Mary-Jo began her formal training in Iyengar yoga in the mid
80’s, while raising children and studying psychology. In 1996, she received a “Body Centered Therapy” diploma in Re-balancing massage and Somatic based bodywork. She went on to train and become certified with Dr. Carolyn Myss a leading educator in the field of ‘Energy Anatomy’ and ‘Intuitive Healing’ and then David Swenson, Tim Millar, & Ana Forest in the early rise of Ashtanga Vinyasa yoga.
On January 25 2004, Mary-Jo had a skiing accident that crushed her C4, C5 and C6 vertebrae and left her paralyzed from the neck down. She was diagnosed with Quadriplegia-complete, a “worst case diagnosis” predicted by doctors. Her journey back to health and coping with her current situation – defied odds, Mary-Jo has continued her studies in Psychotherapy at the University of Waterloo along with Coaching, Mindfulness, Yoga therapy, Somatics, Continiuum and advanced teacher training. She has been a long time student of Yogarupa Rod Stryker the esteemed North American Tantra master, with whom she is currently completing her advanced teacher training with.
The devastation, difficulties and challenges of the spinal cord injury haven’t held her back as Mary-Jo continues to mother, teach and inspire others to engage in their own personal journeys of healing and transformation. In 2010 she published her course Adaptive & Therapeutic yoga training, spoke at SYTAR, International Association of Yoga Therapy’s convention, Accessible Yoga Conference and Mount Royal University. “I am compelled and moved by what yoga can do for all people in every different physical or mental capacity & As the great yoga Therapy Master Krishnamacharya says “If you can breathe, you can do yoga.”