My Story
My yoga journey started 25 years ago.
My yoga journey started 25 years ago when I discovered Ashtanga after the birth of my first child. I grew up doing ballet and other various forms of dance so it felt like an organic transition to Ashtanga, the mother of flow yoga. I loved Ashtanga because it melted the baby fat away in weeks. At first that was as deep as I got into the practice. As the years became increasingly challenging, yoga became an essential tool for managing my depression. Giving someone the gift of a yoga practice is such a beautiful opportunity to change their life. A yoga practice is a gift that keeps giving.
I found myself doing self practice for a few years until baby number two came along. Fortunately, I was blessed to find Maty Ezraty and Chuck Miller, the original owners of Yoga Works. They helped me develop a strong primary series. I was honored to be accepted into their very last 200 hour teacher training program, before they sold Yoga Works and it went corporate.
I gave birth to my third child at home in my bathtub after a 3 day labor, without a solid yoga practice I don't think it would have been possible. Back in the day when I had kids running around, I did not have as much time to devote to my practice. Nevertheless, even a little bit can go a long way. When I reflect back on my life, my yoga practice was the one consistent thing that made me feel better in any situation.
So as life would have it I was in Uganda for few years working with orphans for “Yoga off the mat”, attempting to run a non-profit. My yoga practice had dwindled to 45 minutes a day tops. That is when my eldest daughter and a bone disease brought me back to my mat. The doctor told me I would need to walk with a cane, due to avascular necrosis in my right hip. The only option was to have a hole drilled in my hip, which only had a 50/50 chance of working.
My daughter, who had recently found Ashtanga videos on youtube, asked me if I intended to stay on primary series my entire life. She showed me youtube videos of intermediate series with the intense hip openers, and it seemed like a better option than going under the knife and drill, especially with a 50/50 success rate.
This led me to Omkar108. I started to practice 6 days a week with Jorgen Christiansson. He encouraged me to journey to “the source” in Mysore India. I went 3 times for a total of six months. Going to study Ashtanga Yoga KPJY with Saraswati Joies was such a wonderful opportunity. Saraswati is such a lovely teacher and powerful woman. She filled me with inspiration.
I have been fortunate to have had an opportunity to study with some of the best yoga teachers in the world. Saraswati Joies, Jorgen Christiansson, Mark Robberds, Deepika Mehta, Bobbi Boston, Mary Freedom and Ty Landrum to name a few.
Ashtanga cured my bone disease in my right hip, but I then developed tendinitis in my left shoulder. I started seeking answers by dissecting my practice and incorporating a program that I learned from Mark Robberds. It incorporates restorative yoga, dance movements, Kin stretch and CARS (Controlled Articular Rotations).
I am grateful for this journey. My injuries helped make me be a better teacher. As a young dancer I could do many advanced poses easily, but then I failed to understand the current physical limitations of students and how to work with them. With age comes new wisdom and understanding.
The yoga saga continues.
Not only did I pick up a great new restorative practice in Bali with Mark Robberds and his beautiful wife Deepika Mehta, I picked up Dengue fever. Dengue fever or the “bone breaking disease “ was as bad at it sounds. Apparently it effects women in there mid 40’s and older the hardest.
Then came covid and I have been unwell since. I was diagnosed with Trigeminal neuralgia, “the suicide disease”, because the pain is so terrible people would rather die.
Again, I was offered surgery with a 50/50 chance, of only a 50% reduction of pain. This surgery would only require a shaving of my head, sawing of the skull and a little “cushion“ placed between artery and Trigeminal nerve.
If this wasn’t bad enough, I found out I had degenerative discdisease in my lower spine, and I need two new hips. To top that off, as peri-menopause started it affected my wellbeing. My symptoms included hot flashes, cold flashes, insomnia, joint pain, depression and anxiety.
I am inspired by Krishnamacharya, who in 1985 at 96 years old, collapsed on his way to his mailbox. He refused the operation, but treated himself through his yoga practice. He lived until 100, still taught yoga and had a very clear mind.
So my practice had to once again evolve. No more waking up at 4am to do 3 hours of ashtanga. I started to come to Costa Rica to heal with nature. The waterfalls offer beautiful cold dips that reduce pain and inflammation. The hot springs are filled with healing minerals and offer a wonderful space for restorative yoga. It is said to help heal a wide range of ailments from arthritis, menopause symptoms, and digestive disorders.
What do I do now? I listen to my body. I don’t push into poses without “active flexibility. I self adjust with a mirror, a big “no, no” in ashtanga . I think a mirror is an effective tool. I use a block on days my hips really hurt. I try and limit my practice to two hours including 15-20 minutes of shavasana and meditation. I dance more, even adding in belly dance movements into my practice. Another thing I would be shunned for in the ashtanga world. Some days I just do Pilates. As my favorite teacher Daily says, “do simple shit”.
I do poses for arms and abs everyday. I let the rest unfold with how I feel. Getting through series 2 and starting series 3, didn't add anything to my life. It probably harmed more than it helped.
I think the idea of ashtanga is to break you down in order to build you back up. That is great for young boys in India a thousand years ago preparing for war. I was told once that was what ashtanga was intended for. It is a beautiful, wonderful practice, but needs a little update for people starting in their 30’s, 40’s, even 50’s and above.
