I’m named after a Hindu devi, a luminous goddess of the mountains whose purpose was to harmonize earthly and heavenly energies. True to my namesake I love the mountains and seek a balance of earthly and spiritual existence. I’ve got both feet firmly planted on solid ground, yet reach ever skyward to bring greater beauty to this world of ours. Like yin and yang, I am both serious and playful, reverential and absurd, graceful and totally clutzy. I believe both laughter and grief can be superpowers. I’m a mountain biking, rock climbing, bike racing, meditating, rational mystic ninja yogini for good and awesome.

“Every day is a journey, and the journey itself is home.” —BASHO

It’s been said the happiest people are those who live with purpose. But what if have no idea what your purpose is? Are you doomed to misery? And what if you know your purpose but are having trouble figuring out how to bring it to life, take it to market, or are stuck in some way from living your truth?

MY PURPOSE IS TO HELP OTHERS LIVE THEIR PURPOSE. It’s that simple. I do this in one of three ways:

1) I COACH: helping people become unstuck physically, mentally and emotionally and healthier through self-care practices as yoga and meditation. Think of it like coaching meets counseling meets fitness trainer and sports coach.

2) I WRITE: helping others tell their stories and convey their purposeful messages. From magazine articles to web site content to product copy. I’ve written and self-published two non-fiction books, and am working on a third.

3) I CREATE: designing identities, logos, collateral and websites that help others connect with customers and community. I’ve produced images and identities for companies ranging from start-up Mom & Pop operations to international publishers and retailers. Design is communication.

If you have a purpose and need help bringing that to fruition, I can help.

If you have no idea whatsoever what your purpose is, but you’re ready to find out, I can help.

I’m here to help!

How can I help you on your journey? Call or email me and let’s get started! Or pick up the phone and call 503-819-6953.

My writing career began in childhood. As an Army brat, I moved around the country from Pennsylvania to Florida, back to PA, then Jersey, Hawaii and finally Colorado. Some years we moved twice in a single school year—once to a new state where we lived on the base until our stuff arrived, and then a few months later we’d move back to civilian housing in a nearby town. Life was chaotic at best. Words became my home. Like most 13 year old girls, I journaled, but I also crafted imaginative stories of adventure, intrigue and risk. I imagined myself growing up to be a great adventurer (way before Lara Croft was conjured up), but never a writer. Instead I grew up to be more of an inner adventurer, interested in exploring the inner landscape of psyche and soma, as well as pursuing adrenaline rushes. Along the way I’ve discovered writing and adventure go hand-in-hand.

Despite my Peter Pan fetish, I did actually grow up and now enjoy putting my writing talents and skills to good use, both in the realm of my own published non-fiction works, and in the area of marketing communications.

When writing a newsletter, ad copy, magazine article or web content for a client I imagine myself as part of a team which is on an adventure together. Our goal: to tell the story of the client in whatever way allows them to complete the journey, whether it is to sell a new product or service or build community.

Way back in the old days, before the dawn of the Apple IIe entered the personal computing scene, design was achieved through manual means, painstakingly crafting artwork by hand to be printed. Since the early days of desktop publishing and computer animation, I have been creating pages, packaging and products. My clients have ranged from small start-ups on a tight budget, to international publishing and media giants.

For over 20 years I have designed print and web pages alike. Part designer, part writer, part developer, and part analyst, I massage images and ideas to tell stories that create connection.

WEB DEVELOPMENT CLIENTS:

• Yoga Pearl (logo / identity / web / collateral)
  
• BikeYoga (logo / identity / web / book / collateral)

• Living Yoga logo/identity design
• Bend Yoga Therapy (logo / identity / web / collateral)
• Action Dynamix Bodywork (logo / gift certificates / branding)

NEWSLETTER AUTHORING AND DESIGN:

• Yoga Pearl
• Bend Yoga Therapy
• Mandala
• Action Dynamix Massage

PUBLISHING:

• Conde Nast
• Ziff Davis
• Hearst
• Time, Inc.
• Diablo Publishing

PACKAGING / RETAIL:

• The Gap, Inc. (body care packaging design)
• Banana Republic (body care packaging design)
• Fineline Foods (custom & gourmet food packaging design)

I specialize in WordPress site development, passing along Open Source development for easy content management, allowing clients to easily update and manage their own web content.

Since 1998 I have been sharing the healing arts of yoga with people who want to move more easily, experience less pain, and connect more consciously with their purpose. While the forms of practice I have taught vary depending on the individual, one consistent component is the practice of self-inquiry through meditation.

Meditation is one of the least popular aspects of yoga but is, in my opinion, one of the most important. After all, a healthy body depends on a strong and flexible mind.

I began practicing yoga as a way of healing from chronic pain, deadline stress, and nerve strain that comes with long days sitting at a computer coupled with sports injuries. Following formal studies in various traditions, including Iyengar, Ashtanga, Yin and Anusara, I began teaching DharmaYoga —- a holistic form of therapeutic practice that draws inspiration from Buddhist teachings and other Eastern wisdom traditions.

My goal as a teacher is to encourage mindfulness in movement and to help others reduce tension, pain and suffering in their lives — bringing ease and more joy to both mind, body and spirit.

For more information about my teaching practice, please visit

www.bendyogatherapy.com

and

www.bikeyoga.com

For the past 15 years I have offered my marketing, advertising and management expertise to small businesses who need help defining — or refining — their identity, image and/or marketing. In today’s economy, the small business owner needs a smart, professional marketing presence from the start. Launching with a DIY logo or image or poorly executed materials that don’t connect you with customers and then wondering why business is slow won’t work. You want to put the best possible face forward and be clear about your message, your product, your service.

I specialize in helping small businesses with a holistic orientation to the world. Businesses that want to make a difference, as well as making a dollar. What does this consulting entail?

• aesthetics: logo / image / branding / physical store or office environment
• message: telling your story via your website, brochures, ads
• marketing: writing and designing effective postcards, newsletters, brochures, etc
• promotions: special events, discounts and co-promotional opportunities

Consider me your pocket-agency, able to leap over tall buildings with a single bound, but charging you a fraction of what you’d pay for a full service agency.

How can I help you grow your business? Email me and let’s get started! Or pick up the phone and call 503-819-6953.