I remember how yoga fascinated me as a teenager. I had wondered why I was here and about the nature and purpose of existence generally. Yoga seemed to address those questions a little more directly, and concretely, than anything else I had come across. Besides, yoga was exotic and mysterious, intriguing factors for many young people.
As a young adult in a stressful job, I later found refuge from stress in my yoga practice. Unexpectedly, I discovered that I was more fit, better coordinated and capable of taking on challenges, physically and mentally.
I practiced yoga during my pregnancies and was blessed with quick, unmedicated labour and deliveries. I used yoga to alleviate back pain that arose in the post-natal period. I also found that it helped me to cope with and move through deep grief following the death of several close family members.
Over the years, I continued with yoga through several career and life changes. I have come to believe that yoga has been instrumental in keeping limber as my interest in physical pursuits has increased. Its spiritual focus has, at the same time, both strengthened and softened my traditional religious beliefs.
Eventually, I began to feel “life was getting in the way of yoga.” I very much wanted to share my love and knowledge with others. As a result, I began teaching yoga in 1998 and was certified by The Yoga Studio of Calgary in 1999. I have been teaching yoga ever since. However, I now find myself teaching less and working more with people individually, developing, implementing and adjusting yoga-inspired plans built just for them. I believe that we all have everything we need to be complete but have somehow lost sight of our wholeness. I work with my clients to determine how the tools of yoga, meditation and spiritual direction might enrich their lives in amazing ways, recovering the wholeness of who they really are.
I have received training from a number of local and international teachers over the years. I tend to favour detail and attention to alignment with an awareness focus, but believe that the correctness of the method depends on the purpose being pursued. In addition to general hatha yoga methodology, I also have pursued extensive training in my areas of special interest such as yoga applications for relief of chronic pain, managing mood and working through trauma, and adapting yoga for people who have suffered injury or debilitation, as well as to integrate elements of the yoga toolbox with other complementary health modalities and spiritual direction.
I am supported professionally by the International Association of Yoga Therapists, Spiritual Directors International, Yoga Association of Alberta, Integrative Restoration (iRest) Institute, Canadian Institute for Relief of Pain and Disability, National Institute for the Clinical Application of Behavioural Medicine, Calgary Association of Spiritual Exercises Apostolate, and Resources for Ecumenical Spirituality.
Philosophically, I believe and teach that we need to treat ourselves gently while also ensuring that we are expanding our personal limits and evolving as humans. I find inspiration in nature, and discover beauty in the ordinariness of daily life. I hope to share some of the many benefits with you!
