A native of Los Altos, California, Marti was born with thoracic scoliosis. At her father's suggestion, she began doing some yoga stretches, hoping to strengthen and straighten her spine. Through this simple yoga, she discovered her body had a natural fluidity, and she began studying ballet and jazz. Over a period of eight or nine years, her body continued to become less and less rigid, until she moved without restriction. Looking back, Marti feels incredibly grateful to have been exposed to yoga at such a formative age. "There is a natural form of healing that doesn't involve surgery," says Marti. She still has the proof of this healing, in the form of eight sets of x-rays that show the improvement in her spine. In talking about scoliosis, Marti is quick to acknowledge fellow teacher Elise Miller, who suffers from the same condition. Miller has recently put out a video and DVD on yoga for scoliosis, which Marti calls, "just fantastic".

Marti's formal training began in her early 20's, when she began studying with the world-renowned Walt Baptiste in San Francisco. Although she later studied at Santa Barbara's White Lotus Foundation, Marti considers this solo study with Baptiste to be her most valuable training, providing her with a solid technical background in Iyengar methodology. At Baptiste's urging, Marti began subbing at local studios while working part-time in a corporate environment. A highly theatrical person, Marti did not stay long at her nine-to-five desk job. "An artist," Marti laughs, "just can't sit still!" She transitioned into teaching full-time, constantly seeking out venues that were creative in nature.

In 1991, Marti was extended an invitation to dance at Carnival in Brazil. While there, she noticed the way local musicians wandered out of their neighborhoods to play for the dancers in the street. Upon returning to the Bay Area, Marti decided to merge live music and yoga, and began teaching Tribal Yoga. Accompanied by a variety of talented local musicians, Tribal Yoga is a joyful combination of dance, yoga, meditation and movement.

Marti also uses music to inspire her youngest students - fourth through sixth graders in the Palo Alto School District. Today's computer-savvy schoolchildren are developing carpel tunnel syndrome and repetitive stress injuries at shockingly young ages. Tuned in to these needs, Marti teaches a program every fall that focuses on specific stretches for the arms and hands. As anyone who has stood in front of a room of pre-adolescents can attest, this age group can be a tough sell. Marti explains how she won them over: "I brought in cool music, and I didn't call it yoga!"

Continually looking for ways to expand her training, Marti recently completed a certificate in pre-natal yoga from San Francisco's Inyengar Institute. Marti's interest in pre-natal was sparked when she realized students in regular yoga classes were doing poses that were not appropriate for pregnant women, especially those in their second and third trimester. She also noticed women returning to class soon after giving birth, their weakened abdominal muscles barely able to hold them up. "This is an incredibly important part of our population", Marti says, "and I wanted to specialize in it.

In addition to teaching, Marti now finds herself in the role of mentor and consultant to the new generation of yoga teachers. Her message to them is an important one. "I remind people that preservation is critically important. Let's practice what it really means to take care of ourselves so we're not depleted." She encourages yoga students of all levels to take responsibility for their own well-being. Marti flashes one of her infectious grins and shares some of her own advice: "Don't be shy - ask questions. Good teachers will love to share what they know."

-Michelle Pollock

Join the Email List

announcements | class schedule | special events | corporate yoga | prenatal yoga

private sessions | yoga resources | about marti | F.A.Q.s

Photography and Design by Sumitra     831 662 3879     photosumitra.com     -     Website Production by Karl Franzen     650 856 6445