“There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all of time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and it will be lost. The world will not have it. It is not your business to determine how good it is nor how valuable nor how it compares with other expressions. It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open. You do not even have to believe in yourself or your work. You have to keep yourself open and aware to the urges that motivate you. Keep the channel open. ... No artist is pleased. [There is] no satisfaction whatever at any time. There is only a queer divine dissatisfaction, a blessed unrest that keeps us marching and makes us more alive than the others” -Martha Graham
I am a desert dwelling yogi by birth. At the time of my arrival my parents were practicing Kundalini Yoga teachers whose own teacher Yogi Bhajan bestowed upon me the unwieldy name Sat Atma. As a child this name fit me like an itchy sweater that had gone through the dryer. It was unique... and impossible for most of the people in my conservative community to understand. But it planted a seed of being different within me, and that seed formed roots which have penetrated every aspect of my life. I have long been a champion of this difference; of the unique, artistic, counter-cultural, unhomogenized and pure state of individuality. Of the underdog, the unaccounted for, the traumatized, the tender... This native orientation to the world is a lens that makes distinctions: it sees that each life and body is precious and unique. Our tension and holding patterns, our reactions to stress, and our sensitivities all tell our stories. Our traumas become anatomical landmarks and physiological defaults. The issues are in the tissues, as they say. I have taken this body so many places in my journey through this short life. I have been all of these things: a childhood dancer, a track and field sprinter, a club soccer player, a teacher of yoga, a student of physical theater, a vegetarian, a raw vegan, a sustainable meat eater, an anthropology and psychology student, a human rights activist, a college Model UN delegate, a budding herbalist, a social emotional learning specialist, a nanny, a massage therapist, a nutrition educator, and a doula. I've also been through enough of my own mental and emotional trauma and subsequent therapy to understand the multi-dimensional and holistic nature of wellness. I've developed critique and healing philosophy based on my own experience and education, and you will find much of this in my writing. My CV includes a decade of teaching yoga as healing, activism, and social justice. From volunteering in battered women's safe-houses to teaching victims of Hurricane Katrina techniques to help them release fear and sleep more easefully- my early work has been vitally rooted in the human condition. I have taught meditation and breath work to men in court-ordered Anger Management programs, at-risk children and teens in urban Los Angeles, mental health outpatient programs, and in drug and alcohol recovery. My work with children has integrated my understanding of wellness, nutrition, social emotional learning, non-violent communication, and healing in the context of early development. It has also been some of my most special and heart-filled "work". I also hold a Liberal Arts degree with an emphasis in Psychology and a B.A. in Humanities with an emphasis in Social Theory and History. I have completed a cumulative season of silence and meditation retreats, travelled to India (touched the Ganges, studied with "masters"), and completed advanced training in Yoga & Ayurveda Therapy. I have trained my subtle awareness through many years of observation, and my intuitions are deeply supportive of multi-dimensional healing. I also have an abiding love of hard science and a mind that thinks critically. (In fact, debunking fictitious dogma is one of my hobbies.) I am currently studying (obsessed with) biomechanics and Restorative Exercise. I also love the work of Jill Miller, the alignment principles of Core Strength Vinyasa, Milton Trager, and the Constitutional Herbalism of Michael Moore. |