I was born in Detroit and had my formative years in a blue collar Polish Catholic neighborhood. I was raised on a "show me" attitude which brought up many personal questions with the church. The church's reactions to my questions gave me the shove to set sail on an adventure of discovery.

After High School, I joined the Navy where I began meditation and western occult practices. While in the Navy, I worked odd jobs to support my quest. I also studied a mixture of nei gong, combat arts, western arts, and the underground's street spirituality. In 1997, I began to integrate my life by becoming a massage therapist. When joint pain became excessive, I found Tai Chi Chuan and that began a softer approach toward life. I read some dharma sutras referring to another approach to spiritual practice, which opened my search for non-monastic paths.

In 2005 at One Taste, Kali Ma gave a talk about Female Buddhist Practitioners. I sat down at the teaching and was struck by her great presence. The experience was like a soothing balm to my scrapes and pain. I wanted more, which took me to the Heart of Reality teaching. From there, I did my best to practice and began going to public teachings.

In January 2007, I joined the Mandala, took refuge and attended as many of the weekend intensives as possible. Practitioner Training raised its head and I jumped on for the ride. The transformation I've undergone recently has been unbelievable. After the Heaven and Earth weekend, my acupuncturist said I've had a miraculous change in health. The teachings from Kali Ma are an immense treasure of direct heart-felt play. Thank you Kali Ma, and the amazing staff of MSD.

Avid lover of all things purple, I enjoy singing, dancing, and being silly - especially sliding around the floor in my socks and whirling in the living room until I get so dizzy that I fall down in laughter. I love to read and write poetry and adore the Sufi mystic poets Rumi and Hafiz. I can be both exuberant and extroverted at times but also be quiet and contemplative. I really wish to be of service.

I enjoy connecting with people and hearing their stories. I’ve had the privilege of working with people of all ages, backgrounds and cultures and have worked in many social service fields including foster care, teen mentoring, eldercare, hospice care and supervising self help support groups for people with chronic illnesses. I love my work and enjoy studying and practicing holistic health and wellness activities. I am a certified Reiki master and I hope to earn a certificate in acupressure as well. My future vision is to open a free or low cost clinic impoverished and marginalized populations where guests can receive alternative health and wellness care such as reiki, acupuncture, acupressure, ayurveda, pancha karma, naturopathy, and other types of wellness care.

I saw Kali Ma for the first time in Spring of 2005. I attended a Satsang at Greenpath Yoga studio in San Francisco and was blown away by the authenticity of Kali Ma. I resonated so strongly with her teaching that night that I never stopped coming to programs since then. Her compassion moves me and I greatly appreciate that she is so accessible to her students and really gives us teachings on the daily challenges we face in life. I am supremely grateful for her teachings, her guidance and the support of the sangha.