Austin, TX

Tell us about yourself:

I live in Austin, Texas and grew up on a farm in South Austin. From a very early age I fell in love with taking care of animals. My journey has taken me down many paths. I got married a year after high school (growing up on a farm in those days that’s what girls were supposed to do) and had two children, Matthew and Shauna. While my children were young, I began my college career at Texas State University studying art. I was unable to finish college at the time and had to go to work full time and began working as a swim coach. I coached for the Texas Aquatics at The University of Texas for 15 years, and loved it.

While coaching, I went through a divorce and both kiddos went off to college. The last three years of my coaching career I followed a new direction/career path to the Oriental Medicine School, and in 2002 I opened Ancient Arts Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine. My love for helping people heal came to fruition. After a few years of opening the practice, my love for yoga (that I had dabbled in since childhood) grew, and I decided to become a Yoga Teacher. I now teach in Austin at Yoga Yoga, Studio Mantra and The Austin Yoga Tree. I am blessed to teach many private lessons in my home and teach a neighborhood children’s yoga class.

I have found acupuncture  as a healing process and yoga to stay healthy is a wonderful combination.I have a wonderful husband, Robert, and daughter, Shauna, who is married with two sweet boys. My son Matthew is married and has a boy and a girl. My step son Robert is married and has two girls and a step son.

Why did you become a RTA-Certified Facilitator?

Through the years, 95% of my practice is working with women. I love how women seek out help and support. I also love that women can find a way to be a wife, mom, employee and/or business owner and do a darn good job! I have wonderful success treating women’s health and infertility. Through the years I have noticed that more than treating the women with needles and herbs, I was merely holding space for them to find what it is they needed to heal from the inside out. By holding space for women they can go inside and find their own inner wisdom, the needles and yoga are just tools to help. At one of the latest workshops I was attending I met Renee Trudeau. I could just tell Renee had something special. Renee gave me one of her Unleashed cards. I went home, began looking into Renee’s work and knew this was the next direction on my path.

How has this work/program affected you?

This work has helped me to see how you can be there for others and be better at being present when you are taking care of yourself. I enjoy taking time to start the day with meditation, yoga, a run or merely sitting at the greenbelt listening. I love that when I take the time I need, I know that I can help women tap into their wisdom and find what they are looking for–I can’t wait to begin.

What are your favorite self-care activities?

My favorite self-care activity is yoga; I can’t get enough of it. I also love waking up to morning meditation followed by time on the mat and then sometimes a little more meditation. I love walking in the woods with my sweet husband and dogs, and running is also a another one of my favorite self-care activities. Every month or two I try to do a yoga workshop, and I am also studying Somatic Experiencing through Peter Levine’s program. When I can slip away I love traveling away from the Austin, Texas traffic where I love to hike, ski and go on retreats. The best self-care ever is the time I spend with my six grandchildren. They are my sweet little blessings!

How can people contact you or learn about your groups/retreats?

My website www.AncientArtsAustin.com has info on all upcoming events and more about me. You can contact me directly at katiemc@AncientArtsAustin.com or by phone 512-653-6131.

You can meet other RTA-Certified Facilitators around the globe here. If you’d like to learn more about empowering women in your community, growing your small business and joining our community of women supporting women, click here, call 512/459-6700 or email us.