Welcome to my new website

Welcome to my website. I am so glad you are here! In this first blog post, I would like to tell you a little bit more about myself.

I grew up in a small wine town in Germany, with two triplet sisters, an older brother and an older sister. I was the last one to be born in my family and I was an outgoing and fearless child with a strong sense for justice and protecting those I love, and those who are treated unfairly. I have always loved connecting and sharing with people, “oversharing” as some might say.

Growing up, I spent a lot of time with my Godmother and Godfather, who helped my mother raise me, and play a vital role in my life. My Godfather was my Grandmother’s brother, so they were an older couple. They were unable to have children of their own, so they chose my triplet sisters and I as their children.

My Godmother taught me how to love unconditionally. She was the most loving person I have ever met. She beamed of love and warmth, and spoiled us every day. My Godfather inspired my love for learning and my ambition. He was a very successful business man, director of a bank, and never stopped reading books, learning new words, or watching documentaries. Both of my Godparents introduced us to music, took us on beautiful vacations and day trips, and allowed us to become familiar with different cultures and places. I hold eternal gratitude in my heart for them, for they have given me my confidence and instilled in me my values.

When I was 21,  I married the love of my life and moved to the United States with him. At the time, he was serving in the U.S. Army, and we had a few rocky years ahead of us. Unfamiliar with the military culture, I felt lost, lonely, and out of place. But because of that, I chose to go back to school and obtained an undergraduate degree in Global Affairs, and a graduate degree in Education. I began to get settled, met some amazing people, and started to find my way back to myself.

I was first introduced to Yoga by my dear friend Annette, who taught Praise Moves ( a Christian alternative to Yoga) at the chapel on post. About a year later, a friend of mine asked me to join her for a Yoga class, because she did not want to go by herself. That was were I met my first Yoga teacher, Nina, who made me fall in love with Yoga. Nina shared a similar culture with me, as she was born in Kazakstan, but moved to Germany, close to my home town, when she was 18. I noticed how through releasing tension in my body, I became happier, more loving, and more peaceful.

After practicing with Nina for a year, she moved away and I stumbled through various local studios, before finding my next teacher, Claudia. My friend Kevin, who was a fellow student of Nina’s, was practicing Mysore style Ashtanga with Claudia, and invited me to come along. Claudia’s teaching style and energy were very similar to Nina, so I felt right at home. Practicing in the Mysore room taught me so much about myself. Through daily, dedicated practice, I was faced with a lot of things that had accumulated over the span of my life. After a year of practicing with Claudia, the program was discontinued, and I decided to pursue my 200 hour teacher training.

I chose to pursue my Yoga teacher training with the intention to deepen my practice and continue my self-study. However, I quickly realized my love for teaching, but was nervous to admit it to myself. Upon completing my training, I was asked to audition at a local studio. I was offered my first class right away, and so my teaching journey began. It was about another 6 months, until the desire to shift my focus on Yoga completely was loud enough to where I could no longer ignore it. So I took the plunge and quit my day job in order to make space for what is meant to be.

An opportunity to move to Southern California presented itself, and we took advantage of it. And this is where the story ends, for now.

It is my hope to provide a space with this website for inspiration, guidance, learning, and self-inquiry. Over the past 5 years, I have studied with a wide variety of teachers in a wide variety of styles. I have attended countless workshops, 2 trainings, and a Yoga retreat, all shaping me as a person and a teacher.

Through Yoga, I have started to and continue to work through my past, heal myself, and strive to be the best version of myself that I can be, and I hope to inspire and empower you to do the same.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you for your love and support.

From my heart to yours,

Marina