My Story
In the spring of 1994, I had a successful career as a commercial interior designer and was raising my young son in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, when I awakened one morning to find my world literally turned upside-down. I experienced a sudden and extreme case of vertigo, which left me nauseated, weak, and unable to walk or even get out of bed. After weeks of visiting doctors and specialists and undergoing exhaustive testing, I was diagnosed with extreme vestibular neuronitis in my right ear. My doctors told me that my vestibular nerve was damaged, my vertigo was incurable, and that I would be permanently disabled.
Unwilling to accept that I would be bedridden for the rest of my life, I turned to both my background in dance and the study of Eastern medicine for a way to manage my illness holistically. It was then that I discovered Ayurvedic medicine, and the vata, pitta and kapha energetic systems at its center. I adopted an Ayurvedic diet and began to use physical exercises and my senses of sight and hearing to retrain my brain to create a sense of balance. Soon I was able to crawl, then walk again. Through this practice of integrating my diet, mind, and body, I continued to improve day after day, and my symptoms, though still present, no longer ruled me.
My experience with my vestibular disorder inspired me to develop the Monkeytail Intelligent Exercise programs – the body and mind are incredibly resilient when they work together.