The History behind Tales of a Wayward Yogini

If we dedicate ourselves to lifting one another, there is no limit to the amount of healing, acceptance, and joy we can foster. Join me?

Welcome! I’ve been waiting for you. I’m so glad you’ve arrived!

Tales of a Wayward Yogini brings you straightforward stories about life and hope. They won’t heal you. I'm not qualified for that, but they will help you navigate the journey from happy to tragic and everything in between, on your way toward healing, acceptance and joy.

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Who am I?

Let's consider a few truths before we explore who I am and what my title, Wayward Yogini, means.

At the end of the day

We are all more alike than not.

We all suffer in one way or another.

We all struggle with our feelings from time to time.

We are all on a journey of healing.

And we all deserve to be happy.

I am often asked about my title, "wayward yogini." I am a certified yoga instructor. Yogini is simply someone who practices yoga. The adjective wayward serves as a reminder that the path is not always straight and narrow. More times than not, it is one step forward, two steps back, a mad dash, and then the occasional left turn down a dead-end road. But in the end, we have the power to arrive at our desired destination. 

In one form or another, I've been helping people heal since my early twenties. At 19, working as a student assistant in the business division of my junior college, my 60-year-old boss Betty cried at her desk as she confided in me her most profound sorrow. Over two years, I never again saw her speak in such a manner with another person or even come close to talking about her personal life. It wasn't in her nature. She was a professional. 

For some reason, she trusted me.

Three years later, I would find myself suffering severe anxiety. Growing up an only child of two alcoholics left me with much to heal. I sought a therapist and was beyond fortunate to meet Dr. Ron Martinez. I spent the following few years in one of his therapy groups. The group dynamic instantly drew me in. 

Completing my therapy a few years later, I had absolutely no desire to leave. Ron had three groups, each with a female peer counselor. One of the counselors was moving on.

I summoned my courage, asking Ron if he might consider letting me step in. I was 25. Being five feet tall and slight in stature didn't help my cause. He addressed that some older patients might struggle to take me seriously. Betty gave me the courage to tell Ron I had faith in myself. He concurred. 

The group became family, giving my life meaning and teaching me how to accept and express my feelings, heal myself, and nurture others. After ten years, Ron passed from cancer. 

Dr. Ronald Martinez

Ron was light years ahead of his time in terms of the therapy he provided and the lives he healed. He was also a quadriplegic, having suffered a diving accident in his mid teens. A man in a wheelchair without the use of many of his body parts spewing wisdom, gratitude, common sense and charisma has a power… think Roosevelt.

Ron’s passing left an enormous void, not only because I had lost a good friend, but because the patients in his group were forced to move on and find alternative therapy. I was devastated.

In the ensuing years, my goal became discovering a way to revisit the joy of assisting and connecting with others. Realizing I loved writing in my early forties, I dreamed of writing a blog to offer what I'd learned.

But who was going to listen to me?

I wasn’t an accomplished writer.

I wasn't a psychologist.

Nevertheless, the dream formed crusting like molten lava. I would need to do some groundwork, waiting patiently for the world to catch up with me and for the fauna to find life again in the solidified lava.

It took many years, but in 2018, I became a certified yoga instructor, published my first book, Lessons of a Wayward Yogini, in 2021, and created this Substack in July 2022. I managed to put some significant pieces of the puzzle in place. I knew my intention regarding what I wanted to create here, but I still didn't dare to name it. So, instead, I began writing my dream without defining it. My first few About Pages were a mess, needing to be more specific and clear.

I've continuously drawn closer with rewrites, but it wasn't until I listened to the podcasts of

Sarah Fay

, her upcoming book Cured and heard her speak about peer counselors and how their roles have evolved in recent years in importance and acceptance that I finally had a title I felt confident about. I may not have a certificate on my wall, but I indeed trained with the best and fulfilled my study requirements. You can read my current About page here.

With immense gratitude, I find myself exploring Substack's fantastic opportunity, writing a blog as a published author, living my dream connecting with like souls willing to share their hearts.

I hope you will join me in making this site a place to find time-honored wisdom shared by many, a nurturing and old-fashioned sense of camaraderie, and emotional support when life calls on us to face our most difficult trials.