I was born and raised in Syktyvkar (the capital of the Komi Republic), Russia. I moved to Washington, DC when I was 24 to find new opportunities, to learn a new language/culture and to get away from the cold weather.

My whole life I have been drawn to movement and dance, which eventually lead me to yoga and it changed my life.

Initially I was drawn to yoga as a way to stay flexible, strong and to find relief for my lower back pain. At first I was intimidated by yoga's spiritual and scholastic side which I did not find previously with ballet and modern dance (hip-hop and Zumba).

When I started my journey of becoming a yoga teacher, I felt uncomfortable, challenged, resistant and confused.

Even after graduating my first Yoga Teacher Training (YTT), I had no confidence to teach. Until one day, my fellow YTT graduate needed a sub for her class and had no one else to cover. When I stepped in to help out a friend, I felt unprepared and unqualified. Little did I know, teaching that first class (90 min!) would change my life completely. I started teaching this class weekly, moving to full-time teaching within the first 6 months. I finally felt good in my own skin, like I have never felt before.

Slowly, but surely, I found my own voice as a teacher. I realized I had a gift of guiding people through this beautiful practice and celebrating my students’ victories, small and big, from trying a new yoga pose to becoming yoga teachers themselves.

Teaching yoga has given me a better understanding of who I am as a person.

10 years later, I live and breathe yoga. 

I am still a work in progress but I always strive to offer all my teachings from a deeply nurturing and warm place.