My passion lies in helping others navigate their paths with courage and clarity.

Hi, I’m Ilana!

Guide of yoga and purposeful living. Mom. Human.

I come from a lineage of resilience. All four of my grandparents were refugees to the U.S., fleeing Nazi Germany during the Holocaust. They rebuilt their lives from nothing, teaching me the values of perseverance and adaptability. But along with their strength came a legacy of fear, scarcity, and trauma—patterns I’ve spent much of my life learning to understand, integrate, and heal.

After college, a string of uninspiring jobs left me desperate for purpose. Then, one conversation with my mother changed everything—she casually suggested speech therapy, and something clicked—a rare and immediate “yes!” that sparked my decision to pursue a career in the field.

That sense of direction led me to graduate school, marriage, and motherhood, but I soon found myself struggling to balance the demands of work and family. A diagnosis added another layer of complexity, leading to major surgeries that altered my body. Recovery was physically and emotionally grueling, and for the first time in years, life slowed down completely.

It was during this period of stillness that I turned inward.

Yoga, which had been a constant in my life since my early 20s, became more than a practice—it became a lifeline. What began as an exploration of movement deepened into a profound study of yoga philosophy and self-discovery. A training program at Kripalu rekindled my passion for learning and purpose, and though I had no intention of teaching yoga, the path unfolded naturally.

Today, I bring the lessons of resilience, self-discovery, and community to my work as a yoga teacher and dharma guide.