From my very first class taken in 1991, Yoga resonated with me in a powerful way. I was working in New York City in a high-pressure, stress-filled environment and happened upon the Himalayan Institute's East/West Bookstore on lower 5th Avenue where Yoga classes were held in the basement. I would come to class with my mind buzzing and body tense and frazzled from a day's work, and would leave class a different person! I felt calm and relaxed, refreshed and alert. The Himalayan Institute became my "go-to" place to learn more about Yoga and meditation. What began as an interest developed into a way of life.

Today I feel fortunate to teach yoga and meditation, and to offer massage therapy services on a full-time basis. My primary location is Bloomsburg's Centre for Health and Wellness. I also offer these services from several other locations, including my home studio, Stillpoint, located in Benton. In my work with individual clients, I use an approach that integrates the science of Yoga with various other healing modalities to enhance my clients' awareness of the body/mind/spirit connection, and help them find health and well-being physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually.

My teaching style is strongly influenced by the Himalayan Institute. In all of my classes and individual work, I tailor the practice to the individual and try to encourage awareness and cultivate an experience of being in the moment. I'm fascinated by a breath-centered approach to movement, and I enjoy finding different ways of sharing that fascination with my clients and students. In addition to Himalayan Institute certification, I completed teacher training in Integrative Yoga Therapy in 1997 thus adding a therapeutic dimension to my teaching style. My most recent sources of inspiration come from workshops/retreats taken with Gary Kraftsow, and Angela Farmer and Victor VanKooten. I am a member of the International Association of Yoga Therapists and am registered with the national Yoga Alliance. My goal as a yoga and meditation teacher is to make the benefits of this ancient system accessible to anyone who wishes to learn, regardless of current state of health and fitness.

With the encouragement, direction and support of my dear friend, Debbie Traugh, Director of the Centre for Health and Wellness, I entered the field of massage and bodywork. Working with clients in this hands-on manner just felt like a natural extension of Yoga, and I regularly interweave the two fields. I am a professional member of the American Massage Therapy Association, nationally certified by the NCBTMB and licensed in the state of Pennsylvania.

I am deeply grateful to all of my teachers who have set me on and illuminated the path of Yoga, to all of those who study with me for their enthusiasm, friendship and support, and to my husband, Carl, for his love, inspiration and absolute mastery of the corpse pose.