Ever since I can remember, as far back as five years old, I was always fascinated with the human body. I would sit for hours and look at pictures in my parents Reader’s Digest Family Medical Book.
My interest of the body kept blossoming in different stages of life, trying this diet and that diet, different forms of exercise and so forth. Then, at age 38, I got myself into the wrong type of cleanse, and became anorexic, literally, almost died. Fortunately, I found yoga, and bounced back healthier than a horse.
My profession for 32 years, was first mate and cook on private sailing yachts, exploring mostly the western world. While sailing, I found the Sivananda Yoga Retreat, in Nassau, Bahamas. I signed up for the 1997 Teacher Training Course for a month, and became certified. I loved the training so much, that I signed up for the Advanced Teacher Training, twice! This is where I first heard a lecture about Ayurveda. MAN, the lights went on in my head, and I felt like I had done this before. I took time off from work, and studied under Dr. Vasant Lad at The Ayurvedic Institute in Albuquerque, New Mexico for two years. Dr. Lad is one of the leading masters and vaidyas (Ayurvedic physician) in the world today. He was a pioneer, bringing Ayurveda to the USA in 1982.
Now, for the past 28 years, I have dedicated my life to spreading the word and the love of Ayurveda and Yoga. My position as director of Ayurveda for the Sivananda Yoga Ranch in the Catskill mountains of New York, has been a delightful experience. A perfect place for retreat and rejuvenation.
I helped get the Well Being Center at the Yoga Retreat in Nassau, established and served many years as a practitioner and bodyworker there.
I am also honored to be on faculty for the past 8 years for Dr. Lad’s, Vasant Institute of Ayurveda (VIOA) in Pune, India, where seasoned aspirants study with him, in the Gurukula program. So many interesting learning experiences and stories to share.
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