“ A woman I went to school with was married to the local Doctor in Balmain. He and his business partner, also a Doctor had done courses in Shiatsu. They sent me all their patients so within 6 months of moving to Balmain my Shiatsu business was doing really well. I was already into Iyengar Yoga so started at The Iyengar school in Balmain and I’ve been doing it ever since. I still do Shiatsu but at 62, if you haven’t done yoga it’s difficult to get on your knees and in the positions needed to treat. I left the hospital and I’ve never nursed since. I revolved my business around my Yoga classes and my business thrived.
I did a Yoga teacher training course for 2 years. I was on a really good path so I gave up alcohol 28 years ago and haven’t drunk since.
I booked into a course in the USA on Native American Healing so off I went to a town called Roslyn east of Seattle where I stayed for 3 months. It was an amazing course. That started my love affair with the US. I bought a car, travelled all through California, onto Washington State, Oregon and up into Canada.
Before I came back to Australia a friend told me about the Esalen Institute which is in-between San Fran and LA. I’d run out money so my friend bought my car and off I went. Esalen is a place where people from all over the world come to. It was a happening place. It was just beautiful. I spent a month there in ’95 then had to come back to Australia. I worked my butt off for 6 months and in the meantime I had applied for a job back in Esalen. The job was for a year and I got it. I went back and stayed for 18 months working in the community in the grounds. It was 1997 and I had the most amazing time of my life. Joan Baez was a regular visitor to Esalen and I met her and gave her a Shiatsu. Ian McKellen was also there. All the stars would come up from LA but it was all just normal. I was living in a community and walking around with my heart open. It was based on Gestalt Therapy so before we’d start work for the day we’d all sit around and do a check in with each other. Esalen is on sacred land. It’s where the Essalen Indians used to live. There’s natural hot springs and it’s right on the coast. You could lie in the hot springs and watch the whales go past.
I met someone I fell in love with. His name was Yohan. He was at Esalen for 3 months but he was already in a relationship in Amsterdam and he went back. It broke my heart. He was open and honest with me about his partner from the beginning but we danced every morning and we connected. We became friends for a month and one night we went to a party and we got together. It was magic. We were together till he left. I went out with others but never fell in love like that. I stayed on for another 9 months and studied Astrology while I was there. I also studied Intuitive Medicine. I had my own little business doing bodywork on the side. Rather than pay a wage to foreigners you could use what you earned having body work or doing the workshops which were fabulous.
One night there was a massive storm and Highway One was cut off. We all had to be evacuated and I left and came back to Australia. It was tough returning because I’d been in this bubble where we all ate together, did therapy and had someone cook for us. It was such a nourishing existence. I moved back to Sydney and studied Astrology whilst still doing Shiatsu. I met a guy called Brian but I wasn’t happy living in Sydney even though my work was there.
One morning I woke up and thought…..I’ve got to go to the Blue Mountains. I’ve always been led spiritually. I’d already found a little studio to work from in Balmain and moved to the mountains where I found a house with a yoga studio downstairs. I completed another teacher training and I stayed in the Blue Mountains for 4 years. Brian found it difficult that I wanted to move out of Sydney so we parted ways. I taught Macrobiotic cooking in the mountains and I’d travel back to Balmain for 2 1/2 days where I would treat many clients. I was a machine back then.
I came up to Byron to do a workshop and immediately I wanted to move up here. I met all these people who reminded me of being in Esselen. Within a month I’d packed up my house and yoga studio. I kept my studio in Balmain so I had work. I stayed with my friend Liz in Bangalow and put my stuff in storage. I met Michaela in 2004 who owned the Medicine Wheel back then and she offered me work so I worked there doing Shiatsu. I met a woman who had a house in Suffolk and I stayed there for a year and was flying to Sydney fortnightly to work. Eventually I applied for a house in McAuleys Lane in Mullumbimby and there I stayed for 6 years. It was fantastic. I taught Yoga in Mullum for 5 years and also in Clunes at that time. I was getting ready to let my Sydney clients go because I’m getting older by this time and my body’s starting to feel it.”
I did a Yoga teacher training course for 2 years. I was on a really good path so I gave up alcohol 28 years ago and haven’t drunk since.
I booked into a course in the USA on Native American Healing so off I went to a town called Roslyn east of Seattle where I stayed for 3 months. It was an amazing course. That started my love affair with the US. I bought a car, travelled all through California, onto Washington State, Oregon and up into Canada.
Before I came back to Australia a friend told me about the Esalen Institute which is in-between San Fran and LA. I’d run out money so my friend bought my car and off I went. Esalen is a place where people from all over the world come to. It was a happening place. It was just beautiful. I spent a month there in ’95 then had to come back to Australia. I worked my butt off for 6 months and in the meantime I had applied for a job back in Esalen. The job was for a year and I got it. I went back and stayed for 18 months working in the community in the grounds. It was 1997 and I had the most amazing time of my life. Joan Baez was a regular visitor to Esalen and I met her and gave her a Shiatsu. Ian McKellen was also there. All the stars would come up from LA but it was all just normal. I was living in a community and walking around with my heart open. It was based on Gestalt Therapy so before we’d start work for the day we’d all sit around and do a check in with each other. Esalen is on sacred land. It’s where the Essalen Indians used to live. There’s natural hot springs and it’s right on the coast. You could lie in the hot springs and watch the whales go past.
I met someone I fell in love with. His name was Yohan. He was at Esalen for 3 months but he was already in a relationship in Amsterdam and he went back. It broke my heart. He was open and honest with me about his partner from the beginning but we danced every morning and we connected. We became friends for a month and one night we went to a party and we got together. It was magic. We were together till he left. I went out with others but never fell in love like that. I stayed on for another 9 months and studied Astrology while I was there. I also studied Intuitive Medicine. I had my own little business doing bodywork on the side. Rather than pay a wage to foreigners you could use what you earned having body work or doing the workshops which were fabulous.
One night there was a massive storm and Highway One was cut off. We all had to be evacuated and I left and came back to Australia. It was tough returning because I’d been in this bubble where we all ate together, did therapy and had someone cook for us. It was such a nourishing existence. I moved back to Sydney and studied Astrology whilst still doing Shiatsu. I met a guy called Brian but I wasn’t happy living in Sydney even though my work was there.
One morning I woke up and thought…..I’ve got to go to the Blue Mountains. I’ve always been led spiritually. I’d already found a little studio to work from in Balmain and moved to the mountains where I found a house with a yoga studio downstairs. I completed another teacher training and I stayed in the Blue Mountains for 4 years. Brian found it difficult that I wanted to move out of Sydney so we parted ways. I taught Macrobiotic cooking in the mountains and I’d travel back to Balmain for 2 1/2 days where I would treat many clients. I was a machine back then.
I came up to Byron to do a workshop and immediately I wanted to move up here. I met all these people who reminded me of being in Esselen. Within a month I’d packed up my house and yoga studio. I kept my studio in Balmain so I had work. I stayed with my friend Liz in Bangalow and put my stuff in storage. I met Michaela in 2004 who owned the Medicine Wheel back then and she offered me work so I worked there doing Shiatsu. I met a woman who had a house in Suffolk and I stayed there for a year and was flying to Sydney fortnightly to work. Eventually I applied for a house in McAuleys Lane in Mullumbimby and there I stayed for 6 years. It was fantastic. I taught Yoga in Mullum for 5 years and also in Clunes at that time. I was getting ready to let my Sydney clients go because I’m getting older by this time and my body’s starting to feel it.”