Since 2003, my husband and I have lived in Port Charlotte. We live with a small black cat, Sabrina, who is kind enough to share her home with us. We are also the proud grandparents of three teenage girls. In my former life as a rehabilitation counselor, I devoted my working years to impacting (hopefully in a positive way) the lives of people with disabilities. One of my career highlights was the opportunity to testify before Congress in support of a bill designed to improve the working conditions for people in sheltered workshops.


The year 2010 was one of those years we all experience-stress piles up and we need to reach outside ourselves to deal with it. My mother died unexpectedly. My aunt, whom we assisted, died four days later. We were in the process of moving to another home. I was newly diagnosed with fibromyalgia, struggling with both the pain and the diagnosis itself. So I came to yoga hoping it could help without drugs, and began gentle classes three to four times a week.

By late 2010 I developed deep knots in most of the large muscles on the left side of my body. This intensified the pain I was already experiencing and made many activities difficult. I discussed treatment with my doctor and rather than physical therapy, I opted to add private yoga sessions with Jennifer. I believe in the mind-body connection and felt that the peaceful environment of The Yoga Sanctuary was a better choice for me.

During this past year, with Jennifer’s help, I have worked my way through some really difficult pain and I am continuing to make progress. The progress has not always been a straight line, but each set-back has been shorter and less severe. My quality of life has significantly improved. For example, I use the word “soreness” now more often than “pain” when describing how my body feels.

For me the greatest benefit of practicing yoga has been learning to use my breath to manage pain, to relax, and to let go of stress. The regular stretching of gentle yoga helps reduce the knotting in my muscles. But most importantly, I continue to improve without drugs. My favorite yoga pose is child’s pose. I just love the way I can feel my muscles relaxing when I breathe into it.

I am learning to talk about this illness without allowing it to be what defines me. I have found The Yoga Sanctuary to be a safe place to begin to share my experience with others. When I’m not at The Yoga Sanctuary, I love to walk and be outside. I enjoy cooking and reading, and I love spending time with my husband.

And as my mother used to say: “Growing old is not for sissies!”

When I was very young I became fascinated with natural healing modalities. It began with a curiosity about nutrition, and it evolved from there. I have spent more than thirty years following this path through formal education, travel, research, and life experience.

With an Integrative Health Coach certification through Duke Medicine, a Master’s degree in Mental Health Counseling, and a Certification in plant-based nutrition from Cornell University, my approach with Health Coaching is to meet the person where they are in life. I help them achieve what it is they need to achieve, leaving my agenda out of the mix. We all know what it is that we need to do to move forward in life. Sometimes it just takes the right person to really hear what we are saying and guide us through.

As a massage therapist, I enjoy the wide variety of people that I come in contact with. It never ceases to amaze me how everyone is able to reach a deep state of relaxation if all of the ingredients are in place. Massage is another tool to help you really get in tune with your body, and it supports the yoga practice well. By keeping the fascia stretched and the lymph flowing, one can go deeper into the practice. I offer a variety of massage therapies at The Yoga Sanctuary.

Outside The Yoga Sanctuary, I get excited about many little things, dogs especially. I love dogs! I also love going new places and learning new things. I love hiking in the mountains, kayaking in the bay early in the morning, running the beach, and communicating with others. I am so curious about life in general and love to read and learn. There is so much to learn in this lifetime. I am sure that I will continue to evolve and grow until I leave this earth.

A few of my favorites:

Book: Hafiz Poetry. He writes with such humor and poignancy.
Food: Anything with avocado!
Yoga Posture: Pigeon

Katherine also shared with us three tips on how to maintain optimal health:

1.Create all-around balance in your life.
2.Work toward eating to maintain an alkaline state.
3.Simplify your life!

For some people, a packed yoga class is anything but relaxing. Being so close to other yogi practitioners often invites distractions, and can even make you feel that others are invading your space. But before you decide to forgo your favorite class because it’s getting too crowded, perhaps a change of perspective might be in order.

It is said that yogis should be able to practice yoga in Times Square without distraction. What this means is that it shouldn’t matter where you practice, or the conditions of where you practice, for you to be able to find your breath and steady your mind. In yoga we come back to ourselves, so to speak. We draw inward so that what goes on outside of us remains simply that—outside of us.

The next time you find yourself in a crowded yoga class—or even a crowded place outside of yoga class—recognize that you may not have control over the conditions you are faced with, but you do have control over how you respond to those conditions. Instead of meeting the situation with unease, simply come back to your breath. Notice how your belly moves in response to your breath. Find ease with each exhale. Notice when your mind wanders and gently guide it back to your breath when it does.

You will begin to see that, although you may not have a lot of external space, you have a vast internal space, ready for exploration. Learning to use less-than-comfortable situations as a way to learn about ourselves, and practice our yoga, can be a powerful tool.

Dharana is the first limb of Samyama, the simultaneous practice of the three last limbs of yoga. With Dharana the focus moves inward. According to Desikachar, “This is what happens in Dharana: we create the conditions for the mind to focus its attention in one direction instead of going out in many different directions. We encourage one particular activity of the mind and, the more intense it becomes, the more the other activities of the mind fall away.” He goes on to say that this one point can be anything at all, but it is always just a single object.

The object of concentration could be a certain chakra (energy center), mantra (sound), mental image, or anything you choose. For example, when you sit quietly and maintain your focus only on the breath for an extended period of time, you are practicing Dharana. At first, the mind will wander to all sorts of thoughts, but over time, with practice, the distractions fade and the mind becomes more focused.

The practice of dharana can be particularly helpful if you find yourself getting caught up in emotions. During such times, the mind fills with distracted thoughts, many not even based on reality. (Think of the last assumption you made when you were upset. Often, these assumptions are not even real, and thus, not based on reality.) Taking some time to detach from negative thought patterns by first practicing Pranayama (to center), then Pratyahara (to remove sensory distractions), and finally Dharana, can be a great practice for times when your thoughts seem to overtake you.

Jennifer is our Director of Teacher Development, Organizer of Community Events, and is currently earning her 500-hour yoga teacher certification with Master Teacher Tias Little.

Over the years, I have come to realize that teaching yoga is truly the greatest possible thing that I could be doing with my life. I’ve always been an idealist-when I was younger I wanted to change the world. As I’ve gotten older I realize that we can’t all be doctors or lawyers “fighting for the little guy.” We can’t all move to a faraway country to feed hungry children, invent the next greatest thing that will change lives, or even lead people to change the world. However, yoga allows me to do just that in my own small way right here in Punta Gorda. It is truly the greatest thing that I am capable of doing.

I took my first yoga class as a senior in high school. I remember only a few things about that class. First, it was in someone’s living room; second, we did some form of Shoulder Stand with no support (little did I know how important I would later find many different props in my own teaching); and third, I remember Savasana-very clearly. I was lying on the ground beside a coffee table in a dark room with my eyes closed. I felt like I was floating in the stars. I had the feeling that I was part of something more, something bigger than myself.

My more formal exploration in yoga began in 1998. After young-adult conversations with a friend about my curiosity of life’s big questions (Who am I? Why are we here? What is my purpose?), he recommended yoga. I bought a book he suggested, and a few months later I went to classes taught by a teacher he recommended. That was the real beginning of my yogic path.

As yoga became more of a lifestyle for me than a hobby, many things began to change. Although I don’t know if I would have said, “I’m making these changes because I am practicing yoga,” in retrospect I realize that I couldn’t have become who I am without my practice. I was a waitress/bartender keeping very late hours- I smoked, I drank, and I certainly didn’t eat very well. Now, instead of going to bed at 4 a.m., I’m much more likely to wake up at that time. I haven’t smoked in years, and while I do enjoy a glass of wine or sake with dinner, I certainly don’t drink as much as I once did. Also, I haven’t eaten beef, pork, or poultry in over two years. But most importantly, my ability to just be in the world with others, in relationships of all kinds, has blossomed. I am able to see myself and others more clearly and compassionately. Not always, of course, but I try to remember-it’s all a practice!

When I’m not at The Yoga Sanctuary, well…it’s yoga, yoga asana, yoga philosophy
I also love to make whatever I am doing an adventure. My fiancé and I spend a lot of time in bookstores, or exploring Sarasota, Fort Myers, or wherever. We try to experience everything we do like it’s happening for the first time. I also love keeping up with my little nephews who are in upstate New York with the rest of my family. I love seeing photos of them and finding out about what they are up to every day! Believe it or not, Facebook helps keep me in close contact with them.

Some of my favorites:

Favorite pose – Right now my go-to pose is Downward Facing Dog. It’s like a cure-all pose. It’s opening and invigorating when I need it to be, but also quiet and calming when I need it. My favorite short sequence is Down Dog to Standing Forward Fold to Legs Up-The-Wall. Together, these poses are like a warm bath-calming and restorative.

Favorite book - Many books have influenced me over the years, and right now I am reading an amazing book called How To Be Sick by Toni Bernhard. It is an exploration of how to live with chronic illness or pain. There are no yoga poses in this book, but Toni’s techniques for dealing with her own chronic illness have helped me relate to so many of our students’ experiences.

Favorite food - That’s easy. Sushi!

My most challenging pose: As long as I can remember, Warrior I pose has been my greatest challenge.

My first encounter with yoga happened quite by chance. I, like many men, thought that yoga was not quite the thing for guys. I was at the gym working out with some friends and we took a yoga class on a whim. Bonnie happened to be the instructor of that class. Guys, let me tell you, if you think yoga is not for men, try it and you’ll be
surprised. I have been doing yoga ever since that first class seven years ago. Bonnie went on to establish The Yoga Sanctuary, and I followed her because of the quality instruction.

My name is Ed Moran, but call me Eddie. I am 68 years young and originally from Yonkers, New York. I have been married 42 years to Karen, a wonderful woman and mother of our children. I am a U.S. Navy veteran and a retired professional firefighter. I try to practice yoga four times a week at The Yoga Sanctuary, and I also practice at home when I can find the time. I attend several different classes of mixed level yoga, including the recently added Yin Yoga, and the more challenging level two class. I feel that I make progress each time I attend.

Since I’ve started yoga, I have experienced an increased amount of flexibility, though this certainly didn’t happen overnight. Learning to control my breath has helped me greatly in stressful situations in my life. I recommend yoga to everyone for this reason alone. Yoga has also managed to relieve a lot of the aches and pains that have come as a result of the wear and tear (including some serious injuries) of having been a firefighter. I have achieved range of motion in several joints that I never would have thought possible.

One of the most challenging aspects of yoga for me is learning to not be competitive while practicing. I played a lot of competitive sports throughout my life, and old habits are hard to overcome. But I’m getting there! Yoga is not about “succeeding” or winning.

Outside of The Yoga Sanctuary, I sometimes attend a class at the gym, or practice at home to yoga videos. I look for instructors who, just as the teachers at The Yoga Sanctuary, instinctively know where one needs some adjustment. When asked which yoga pose is my favorite, I would have to say that it’s whatever the next pose in the practice is, no matter what it might be. So often it is something new and different, and that’s what makes me return to yoga over and over-it’s an ongoing learning experience.

I am honored and very much humbled to have been chosen to be the Yogi of the Month. I consider my fellow yogis to be my friends and inspirations. And as for my favorite quote, I’m going to have to go with that favorite American icon Porky Pig and say,”That’s all folks!”

The senses are likened to honeybees following the queen bee. Where the queen bee goes, the honeybees will follow. Likewise, where the senses go, the mind will follow. The literal Sanskrit translation of Pratyahara is, “to draw toward the opposite.” This means that, instead of following the senses, the mind is able to turn inward, simply observing without desire. Iyengar states, “The ability to withdraw our senses and so control the noisy mind may sound like a kill-joy, but in reality it restores the pristine flavors, textures, and discoveries that we associate with the innocence and freshness of childhood.” Pratyahara is like curiosity at its purest.

Pratyahara comes not by forcing the withdrawal from sensory inputs, but rather, from naturally letting go. Desikachar says, “Pratyahara happens by itself—we cannot make it happen, we can only practice the means by which it might happen.”

The practice of pratyahara begins with pranayama, or breath control (the fourth limb). With pranayama, the mind turns inward, and desires can be controlled. When the breath becomes labored or uneven, the senses have gained the upper hand. It is through practice of Asana and Pranayama that Pratyahara is achieved. And with Pratyahara, Dharana, or concentration—the sixth limb of yoga—can be attained.

In today’s world, we are ultra-stimulated, no doubt about it. The practice of Pratyahara is especially important in modern days. Our senses are stimulated at every turn. Take some time throughout your day to notice how your mind follows the next new thing. Then notice where the mind goes. Notice what desires or aversions come up as a result. Can you begin to release your mind’s reaction to each and every new encounter, instead simply observing without judgment that which goes on around you? It’s not an easy practice, but if you tune into your breath instead of entertaining each new idea, you will have tasted Pratyahara.

Sitali can be practiced when you need it. If you feel the need for a cool off—physically, emotionally, or mentally—Sitali Pranayama is the breath for you. Feel free to practice this breath at any time, whether before or after Asana practice, or even on its own at any time during the day. To practice Sitali:

1. Sit in padmasana (lotus pose), sukhasana (easy pose), or virasana (hero pose). You can also sit comfortably in a chair with the spine erect.
2. Curl the edges of the tongue, creating a tube, or straw, and forming the mouth into the shape of an O while closing the lips around the tongue.
3. Inhale through the mouth, letting the air pass through the tube, cooling the tongue and throat.
4. Exhale either through the mouth, or through the nose.
5. Continue Sitali Pranayama for 1–3 minutes, or for a set number of breaths to maintain focus.

If you are unable to curl your tongue for Sitali, Sitkari Pranayama (teeth-hissing breath) can be practiced to attain a similar cooling effect of the breath. To practice Sitkari:

1. Separate the lips and teeth a bit, and place the tongue lightly in the space between the teeth so that air flows over the tongue as you inhale.
2. Exhale either through the mouth or through the nose.

Using Sitali or Sitkari Pranayama will help to cool the firey pitta dosha that creeps in during the holidays. If you find yourself getting caught up in the holiday hubbub—stressed, emotional, or over stimulated—invite the cooling Sitali breath to your yoga practice.