I grew up under the wide open desert skies of Southern Arizona, the daughter of a real estate broker who was an artist masquerading as a successful real estate broker, and a Veteran of Foreign Wars of the U.S. Marine Corps, who decided not to play pro football and instead became a motivating and inspiring high school football, track coach, and mentor. My world was shaped by these two civic-minded “team players,” desert skies, cacti, horses, cattle, dance, sports, and The Arts!

I have been active my entire life in one aspect or another in the performing and fine arts…as a kid growing up in a school that had a strong focus on The Arts, as a production assistant, an artist’s assistant and muse once covered from head to toe in plaster of Paris or styled as a Greek Siren for the sake of art and now, a commercial actress.

I delved into the world of commercial acting and print work in earnest after working with an award-winning commercial director who challenged me to tell a story without saying a word. If you know me, that’s no small feat — expressing myself without words doesn’t come naturally! This opportunity and working with Artis Lane, an internationally known artist and sculptress, encouraged me to follow my love of physical creativity. I realized that creating visions and shapes for artists is no different than visually creating for the eye of the director.

Being part of a campaign with younger women declaring the message that women “Never Stop Owning It,”  gave me the platform to remind Lady Boomers to keep the fire…to always #OwnIt!  Own ourselves, know our worth! We are the women of the generation that went outside “the box.” We made life groovy … a “Happening,” being proud of who and what you are. Come on Ladies, we burned bras, challenged tradition, age-old beliefs, and standards, taught the “world to sing in perfect harmony,” and challenged what we saw along with Richie Havens, Joan Baez, Peter, Paul, and Mary, Janis, Gladys, Marvin, and Jimmy, Sly, The Stones, and Diana. We’re vivacious, gray, silver, and spicy! We’ve got life, legs, and still know how to use them! I tell my girls #NeverStop” as I have no intention of stopping, come hell or high water, regardless of the “box’s” limitations!

As a health and wellness enthusiast, I was surrounded by family and marriage that embraced the wellness and physical fitness lifestyle.  My foundation is based on lessons from my father, a U.S. Marine and All-American level athlete, as well as my former husband, John, a world-class powerlifter. They both stressed the importance of breathing, total body balance, and awareness as an athlete seeking to increase strength, power, and a “team” focus with self and others. I incorporated this knowledge into my fitness regimen and yogic practice as a path to repair some of the damage done to a young body I never thought would age as most athletically, fitness-minded people have a tendency to do.

The more I practiced, the more I realized the benefits were far beyond what I had imagined. I discovered that I needed to work on my body’s village. It truly takes a village — your own internal village — to stay strong and centered, especially in today’s world of chaos and stress in the world’s collective village. I became certified as a Traditional Yoga Therapy Instructor in 2016 and began sharing my practice of balance, breathing, and meditation with people of all ages from all walks of life who have the desire to organically create a multi-level awareness to navigate life’s challenges in today’s complex and often divisive world. I made it a point to pass on my lifestyle of health and wellness to my daughter and granddaughter. They are aware of the lifelong benefits that healthy living and cultivating their awareness offer. It is Cultivating Your Awareness of your being’s network of connections that make up YOU and helps you “be vital to stay vital” in today’s climate.

My personal wellness discoveries are shared via www.cultivatingyourawareness.com and can help guide you in cultivating your awareness of the intricate network that makes you you. I hope you’ll join me. And, in honor of my father, because he was a Veteran of Foreign Wars,  I am a Life Member of  www.opps4vets.com  created due to the need of a true Veteran organization that provides real results for the Veteran and civilian population. One has to “Be Vital to Stay Vital.”