<img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-3892" src="http://www.theyogasanctuary.biz/ys/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Karol-Wycoff-233x300.jpg" alt="Karol Wycoff" width="233" height="300" />

I was born into one of the original pilgrim families (Elder Brewster) and have been an artist since I first held a pencil and drew on the blank pages of my parents’ books. I won my first of over 120 awards when I was 12 years old and from there went on to study at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and graduated from Rhode Island School of Design, Providence. (At the time, I was granted two scholarships. I still give back on a yearly basis to needy art students through both RISD and Rotary International, the organizations who sponsored me!) After graduation, I became an art director for Liberty Mutual Insurance Co., Boston, and Scholastic Books, NYC. This was before I married and raised two children. Since then, my passion for art has delved into fine arts (watercolor, pastel, pencil, ink, and oil) which I still do on a daily basis.

When my children were 13 and 16, their dad died, but not before he set me up with a five-year business plan to market my art. Six years later, after being represented by numerous galleries throughout New England and the east coast, I opened the Karol B. Wyckoff Gallery in Wellfleet, MA. Two years later, I met my present husband and we moved to Punta Gorda where we have resided for the past 23+ years. I no longer own the gallery, but I do run two studios and continue to participate in many art exhibitions around the country. Over the years, I have been blessed as a Master Artist member as well as a signature member of many prestigious art organizations. My paintings hang in permanent collection of 1000s of homes, businesses, the Smithsonian Museum, and Cape Cod Museum of Art.

I started doing yoga about six years ago after having severe arthritis and spondylolisthesis, and sciatic nerve and spinal stenosis problems in my lower back and legs. After several spinal shots over a four-year period (before starting yoga), I was much improved—no surgery for this old back of mine! My internist recommended physical therapy, where I was introduced to <a href="http://kamipractics.com/">KamiPractics</a>. Kami changed my life. After six months of PT, she introduced me to yoga and suggested that I go to Yoga Sanctuary to take the Gentle class two or three times a week, as well as doing stretch exercises each and every morning upon getting out of bed (which I do faithfully).

Yes, it has changed my life. Yes, I still suffer from pain in my lower back and legs, but since I have attended The Yoga Sanctuary over the past five+ years, I am able to do just about everything I did before I had my hefty back problems. I find wonderful relief in the calming way everything is approached, even the softness of the instructors’ voices. Heck, I’ve even heard snoring some days when we’re ready for our last approach as we calmly wait for the final ding of the bell. If my pain becomes too severe, I can stop my yoga at any time—one must be comfortable! When this happens at home during my workday, I can get down on the floor and do the stretching exercises that we were taught in our yoga classes. My body continues to be less tense since I have been doing my daily yoga. And yes, it’s definitely keeping me young, or at least <em>younger</em>!

My favorite quote: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”