For over 20 years, I have helped the DC, Maryland, and Virginia (DMV) area reach new levels of wellness and healing. After earning my BA in Speech Pathology and Masters in Pediatric Audiology, I’ve dedicated over 2,000 hours training to expand my practice as a Yoga Therapist, Breath Coach and Sound Practitioner to better serve the growing, evolving needs of our community.

My focus now is to share Somobreathe’s specialized work with as many teenages (and parents) as possible. I created the premium online teen stress relief offering specifically for today’s (post-Pandemic) unique teenage experience. May it bring your teen(s) much needed reprieve and dedicated time to recharge during these most challenging times. 

I’m grateful that my work – through trainings, intensives, and collaborations – has had a positive impact for thousands of youth and hundreds of adults in the DMV. It brings my heart joy to work with so many of DMV’s most needful and deserving organizations, including: 

• YMCA

• The DC Boys and Girls Clubs

• National Center for Children and Families

• DC Children's Hospital

• The DC JCC

• The Rockville JCC

• Bridges of Montgomery County

• Connections Academy

For more focused immersive and restorative therapies, I dedicate a portion of time to in-person evaluation and applying a range of healing modalities to address clients’ acute needs on a case-by-case basis in my private studio.

Thank you for allowing me to join you on your journey. You will find more about Somobreathe’s story below and can reach me directly to schedule a free consultation by clicking here.

The Somobreathe Story

The seedlings of Somoreathe quickly took root amid times of unimaginable tragedy. Soon after the 2001 World Trade Center and the DC Sniper attacks, my mission became clear: 

To create safe spaces that fill the resource gaps with immediate, accessible tools and modalities for our families, and especially our children. 

I launched my first venture, Yoga Tales, upon witnessing our community struggle to find effective ways to grieve and heal. In 2002, I was also pregnant while my husband and I were raising a 2-year-old. Yoga Tales became the first yoga studio in the DMV dedicated to the health and wellbeing of our children and teens. We quickly expanded into 50+ after school programs, yoga camps, yoga parties, yoga teacher trainings and partnerships with many other local organizations helping children thrive.  

Yoga Tales wasn’t just play, our strength was the age-appropriate curriculum designed to stimulate brain and body development that was holistic and whole-child centered. We took great pride in introducing mindfulness and new modalities into our community. Our programs provided children the necessary time and space to build and enhance their critical growth and development skills. Parents most appreciated our focus on listening, presence, body awareness, reading, musicality, art, turn-taking, social cues, stress management, relaxation, self esteem building, growth mindset, patience, and even manners. Yoga at Yoga Tales was always fun, musical and sneakily educational for the body, mind and spirit of every child!

As we grew, I was approached to develop the Physical Education curriculum and resources for Connections Academy, a home school platform that still uses that same foundational program today.

In 2007, I closed the physical studio location to work with homeless adolescents in the DMV. This was truly my passion: bringing premium, high-quality programs to youth and their families who are in the most need. In light of my formal education and training, supporting the journey of these young people – understanding more about their lived experiences and daily challenges – is where I grew my self and practice. We saw positive results from introducing tools and resources to co-navigate difficult individual and systemic dynamics to improve focus, impulsivity and listening, physical challenges, self esteem and positive self talk, mindfulness, and coping. Workshops for their mothers focused on stress management, effective communication, self care and self talk strategies.

Partnering with The American Red Cross and volunteering at Walter Reed Medical Center continued to expand my practice to work with people diagnosed with PTSD, traumatic brain disorder, amputees, illness, and severe distress. I introduced chair yoga, yoga for back pain, gentle yoga, pool yoga and mindfulness workshops.  The medical staff and families of patients were welcomed into a course I developed on mindful meditation/stress management program. Over time we received funding and I assisted in the opening of the very first Meditation Center on the hospital campus! 

Reflecting on Somobreathe today, I am blessed to share powerful real-world examples of how these tools and techniques improved the overall quality of life for so many, including an increase in joy, connection and optimal wellbeing. Being a small part of people’s healing journey is unspeakably humbling – a veteran going from uncontrollable body shaking to total calm in minutes; patients with PTSD who were finally unable to enjoy a show at the movie theater with their family; and, patients lost in their own bodies, suddenly gaining enough body awareness to reduce or eliminate their pain medications.  This transformational work led me to pursue thousands of hours more in training to become a Yoga Therapist, Breath Coach and eventually a Sound Practioner.

Over the past 20+ years working with children and teens I have learned that these modalities are incredibly effective in transforming anxiety to peace, pain to ease and fear into love and acceptance. The best part is that there is no experience required, any body can do them and they are fun practices that you can do on your own once you learn them.

Teens can be empowered to master their innate super powers, to regain comfort in the face of their natural fears and anxiety, and to increasingly embrace better and best versions of themselves. Somobreathe For Teens is the first big step in that direction, and I welcome you and your teen to begin this journey.