Yoga came into my life in 1984, when I was pregnant with my first daughter. A friend who heard about my pregnancy said, “this is when you start doing yoga”. I did not even know what yoga is, but was told that she will send a book.

At that time we were busy preparing our move from Hamburg to New Zealand. The book went into my hand luggage and I started reading and practicing as soon as we arrived in our new country. I continued to practice at least twice a week, following the book.

During the pregnancy with my second daughter, I found my first teacher, Lindsay Nichols, in Russell. From then on, I attended her classes on a regular basis and used the book only occasionally.

Despite the huge age gap, a friendship started, which resulted in me coming along to IYTA (International Yoga Teacher Association) teaching days on a regular basis. At that time, part of me was impatient with yoga, so I also attended aerobic, step and other fitness classes. All these made me bored and dropped by the way side fast, something yoga never did, because I always felt there was something I had not discovered yet. Yoga appealed to me, because it had a mystery about it.

My eyes began to open to the holistic approach of yoga, when Mark Whitwell returned back to New Zealand in 1994, from having spend many years with Desikachar’s family in India. He was the principal teacher at an IYTA convention. The breath- and voice connected practice he taught to a group of 160, was what I knew I wanted to learn more of. It created feelings of wholeness I had never experienced before. My active mind was suddenly employed in a way that benefited not only my body, but parts of me, that I had not discovered yet. Parts of me that I was unaware of having gone numb, returned to being alive and clarity developed. I was also able to practice with the awareness of an inner teacher, thus transforming my understanding of yoga into tremendous respect and awe. All this occurred while practicing in a much more simple way than ever before.

These results send me on a journey of self discovery, learning and observing.

I now attended every seminar on offer in NZ from this tradition, either with their affiliated teachers, or Desikachar, his wife Menaka and son Dr. Kausthub Desikachar. When the first certified training in NZ was offered in 2010, I enrolled and graduated 4 years later in 2013 under the tutorage of Barbara Brian from Agama Yoga Centre, Melbourne and Ruth Diggins, Wellington. Morag Apple Cross Yoga, Perth was also instrumental in my learning. I was and am still mentored by Anna Sandle, a senior teacher and yoga therapist in this tradition from Wellington.

My gratitude goes to all the wonderful teachers who contributed to keeping my passion for yoga alive and supported a clarity I would not have known.

It also extends to the students who trust me and continually remind me of how much I have not learned yet.

My first teacher Lindsay is 96 years old now and attends both my Russell classes almost every week. I am especially grateful for her input in starting this journey, when she insisted that I teach her class, while she went to England and Spain for 3 months many years ago.