I grew up in a large family in Chicago, Illinois. I remember being curious about people and behaviors. At the age of nine, I wrote my first short story, Master of Masters. It was about a transient who knew people disrespected him just because he was poor. I knew they were making judgments based on his outer appearance. I vowed to make a positive difference in our world by helping people create a life with possibilities.
My quest led to a career in international development. I worked with and learned from the wisdom of indigenous communities in Asia, Africa and South America. They lived close to the land – and close to each other. They had a natural rhythm to their lives and with their environment. Their health was endangered by things outside their known world – like parasites, invisible to the eye and unknown to them. Back in the U.S., I helped philanthropists align their values and interests with their desire to contribute to positive change in our world.
When I was 15, I discovered yoga. I answered a two-line classified ad and, with my best friend, spent the summer learning yoga philosophy, sutras and a few asana poses from an Indian professor. After that, yoga accompanied me everywhere. I took classes while working in India, practiced in the parks of Cambodia and began to study and practice various disciplines. I’m well-versed in Vinyasa, Yoga Nidra, Yin Yoga, Gentle Yoga, Yoga and Trauma and hot (Bikram) yoga (which I rarely practice these days). My yoga has changed over the years just as my life has changed. These days, I’m particularly passionate about the power of Yoga Nidra and Seasonal Yoga based on the teachings of Ayurveda. I’m working towards my 500-RYT certification.
In 2013, I began to transition my career from international development to individual work with transformative change. I studied Power Coaching with Mind Kinetics. This methodology puts your mind into motion to use both sides of your brain as well as your conscious, unconscious and subconscious to receive new ideas and take action for permanent positive change. It’s able to identify old patterns, unlock deeply held limiting beliefs and release negative emotions. That’s important, because science has proven that habits and behaviors will only change if there is a physiological and biological shift in the “thinking cells” of our body.
But a lifestyle cancer diagnosis was my biggest education. I thought I was an epitome of health doing all the “right” things – the right efforts, right livelihood, right actions, even the right mindfulness. I meditated, worked out, practiced yoga, ate whole foods yet evidently all of this hadn’t made me as invincible as I thought. Overcoming cancer changed me. It gave me the courage to re-examine my life and make deep inner changes that radiated outwards in harmony with how I wanted to live the rest of my life.
I’m passionate about helping you mobilize your inner resources and wisdom to live a healthy, happy, holistic life in rhythm with your unique constitution. As your coach, I draw on my experience and learnings from mind kinetics coaching, Ayurveda health and wellness coaching, yoga and breathing techniques and my international work with indigenous communities. Each session is customized for your unique constitution and life situation. I’ve coached clients in Romania, India, South Africa and the U.S. – and would love to connect with you. Let’s talk!
