About
I am a somatic educator and proactive wellness advocate whose live online "YouMove" dance fitness classes build agency through the power of choice.
I’ve had a diverse career, but my deep mission has always been to create safe, supportive spaces for people to take charge and improve their lives.
As a college English teacher in the 90s, I helped students find their voices.
In the doctoral education world (1999-2018), I helped PhDs take charge of their careers and make fresh choices despite intense pressure to become professors.
Now in my sixties, I help people take charge of their physical and mental health by moving with conscious intent.
I am in a glorious new phase of my life, a “third act” centered on wellness, nature and community. My husband and I have moved to a beautiful new area and we are having the time of our lives!
We now live in western Sonoma County, California, in a redwood forest, next door to close friends and making new friends all the time. I have never been so happy and fulfilled in my life!
Education and Training
My education, training and experience as an award-winning college teacher are all relevant to my YouMove classes:
2nd Degree Black Belt in NIA Technique
Franklin Method
Grief Yoga
Trauma-Informed Movement Teaching
NIA and Trauma
Anatomy Trains in Motion
Race Literacy
Anti-Racism for Wellness Professionals
B.F.A., Film
M.A., English
Ph.D., Rhetoric and Composition
9 years teaching college English
9 years on the university speaker circuit
Using all of my training and experience, I choose a theme for the year, and give each class a focus relating to the theme. All participants benefit from the focus of the day, and regular attendees benefit from the theme of the year. Past themes:
2023 - Mental Health
2024 - Resilience
2025 - Body Appreciation
The theme for 2026 will be JOY.