My first encounter with yoga occurred in the eastern world as I glimpsed into a sacred shala deep in the heart of Rishikesh, a beautiful city nestled in the foothills of the Great Himalayas in India. I was a 19 year old backpacking college student traveling the world in search of truth and enlightenment…with hair down to my shoulders…clad in a flowing white cotton robe from headband to sandals. An old yogi looked up and noticed my stare.. .gave me a smile and gently turned his eyes and head toward an empty yoga mat….I will always remember the power and energy of that room…dimly lit, filled with an exotic potpourri of incense, serenity and complete peace of mind… I had been traveling throughout India observing both the best and the worst of humankind….from dining with a Maharaja to sharing an overcrowded rail car roof with the ” untouchables “…..and could not understand how so many people with so little could have such beautiful smiles and look so deeply into your eyes with love and compassion…My yoga journey had begun….my quest to understand and connect to all that is….I returned to the western world, graduated from the University of Colorado, started my career as an architect and real estate developer, got married and started a family. Philosophically I drifted slowly back to the Western priorities of life…hard work, success and accumulation of material things but I still cherished my journey into yoga and spiritualism and knew some day it would become relevant. It took my love of extreme sports and the need for speed….(ski racing, bicycle racing, motorcycle racing, anything racing)

and fifteen surgeries to bring yoga back into my life….At age 50 I remember standing in my bathroom feet together legs straight and I could not touch my KNEES !! A good friend said “Go to Hot yoga….Now” I did and I never looked back..At first my yoga practice was all about healing my body…the miracle of heat’s amazing power to stretch, lengthen and strengthen. My body became more flexible, my muscles more powerful, my balance and concentration more consistent AND my mind calmer with complete peace of mind…..Did I just say ” complete piece of mind” ?……as in the complete piece of mind I experienced in Rishikesh so many years ago ? WOW…a full circle in my journey….” Warm the Body…Calm the Mind”….Now it all makes since….Not only has Yoga become relevant but it has become a way of life both on and off the mat…I wanted to deepen both my practice and knowledge of yoga so I traveled back to Goa, India for Teacher Training and became a Yoga Alliance 200 hr ERTY Certified Yoga Teacher….I practice yoga every day and love teaching at Arjuna Yoga and being part of our amazing yoga family….My greatest joy is helping my students improve their yoga practice by careful attention to proper alignment, calm breathing and focused concentration….I love to teach wherever I travel, meeting new yogis and spreading positive energy.