ABOUT ME

I was born and raised in England by a german, farm raised mother who did not take us to the doctor but believed in herbal treatments, rest and good food to maintain our families’ health. I am now a mother of four and have raised my own children with that same approach of holistic care.

In 1993, with a law degree from Sussex University, England, I moved to the United States, a conscious choice not to practice but to explore.

I settled in California and raised my family in the Santa Cruz Mountains where I still live. Whilst raising children I attended the National Holistic Institute and San Francisco School of Massage. I also started exploring and practicing yoga, ultimately training as a yoga teacher at Shakti Yoga Shala in Boulder Creek. I developed a thriving private practice of bodywork and teaching yoga. I also began to work as a post-partum and sometime birth doula, sharing my many years of experience with babies and children and supporting mothers during this tender time.. 

After discovering the rich tapestry of Ayurveda which embraces all that I believe in; yoga, meditation, conscious and seasonal diet and lifestyle as well as powerful herbal formulations, I trained as a NAMA certified Ayurvedic Practitioner at Mount Madonna Institute. Upon graduation I worked as a Pancha Karma specialist in the Ayurvedic Healing clinic of Dr. Suhas Kshirsagar and learned the intricacies and protocols of Pancha Karma (a very involved and deep detoxification process as outlined in the ancient vedas). Over the years I have continued my education in areas such as somatic agency with Fred Mitouer (PhD) and deep pulse analysis with Dr. Vasant Lad (BAMS).

In 2022 I completed a three year Yoga Therapy Program, specializing in mental health and counseling, with Dr. Juko Holiday at Ease Mountain Yoga in Ben Lomond, CA. This training provided me with a better understanding of current mental health issues and the skills with which to support an individual, whilst leaning into the rich and comprehensive world of yoga philosophy and principles.

I work hard to bridge the ancient Vedic traditions with both the needs of the individual and the collective modern day world.

(In August of 2020 both my home and my lovingly built work studio was burnt down and destroyed during the CZU Lightning Complex Fire. I am still located in the Santa Cruz Mountains but have moved my studio to the small and charming town of Ben Lomond).

 I also run workshops in the Bay Area teaching the relationship between Yoga and Ayurveda and how to make simple changes in your life to achieve better balance. I believe the world cannot find a natural, thriving harmony unless we do as individuals.

Ayurveda taught me how ‘balance’ counts in EVERYTHING, but in order to find balance we must be familiar with it. Ayurveda gave me a framework and a practice to live by and slowly the more ‘balanced me’ has become familiar, accessible and even desirable.

I have also maintained a personal yoga practice since 1997 after discovering the discipline of Iyengar Yoga whilst living in San Francisco. I now practice a variety of styles of yoga, mostly a home practice these days, with a deeply committed sadhana and have experienced first hand the stabilizing forces of a regular practice of pranayama, meditation and mantra as well as asana.

My work is my main passion in life, other than my partner and children. My clients are both my teachers and my inspiration.