What I want is to go home. So instead of going to the yoga studio, I've done just that.

I know it's the right call for me to go home and do yoga, but I still hear the nagging voice that says I should go to the studio. I should take a challenging class. it should be a certain style, or length.

That voice quieted this week as I realized a few things:

It's almost winter. In the Pacific Northwest, we actually call it "The Big Dark". When I leave my last class of the day, 5pm feels like hours later than it actually is. It is harder for me to feel motivated when it's dark outside which means I am even more of a homebody in the winter.

This year has been a season of expansion, growth, and refinement for Sugarcane Yoga. I am honored to do the work I do and feel it is the work I am truly meant to do. And, I'm tired. Like, really tired. I am looking forward to a couple weeks off at the end of this month.

Lastly, in January of this year, my dad died. It was a long, slow, painful decline. While his death wasn't a surprise, nothing prepares you for the gravity of the loss. I started the year in grief. As we approach the holiday season, and in January the first anniversary of his passing, I'm ending the year grieving as well.

So when I got home last night, I said my hellos to my partner and dog, then spent some time on my mat alone like I've been doing the past few Tuesdays.

I'm listening to what I need in this season. And what I need is introspection, privacy, tenderness, and let my intuition guide me. My personal yoga practice is mine alone right now.

I'm honoring the season I'm in- actually, energetically, emotionally. And so should you.

11/12/2025