When I was a kid, I was always moving. I played every sport possible and enjoyed dance and gymnastics. When I was sixteen, I started teaching fitness classes at the local health club. From there, I got certified in everything: AFAA group fitness, AFAA personal training: aerobics, step aerobics, hip-hop, kick boxing, spinning and yoga.  I taught for the University of Kentucky and other different studios throughout college and after graduating with a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Kentucky, I realized I wanted movement to be my career. I then entered the world of Pilates while going back to school to take all of the prerequisites for PT school. I decided not go to PT school but continued to dive in even deeper with yoga, manual and assisted stretching, Pilates, and the GYROTONIC ® and GYROKINESIS® Methods

After studying traditional Hatha yoga, I moved on to the Bikram discipline, then Ashtanga and then Anusuara and now back to the true alignment and anatomy principles of Hatha. My initial certification in the pilates world was through the Physical Mind Institute but I have many hours of continuing education through Polestar and Balanced Body as well. I have been a Nationally Certified Pilates Instructor (NPCP previously known as PMA) since 2008. I have been certified in the GYROTONIC EXPANSION SYSTEM® method for the last 21 years. I have also trained in several specialized workshops: GYROTONIC® Applications for Healing and Rejuvenating the Hands and Feet, GYROTONIC® Applications for High Level Athletes, GYROTONIC® Applications for the Pelvic Girdle, GYROTONIC® Applications for the Shoulder Girdle, GYROTONIC® Psoas Principles, and GYROTONIC® Exploration into the Extremes. Also certified in the Archway specialized equipment

After years of wonderful courses within each discipline and years of anatomy training, I recently did some courses with Anatomy Trains and participated in their live dissection course with Tom Myers which altered my teaching in the most profound way. I also completed the Rolling Along The Anatomy Trains course with Jill Miller and Tom Meyers.  My 27 years of continuation education and teaching movement include: working in a physical therapy clinic, rehabbing and preventing injury, and providing relief from chronic or acute pain. I have a lot of experience working with athletes, youth, collegiate and professional. My goal is to teach individuals how to train their own bodies. In my journey, I have randomly and been lucky enough to cross paths and work with some of the best movement therapists and educators in the world.

The message behind the name.  Why stoke motion?  For me, I just want people to move. It doesn’t matter what modality they are choosing, just move the body. In yoga, the term “stoke the fire” is used. It means to increase your internal fire or to create prana and to learn how to modulate that prana. In slang, stoke means to be enthusiastic which very much describes myself and my passion for movement and wellness. Stoke also contains the  three most important initials of my life (TKO  for Tyson, Kellen, and Olly, my boys).