I want to tell you how yoga ruined my life…my old life. 

I have a masters degree that I got in 1.5 years. It was a 2.5 year (full time) program, but I didn’t think I needed that much time. But it turns out, maybe I did, because I started to have panic attacks shortly after I graduated. 

I was a great employee for 20 years. Working hard came really easy to me, but I came home depleted and exhausted, with only enough energy to microwave a meal and drink a couple of beers. There was no energy or time left for self-care, but no one had any time for that, so why should it be different for me?

People who have met me in the past few years are often surprised to learn that I was married for almost 20 years. (Yes, I DID get married young!) It’s always much easier to see the problems with a relationship once it's ended, and in retrospect, I see it was an unhealthy relationship for me. But at the time I didn't know any different. 

Then I discovered yoga and, like water dripping on stone, overtime yoga changed just about everything in my life. Everything I had worked so hard for, everything that I thought was so important. Who I thought I was. 

Here’s how it worked for me. The more I practiced yoga, the more I could hear a quiet inner voice that wasn’t critical, only supportive. Some people identify this voice with their body, their inner wisdom, their ancestors, the universe, or god. It doesn’t matter what you call it, what’s important is that you learn to hear it. To begin with, I heard it and disregarded it. It was kind of boring…it wanted me to drink less, to relax more, to give up striving to be the best at everything. 

Eventually I realized that the more I listened to, (and heeded,) the voice, the better I felt. My anxiety lessened. My sleep improved. I loved life more. 

I’m NOT suggesting that you need to leave your marriage or your job to find happiness. BUT if you’re headed towards some sort of transition in your life, whether it’s voluntary, (change of career, retirement, etc), or involuntary, (menopause, new health diagnosis, the effects of living in an aging body, etc,) yoga just might help make that transition smoother for you. More joyful. More easeful. 

Change is a part of life. Aging is a part of life. I can provide you with tools to help lower anxiety and pain and increase sleep and well being. Yoga can change your life, too, but only if you let it!

But wait!  You think you CAN’T do yoga?? You think you aren’t flexible or strong enough? You don’t want to stand on your head?? I have good news for you! If you WANT to do yoga, you CAN do yoga! Yoga comes in many forms and styles, and I specialize in working with people who think they are too injured, too old, or too inflexible to do yoga. 

Many of the chronic health conditions prevalent in our society today are exacerbated by our busy, distracted lifestyles that keep us in the fight/flight/freeze branch of our nervous systems. The types of yoga that I practice and teach are designed to turn on our relaxation response, encourage self inquiry, and create connection. And, if you listen hard enough, you just might hear YOUR inner voice of wisdom!

My classes and sessions are most often a mix of conscious breathing, gentle, therapeutic movement, guided relaxation and visualization with a bit of poetry and contemplation. If we meet in person, we are almost certainly going to laugh together. 

My work is based on the not-so-secret sauce from a tradition, (yoga,) that is thousands of years old and has proven over and over again to improve the lives of those who practice. If you’re ready to dedicate time and energy to your own health, willing to observe your physical and mental habits, and open to receiving support on your path, I’d love to work with you!