Friends brought me to yoga in 1983. I am so grateful.

At the time I was doing construction and helping people remodel their homes in Seattle. In 1988 my teacher started one of the first teacher training programs in the state and again from encouragement from a friend I decided to enroll. (The thought of being in front of a class was terrifying.) I knew I couldn’t do carpentry work forever but figured I could do yoga the rest of my life. I dove in head first, studying, intensifying my practice and taking weekend workshops about every two or three months. For the apprenticeship and student teaching portion, I chose to study with Ingela and commute to Bellingham two days a week.

In 1989 I had the opportunity to take general classes in Pune, India with B. K. S. Iyengar and Geeta for 6 weeks. I also observed the “medical” classes for people with health issues. These classes and the gentle/backcare program that Ingela developed sparked my interest in specializing in the gentler classes. There were few resources then and I had to talk with doctors, apprentice with physical therapists and take anatomy classes. I learned about MS, Parkinson’s, heart disease, cancer, arthritis, scoliosis and fibromyalgia. Seeing students grow, take on new challenges, and become more open keeps me coming back year after year.

When I’m not practicing yoga or reading about the philosophy, I love to be outdoors riding my bike, hiking or gardening. When forced to be indoors, I love to cook (and eat), read or be crafty. Since I live with a designer we’re constantly doing home projects – big and small.

I only teach one class at YNW now because I work as a nurse (LPN) at the new Hospice House. I hope this work (and the yoga) will teach me to be more compassionate and in the present moment.

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