Currently Teaching
Yoga Fix
"Yoga at the Nelson-Atkins Museum"
Experience
2003
I began studying Yoga shortly after being diagnosed with the auto-immune disease, Lupus. I began my deeper intensive study in 2006 after graduating from North Park University. It was then that I began my incessant questioning to the point of beginning a career in Yoga.
2006 to Present
I most often teach the Bikram sequence, Vinyasa, and Hatha classes.
2008
I completed a program for my 200 RYT Yoga Alliance.
Personal Continued Studies
I enjoy practicing Ashtanga, Vinyasa, and Pranayama.
I actively study B.K.S. Iyengar’s Light on Yoga and Light on Pranayama. Other teachers I follow are; Donna Farhi, Geeta Iyengar, Ray Long, and David Swenson, which have all been inspirational teachers on my journey. Two other related texts which I have had long-term study have been the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, the ancient text of Yogic Philosophy.
Areas of Focus
Current favorite interest in the lumbar region of the spine, Hip Flexors, and the lower and upper abdomen.
Teaching Style
I vocalize literal references to breathing patterns while I guide students through postures. The breath is what supplies our body with oxygen but, more importantly, our blood.When the blood is able to flow quicker it assists the functionality of all our vital organs, and so on. When we move through postures the breath is key for circulation and to acknowledge the present in order to allow ourselves to advance on all planes of consciousness. When we begin to understand our breath we begin to understand our bodies with much more efficiency and understanding.
I try to encourage all of my students to take control and study the human body so they can better understand their weaknesses and strengths. Through understanding the physical body it will assist your emotional well-being. Creating emotional stability will calm the thought waves and allow mental clarity, and with a clear mind we are able to understand our most primordial state, our spirituality.
Many Thanks and Blessings!
When we begin to understand our breath we begin to understand our bodies with much more efficiency and understanding. Every day I have as a teacher is of great benefit to my education and well-being. I'm happy to be a part of your path towards wellness. All of you who have joined me in class have taught me so many valuable lessons and have affirmed my love and drive to be a committed student and teacher. God Bless! Namaste! If you would like to read my full testimonial continue reading below!
Existing through Lupus; living through Yoga.
A Testimonial
by Maria Calderon
This article is directed towards those who struggle with auto-immune diseases. This is a detailed summary of the history of my diagnosis and how I approached the disease. Hopefully this will be of some help to those who feel hopeless with their ailments.
In 2002
I was diagnosed with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE). Lupus is an auto-immune disease where your immune system attacks itself.
Before I was diagnosed, I was showing serious symptoms for 4 months and mild symptoms about 1 to 2 years prior. I was more fortunate than some people who struggle with this disease, as some will struggle for years before a proper diagnosis.
Before Diagnosis...
August of 2002 the first symptom I was diagnosed with was an infection in my muscle connective tissue. The infection was located on the inside of my right bicep. Usually, an infection like this is caused by an internal injury from improper healing, but like many symptoms of Lupus it was the beginning of several immune dysfunctions. The infection ended up spreading throughout my entire arm inflaming it to nearly 2 inches in some areas of my arm. Symptoms from inflammation were; fever, heaviness, extreme discomfort, and immobility from my shoulder down through my fingers. Through antibiotic treatment the inflammation had decreased and vanished over the period of a month and never returned.
The second symptom
was Arthritis. It was my first semester of college and I realized a reoccurring pain in my joints. I thought the achy feelings were related to general fatigue of walking daily in Chicago. Soon enough I realized the pain was not just from aggravation through walking, but possibly Arthritic. I visited a doctor at a busy office in Albany Park Chicago and was handed a series of steriod pills to subside the pain. Unfortunately, as some of you may know, improper use of steriods will increase inflammation.
The inflammation was relieved for about 3 days and then returned two to three fold over the next month. All the while I was taking college classes full time and was slowly losing my mobility. I was having trouble walking up and down stairs and had to side step for a decent level of comfort. Thankfully I had a bike and I would glide to class slowly through campus.
The Third Major Symptom
was a consistent wave of fevers. I would awake on average twice in the middle of the night having broke a fever. I would go to class, eat lunch, and crash from a fever until dinner. After Dinner I would have a fever before i went to sleep and then break the fever in the middle of the night. This was the cycle of fevers that I had lived with for nearly 3 months daily.
Throughout these experiences I was definitely confused about what was happening with my body, but more importantly, I was humbled and was optimistic that I would get an answer.
Late November 2002
was when I was relieved with the information that my blood work came up positive for Lupus. I can't explain to you the joy that I had that there was a name for the issues that I was dealing with but the hardest times were still to come.
Following my diagnosis,
and the end of my first semester of school, I had a fever spike of 105 degrees and rising. 106 degrees is when you need to seek serious medical attention. 106 degrees is approximately the highest temperature the body can handle resulting in brain damage and death. I was fortunate and my body began to cool after it's peak of 105 degrees. This was the only time when I felt like I had lost complete control over my body. I actually asked my parents to help end it all for me, but thankfully, my temperature dropped back down and I have never had an episode like that again.
In January 2003
The next major symptom arose which was Ventricular Tachycardia and occurred twice within the same year. Ventricular Tachycardia is a fast heart rhythm that may only last a few seconds to minutes, or remain consistent until given serious medical attention. I experienced a heart beat of 210 beats per minute for nearly 3 hours. The drug Amidarone was given to me in order to keep me from life threatening heart irregularities known as Ventricular Fibrilation. If VF would have arisen due to prolonged VT then my blood circulation would have ceased or I would have experienced sudden cardiac death.
Yoga Begins!
Cuzco, Peru
It was July 2003 when I was first introduced to Yoga. I was still regularly struggling with arthritic pain and a close friend of mine suggested me to practice Yoga to alleviate the pain. This was the moment I began to realize the importance of nurturing the body. Having an auto-immune disease makes you a slave to medication. One of my first Yoga instructors "had" Lupus. After years of consistent practice she showed no physical signs or evidence in her blood work of the disease. This shocked me because I was told that there wasn't a cure and there was nothing to do to rid the symptoms naturally or at all. In the beginning I practiced yoga occasionally to help with immediate pain but was not yet in a serious practice.
2 months later I had another episode of Ventricular Tachycardia which was, strangely enough, provoked by playing Frisbee. I was fortunate to catch it and rush to the hospital, but because it was a reoccurring heart arrythmia i had to have surgery to burn the channel in my heart that was causing the problem to keep the issue from arising again. The risk of having this procedure done is the issue of bruising the Aorta. If the Aorta is bruised then you have to have a pace maker for the rest of your life. Fortunately, the procedure was successful.
For the next few years I still struggled from extreme arthritic pain which increased with barometric pressure changes. I was addicted to pain killers and took near dozens a day.
Essential Oils Saved My Life
It was in May 2006 that I had met a wonderful woman named Cheryl Good. I was weak and drained of energy when she met me, and she showed me the power of essential oils. She represents Young Living and attended a health fair at my college. I was particularly drawn to an oil blend called Thieves and wasn't sure why. Thieves is a blend that was created in the early 15th century during the Bubonic Plague in Europe. The "Thieves" would steal herbs from the dying and dead to create an essential oil to protect the immune system. When I began using this oil along with another oil called Panaway, for my joints, I completely stopped using all pain relievers and relied upon oils for healing. This is when my Holistic career had it's beginning.
Over the past 3 years I have been practicing Yoga regularly and have showed no signs of Arthritis. I had one Flare in 2007 which was short-lived and associated with common signs of Fibromyalgia. This started to occur because I was losing touch with my health through a toxic lifestyle. I'm happy to say that I have learned through my many mistakes. The one thing that we are given in this life is our body, and it is our one responsibility to protect it. As a survivor from an auto-immune disease it has forced me to respect my health and the constant need to condition and cleanse the body. I have been forced to be exposed to alternative healing in order to avoid the pains of the medical empire. I hope to be a venue for all of you who suffer and are seeking alternatives. I'm so thankful for all of my experiences, they have taught me to progress and love learning and living.