I believe a leaf of grass is no less than the journeywork of the stars,
And the pismire is equally perfect, and a grain of sand, and the egg of
the wren, And the tree-toad is a chef-d’ ouvre for the highest,
And the running blackberry would adorn the parlors of heaven,
And the narrowest hinge in my hand puts to scorn all machinery,
And the cow crunching with depressed head surpasses any statue,
And a mouse is miracle enough to stagger sextillions of infidels.”
~Walt Whitman

Bio

While growing up in rural Southern Illinois, Kim spent as much time as she could exploring the woods and bluffs above the Mississippi River, swimming competitively, riding horses, studying dance and reading everything she could get her hands on. Working with the body taught Kim mental focus and discipline and offered relief from an often tumultuous family life. She experienced the transformative power of physicality from a young age and feels fortunate to be able to pass that on, in various formats and levels of intensity, to her students and clients. Her passion for the natural world, embodied experience and new ideas was borne out of her childhood activities and informs her methodology as a Yoga teacher, personal trainer and massage therapist.

Kim studied dance at The University of Utah and New York University and worked as a dancer and model throughout the 80s in New York and Chicago. Yearning for open space, she left city life and moved to Boulder, Colorado, where she discovered the Rocky Mountains and Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga. Her love affair with Ashtanga continued for many years under the direction of Richard Freeman; during that period she also studied with Pattabhi Jois in Mysore, India. A move to Los Angeles in the late 90s brought her to YogaWorks and a variety of excellent teachers, the most influential of which have been Maty Ezraty, Lisa Walford and Max Strom.

In 1998, Kim completed her first teacher training at YogaWorks with Lisa Walford and Maty Ezraty. Her second training, taught by Max Strom and Sarah Powers, was completed in 2000. Her teaching is highly influenced by the flow and vigor of Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga and the intelligence, clarity, and precision that is taught in the Iyengar system.

Kim became a trainer for the Yoga Works Teacher Training program in 2005  and has taught the Yoga Works Method to teachers and aspiring teachers in New York, Los Angeles, Hong Kong and Tai Pei. She has also served as a mentor and teacher in YW’s 300 hour Professional Program. She has completed a Yoga apprenticeship in the Specialized Care Program at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and holds certifications in iRest/Yoga Nidra, Trauma-Sensitive Yoga, the Wounded Warriors Program and Jill Miller’s Yoga Tune Up®. Exercising a knowledge of fitness and nutrition, stress management, and neuro-psychology, Kim’s approach focuses on maximizing the potential for the body, brain and spirit to to be as healthy as possible.

In addition to Yoga, Kim has specialized in the treatment of injury through soft tissue therapies since 1990, and is a certified personal trainer. She brings to all of her professional endeavors a love of movement, strength, and athleticism; a sound understanding of anatomy and alignment; and the desire to help students and clients cultivate the most positive aspects of themselves.