My story

Like many people, I lived in various amounts of pain most of my life. Having been an athlete in high school I had experienced several injuries, some worse than others. But I always bounced back; I took anti-inflammatories, got a massage, or did physical therapy when it got really bad.

One night a few years ago, as I was walking to my car from an event downtown, an electric pain shot through my body and I was unable to swivel my neck, nor look down or up. I was largely immobile from the shoulders up. Other than childbirth, it was the most extreme pain I have ever experienced (and certainly without the joy of meeting a new baby at the end of it). I drove home terrified, barely able to move, other than some rotation from my waist to check oncoming traffic.

My x-rays and eventual MRI would indicate that I have a neck that curves “the wrong way,” with three cervical disks fused together and sliding forward, severe degenerative disk disease, stenosis, and arthritis. The surgeon I met with believes I broke my neck in my childhood and this is how it healed, and only now with decades of wear and tear are the symptoms making themselves known.

While I had been practicing yoga on an off, purely for enjoyment and exercise, the diagnosis and fear of surgery brought me back to the mat on a devoted basis. Subsequently, I was led to Ayurveda via the International Yoga Festival.

Through Yoga and Ayurveda, I gained strength in mind and body, as well as peace and calm in my spirit. I overcame anxiety, and without counting one calorie, carb, or fat gram lost 15 pounds, even though weight was one of the last things on my mind. It was about creating balance and healing, which I found through these beautiful and timeless practices. While it was a more Western, or asana based, approach to yoga that drew me in, I became devoted to traditional Ayurveda that incorporates traditional yoga teachings, providing healing on a deeper mind/body/spirit level.

I fell so in love with these two ancient practices that my desire to learn more about them was insatiable. I decided to take a leap and earn the necessary certifications to be able to share these life giving practices with you. It is my passion and love; I hope you will join me on this path to wellness.

A bit about the name, Santosha Path. Santosha is one of the Niyamas or observances in the eight limbs of yoga. It means contentment. I was drawn very strongly to it, perhaps because I feel in this day and age we are always chasing something … more. But to me, contentment is peace and balance, regardless of what is occurring around us. We have to cultivate that within ourselves; it’s truly an inside job that can change everything. It’s a tapping into the parasympathetic nervous system, where healing lives. It’s something that I wish everyone could experience every day. It was with a desire to honor this purpose that the name Santosha Path came to be.

More about Ayurveda
Ayurveda and Yoga Resources
A description of Santosha by Dr. David Frawley

Professional certifications:

• 150h Registered Ayurvedic Integrative Nutritionist (Vedawise under Laura Plumb)

• 200h Registered Yoga Teacher (Union Yoga School under Angie Katz)

• 300h Yoga and Ayurveda Wellness Counselor (American Institute of Vedic Studies under Dr. David Frawley)

• 50 Hour Yin Yoga Certification (Arohan Yoga, Rishikesh)

Professional Memberships:

• Colorado Ayurvedic Medical Association (Colorama)

Additional Training:

• Vishesh and Shirodhara (ChayaVeda Integrative Ayurvedic Healing Arts)

• Dosha Focused Yoga Immersion (AyurPrana)

• Level 1 Sound Healing with Sound Bowls (Sound Healing Academy)

• Restorative Yoga Immersion (YogaRenew)

• Women’s Health and Hormones (Dr. Claudia Welch)