Humans of Rochester
“After getting an undergraduate degree, I came to the realization that I needed more to fill this emptiness that I felt. Five years after taking my first yoga class, I can proudly announce that I am a sensual movement and yoga instructor. I provide classes in yoga, gentle yoga, Vinyasa, and I also do sensual movement classes that teach women to dive deep into their bodies, without shame, or judgment. I was inspired to start my business after I finished yoga teacher training back in 2017. I wanted to do something for people who looked like me. I also wanted to dive deeper into what it is, and how it feels to be a whole woman. I wanted to know what it felt like to live life without the shame and trauma that our bodies hold on to. I wanted to find ways to release that. I found that though movement, and now I’m able to tap into a powerful force. I also found healing and gathering circles to be very powerful as well. I’m here now, in 2021, living out my goals that I made back in 2017. My vision for Sensual Elements, and my yoga business is to help women of varying ages to connect with their bodies in different ways in order to fully release their power, so that they can do what they came to do on this Earth. If that makes sense. Through movement these powers can be released and allow women to truly see themselves. That’s just my vision, I just want to help women and build my community as I walk on this journey.”
“Do you remember Home Economics class? You’re probably too young, but when I was in high school, we took classes that prepared us for the real world. When I was in high school, I was trained to be a clerical worker. I was trained to do typing, data entry, sorting, and filing. They taught us everything. They trained us to go straight from high school, right into the work force. In the late 70’s, that’s just what is was. It was a “pink collar” position, you know? The class was called Vocation Occupational Training. It wasn’t a separate trade school, but we were ready to go right into the office after high school graduation. Now that I think about it, this training helped me decide what to do with my life. I never went into manufacturing, or anything like that because of this experience in high school. It kind of kept me on a steady path. I learned that I love teaching typing, communication skills, problem-solving methods, and database skills. I’ve been a part-time classroom instructor for many call centers all around the Rochester area for about twenty years now, and I love it.”
“Education was extremely important in our household. I didn’t know it at the time, but my parents believed that if I was diligent with my studies, it would not only provide social mobility, but it also allowed us to have experiences that unfortunately weren’t available to everyone. They raised me that way from the first grade. From the time I was in the first grade, until the time I graduated high school, I made the honor roll. Back then, how you knew people were on honor roll, they would post your name in the paper. It was a small town, but my name always made the paper. It’s funny looking back on it because back then we were poor, and didn’t have many books in our home. I would read magazines, newspapers, comics, or whatever I could get my hands on. My dad, who worked in a mechanic shop for most of my childhood, kept a stack of car manuals in the garage, and one summer I read those too! I’m grateful for being raised to value education. This is why I work with the kids in my neighborhood, and collect books for them to read. I want them to know that having an education can open doors to so many amazing opportunities, even with limited resources. Every day there is a new learning opportunity, and every child should have the opportunity to seize that moment.”
