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I’m from Guadalajara, Mexico, also known as the Mexican Silicon Valley. I have a bachelor’s degree in international business. Before finishing at university, I got an internship at an electronic manufacturing company, then continued to work there for three years before an opportunity to open my own business with my boyfriend dropped into my lap. We both set on an adventure, quit our jobs, and moved to a smaller city to open a franchise restaurant. Nine months later, we opened a second location back in our hometown.
I was only 24 when all this responsibility came my way. I loved customer service; I’d worked as a waitress before, so I knew a little about the job, but never imagined all the hard work around business management and administration, working with my sentimental partner, and leading two teams of 15 people in different cities: so much learning, compromise, commitment, and hard work both at the restaurant and on a personal level. This experience sensibilized me toward people’s needs and struggles. Many of the team members continued to work with us for the 10 ten years we had the business. It was beautiful to watch the staff grow from 18 to 28-year-olds, how their behavior changed. They grew up to become hard-working young adults. I grew up with them too; my partner and I got married, built a house, and continued to enjoy life.
I joined a triathlon team. I started as a runner (I was afraid of the road bicycle), but a couple of months later, my husband encouraged me to buy a road bicycle and train for my first triathlon. It was a whole new experience that I immediately fell in love with. It was a lot of work, but because both of us trained together, it was something new to share. We made a lot of friends and life’s dynamics changed. I registered for my first Ironman 70.3 after only five months of training. I was up for the challenge and finished 15th in my group age. I kept training hard, participating in smaller-distance triathlons. The following year, I registered for another Ironman 70.3 in Cozumel and finished second place in my age group, which qualified me for the Ironman 70.3 World Championship in Queensland, Australia. I couldn’t believe it! I was so excited. So, we went to Australia, and I was honored to compete alongside over 35,000 of the best athletes in the world.
That same year, my husband got a job offer to work at a company in San Jose, California. We sold our business and started a new adventure. Living in the Bay Area is wonderful; there are so many beautiful places for outside activities that are unbelievable, which is so different from our hometown. A 10-minute drive from the city can take you straight into nature, where you can watch wildlife in their natural habitat and enjoy the great weather.
With plenty of free time on my hands, I decided to get certified as a health coach, which then led me to yoga as a spiritual practice. I found Breathe Together Yoga and immediately felt at home, so much so that the teachers there inspired me to become a yoga teacher. I’ve been studying there for almost three years and will continue to grow my practice and studies of yoga philosophy. As a yoga teacher, I’m most interested in anatomy and the mechanics of movement. All bodies are different and have different capacities that we can develop. I like to focus on strength as a general requisite for asana practice and balance with meditation and breathing practices to nourish the nervous system. I also like to look at the student as a perfect, complete entity that has great potential to develop tools to overcome challenges that life presents, either with movement and physical work or with stillness and space to notice what’s inside.
What modality do you primarily practice?
Mysore Ashtanga Yoga
How did you find your practice?
A few years back, at the gym: I’m a runner-turned-triathlete, and I wanted to explore different ways to move to improve my training, as well as release and stretch the muscles. I tried pilates reformer, then yoga, classes. Years later, I moved to the U.S. and became a certified health coach, which connected back to yoga as a spiritual practice. I visited a couple of studios and felt right at home at Breathe Together Yoga, where I did the summer challenge and then registered for the teacher training. At the end of the 200-hour YTT, I joined the Mysore Ashtanga practice, and, after a few months, I became the teacher’s assistant (which I loved). The Mysore room is an opportunity to show up for yourself every day, explore with a beginner’s mind, and connect with the rest of the practitioners through the breath.
What do you do when you aren’t practicing?
When I’m not practicing, you can find me running on the hills, preparing for a half marathon, or riding my road bicycle. I’m an amateur athlete and enjoy outside activities and food. I love to scout for new flavors, then replay those at home; I enjoy cooking for family and friends.
