STAR Transformations

I grew up in the western suburbs of Minnesota; the eldest of five children in a dysfunctional family due to alcoholism. As a result, my siblings and I were not modeled, and even prevented from, loving and honoring ourselves. This led to a lonely and depressed childhood, anorexia at the age of 14,  becoming a mom at the age of 21, followed by a failed marriage and several lengthy toxic relationships with men with addictive personalities. I was intelligent, motivated and successful in school and work but lacked emotional intelligence and clarity around my life purpose or who I was. Divorce sent me back to college in 2001 and on a career path in medical devices but my heart longed to help people more directly and focus on preventative medicine and health.

My true journey back to self began in 2003 when I learned how to meditate. A regular meditation practice facilitated the process of releasing anger raging inside of me, making way for my true emotions to arise and on the path home to my soul. Thereafter I went through training programs for Therapeutic Coaching and Spiritual Therapeutic Coaching with the intention of adding tools to my tool belt for when I eventually went to chiropractic school after my daughter graduated from high school. However, the knowledge gained and experiential process was most importantly part of my own healing journey. The ending of my last romantic relationship sent me into a dark night of the soul. Yet, with the internal and external resources I'd developed, I was able to navigate the purging of what felt like 40 years of emotions and associations. The process lasted for several months and felt like a rebirth. I had to relearn what everything was and what it meant to me, what I liked or didn't like and who I was in the world. Thereafter I fell into yoga teacher training and restorative yoga which set me on the necessary road to follow my dream of connecting body, mind and spirit. In a matter of a few months I went through several major life changes; a new car, changed jobs, sold my first house and bought a new home with my partner. I have a fiance who loves and respects me the way I now love and honor myself. Over the last several years I've been teaching and studying yoga of all types with a focus on rest and relaxation, centering and grounding in self, and striving for balancing and healing mind, body and spirit. My intention and gift is to assist others in their journey back to self through the heart in the context of mind, body and spirit.