Karen’s Background
My study of yoga began some 25 years ago, when I was in my early 40s. I was looking for something. At the time I was experiencing pain in my knees and discomfort in my back from scoliosis, which I had been diagnosed with at age 16.
Yoga, and my first teacher, Louisa Klein, opened up a new world for me. The world of mind, body and spirit.
Several years later I attended and eventually completed my 330-hour teacher training program under the tutelage of Terry Brown at the Triad Yoga Institute in March 2005. I began teaching at Wake Forest University, at the Fulton YMCA and at work (Hanesbrands, formerly Sara Lee Branded Apparel). Once I graduated from Triad Yoga’s teacher training, Valerie Kiser graciously invited me to teach at Sunrise Yoga Studio, where I taught for about 15 years. The amazing students of Sunrise enabled me to deepen my understanding of yoga, improve my teaching and help instill in me a desire to pursue more knowledge.
Several years after receiving my 330-hour certification, I then pursued my 500-hour Yoga Vidya Intensive Yoga Studies and Teacher Training program with Terry Brown and Suzanne Newton from the Triad Yoga Institute, graduating in April 2009.
Finally, in 2017 I began a four-year program with East Coast Yoga Therapy, under the guidance of Terry Brown and Valerie Kiser. I graduated ECYT in October 2020 with my 815-hour yoga therapy certification. In January 2021 I became a full member of the International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT).
Over the years I have been extremely fortunate to attend a plethora of workshops and study with many amazing yoga teachers including: Nicholai Bachman, Baxter Bell, Roger Cole, Cindy Dollar, Loren Fishman, Julie Gudmestad, Gabriel Halpern, Doug Keller, Gary Kraftsow, Tias Little, Melina Meza, Elise Miller, Aadil Palkhivala, Erich Schiffmann, Sianna Sherman, Patricia Walden and many more. I am indebted to all of my teachers.
In July 2019 I retired from my “professional life” and took the step of materializing my Sankalpa, my intention of being a full-time yoga therapist. Now I can truly dive deeper and deeper into the amazing world of yoga and just love life to its fullest!
Testimonials
‘“Karen is a special person. I knew this from the very first yoga class I participated in with her as the teacher. She is very caring & intuitive. Karen immediately puts you at ease & really listens to your issues. The various yoga therapy techniques, including breath work & yoga poses she shared over my 6 sessions with her, has been invaluable with handling my neck, back, & headache issues. I would highly recommend Karen if you are seeking a different or additional approach to improving your health & well-being.” TA
“I suffered mild, chronic back pain for years from scoliosis. I enrolled in Karen’s six week session on scoliosis. The result was amazing! Karen evaluated each of us individually and created routines according to our type of curve. I was amazed that after so many years of pain and discomfort, I am pain free. I continue to do yoga 4 or 5 times a week and have never felt better.” RV
“I work full-time at a stressful job and also am a caregiver for my father who has some dementia. I was not sleeping well and waking up early in the morning, which did not help the situation. Karen taught me several techniques to use that help me sleep better and to stay asleep. I loved going to her class – she has a wealth of knowledge and made it easy to understand for someone with limited yoga experience.” AW
“I thought I was going to be an invalid for the rest of my life. An MRI in 2012 showed multi-level degenerative disk disease & several bulging disks. Then the July 2017 Consumer Reports magazine landed in my mailbox. The feature article was ‘Real Relief from Back Pain,’ & back pain sufferers were asked: ‘Which treatments or advice were helpful (in relieving back pain)?’
At the top of the list was ‘Yoga or Tai Chi Instructor’. A google search brought me to Karen, & I walked into her class on a Saturday morning that July. When I left my first ever yoga class, Karen’s yoga class, I walked without pain for the first time in years. I have attended the back care yoga classes at the studio where Karen teaches ever since, & I occasionally have private sessions with her to make sure I stay happy & pain-free. Karen’s knowledge, experience, & positive, cheerful personality have made the practice of yoga a life-altering experience for me. Am I going to join Cirque du Soleil? Or compete in a marathon? Probably not. But I am walking, exercising, & enjoying a mostly pain-free retirement.” JJ
“I practiced yoga therapy with Karen when I was struggling with insomnia. The experience was helpful in lessening my insomnia, and teaching me more ways to heal my body and mind through the practice of yoga therapy. I loved studying with Karen. She is a true healer, a wealth of knowledge, and a pleasure to spend time with.” RS
“Karen’s approach to yoga therapy reflects her heart and spirit: care, compassion, and kindness. Her knowledge of the body enables her to provide thorough yoga therapy care for the area of focus while still taking into account other problematic areas. Karen worked with me for my knees, designing therapy that is beneficial for them without causing irritation to my lower back. If something didn’t feel right, she modified. I love her wholistic approach!” CW
“I had a bone density test recently – the last one was 2 years ago and my bone density in my hips increases 2% and my spine 5%. I have always been in the above normal range for my age but had not increased. The technician asked me what I was doing and I said yoga. I don’t do any specific strength training outside of yoga- except carrying my grandchildren around. I really think this increase comes from all the postures I learned in the back care classes and the one on one I had with you for scoliosis.” CR
“I’ve worked with Karen since summer 2018, first to address long-standing back pain (95% gone now), since then for other classes, including her regular back care classes. I also worked with her in a series on insomnia. I’ve been impressed by her experience and the level of her training, as well as by her ability to organize and teach the materials very clearly, suiting them to the participants in each group. Karen understands the body, and creates very sensitive and effective classes. She stays up-to-date, continuing her studies with leading yogis throughout the country. I feel fortunate to be able to work with Karen.” Anonymous
“Karen is undoubtedly the very best yoga instructor I’ve ever experienced, especially with back issues. Her warmth, caring and vibrant personality are evident in her class. I’ve taken her back care yoga classes for years; have taken a break now and then, but always go back because I can tell such a difference when I attend her classes on a regular basis. She makes each person in the class feel comfortable, helps with modifying each pose as needed for individuals and is such a motivator. She truly takes personal interest in helping each of her students achieve a higher level of comfort for the aches & pains associated with scoliosis and other back issues. I feel so much better overall when leaving her class. Just love her!!” DP
The Story behind Karen’s “Shanti Shed”!
First … the name. What is “Shanti”? Shanti is the Sanskrit word for “Peace,” and Sanskrit is the language of yoga. So “Karen’s Shanti Shed” means my personal tiny yoga studio that is dedicated to PEACE.
For almost 20 years I have wanted a private place to practice yoga. At first when I started yoga, I had to roll my mat out in my bedroom, because all the other rooms in the house were devoted to family. But then Ken and I gradually moved out of our home and into my Mom’s house to help take care of her during the last 14 years of her life. (Mom had Alzheimers and at a certain point she could no longer live by herself, since my father had passed years before.) My parents’ house, which is our current home, has a bonus room upstairs that is magical with its skylights (best room in the house to read in during a thunderstorm), but my yoga mat needed to be right smack in the center of the room or I would bonk my head or hands (or feet) on the slanted roof!
So I’ve never had that perfect room to practice yoga in at home. But then, I began to set my Sankalpa, my intention for what I really wanted in life. My intention was to be a full-time yoga therapist and … one with a sweet little yoga studio in her backyard!
And voila! A spark happened. An idea took place. And I began to dream of a tiny-house yoga studio that we could build in my backyard.
Long story short, the Shanti Shed dream is now a reality. The permits were approved, the structure was built, the electricians were finalized (oh, those electricians were SO hard to find), and David Linton has has done his beautiful work inside, adding insulation, dry wall, room panels, trim, flooring, paint and finally the yoga wall. He always does the finest work! And As You Like It Landscaping (thank you, Abby Catoe!) did a fabulous job creating our retaining wall, moving and leveling dirt and then landscaping the side of our home as well as the entrance. Those three stones leading into the Shanti Shed are magical to me!
It’s done. This peaceful “tiny-house” yoga shed is now a reality. It truly is a dream come true. This little home studio is now dedicated to PEACE. It’s already had a special blessing with peace embedded in the studs, on the lintel and throughout the bare bones of the shed (thank you, Marcia!), loving good energy emanates from it each day and the birds, trees and butterflies are all approving! Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti Om!
Karen’s Background
My study of yoga began 20 years ago, when I was in my early 40s. I was looking for something. At the time I was experiencing pain in my knees and discomfort in my back from scoliosis, which I had been diagnosed with at age 16.
Yoga, and my first teacher, Louisa Klein, opened up a new world for me. The world of mind, body and spirit.
Several years later I attended and eventually completed my 330-hour teacher training program under the tutelage of Terry Brown at the Triad Yoga Institute in March 2005. I began teaching at Wake Forest University, at the Fulton YMCA and at work (Hanesbrands, formerly Sara Lee Branded Apparel). Once I graduated from Triad Yoga’s teacher training, Valerie Kiser graciously invited me to teach at Sunrise Yoga Studio, where I taught for about 15 years. The amazing students of Sunrise enabled me to deepen my understanding of yoga, improve my teaching and help instill in me a desire to pursue more knowledge.
Several years after receiving my 330–hour certification, I then pursued my 500-hour Yoga Vidya Intensive Yoga Studies and Teacher Training program with Terry Brown and Suzanne Newton from the Triad Yoga Institute, graduating in April 2009.
Finally, in 2017 I began a four-year program with East Coast Yoga Therapy, under the guidance of Terry Brown and Valerie Kiser. I graduated ECYT in October 2020 with my 815-hour yoga therapy certification. In January 2021 I became a full member of the International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT).
Over the years I have been extremely fortunate to attend a plethora of workshops and study with many amazing yoga teachers including: Nicholai Bachman, Baxter Bell, Roger Cole, Cindy Dollar, Loren Fishman, Julie Gudmestad, Gabriel Halpern, Doug Keller, Gary Kraftsow, Tias Little, Melina Meza, Elise Miller, Aadil Palkhivala, Erich Schiffmann, Sianna Sherman, Patricia Walden and many more. I am indebted to all of my teachers.
In July 2019 I retired from my “professional life” and took the step of materializing my Sankalpa, my intention of being a full-time yoga therapist. Now I can truly dive deeper and deeper into the amazing world of yoga and just love life to its fullest!
Testimonials
‘“Karen is a special person. I knew this from the very first yoga class I participated in with her as the teacher. She is very caring & intuitive. Karen immediately puts you at ease & really listens to your issues. The various yoga therapy techniques, including breath work & yoga poses she shared over my 6 sessions with her, has been invaluable with handling my neck, back, & headache issues. I would highly recommend Karen if you are seeking a different or additional approach to improving your health & well-being.” TA
“I suffered mild, chronic back pain for years from scoliosis. I enrolled in Karen’s six week session on scoliosis. The result was amazing! Karen evaluated each of us individually and created routines according to our type of curve. I was amazed that after so many years of pain and discomfort, I am pain free. I continue to do yoga 4 or 5 times a week and have never felt better.” RV
“I work full-time at a stressful job and also am a caregiver for my father who has some dementia. I was not sleeping well and waking up early in the morning, which did not help the situation. Karen taught me several techniques to use that help me sleep better and to stay asleep. I loved going to her class – she has a wealth of knowledge and made it easy to understand for someone with limited yoga experience.” AW
“I thought I was going to be an invalid for the rest of my life. An MRI in 2012 showed multi-level degenerative disk disease & several bulging disks. Then the July 2017 Consumer Reports magazine landed in my mailbox. The feature article was ‘Real Relief from Back Pain,’ & back pain sufferers were asked: ‘Which treatments or advice were helpful (in relieving back pain)?’ At the top of the list was ‘Yoga or Tai Chi Instructor’. A google search brought me to Karen, & I walked into her class on a Saturday morning that July. When I left my first ever yoga class, Karen’s yoga class, I walked without pain for the first time in years. I have attended the back care yoga classes at the studio where Karen teaches ever since, & I occasionally have private sessions with her to make sure I stay happy & pain-free. Karen’s knowledge, experience, & positive, cheerful personality have made the practice of yoga a life-altering experience for me. Am I going to join Cirque du Soleil? Or compete in a marathon? Probably not. But I am walking, exercising, & enjoying a mostly pain-free retirement.” JJ
“I practiced yoga therapy with Karen when I was struggling with insomnia. The experience was helpful in lessening my insomnia, and teaching me more ways to heal my body and mind through the practice of yoga therapy. I loved studying with Karen. She is a true healer, a wealth of knowledge, and a pleasure to spend time with.” RS
“Karen’s approach to yoga therapy reflects her heart and spirit: care, compassion, and kindness. Her knowledge of the body enables her to provide thorough yoga therapy care for the area of focus while still taking into account other problematic areas. Karen worked with me for my knees, designing therapy that is beneficial for them without causing irritation to my lower back. If something didn’t feel right, she modified. I love her wholistic approach!” CW
“I had a bone density test recently – the last one was 2 years ago and my bone density in my hips increases 2% and my spine 5%. I have always been in the above normal range for my age but had not increased. The technician asked me what I was doing and I said yoga. I don’t do any specific strength training outside of yoga- except carrying my grandchildren around. I really think this increase comes from all the postures I learned in the back care classes and the one on one I had with you for scoliosis.” CR
The Story behind Karen’s “Shanti Shed”!
First … the name. What is “Shanti”? Shanti is the Sanskrit word for “Peace,” and Sanskrit is the language of yoga. So “Karen’s Shanti Shed” means my personal tiny yoga studio that is dedicated to PEACE.
For almost 20 years I have wanted a private place to practice yoga. At first when I started yoga, I had to roll my mat out in my bedroom, because all the other rooms in the house were devoted to family. But then Ken and I gradually moved out of our home and into my Mom’s house to help take care of her during the last 14 years of her life. (Mom had Alzheimers and at a certain point she could no longer live by herself, since my father had passed years before.) Mom’s house, which is our current home, has a bonus room upstairs that is magical with its skylights (best room in the house to read in during a thunderstorm), but my yoga mat needed to be right smack in the center of the room or I would bonk my head or hands (or feet) on the slanted roof!
So I’ve never had that perfect room to practice yoga in at home. But then, I began to set my Sankalpa, my intention for what I really wanted in life. My intention was to be a full-time yoga therapist and … one with a sweet little yoga studio in her backyard!
And voila! A spark happened. An idea took place. And I began to dream of a tiny-house yoga studio that we could build in my backyard.
Long story short, the Shanti Shed dream is now a reality. The permits were approved, the structure was built, the electricians were finalized (oh, those electricians were SO hard to find), and David Linton has done his beautiful work inside, adding insulation, dry wall, room panels, trim, flooring, paint and finally the yoga wall. He always does the finest work! And As You Like It Landscaping (thank you, Abby Catoe!) did a fabulous job creating our retaining wall, moving and leveling dirt and then landscaping the side of our home as well as the entrance. Those three stones leading into the Shanti Shed are magical to me!
It’s done. This peaceful “tiny-house” yoga shed is now a reality. It truly is a dream come true. This little home studio is now dedicated to PEACE. It’s already had a special blessing with peace embedded in the studs, on the lintel and throughout the bare bones of the shed (thank you, Marcia!), loving good energy emanates from it each day and the birds, trees and butterflies are all approving! Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti Om!
