About Lisa
Lisa’s Story
From the earliest time I can remember, I was called to live a deeply meaningful and transformative life. Born into South Africa’s apartheid regime, lessons about human equality, oppression, and justice were woven into the fabric of my being. In search of a better life, my family subsequently emigrated.
Four countries before I was 9-years-old – new cultures, homes, friends, and schools. Shortly after arriving in the United States, my parents divorced. My father, who worked long hours and traveled extensively on business, would take full custody of my younger brother and me. I became an adult and surrogate mother before reaching my tenth birthday, as my brother and I would bear witness to a revolving door of nannies.
A decade of eating disorders followed. Inconsistency, instability, and change became normal for me. I grew so accustomed to change, that I was adaptable to a fault, but not without a high price. The upheavals of my childhood were traumas that would cause deep wounds.
What I didn’t realize during those formative years, was the meaning I sought and the transformations I required, could be derived from understanding the circumstances of my life and all the lessons and skills I would attain as a result. So, I worked at healing. I peeled back layers of wounding only to discover that my wounds were deeper and harder to eradicate than I’d anticipated. But I persevered.
Every time I made a shift for the better, my life improved exponentially, thus bolstering my courage. I began to understand that everything I suffered, was the narrative I concocted to survive, because I lacked the emotional maturity and tools to tackle such monumental change so early. Change is the one and only truly dependable outcome in life. What I learned is that I would be okay no matter what challenges I faced. With the right tools, I began to empower my evolutionary process from a broken-hearted little girl into an actualized woman who can approach change gracefully and thrive on it.
Lisa’s Mission
I’m profoundly moved when I see someone living from their fullest potential and the impact that makes on a more positive world. My mission, my privilege and honor, is to teach those who seek the integration of body, mind, and spirit to manifest their most embodied, authentic potential through healthy practices in order to live a balanced and conscious life.
Nietzsche wrote that, “…all philosophy is a confession of its originator.” This has certainly been true of my life. My pursuits have always been transdisciplinary in that they’re inquiry driven. In my case, that inquiry is healing and self-actualization.
My journey of awakening and unique qualifications are the culmination of a wealth of life experience, degrees in fine arts, philosophy, and transformative learning, and training as a teacher in Ashtanga and therapeutics yoga. All of which have served to illuminate potential answers to my most pressing existential questions, as well as pushing the boundaries of my consciousness and preconceived ideas about what’s possible in human development.
By looking at and working on self-actualization through the lens of many disciplines and wisdom traditions, I’ve gleaned what was essential for my own healing and uncovered my unique gifts in service to others. What I offer my clients is the distillation of the most transformative and vital information from the East and West, as well as my personal experience with healing and development.