When I received my first ten series, I was glad to know a little about my practitioner. I'm therefore including some information about myself on this page.

I grew up in Germany as the oldest of three girls in a small village in northern Bavaria. At age 19, I went to Würzburg University to become a secondary school teacher. I came to the United States for graduate studies, changed my plans, and completed a Ph.D. in Linguistics at the University of Arizona.

After moving to the Bay Area with my husband I discovered technical training as an opportunity to use my skills. I worked for IntelliCorp, a small Artificial Intelligence company, for 7 years. I then switched from technical training to technical writing and have worked as a software technical writing consultant (mostly programmer documentation) for over 15 years. I find it fulfilling to engage mind, body, and heart working as a technical writer and as a Structural Integration practitioner.

I've lived in Mountain View for the last 15 years with my husband, Jim, who works as a software architect in research. Together, we like to do yoga, hike, and go to concerts of classical and world music. I also enjoy riding my bike, running, doing calligraphy or textile design, cooking, working in my garden, or learning something I don't know. Two years ago, I took a break to do a stained glass workshop at Aanraku Glass Studios.

I have also become an avid gardener and have had my garden on tour with the Going Native Garden tour for several years. You can sign up at Going Native Garden Tour. An article about me and my garden was in the Palo Alto Weekly and Mountain View Voice last year. I've place just the article on a special page on my website (my garden).

Many people come to the healing professions from their personal challenges. I developed allergic asthma when I was twelve years old and had problems severe enough to require oral prednisone until about four years ago. During those years of being sick, I tried different complementary therapies including acupuncture, dietary modifications, herbs, and so on, all with mixed results. I few years ago, however, my symptoms decreased significantly by themselves. I now need very little medication and feel great. It's still amazing to wake up and be able to breathe.

Even when I was having problems, my doctor always encouraged me to do what I wanted, and I went on hikes, bike rides, and trips to foreign countries with his support and some extra medication in my pocket. I believe that what's most important is that everyone live the life they choose as much as possible, and hope to support my clients in finding out what's possible for them.

Having worked with physical challenges helps me understand clients who face challenges such as chronic illness and pain.

Structural Integration has no ties to any religious or spiritual beliefs, but because of its focus on awareness it has resonated deeply with my spiritual path. About twenty years ago, I started my spiritual journey with a meditation class through an adult education program. A few years later I became interested in Buddhism and practiced in both the Zen and Vipassana traditions.

I practiced with Yvonne Rand, a Zen priest and householder for a number of years and eventually took my Buddhist vows with Yvonne. At that time, Yvonne gave me the Buddhist name Azure Sky Heart/Mind, and I’ve chosen that name for my Structural Integration practice. I currently practice with Shaila Catherine's Insight Meditation South Bay group and I'm participating in a Sutra study class there. I'm also periodically teaching yin yoga in Meditation and Yoga workshops for that group.

Buddhism has been helpful in my own development of body-mind mindfulness. I try to go on a week long silent retreat at least once a year. Two of my favorite teachers are Stephen Batchelor and Martine Batchelor. I appreciate about them that they completely return you to the teachings. This quote of the Buddha, which was in the first edition of Ida Rolf’s book, supports my belief in spiritual independence:

Do not believe in anything merely because it is said, nor in traditions because they have been handed down from antiquity, nor in rumors as such: not in writings by sages because sages wrote them; nor in fancies that we may suspect to have been inspired in us by a deva nor in inferences drawn from some haphazard assumption we may have made: nor in what seems to be a logical necessity: nor in the mere authority of our teachers and masters.

Believe when the writing, doctrine, or saying is corroborated by reason and consciousness.

See my Yoga page for some information on my background as a yoga teacher and on how I incorporate that background into my SI practice.