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Me at The Gratitude Cafe in Los Angeles, 2020.
Sears Portrait Studio: me in the early 70's.
Our house in Beverly Hills until I was 15. We weren't rich, which made things awkward. The roof leaked badly. The canyons were different back in the late 60's when my parents bought this house. Think Laurel Canyon: Joni Mitchell - Crosby Stills and Nash era. Benedict Canyon is the only non-commercial canyon in Los Angeles - no shops or sidewalks, isolated, teeming with wildlife back then, springs cascading, floods, traffic and famous neighbors.
Around the age that I was spontaneously practicing yoga postures in our living room, 6 or 7. I loved the T.V. show "That's Incredible!"
In our backyard wearing rainbow suspenders. My parents separated when I was 7 and this puppy was a consolation prize, but we were both neglected and unhappy. I was queer, different.
In my thirties and forties, in Los Osos, California, where I lived and owned a flower stand. I recovered tremendously from my mental health struggles in those years. I found yoga and became a yoga and meditation teacher.
Me, at Bikram Yoga College of India San Luis Obispo, 2004.
At 40, still afraid to be truly seen.
My sister D'Arcy, to whom I dedicate my work.
I was certified as a yoga therapist in 2014 and began working one on one with clients in their homes, online and in studios.
I have been invited as faculty in other teacher's teacher training programs. I have taught thousands of people over the years around the world.
Yoga Is Life, Has Given Me A Life, Sustains My Life
My home practice is ongoing. I hope to inspire others to create their own home practice, at least ten minutes a day.
Viparita Karani, Feet Up The Dresser at one of my home altars
I started my Wordpress blog in 2011, composing a testimonial on the Bikram Yoga website about bipolar disorder and how the yoga stabilized my mood. Out of hundreds of thousands of Bikram practitioners, I was the only person who had posted anything about bipolar disorder on the Bikram Yoga website, furthering my sense of isolation... and curiosity. Where were all the others? For years, whenever anyone Googled "yoga and bipolar disorder," my blog post was the first thing that would come up!
I found the Bikram practice to be healing (though I condemn the founder's transgressions). I needed a lot of heat and movement as I began my recovery, to capture my wild mind and wake me from years of depression and overweight.
Eventually, I realized that I also needed slow, internal practices like restorative yoga and meditation to maintain calm. Today I know that I need all of it, and because of my education and experience, I can draw upon all of Yoga to meet my needs at any given time. I offer this breadth of knowledge to my yoga therapy clients and students.
My yoga prop setup is pictured above, from when my SI joint went out in 2021. I was hurting, badly. Nothing fancy, but totally precise, including a flannel shirt to really dial in the correct elevation under the pillow. You can do this at home!