I was born and raised in Istanbul, Turkey. As far back as I can remember, I have been driven with a curiosity to learn and looked for new adventures. In 1995, however, I found an experience I wasn’t looking for, at least not where I thought I would find it. I had a life-threatening accident. It would turn out, though, that this was serendipity opening doors to a brand new path; along the way, I heard a calling to fulfill my dharma.
Thus my yoga journey started with curiosity – just trying to learn a new exercise routine – and turned a rehabilitation effort into a lifelong passion. In order to deepen my practice (and gain some philosophical knowledge), I did my first 200-hour Teacher Training Program at Prana Yoga in Miami. In the years since, yoga has morphed into an endlessly fulfilling heart-and-soul lifestyle.
My practice has brought me through many workshops and master classes in the style of asana, pranayama, and meditation practices with some amazing teachers. I also completed a Pilates (on the Mat) instructor training with BFIT University, 300 hours of Anusara Yoga immersions and Teacher Training, The Prenatal Yoga Teacher Training with Janice Clarfield at Urban Yoga (20 hours) and then with Marisa Toriggino and Leslie Howard at Yoga Garden San Francisco (85 hours), and was a resident in the training program on Meditation and Tibetan Buddhism at Kopan Monastery in Kathmandu, Nepal. I have also completed a Yoga for scoliosis training by Elise Miller, and a Trauma-informed yoga training by Truman Hospital & Resilient KC.
I have had an active teaching practice since 2007, and connecting with new students and guiding them to breakthroughs in one-on-one sessions is among the great joys of my life. I had a teaching practice with well established studio in Miami with hundreds of students a week, and for the following four years I was among a close group of instructors in Kansas City. Since 2017, I have been teaching in San Francisco Bay Area. I currently live and teach in beautiful Santa Cruz yoga community, where I feel home.
It is my passion to support the development of society by helping individuals reconnect with their true selves. I believe through dedicated asana practice and conscious choices, on and off the yoga mat, one can live a life full of authenticity and love.
I see my self as eternal student and seeker of life & yoga. I intend to share my knowledge to help one person at a time as long as I can.
