[caption id="attachment_6422" align="alignleft" width="277"]<img class="wp-image-6422" src="http://theyogasanctuary.biz/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Anita-3-e1562689832387.jpg" alt="Anita Stuart" width="277" height="369" /> Anita with her dear cousin Nicole. Nicole was visiting Punta Gorda all the way from Germany.[/caption]

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 El Paso, Texas in 1977. We only lived there for a few months before receiving orders to move to Italy. After our third year tour in Italy, we were able to get a transfer to Germany and moved to my hometown where our son Nigel was born.

I have always been an active person. I taught step aerobics for a number of years. I began doing yoga using DVDs and later attended yoga classes at my fitness center, but I always felt that I needed more guidance. So when I moved to Punta Gorda, I visited The Yoga Sanctuary and knew that it was the right place for me.

My main reason for starting yoga was to find a better balance in my life. I have been blessed not to have had any medical issues that led me to want to do yoga. I practice five days a week, and during the winter months I practice up to seven classes weekly.

Yoga has made me more flexible, and I am learning to calm myself in stressful situations. It has taught me to be more mindful.

Since I am fearful of falling, some of the poses like Crow still intimidate me. I keep trying to overcome, however. My favorite pose is Warrior II. I really like all of the teachers and fellow yogis at The Yoga Sanctuary. There is so much we can learn from one another!

I am currently really enjoying my husband’s recent retirement—finally having time together is wonderful. I enjoy walking, cross training, biking, and boating. I also love knitting.

My favorite quote stems from my mother: "From nothing comes nothing!" So if you want to make positive changes, you have to apply yourself.

<strong>NOTE: Our beloved Anita passed away peacefully on the morning of July 11th, 2019. She will be dearly missed by all whose lives she touched. </strong>