Wisdom Warriors

Wisdom Warriors™ is a training for teachers and dedicated yoga practitioners of all ages who wish to learn more about how to stay safe and strong in their asana practice after the age of 50. Desirée teams up with Karen Church, PT to offer a 12 hour training that is inspiring and informative. Often the aches and pains that are attributed to old age can be slowed or even reversed with proper care and attention. Rather than withdraw from our practice, we amp up our understanding and knowledge of the body.

Desiree’s story:

Desirée’s Yoga studies and practice began in 1987 at an aerobics convention in Los Angeles. Her first class was Bikram style, which was very attractive to her coming from a dance background.

She then found her way into Iyengar and eventually Anusara Yoga training. Her first 15 years of yoga and eventual certifications were all focused intensively in alignment-based methods which made her feel  safe and confident as a practitioner and teacher. Living in a naturally flexible dancer’s body, this slower more disciplined approach seemed best for her at that time.

Desirée has always had the intention of sustainability with her yoga practice, and she admired Mr. Iyengar who practiced into his nineties. When she began to experience hormonal menopausal shifts in her body in her early fifties, she wondered if she would be able to keep up the practice which had been so natural for her for 25 years.

Fortunately, she met Karen Church in 2004. Karen attended a workshop and collaborated with a variety of photography projects. She also helped her with some significant shoulder problems. Flexibility is great, but needs to be balanced with strength and Desirée was not doing any form of resistance training at the time. Back then she was more likely to do 108 drop back backbends than one single pushup!

These days, Desirée works out with a trainer in a gym 3 days a week and practices yoga almost every day. At age 63 she is significantly stronger than she was ten years ago and also free from chronic pain.

Karen’s story:

Karen, practices Physical Therapy in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. She integrates Manual Therapy and Functional Yoga and brings thirty years experience as a private practice owner in Glenwood Springs, CO.

Her thirst for more knowledge about the body is unquenchable. She certified in Functional Manual Therapy™ in 2013 and has studied extensively with the Barral Institute and Diane Lee, Integrated Systems Model. She enjoys practicing with multiple paradigms and collaborating with the Steamboat wellness community. Yoga background: Karen studied with numerous senior Iyengar teachers beginning in 1993 and became an Affiliated Anusara Instructor in 2004 when she began to study with Desirée Rumbaugh. She is passionate about Ayurveda and Visceral Manipulation avid student of Dr. Robert Svoboda and Gail Wetzler DPT.

She is an avid mountain biker, telemark skier and since moving to Steamboat has become a passionate skate skier.