"Lyme Disease, Fibromyalgia, chronic back injury & the chronic pain & immobility they cause, led to depression & my overall decline"
"My yoga journey began following a back injury & chronic pain. I was fresh out of occupational therapy school in 2000 & working a challenging job in physical rehabilitation when I herniated 3 discs in my back while transferring a patient. Around that time, I was also diagnosed with Lyme Disease & Fibromyalgia. The pain & lack of mobility quickly took its toll on me & I became depressed & physically weaker & weaker over the years
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I tried everything to get my life back on track from physical therapy to prescription drugs (which only seemed to make me feel worse). Finally, in 2009, a friend urged me to try yoga. My first class was incredibly difficult & I ended up crying on the mat because I struggled to simply get off the floor!
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However, a voice in my head told me to keep on trying! I went back 3 more times that week & eventually my body started to change. I lost weight, I got stronger, the constant muscle spasms diminished & I felt hopeful again for the first time in many years
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Through yoga, I learned the importance of body awareness, self-pacing & the importance of good nutrition in the healing process. I ultimately got off of all the pain meds & antidepressants & replaced them with a consistent physical practice and meditation. In 2013 I made the decision to make yoga a career. I wanted to share the healing gift of this practice with other people who suffered the way I had. Today I approach teaching with a combination of my knowledge of physical medicine as an OT, and personal experience
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I love working with people who think they can’t do yoga most of all!
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My primary clientele are people living with chronic pain/illness, such as cancer & Parkinson’s Disease, people managing their weight, and seniors. Today I can look back on my experience with pain & depression & feel grateful for how different my life is today
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I can genuinely relate to what many of my clients are going through because I have lived it!"
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