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I am very happy and grateful to be a part of Y.O.G.A. for Youth in North Carolina! I serve as the assistant regional coordinator and help with managing the finances, supporting the teachers and working with other organizations who support us or contract with us to provide yoga programs. I am inspired by our wonderful teachers who are so passionate about helping youth. I especially enjoy meeting the trainees who take our YOGA for Youth teacher training. It’s amazing to see the connection and transformation that results from that training experience. We are blessed to have these talented teachers as positive role models and mentors for our youth. I first met Krishna Kaur in 2005 when she taught a kundalini yoga class at Duke University. After class I told her how much I enjoyed it and then she asked me if I was a teacher. I said “No, but I hoped to some day” and she immediately said “Why not?” and that I shouldn’t put it off. She emphasized how much the world needs teachers and people who embrace and live the yogic teachings. Krishna inspires all of us to live to our fullest potential and share our gifts with others. I took the first Y.O.G.A. for Youth training that was offered in North Carolina in 2007. I started working with Keval Kaur shortly after that to begin a chapter of YOGA for Youth in this area. Our organization started slowly but I learned how important it is to “plant the seeds” and then with continued effort and patience, things grow and blossom. Keval’s tireless work and unending dedication to the vision of having yoga and meditation accessible to all kids in North Carolina is an inspiration. I am a Level I certified kundalini yoga teacher and will begin my Level II training this winter. I teach kundalini yoga at Patanjali’s Place and Wytha Balance Yoga in Durham. I also work as a software consultant at SAS Institute. My favorite part of that job has been teaching customers how to use new technology to make their jobs easier. Those skills have translated well for becoming a yoga teacher. I live with my husband, Steve, in Durham. We enjoy traveling, spending time outdoors and doing pet therapy work with our dog in nursing homes and rehabilitation facilities. Steve is a talented singer and has provided live music for my yoga classes and meditations. Looking forward, I envision our organization having a “Help the Helper” program in which we offer yoga to teachers and other staff who work in challenging environments. I would also like to incorporate Healthy Eating as part of the Yoga for Youth curriculum. A strong yoga practice empowers us to reach out, serve, and uplift other people. Krishna, Keval and all of our Y.O.G.A. for Youth teachers are shining examples of this. |
