A friend once remarked to me, “You work on yourself more than anyone I know.” I think she meant this as a compliment.

I’m a lifelong learner. I’ve searched for meaning through years of dedicated practice of yoga, Weight Watchers, metaphysics, Kabbalah, alternative treatments and traditional psychotherapy. I’m a very lucky wife and parent, travelling with my bunch across the country and around the world. I graduated of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, and have made nonprofit development my professional center.

It was not until I completed my first Dragon’s Way Qigong^® program in 2009 that I experienced many physical and emotional changes at the deepest level of healing. Remarkable benefits appeared and endured. Neither my doctors nor I had dreamed this would be possible. I was at a point of learning to “live with it.” Depression, anxiety, weight gain, fatigue. Blech!

Whatever your “it” is, please know that you have the power to change. Enduring change.

My study with the TCM World Foundation and building a qigong practice led to my eventual certification in the Dragon’s Way® and Women’s Breast Health programs, and to be given permission to demonstrate other sets of movements as well including the Metabolism Function and Four Energy Gates. Each permission is an honor requiring years and months of learning and practice.

I am honored to have been accepted as a student of Grand Master Nan Lu at the Tao of Healing school in New York, and continue to work with my amazing teachers at TCM World Foundation. To be a student and Budding Spring Healing practitioner are great gifts.

Life has given me a deep understanding of tools and strategies used by people and organizations in times of great transition and growth. These times are often marked by chaos, confusion, frustration and often physical symptoms of illness. Gateways to creativity and the “oomph” it takes for a shift to take root often come in these guises.

These understandings are part of why I love my full-time position as Director of Development for Evanston’s Learning Bridge Early Education Center (previously the Child Care Center of Evanston). We are an award-winning non-profit organization, rated among the top 6% in Illinois for both our outstanding teaching to children aged 0-5 years and our support to families. Complicated, difficult work to help every child start kindergarten ready to learn.

But – watch a very young child if you have the chance. Nature has wired them from their first breath to learn, to freely express themselves and their purpose. Move, sing, and dance like a young child and you’ll tap into the innate joy that resides in your heart.