Biography

I've been a student of the human body since I donned my first dancing shoes at age six.

In 1969, after receiving an MA degree in Dance/Choreography from UCLA, I was privileged to attend a demonstration by Ida P. Rolf, originator of Structural Integration. Rolf said things about the body that went beyond anything I had learned during my years of physical training. After one session of Structural Integration, I was hooked, and not just as a recipient. I had always wanted to do something with my hands--here was a pursuit that encompassed all of my passions. I was certified as a Structural Integration practitioner by Ida Rolf in 1971.

In 1986, I returned to my bodywork career after a break for marriage and family. Ida Rolf had died, and the way the work was taught had been expanded by her disciples. In this way I had the benefit of learning from the many innovators of Structural Integration, as well as having been inspired by the founder. During the ensuing years I expanded my understanding of the body through studies in cranial sacral therapy, visceral manipulation, somatic psychology and movement therapy. In 1990, I was certified as a Rolf Movement Teacher.

I have taught movement and manual therapy courses at The Touch Therapy Institute in Encino, CA since 1994. I am a member of the Rolf Institute, the International Association of Structural Integrators, and am certified by the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork.

My book, "Balancing Your Body: A Self-Help Approach to Rolfing Movement," was published in 1993 by Healing Arts Press. My articles have been published in Massage Magazine, Massage Therapy Journal, Shape Magazine, Men's Fitness, Journal of Dance and Choreography, Rolf Institute Journal, and Somatics Journal. I was a featured speaker at the Annual Conference of Rolfing® Structural Integration in 1994 and 1997, the California Massage Therapy Association in 1994, and the Hellerwork International Conference in 1999.

Mission Statement

My mission, as a writer, manual therapist and teacher, is to share the legacy of Ida Rolf as I have come to interpret it. This legacy includes not only an understanding of how to perfect posture and movement, but also consciousness of the relationship between the way we inhabit our bodies and the ways in which we perceive the world and behave toward one another.

It is my experience that people who understand and respect their bodies tend to exhibit an open and compassionate perspective on life. My purpose is to further that understanding and respect. I believe that becoming more attuned to our physical experience affects the choices we make in relation to ourselves, our fellow human beings, our environment and the planet at large. My mission, then, is to contribute to humanity's deeper embodiment.