I've been thinking about writing about my story for a while. I've been thinking about the journey I've been and what brought me here to become the founder of Kana Holistic Living. It's taken me a long time because its taken a while to really know myself, who I am underneath the layers and beyond my own perception. Through this long introspective journey, however, I realized that I am not just one person; I am all the me's.
I am the mischievous, creative little girl, the middle/high school athlete and the wanting to be a rebel, sheltered teen. I am the party every day until sunrise college student, the serious career young woman, the caring wife and the loving friend. I am the insecure woman. I am the impulsive, sometimes too honest Aries fire. I am sadness and joy. I am a healer and a guide. I am a supportive and joyful human being. I am at times my own disappointment, and at times my own motivation. I am a dreamer. I am the yearning mother to-be. I am strength, I am tears. But most of all, I am and always have been love.
So, I'd like to think, that's where my story begins. With love.
I was born and raised in Quito, Ecuador - la ciudad de los cielos. This beautiful city is located at over 9,000 ft above sea level. It is surrounded by volcanoes and big glaciers. It's history is vast and goes all the way back to the time of the Incas. It is a city of passion and eagerness. It's a huge part of who I am. I was created here. I grew up being part of nature within the busy city life. Most of all, I grew up surrounded by love. Every memory I have of my childhood has love, laughter and joy around it. Life wasn't perfect, but in my memories, love was always above anything. Growing up I had the privilege to explore the cool, foggy mountains just minutes outside the city, the warm beach in the summer, and the beauty of the rainforest. All within a 4-5hrs drive. I had a constant and organic relationship with our beloved Pachamama (Mother Nature in Quechua).
I moved to the U.S. at 18 to attend the University. While exploring several different career paths, I found the love of my life, who I've now proudly been married to for over 7 years. My love for Stephen, and the quest to find myself, took me to live around the country. From Florida, to Virginia, to New Mexico, to California; to finally settling down (for now) in Dallas, TX. Even though there is truly no place like home, I learned to love each one of these places in a different way and to value opportunities, chosen or given. I also realized that through all these places I was always searching for something. This came up as a job, or the search for belonging, but really I was trying to figure out who I was. In Dallas, I found myself. I aligned with my passion, and found my love for Yoga and Ayurveda.
Yoga came first. I had been to a class as a teenager, but I was not mature enough and/or in the right mindset to truly appreciate it. I then re-encountered it when I lived in Los Angeles. It only took one Hot Yoga class in a tiny studio in Hollywood to make me fall in love. Although inconsistent, I kept being drawn to it. When I moved to Dallas, I looked for a place to
practice. I then practiced every day and decided to do yoga teacher training. During teacher training I realized I was not okay. I had gained a good 15lbs over the years, I had hormonal imbalances - acne all over my face, my chest and my back, l had awful mood swings all the time; I knew I was not well. I felt alive but faded; like a droopy flower that won't fully bloom but won't die either. Around this time I decided to go vegan. Veganism was just one of the trends I followed to become "healthier". It wasn't a bad choice, in hindsight it helped me become aware, but it also wasn't healthy. I mean, Oreos are vegan but they are definitely not healthy and they were a staple in my household haha. With time, however, veganism helped me eat somewhat better and I shredded some extra pounds, which was what I thought was important at the time. The imbalance I had though, remained. Shortly after, we decided to start trying to become parents. This was my turning point. I felt unhealthy, unbalanced, and unmotivated. I knew I had to make some changes before bringing another soul into our lives. This is when I found and fell in love with Ayurveda.
I first heard of Ayurveda through my best friend, made of honor, confidant, soul sister, Alegria. She kept encouraging me to look into it. I then briefly studied it in YTT. Not enough to fully understand it, but it definitely made me want to learn more. It was when I felt the most desperate and the most lost, however, that I finally allowed myself to explore it. Ayurveda taught me that health is not measured in pounds, it taught me how to love my unique self. It educated me on how to cook and eat appropriately according to my own constitution and lifestyle. It allowed me to take a few blinders I had unconsciously put on and see the world and life in a different way. It helped me balance my hormones and enjoy life in a different way. My Ayurvedic journey, similar to yoga, evolved from being a client, to working and immersing myself in the practice, to studying it and now to teaching it. This is how much I love Ayurveda and Yoga.
Ayurveda and Yoga changed my mindset, improved my lifestyle, and brought me back to loving my most truest self. They showed me gratitude and stillness. It helped me realized that health is not measured in pounds. My mission is to help you find yourself too. To support you towards living the life you want to be living. To bring yourself into the present moment and see all the beautiful things this world has to offer and to help you reach your highest potential physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. My passion for Yoga and Ayurveda is to above all help you find your way back to love, love for yourself.