yogi of the month

I have lived here in Charlotte County since 1969 and recently completed 30 years of employment with Barbara T. Scott, Clerk of the Court. I have three grandchildren. A few years ago I tried a few yoga classes and since then, I always wanted to get back into it. Last...

I was born and raised as the youngest of three children in Kempen am Niederrhein, Germany, and then West Germany. After my school years I did an apprenticeship in a local firm. I met my husband (who was in the army) in 1974, got engaged a year later, and we married in...

I was born, raised, and educated in Brooklyn, NY. I studied social science at Fordham University, NYC and 35 years ago married my husband Jay. We have two sons, Ian and Ryan. Jay and I lived in NYC, Long Island, and Boston before purchasing our home in Punta Gorda in...

My name is Sarfraz Islam. I have lived in Port Charlotte for the last 30 years and recently moved to Punta Gorda. I am a physician who has practiced for 30 years, until March 2014 when I retired. I have always been inspired by the physical and spiritual aspects of...

Seven years ago I retired as a fourth grade elementary school teacher about 20 miles west of New York City. My husband Coty and I live there for five months each year, and we enjoy boating, clamming, and spending time with our family. I have two children and four...

I was born and raised in the northwest suburbs of Chicago; where I met my childhood sweetheart, Jane, my wife of twenty nine years. We raised three wonderful children, two whom are professional ballet dancers and one is an aspiring artist. At twenty four years old, I...

I am a teacher. In May, I will retire after nearly 55 years of teaching secondary and college German classes. I have two sons who were married this past year and now have two granddaughters. I am divorced, but have been in a committed relationship for the last eight...

Bob and I first met when a temporary housemate of his whom I had been casually dating invited me over to see the house. Bob was painting the ceiling of his sunroom, I recall. There was an immediate attraction. Bob recalls that I was wearing tight yoga pants—I don’t...

I was born in Michigan and moved around the mid-west as a child, living in Michigan, Missouri, and Indiana. When I was 15, I was a passenger in a car accident. During the accident my sixth and seventh cervical vertebrae were dislocated, partially severing and...

I was born in upstate New York and moved to Florida with my parents at the age of nine. I remember telling people that I would never move back. My fondest childhood memories are from that time in New York and, while I love where I live, there are pieces of me that...

This month, we are honoring Jane Eckles, who recently passed away, as our yogi of the month. Jane has been a part of The Yoga Sanctuary for quite some time. She was kind and compassionate, and always interested in others. She loved her family and really enjoyed her...

I was born and raised in Wheaton, IL as a fifth generation Irish Catholic. My mother still lives there. I have two brothers and a wonderful husband of 36 years, Paul. I unexpectedly retired from the telecommunication industry after 32 years of service due to multiple...

I was born in California and raised in a military family, the oldest of three kids. My father was an officer in the Air Force, and we had the great experiences of traveling and living throughout the United States and Europe. I moved to Punta Gorda 14 years ago with my...

Before I moved to Florida in January of 1996, I retired from Human Services as a caseworker, a career in which some days were greatly gratifying and others a true heartbreaker. My husband Bob and I married in November of 1995 after having known each other for 24...

I grew up in New York’s Hudson Valley, later attended college in Massachusetts and then grad school in Washington DC. After graduation I continued to work and live for 20 years in the Washington DC area. My husband Bob and I then moved here to Punta Gorda in 2001. We...

Before she passed away, I had planned for Marilyn Bunte to be our yogi of the month. So in honor of her, I’d like to share some of my memories of Marilyn as well as some memories from others at The Yoga Sanctuary. Marilyn was of my very first students when I began...

                  I grew up in Michigan enjoying the things offered by Lake Michigan—nature and blustery winters. Because of those roots, I am an avid sailor, snow skier, and hiker. After receiving my BS in Education from...