My story…

My life changed dramatically in 2009 when my father passed away unexpectedly at 53. The day of his memorial service, my naturally curly hair went straight, and my left hip began to ache as soon as I stepped into the building. A week later, my lower back seized. For nearly a year and a half, I lived with unrelenting, 10-out-of-10 pain.

Having always been active, I could no longer release stress in the ways I knew. The dual pain of grief and physical dysfunction made every movement exhausting. Nights were restless, and even my reflection felt unfamiliar. After trying countless healing approaches and a clear MRI, I began Pilates and a then-little-known assisted stretching method called Ki Hara.

These movement practices helped me reconnect to myself—internally through the external. While grief therapy offered perspective, movement was what moved the grief. At the time, I was a counselor for low-income students—a job I loved but one that demanded deep emotional presence. Reconnecting through movement became my bridge back to myself, and eventually, it became my life’s work.

Over time, I realized that persistent pain, the kind that doesn’t resolve with a massage or adjustment, often has both physical and emotional roots. My work now integrates both structure and story. Through hands-on therapy and guided awareness, I help clients find ease, strength, and connection within their own bodies.

The name Chulel (Ch’ulel) comes from Mayan medicine. It reflects the life force similar to the Eastern concept of chi or ki. I had a moment of deep clarity while in Mexico in 2014 and felt like this word encapsulated the perspectives I tried to bring to my work. Though I approach it with respect for its lineage, the experience felt deeply authentic to me and continues to shape how I understand healing: as the balance between what is felt and what is physical.

Through our sessions, my aim is to help you rediscover that you can move through the world with greater integrity and freedom.

Education & Credentials
Licensed Massage Therapist #MT133045 (2020)

M.A. in Education, University of Texas at Austin (2008)

B.A. in Spanish & International Relations, University of Wisconsin (2003)


Certifications

  • NeuroKinetic Therapy, Level 3 Advanced, 2019

  • Barefoot Training Specialist, Level 1, 2019

  • Reiki I & II Attunement, 2017

  • Ki Hara Master Stretcher, 2016

  • The Emotion Code, 2016

  • Certified Pilates Teacher (Pilates Method Alliance), 2011

Continuing Education
:
Barral Visceral Manipulation (Levels 1, 2 & 4) • Postural Respiration • Anatomy Trains: Balancing the Pelvis • Upledger Craniosacral Therapy (Level 1) • Walk the Lines: Myofascial Meridians & Gait • CoreAlign (Balanced Body) • Thai Mashiatsu • Madeleine Black (Biomechanics of Pilates) • Franklin Method • Aston Patterning