I was crushed when I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2002. I had always been active and healthy, so I couldn’t imagine what I had done wrong. That news came to me just three months after my husband’s life-changing serious burn injury, making for quite a second year of marriage. I started practicing yoga on a regular basis in 2009. I enjoyed not just the physical part of the practice, but the break it gave my mind and the boost it brought to my self-confidence. The only real issue was that my breast form kept slipping out of my top! But I felt so strong, free and even beautiful in class that one day I finally tossed it to the side of my mat. When no one seemed to notice or care, I realized that a yoga studio was a sacred space, indeed.

As difficult as my own health struggles were, it wasn’t until my husband faced some sudden, severe~~and frightening~~heart issues that my practice was elevated to another level. That was when I found true comfort on my mat, and a peace that seemed unattainable anywhere else.

I was inspired to share the fruits of this practice with others in 2014, so I that's when I began my 200-hour teacher training at Open Doors Yoga Studios in Massachusetts. I've done additional study in teaching to beginners, prenatal and restorative yoga, meditation, and Fluid Yoga assisting; I'm Yoga 4 Cancer and yin yoga 1 and 2 certified; and I obtained my 300-hour yoga certification in 2019. I’m a certified Kripalu Mindful Outdoor Guide, and I also have certifications in both Level I and II Reiki, Level I and II Thai yoga bodywork, as well as Acupressure Meridian Therapy, the Traditional Chinese Medicine Five-Element Theory and Level I Tai Chi for Fall Prevention. I’m currently training in Acupressure Bodywork and Qi Cultivation, and I bring my years of experience in aromatherapy into my classes. I truly delight in making sessions accessible to everyone, and I love the mindfulness yoga brings to time spent off the mat. Practice time reminds us to be present, and we can’t be any more ourselves as when we’re moving organically and breathing.

My life took yet another turn in 2020 when my husband and I finally moved to the old farmhouse in Vermont we purchased in 2011 with our Pyrador Zoey and one-eyed cat Oggie. We have two pet heifers (Blossom and LouLou), two large garden plots, fruit trees, and berry bushes. I launched my online studio in 2020 and have loved being able to connect with students, teachers, and other wellness entreprenuers from around the globe.

I've used yoga to nurture myself as both a survivor and caregiver, and I know what a difference this practice can make in life. If you’re looking for a physical and mental reset and have never practiced before, please contact me and give it a try. It’s the ultimate in self-care, and there’s no one who can’t use an extra helping of that.

But enough about me ... this is about you. What's your story?

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