When did you first become interested in Yoga?

NC: I was in my 20s and had just moved back to my hometown in Pennsylvania. I had been curious about Yoga and began searching for a class, I found one, and only one! The class was held in a dark, cold and unpleasant basement of a church. As I have shared many times over the years with new students, I really disliked that class! It was not a good fit for my body, mind or spirit. I was frustrated, though I was also deeply searching. I returned, and I disliked it even more. For weeks I strived to make it work... and I couldn’t. I gave up going and rarely did anything on my own.

In the early 90’s, in the midst of a divorce, I moved to rural upstate New York. As a solo mom of 2 young boys I needed connection and replenishing. To my delight, there were a number of Yoga choices, the closest was a Kripalu Yoga teacher. I had no idea what this was but I had renewed hope. Kripalu Yoga is often referred to as a more gentle or spiritual Hatha based practice. Kripalu Centre is cradled in the beauty of the Berkshire Mountains in Massachusetts.

It was love at first class! Everything about holding the poses, the focus on breath, the new poses, it all felt perfect. I found myself able to create time at home to practice everyday. This was unheard of for me! It was as though a deep hunger was being nourished that I will be forever grateful for.

I had no idea I would go on to teach Yoga. When I went for my certification, I simply wanted to submerge myself with the best teachers and develop my own practice in a condensed period of time. My family offered to help with my boys and over those weeks I unearthed a calling that would alter my life path.

I suggest to first time students that they experience numerous teachers and styles. Every detail can make a difference. If it isn’t great...go somewhere else. We are so blessed in most cities here, to have numerous styles available to us, and teachers who blend their wisdom, tones and energy into creating unique experiences. It’s like finding a new pair of shoes, if they aren’t a perfect fit they will influence your every step. If they are, it’s like walking on air!

Can you say a little about your practice and how this may have changed over the years?

NC: Up until my first Kripalu Yoga class, my practices consisted of Do-In (dough-een), The Five Rites and fledgling attempts at meditation. I share about these practices in Fountain of Youth. I find Do-In to be invaluable. I gravitate to indigenous exercises. For me, Do-In warms my body from the inside out! I think it is great complement to Yoga.

I was elated having Yoga as another choice in my ‘medicine cabinet.’ I believe that everyday we are in a different place, our bodies are constantly changing. There is a popular song that has a line it; “I’m a million different people from one day to the next.” That might be overstating a bit! However, I do feel that it is important to wake up each day and listen to what our body, mind and spirit, need in that moment.

Sadly, some people open their medicine cabinet to determine which pharmaceutical will get them through their day. I listen to my body and choose...will I begin with a walk outside, then maybe a little do-in before Yoga.

Sometimes, stillness is more in order, prayer and meditation time, what I would call ‘being’ instead of ‘doing’. Both my personal practice and my classes are a mix of everything I include in my book. I have studied a number of chi practices and I weave those in at home and at the studios. I like offering students choices, and I encourage them to listen to their own wisdom and guidance at every available moment. I used to feel that I had to have structure and would attempt to set defined goals. I’ve learned that this is not what is best for me. That I thrive when I trust my body, and my heart.

I also have a rebounder at home and I love rebounding. I belief this practice is very beneficial to our well-being and our longevity. I also walk almost everyday, at least part of the time barefoot on the earth. I strive to be in nature and practice out in nature every chance I get. Part of the attraction to moving to southern California is the year round climate and flowers!

How did you start teaching?

NC: For years, my primary occupation had been as a chef and teaching cooking. Part of my draw to Yoga was to get out of the kitchen, and bring balance to the heat of the fire on my belly, my body and my spirit. For years I ran restaurants and often cooked for hundreds of people a day. I was macrobiotic at the time and we consumed almost all cooked food, rarely was anything raw.

When I achieved my Yoga certification I walked out feeling deeply renewed and inspired. I thought, maybe I’ll just teach one class and see what it is like and see if I can inspire a few people. I had no attachment to any outcome.

I leased a community space and put up a few flyers around town, this was before computers were a part of daily life. The first classes I felt surprisingly vulnerable. I had taught thousands of people cooking and I was used to being on stage but not without props. I always had vegetables, fruits, and pots around me, and a counter in front of me! It was an extraordinary experience to be surrounded by people looking at only my body, and every move of my body.

The raw simplicity and purity, was both confronting and beautiful. I was honoured to share another sacred and intimate space with people. Food is quite intimate, people can become very emotionally attached to the foods that they are fond of, which are usually the ones I am asking them to give up.

That first class was over 16 years ago. I am forever grateful to all of the students I have been blessed to share this path with over these years.

What made you particularly interested in teaching older students or those who may need a modified practice?

NC: While I was living in New York, a dear friend asked if I might help her mother with Yoga. Her mother had moved from New York City into a retirement complex. The residents there were living on a fixed income and there weren’t any classes offered through the complex.

I told her I would be happy to see what I could do. There wasn’t a room we could use so we met in an open area by a staircase. The handful of residents who came were so grateful. I became inspired, for within a short period of time they were reporting significant changes in many areas of their life.

One of the residents practically pleaded with me to change the name from Yoga to stretch classes. She felt strongly that we could get more residents if it was not called Yoga. I’ve heard this a number of times, though fortunately less and less. Many older people and Christians have misinformation about Yoga. They often feel it is a religion or that by practicing Yoga that they will have to change their religious beliefs or become part of a cult. I think it is vitally important that we bring about clarity to the confusion! One of the many things that I appreciate about working with older people is that most of them have the time and focus that younger people rarely do. They are at least in semi-retirement and not as preoccupied by children and jobs, and their ability to be at peace is distinctly different! The first time I led a meditation group of all older people, the energy in the room was profound!

When I moved to southern California working with the elderly was an organic transition. My first book, Yoga In Bed had just come out and I was asked to do a Yoga In Bed workshop for the active older adults at a community centre. They had more people come to that class than ever before! I began to sub other classes and was dismayed to witness older people walking out of classes when the second half of an exercise class was transitioning down on to the floor. They were afraid to get down on the floor for fear of not being able to get back up, or they simply couldn’t do it

I created the first chair Yoga class and began modifying a number of other strength and stretch classes to address the significant aging community that have retired here. When I arrived in southern California the Gentle Yoga would’ve been considered intermediate where I had been living in New York! There was a huge group of people whose needs were not being addressed. For years, I had taught cooking and throughout that time I was always modifying the Standard American Diet (SAD) to one that was healthier. I like a challenge and have realized that I thrive on making what I value as important ingredients for longevity accessible to everyone.

What projects are you currently engaged in?

NC: My goal is to make the greatest difference that I can with people that need it the most. I’m very interested in dispelling beliefs about aging. For my whole life I have heard things like, “You know, as you get older things fall apart” or “It’s a part of getting older”, “Aches and pains come with aging”... and on and on. We now have this group agreement about what is inevitable that I simply don’t find supportive or agree with. People associate getting older with aging, and aging as being riddled with health problems.

I am interested in a whole new paradigm about aging. Other cultures, where everyone agreed that as they aged they got stronger... all got stronger. Our thoughts are more powerful than we realize.

I’m developing classes and training for healers, teachers, caretakers focused on Do-In, Breathing, modified Yoga, meditation and most importantly positivity and new consciousness for our elders and people in chronic pain.

When I am not working with the elderly I work with people in chronic pain. The work is at times the most intense thing I have ever done. Quite often, we have a number of participants in our programme who are deeply depressed and suicidal. It’s crucial for caregivers and teachers to take care of themselves and be proficient with the most effective tools, especially positive thinking and speaking.

What plans have you for the future?

NC: I long to reach out further to those in impoverished areas in the world. I strongly feel that it would be valuable to offer tools to inspire and enable people to deepen their trust and connect with their spirit, to find inner peace in the midst of the turmoil and war, even for a moment. I believe they need this as much as they need clean water and healthy food. We are of body, mind and spirit. My dream is to bring greater awareness and practical applications of ancient wisdom to global communities that need it the most.

I have also been writing screenplays with philosophical underpinnings, pearls of wisdom offering inspiring food for thought. Film is a powerful tool to bring change to our global consciousness. My plans for the future... improve the quality of life for people by helping them to take their health into their own hands, to be their true joy, to deepen their trust, to realize that their thoughts are creating their future, to enable them to be at peace and fulfill their soul desire.

Thank you very much

— Yoga and Health, UK Magazine