Nancy’s background stems from a diverse set of disciplines and geographies: she trained as an Architect receiving an Engineering Doctorate under Fumihiko Maki at the University of Tokyo, studied the art of Eurhythmy and Sidereal Astrology with Robert Powell in Germany, and is a licensed Feldenkrais practitioner (somatic modality of movement and observation) through the Feldenkrais Guild of North America.
As a child she was first introduced to meditation and asana in 1974, and since 1995 she has trained in the Iyengar-tradition of yoga. She is grateful to her teachers especially, Ramanand Patel, whom she continues to study with in San Francisco. She has been influenced by the Vedantic teachings of Swami Dayananda of Rishikesh. From 2004, Nancy began attending Yoga and Sound workshops with Ramanand Patel and Pandit Mukesh Desai. In 2006, she completed a two-year teacher-training course with Kofi Busia.
Nancy offers classes from her home studio in Aptos, California. Her classes, located in a peaceful beach cliff retreat, hold an atmosphere that is welcoming and nurturing. Classes and workshops are conducted based on yogic principles such as non-injury, compassion and alignment of thought, word and action. With practical understanding of these values, she works with students in asana so that they can apply and ground theoretical knowledge through their actual experience. By learning to align the body correctly, students become aware of an inner space for sensing the continuous flow of life force. A significant part of the process in a yoga practice is purification - that is becoming more aware of breath. In her classes and extending to her daily life she attempts to embody these tenets.