1991-1995

My Mother's best-friend discovers that I am doing yoga and meditation on my own at 14 years old. She asked me where I had learned yoga to which I replied, "what is yoga"?

She proceeded to bring me books on Yoga, Meditation, and Eastern philosophies until I moved out at 19 years old. At the age of 15, I became a Vegan and was teaching my mother and her friend’s Yoga to address their hormonal imbalances and weight issues. My mother’s best friend Donna had studied Yoga in California in the '60s and imparted her wisdom about Yoga and Meditation to me. (She saved my life).

During my teen years I dove into my studies on meditation, yoga, nutrition, herbalism and Ayurveda. At the time, the internet was dial-up and held little information. I ordered documentaries on VHS tapes, scoured libraries and interrogated anyone with any knowledge on these subjects. When most kids were out with friends on the weekend I was at herbal and nutritional stores reading all the books that I could not afford and asking loads of questions of the owners and employees. My mother would drop me off so I could spend hours in a holistic store educating myself.  My Best friend’s mother from my middle/high school years was a Yogi from the 60’s who had an amazing library and would provide books and material till my heart would explode. She was happy to sip tea and explain the science of yoga or the stories on the Gods and Goddesses. 

I studied and researched the habits and practices of Yogis and Gurus, Buddhist and the history of their cultures. At one point, I had hand drawn a map of the world linking the world's religious history showing how Christianity appropriated all of its practices and beliefs (that, of course, they altered) and brought them back to their own countries. i.e., Mala Beads = Rosary, the robes and attire of gold and the rich reds and purples, etc. All this was stolen from the cultures they visited and invaded along the Spice route or during trade. My in-depth research and obsession with Yoga, Meditation and the history of the East caused my mother great concern. When I began chanting mantras and sitting in meditation she became convinced I was going to join a cult. This made me laugh.

The world's eating habits also concerned me deeply and I was on my way to becoming a Vegan. However, I had additional personal motivation. I had digestive issues (I was allergic to everything from the day I was born) and could not eat the foods my family ate. This fueled the intensity of my studies and led me to higher education. I had become aware of the connection between physical health and divine spiritual health being in balance or out of balance. One begets the other, either way. This realization at 15 years old empowered me to drastically change my diet and improve my own health in a meat and potatoes family.

1996-1998

I attended the College of the Redwoods during this time. I attended Environmental Ethics courses with Bill Hagar who was the first (in modern-day) and most prominent environmental ethics professors in the country at that time. Environmental Ethics should be called the contemplation and integration of living Yoga. The ethics and theories are Yogic in nature and are a conduit to reaching people who do not understand or accept the science of our environmental issues and the current state of the human condition. 

During this time I had broken my back in a work accident. The injury resulted in my losing the ability to walk. My progressive Doctor sent me to Elsa Rubio who used Chinese Medicine, Yoga, and Shiatsu to literally put me back on my feet. I went on to study with Elsa for a little over a year. I attended and assisted her with her Yoga retreats and classes. Elsa is the reason I can walk today and why I am now a Chinese Medicine Practitioner and Yoga teacher/trainer.

1998-1999

Attended Yoga classes with Gaina weekly. (Gaina guided me when I had my first big Kundalini rising experience. She coached me through it and helped me stay grounded. The experience lasted for almost a week and forever changed my life. I don’t know where I would be if it wasn't for Gaina.) 

Attended Zen meditation every morning and evening (6 days a week) with Paul Pitchford.

Attended Tai Ji Chan and Qi Gong with Paula Pitchford 2-3 days a week.

Additionally, we studied many styles of meditation.

(Heartwood was an immersive experience, like living at an Ashram, out in the mountains, growing our own food, living a Sattvic lifestyle in harmony with the environment.)

2000-2004

I was very blessed to land a Pottery internship that turned into a Life Coaching/behavioral psychology internship with two Berkley Psycho Therapists who had studied Eastern Philosophies, Yoga, and Meditation practices with Buddhist monks at Berkeley. I lived on the highest point of the island by myself in the jungle with a dog named Trudy. Again I was blessed and had landed a house sitting position and Trudy was my sweetest friend, a golden lab. I lived a vegan lifestyle with little-to-no outside contact other than my pottery instructor and his wife and the occasional tourist who wandered into the studio. For context, the studio was deep in the jungle off an unpaved driveway. My daily routine consisted of meditation for 1-3 hours in the morning, often over a bowl of Quinoa, then vinyasa 1-2 times a day, surfing, biking, swimming, and working at the pottery studio where Dean and Malone used the environment to influence, inspire and lead my spiritual and personal development.

Dean and Malone (in their 60’s at the time) were surrogate parents to me and took me under their tutelage very closely for almost 3 years.  We surfed, did yoga, had incredible philosophical debates, read amazing books on Yoga, Buddhism, the Vedanatas, and all roads to spirituality, listened to music, and watched weird foreign films all while working most days in Dean’s pottery studio. To this day, my Life Coach Certification course (Dharma Life Coach Cert course) is based on the teachings of Malone and Dean. 

Malone was an intern to Ian Rand and WOW did she have interesting ideas and views. That was an experience!!!

2005

I moved to Rhode Island and studied Jivan Mukti at Soma Yoga.

I had my own yoga studio at the time - Purna Yoga located in Tiverton RI. For a little over a year, I taught 3-5 classes a day, 6 days a week. Admittedly I was teaching too much at the time. 

During the daytime classes I focused on the elderly, veterans and injured students, and did a lot of 1 on 1 yoga. My evening classes were advanced Yoga and so popular you had to RSVP to get a spot. 

I also taught at Bristol Community College in Brockton MA twice a week where I was taking Anatomy and Physiology for my yearly CEU requirements.

2006-2007

• 300 Hour Bijar Yoga Certification, Sraddhasagar, & Kathleen Bryant
• Studied Advanced Yoga Teacher Training at International Yoga College
• 8 day Chakra Intensive, Sraddhasagar 65 CEU’s
• Attended many traditional Kirtan
• Attended and participated in proper Pujas
• Taught yoga at 7 centers 2-3 times weekly (loved the kid’s yoga class)
• Assisted with leading other teacher trainings and retreats
• Taught private Yoga sessions daily
  

2008-2019

In 2008 I moved back to Rhode Island for personal family reasons and opened the Dharma Healing Center in Providence in May 2008.



I taught Meditation classes, Meditation Certification courses, level 1 and 2, Life Coaching Certification courses, Yoga Classes, Zen Shiatsu, Chinese reflexology classes, and quite a lot more. 

Started my book, "What's Your Dharma?". coming in 2021

2020

Closed the Dharma Healing Center down to rebrand, develop and focus on classes, courses, and holistic education more closely. The mission, “Making Holistic Alternative Healing Arts Common Knowledge and Giving people back the power to their health.”

I opened the Waves Wellness institute in March of 2020... I know. Terrible timing. 

In 2020, 2021 I aim to move most of my training and courses online, however, I am looking to preserve the hands-on training style of yoga and meditation as there is no substitute. For now, COVID prevents this.

Scattered throughout the years I have led, attended, and assisted with retreats, yoga trainings, and holistic programs, too many to list.  for 25 years, I am a reflective practitioner walking the walk.

Please let me know if you have any questions.