Over 20 years ago, I was teaching fitness classes at a local health club and I met Jim and Sue Anne.

They were starting a teacher training program and I wanted to participate. I knew that after all the years of teaching STEP, and aerobics, there had to be some balance in my life. Adding Yoga instructing to my repertoire was what I needed and wanted.  

At first, I wondered how I could fit this intensive training into (my already busy) schedule.  Jim and Sue Anne were welcoming and kept encouraging me and the others. The next several years I took more of their trainings including, Therapeutic Yoga, Let It Go Yoga, Lifestyles, and Yoga therapy. As I branched out and started my own Yoga business, they helped me create a business plan and worked with me on client acquisition.  

Through my business, Yoga by Dawn, I have organized and led five yoga retreats, including one international retreat in Costa Rica. My teaching has spilled into numerous venues and expanded opportunities in various settings. I have taught in churches, at a private college, in senior living facilities and in private homes. I even started Yoga parties.  

When the pandemic shut down all the fitness studios and yoga studios, I kept my classes going by teaching online. ZOOM became a platform for my students and I to stay connected during a time of isolation for many. At first, I offered one class a week then I invited others to participate in a second weekly class.

The Tuesday 4 pm PST and Friday morning 8 am PST ZOOM classes continue on a donation basis.  

Yoga has helped keep me grounded and helped me mentally during COVID. When I got quiet during my many hours of practice, I heard a voice telling me to write a book. I just published, COVID 2020 A Year Like No Other. It is part memoir, part interviews, and more than that, it allows the reader a chance to write about their own stories and experiences for future generations.  

It was important for me to record what was happening. Perhaps in 10, 50, or 100 years others will want to know what we went through. All proceeds from the book sales go to support Get Focused, Stay Focused National Resource Center and Rotary EClub of One World.

For more information about my classes or my book: www.dawnobar.com