Ecce Yoga

I opened ecce yoga studio in 2008 in downtown Fargo, in a unique partnership with my brother and ecce art gallery. After holding space for ten years on Broadway, ecce yoga relocated to a beautiful new space in 2019. I’ve been practicing and studying yoga since 2002. I discovered yoga while living in Minneapolis, MN and continued studying after moving to Portland, OR, where I met my teacher Casey Palmer of Near East Yoga. I completed my 200 hour training in 2010 and have done additional trainings with De West (prenatal) and Judith Lasater (restorative) as well as Matthew Sweeney and Asha Wolf. I completed a doula (birth partner) training in 2014. Being a professional touring singer-songwriter for over 12 years, yoga in many ways helped to ground me and keep me well in body, mind, and spirit. It has been a constant in my life through joy, loss, grief and change. Sharing yoga with others, and helping to build a supportive sangha here in Fargo, has been a hugely satisfying part of my life. I feel blessed and honored to hold the space at ecce for others to do their practice. I am also very fortunate to be life partners with my love Derek and to be the mama to our beautiful little girl, Ruby Ann.

I have always loved to dance. As a child growing up in a small town, I started in ballet/jazz, loving the opportunity to bring my athletic & musical abilities together. When I discovered modern dance & creative movement in college I knew I had found my passion. I learned I could teach children and adults the fundamentals of movement and dance in a positive, noncompetitive environment. I shared this passion in the FM area for 30 years, first with Mahkahta Dance Theatre (1982-1990) and subsequently with 8th Street Studio of Dance (1990-2012). The past several years I have devoted my time to the caretaking of both grandchildren and my elderly parents. I have recently discovered the healing benefits of yoga and mindfulness and re-discovered how vital dancing is to my physical, mental and spiritual well-being.

I have witnessed how yoga creates a healing space for those experiencing chronic pain, depression, and anxiety. Through my own personal experiences, I have found that having a calm mind and body help us all to reach our greatest potential. I myself suffer from a chronic pain condition called Ehler’s Danlos Syndrome, as well as several co-morbid conditions. I have daily challenges managing pain and fatigue. It has become my mission to help those that I work with reach the goal of integrating breathing, movement, and mindfulness into everyday life to improve the release of tension and stress in the body. I began teaching yoga to children with autism and special needs in 2015, where I piloted a group program at Beyond Boundaries in Fargo. I am also Mindfulness Essentials Educator, and have certifications in Yoga for All, Yoga for Trauma, Drums Alive – Ability Beats, and use HANDLE methods for integration of the nervous system. In my spare time, I enjoy spending time with my son and our furry household, as well as gathering with my tribe of friends. There is never a moment wasted when you are with those that feed your soul.

I have taught meditation in our community for over 10 years and have provided opportunities to practice through classes and corporate instruction. My guiding value is to live consciously. Meditation can help build this capacity and improve our overall well-being. My personal practice includes time in retreat with Thich Nhat Hanh and other extended silent retreats, Transcendental and AMI Meditation, and a daily practice for over 20 years. What feeds my soul is advocacy work and intentional connection with family and friends. Early morning tops the list as my favorite time of day. Lately, and most gratifying, I enjoy watching my two young adult children forge their own way in the world.

I was drawn to yoga in 2000 initially to address some of the imbalances in my body caused by many years of distance running. My first experience with Ashtanga was with Carrie Mickelson in Fargo. I completed a 500 hour training course with Mary Beth Nehl at the Yoga Loft in Willmar, MN and am a RYT 500 teacher with Yoga Alliance. I participated in group practices with Sri K Pattabhi Jois in Colorado and in New York. I also completed a 40 hour training intensive with Manju Jois. Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga strengthens the body, lifts the spirit and quiets the mind.

I love to learn, inspire and have some fun! I passionately pursue and encourage a holistic lifestyle. In 2018, I was granted board certification through the American Association of Drugless Practitioners (AADP) as a Holistic Health Practitioner. I am also a current member of the National Wellness Institute where I participate in continuing education. Since 1997, I have been an instructor in numerous styles of movement. My primary focus has been dance education teaching ballet, tap, jazz, modern, lyrical and hip hop styles of studio dance. In addition, I’ve earned a variety of other specialty certificates in stretching and meditation, functional biomechanics, hoop dance, kickboxing, cardio dance and laughter yoga. Two great joys in my life are my husband, Mac and our son, Auggie. They love, support and laugh with me!  

I began practicing yoga and meditation in 1979. In 2003 I completed the Master’s Touch teaching training for Kundalini Yoga at Ghost Ranch, NM, and was privileged to be among the last students to learn directly from Yogi Bhajan before he left his body in 2005. I continue to regularly study with Yogiji’s senior teachers and maintain my own sadhana, as well as teaching in studios, jails, nursing homes and privately.