I
never thought I would be living here in the Midwest. I was born
and raised in Berkeley, California. I suppose being raised in one
of the hotbeds of 60’s culture predisposed me towards studying Eastern
Religions. While I was still in grammar school I remember pulling
the Bhagavad Gita out of my parent’s bookshelf and reading
it. At the time I was quite shocked by the philosophy of that wonderful
little book.
I
studied business administration as an undergraduate at the University
of Southern California. I have to say, in retrospect, that I was
in the wrong town, at the wrong time, studying the wrong thing.
I hated it. Then I moved to New York City and my life improved dramatically.
I met my husband Phil. I returned to school to study what I was
interested in (not what seemed practical). Subsequently I received
an MA in religious studies from NYU. Later I received my PhD in
religious studies from Temple University in Philadelphia. My dissertation
is a feminist investigation of the Buddhist Sanskrit text, the Mahavastu.
In it, I examine the female character of Yashodhara, the Buddha’s
wife, to see what role she plays in his biography.
My
husband’s job brought us here to Chicago. I am also an advanced
yogi of the Iyengar tradition, which I teach. My current obsession
is Judo, which the whole family participates in. My son just got
a second place trophy at the USJA Junior National Judo Competition
that was held here in Chicago this summer!
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