I am a health coach who helps busy humans, professionals and parents alike, who are struggling with weight, fatigue, stress and sleep to find a more balanced and sustainable lifestyle without feeling deprived or miserable.

I work with professionals who have a lot on their plates. As a full-time researcher and a mom of two teens myself, I know how tricky it is to create a healthy habit for you and your family.

I help my clients get unstuck from the cycle of bad habits and frustrating symptoms of fatigue, heaviness, stress and poor sleep. With 20 years of experience teaching mindfulness, I have created a unique method that is approachable, yet transformative and sustainable.

I am also a scientist who has studied nutrition and cancer for two decades. I received a PhD from Columbia University (epidemiology) and also studied nutrition (UC Berkeley, BS & MPH).  Because of my background, I incorporate evidence-based tools when teaching about health and wellness. 

It has been a long journey for me to get to this point where I can integrate all of my expertise and experience to be able to serve you. 

I moved to the US from Japan in 1996 despite barely speaking English and not having family here.

My goal was to attend UC Berkeley to study nutrition, however, because I had recently immigrated, taking the prerequisite courses and adjusting to life in America was one of the most stressful and hardest periods of my life.

I was so focused on getting good grades and learning English that I completely neglected my health, which led to severe insomnia and not sleeping for months on end. 

The insomnia compromised my immune system so badly that I developed acute pneumonia. I was so ill I couldn’t get myself up from the ground.

When a friend took me to the emergency room, the doctor said I would have died if I came in later. That’s when I realized I had to do something to get back my health.

I started to take yoga classes, which eventually helped me to sleep again.

I started to pay attention to what I put in my body. 

Most importantly, I worked on letting go of ‘perfectionism’, because it created so much anxiety and stress.

I went on to become a certified yoga teacher and eventually I was accepted into UC Berkeley’s nutrition program.

Later I pursued a PhD in epidemiology. Because yoga and mindfulness helped me so much, physically and emotionally, I wanted to demonstrate to the medical community that mindfulness is a foundation for human health. I also studied how nutrition affects cancer. 

Now, in addition to my professional research I work privately with clients to transform their lives. I love watching my clients come away with confidence, greater energy, lightness, calmness, and more importantly, joy of life!

I live in Berkeley, California with my husband Mark and two daughters, Sayana and Rubi. We have two cats, Jasper and Ash as well as a dog Layla. I love to bake, cook, garden, run, hike, bike and travel!