Occupation: I’m a certified yoga instructor, a visual artist, and a Thai yoga therapist. Currently, I teach at Yoga Dimensions in Newtown, and volunteer as a yoga instructor at the Resiliency Center of Newtown. In a previous life, I was a professional bartender for many years.

Family: I have three brothers, and my mom lives here in Newtown.

Pets: I have a deaf, pure white, albino pit bull. His name is Truth Lightning. He’s my co-pilot. He’ll be 7 in February. We are going to offer Doga Yoga together, starting Sunday, January 18, at The Exceptional Pet on Simm Lane.

How long have you lived here? I just moved to Sandy Hook in May. I grew up in Danbury, but had a lot of friends from Newtown, and always loved it.

What do you like to do in your free time? I love hiking with my dog, when I have time. I love what I do, so I do yoga and Thai massage in my free time, and I’m training yoga teachers now, so that takes up quite a bit of time. I hand paint yoga mats, and I do custom art pieces. My life is really quiet. I don’t even have a television. I do watch Ted Talks on the Internet, though.

What are you reading now? Mostly, I read articles about yoga and the body. But I’m reading a phenomenal book by Dr Bessel van der Kolk, right now, called The Body Keeps the Score. It’s about how your body is a recording device for everything that happens to you. It’s really life changing, and from a scientific aspect, it’s awesome.

Do you have a favorite travel destination? I love California, especially the San Diego area. I lived there for four years. On the list is Thailand. I’d love to study at the Institute of Thai Massage. Bali is on my list, too, and I’ve always wanted to go to Australia.

What is the best thing about Newtown? It’s the community. People care about each other, and I love that. Once they get to know you, you’ve got friends forever. I love that it’s small, too. I can get anywhere I need to in four minutes.

What has been the greatest influence in your life? The practice of yoga itself has been crucial to me being a happy, healthy person, and learning “human” tools I didn’t necessarily have, growing up. Linda, who owns Yoga Dimensions, has been a quiet force to me for the last nine years. She has helped me break through some professional glass ceilings, and personal ones, too. She has given me a platform to grow as a person and as a teacher. She’s a great lady.

Do you have a personal philosophy? I have two favorite quotes. One is by Ram Dass: “We are all walking each other home.” The other is a Japanese proverb: “Fall down seven times, stand up eight.” It’s about resiliency.

Do you have a guilty pleasure? Cheesecake! It doesn’t matter what flavor. Cheesecake is my Kryptonite.