I first came to the studio when I was 12 or 13 years old and honestly I hated it at first. I was a gymnast practicing 20 hours a week and truly just did not understand why my parents were dragging me to class.

A couple years later I decided to quit gymnastics because my body couldn’t handle it anymore due to recurring injuries. After quitting I was lost because gymnastics was essentially my whole identity, I had no idea what to do with myself. Pretty soon after I started taking classes regularly, then got a job working the front desk the month after I turned 16. I immediately fell in love with this place and the practice. My favorite part about gymnastics was always that there was a right way for everything to be done and that I got to move my body in such cool ways, so this yoga practice brought me that same energy and I love it.

Beyond the physical practice of keeping my strength and flexibility, yoga has helped me a lot with anxiety. I used to be a super anxious person but from this practice I've learned to breathe and stay calm in all sorts of situations, in and outside of the studio.

I decided to get my 200 hour certification, and was certified less than 6 months after working here. I was only 16, very young, and was worried I wouldn't be accepted or taken seriously. But I was very wrong. Everyone here was so supportive and very quickly became my family. I always tell everyone Sumits is a great place to practice, but the real reason I stick around is for the people. I've been here for five and a half years now and everyone here has watched me grow up, has been here for every milestone of my life, and has been there for me through all the good and bad things that have happened. This place and practice means the world to me and I'm forever grateful for my Sumits family:)