Why yoga?

• 6-7 years old - uncle helped arrange for a great Swami, Swami Satchidananda, affectionately known as “Swamiji” to come to the U.S.

• He stayed nearby and would come to the house, the family practiced yoga with bombon the lawn 

• Always had an interest 

• At 12 started to read books about self-realization in the Harwood library

• Cosmic Consciousness, by Edgar Cayce, about enlightened beings. One was Walt Whitman. Leaves of Grass book - poem - song of myself 

• Became fixed at that point at 13. Started to practice pradiyama meditation. In 20’s became a Nichirin Shoshu Buddhist - chanting Nam myoho tenge kyo.

• Got married and husband became Tibetan Buddhist, with the Rinpoches.

• He intoduced me to a Siddha guru, Swami Ganapati Ganesha, a disciple of Baba Muktananda, he went to India to document the incarnation of Mahavatar Babaji known as Haidakhan Babaji. Babaji is known as a saint in India who incarnates throughout time. In the Seventies, this incarnation was discovered meditating in a cave where he drew a following after remaining there in stillness for 72 days! He then revealed himself to be the Mahavatar and went back to his ashram from a previous incarnation. Many seekers made pilgrimage during the Seventies for his audience.

• One night, Baba, as he came to be known, was called into the tent of Mahavatar Babaji, where Babaji pushed a mango pit in his mouth to awaken a mystical portal point at the back of his throat. This instantly awakened him to enlightenment. He spent weeks wandering the hills in bliss, gathering followers himself.

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• l mysticism was attractive. Practiced in NY for a while and became serious but didn’t do asana. Her teacher said she should go back to FL to take care of her 2 year old. 2nd day back,  bumped into a woman who was her neighbor and yoga teacher. She offered her to teach a class. Wasn’t trained so she took first yoga course and got trained to teach. 

• Met Dharma Mitra a few years later 1996.