My Personal Journey & Insights
In 2018, my career took an unexpected turn when I encountered discrimination in the workplace.
The impact lingered for six years, shaping a path marked by both resilience and reckoning. Healing was not a linear process but an intricate tapestry woven with courage, reflection, and the slow, deliberate work of confronting old wounds. Strength did not arise in spite of the hardship but because of it.
During that time, amid the haze of a yoga class in San Francisco’s Mission District, I found myself only half listening as the instructor spoke. Yet, something about her words stayed with me—an introduction to Wabi-sabi, the philosophy of embracing imperfection and impermanence. She intertwined it with yoga, and the idea took root. Like kintsugi, the Japanese art of mending broken pottery with gold, it illuminated the quiet beauty in fractured things, turning cracks into shimmering veins of resilience. Rather than discarding what was broken, it became something new—something even more extraordinary. It was a lesson in grace, in the transformative power of renewal.
Years before, in 2004, I had first discovered the profound healing of yoga, breathwork, and meditation—practices that became a source of steadiness and restoration. While supporting clients through significant mental health challenges, these tools provided balance, helping me process and recharge. Returning to them during my own struggles offered solace, a sanctuary where I could mend, regain clarity, and rediscover a deep sense of inner peace.
This journey reignited my passion for connection, community, and the shared experience of healing.
My work as a licensed marriage and family therapist and a school counselor equipped me with a diverse toolbox, allowing me to support others in navigating their own paths of transformation. Today, I strive to bring calm, breath, movement, and perhaps even a meaningful stretch to those around me—blending the wisdom of Wabi-sabi, yoga, and meditation into a holistic approach to growth.
A renewed sense of purpose comes not from striving for perfection, but from embracing the unpredictability and impermanence of life. Through this process, adversity does not leave us broken—it refines and reshapes us, revealing strength in ways we never imagined.
Ultimately, my journey through workplace homophobia and the wounds it unearthed stands as a testament to the power of resilience and acceptance. The philosophy of Wabi-sabi, paired with the healing grace of yoga, breathwork, and meditation, has taught me to find beauty in imperfection, meaning in struggle, and deep appreciation for the story that is mine alone.
