Welcome! I’m Kelly.
I grew up in Pennsylvania in a big family with 2 brothers and 2 sisters. Growing up, my sisters and I shared a passion: Dance. We lived and breathed dance. Although I’ll forever cherish all my memories as a dancer, being a dancer did contribute to a quality I’ve had to do a lot of work on as an adult, perfectionism. I’ve always been a perfectionist. Nothing brings me more joy than seeing a perfect, pointed toe or getting a 100% on a test, which I did. A lot. I graduated at the top of my class in both high school and undergraduate school at Penn State. In 2011, my academic career brought me to South Florida for Optometry School. I was living in a beach town, making straight A’s and on schedule to become a doctor. Things were great, right?! Wrong. My drive to be perfect all the time created an enormous pressure on myself. My stress and anxiety levels were getting completely unmanageable. I was about to crack. After trying some not so great coping mechanisms on my own, I decided to start seeing a therapist. She suggested that I try yoga.
Yoga had always been an activity that I considered “nice” but in my mind wasn’t an actual form of exercise. I wouldn’t give up my spin class or my p90x workout video for a yoga class, but it was something I’d fit in on a Friday night to clear my head at the end of a long week. Then in 2017 everything changed. I moved to a different apartment across town and had to find a new yoga studio. I walked into my first hot vinyasa class at the studio and I was in shock. The music was so upbeat and welcoming. The yoga actually felt “hard” enough for me to consider it a work out. There were people standing on their heads, even standing on their hands! I was hooked. I couldn’t believe people could do such impressive things with their bodies and I couldn’t wait to do them with mine too.
After falling in love with this practice over the last 6 years, I decided in 2021 to become 200 hour certified vinyasa yoga instructor with Soul Play Yoga. I’ve learned that yoga is so much more than being able to do crazy tricks with your body. Yoga has completely transformed my life for the better. I’m able to control my emotions and my stress by coming back to the breath and the present moment. Yoga has taught me that its ok not to be perfect, that it’s ok if you are injured, that it’s ok if your body doesn’t have flexibility YET. It’s taught me that its ok to just show up as you are today and the practice will be what YOU make it. I truly believe this practice has a place for every soul on this earth and I can’t wait to share my love for this practice with anyone who wants to learn.
