How long have you lived in Chattanooga? My husband and I moved to Chattanooga in August 2018, and we love it!
Tell us about your childhood: I grew up playing piano, singing, and reading. I fell in love with reading when Iwas a kid and it has led to a life-long passion for books. Despite being so close to LA, I led a pretty sheltered life. I have two younger sisters, and the three of us were always making music, reading, and talking together. I didn’t discover yoga or my love of the outdoors until my mid-20s!
Do you have a nickname? Not really – people have tried, but it’s kind of hard to shorten “Ariel” into anything. And I don’t mind being associated with a mermaid!
When were you introduced to Yoga? I did yoga a few times in college, but I really started practicing regularly when I was 25 and going through a hard time. Yoga helped me to see light in the dark days.
How do yoga and the community play a role in your life? Yoga continues to inspire me by asking me to 
become a better person physically, spiritually, and emotionally every day. Practice has become a core part of who I am – always living my life in practice. Yoga is also a unifying force that helps me bond to other people and feel grounded and connected to a place. In many ways, where I have a yoga studio, I have a home!
What pose do you love the most and why? Tree (vrksasana) is so beautiful, in all its variations. I feel both grounded and like I can stretch and take up as much space as I need.
What is your favorite quote? Here are two quotes from my two favorite books:
“A beauty neither of fine colour nor long eyelash nor penciled brow, but of meaning, of movement, of radiance.” – Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
“It can ruin your life only if it ruins your character. Otherwise, it cannot harm you – inside or out.” – Meditations by Marcus Aurelius