I started yoga initially, some time in the 90’s, after reading an article of “the five rights” that promised to increase energy and longevity… and many other attractive claims. (After studying yoga I realized they were simply yoga poses, lol).
My first real introduction came after open heart surgery. I “tried” yoga to heal. After my first session I said to myself, “I will do this for the rest of my life”.
During savasana I feel asleep… I woke up to an empty class, the teacher talking with one student, in a daze and drool coming from the corner of my mouth. And they were so nice about it too. I have come to realize just about every yogi I’ve met has been really nice too. And by the way, Patti Nevin found out about me, called me and invited me to a YAGD gathering. I was blown away by how nice everybody was… I was treated like a rock star !!! And have been a member ever since. (Thank you all !).
Finding yoga was kinda’ like magic. Living Downriver there were no yoga studios. (My first session was in a medical building.) I did not subscribe to any newspapers but, that day on my front lawn was a local downriver newspaper called the Mellus. I really wanted to do this yoga again. Looking in the paper I found the tiniest (and only) ad to do yoga at Namaste Yoga in Royal Oak. The second line of the ad said, “yoga teacher training.” In that instant, I absolutely knew I wanted to be a yoga teacher (after one class?).
I called the number and talked with Veronica the owner. She was like magic too. She had the most beautiful words, strung together, to create a symphony, that was not only melodic but totally captured my soul. (I swear this is as I remember it). I also recall I had no idea what she said. Except, I was going to become a yoga teacher. So, in January of 2000 I started teacher training.
Two months later, I started teaching for money !! A charter school wanted someone to teach them yoga after classes. I got the job and was scared. Each class I practiced and crafted my words for the yoga poses I was going to present… for hours! Gotta start somewhere eh.
And, I studied under Dawn Priebe at Namaste Yoga. Twenty years later and living together for 11 years, happily, I must say, “yoga has been good for me !”