Nancy Ruby

About Nancy Ruby

How did I find myself on the path of Yoga? It wasn’t so much an epiphany as much as a simple occurrence that sparked my interest. There was no trauma or tragedy, or even a small catastrophe. Sometimes I feel odd for not having a more striking story like so many of my peers. However, I can tell you that one need not wait to explore Yoga for any reason other than a basic desire to feel good.

I hadn’t gone seeking change. I was only seeking adventure. It was my 21st birthday and I donned my backpack for a 6-week camping spree in the Hawaiian Islands.

Hiking 11 miles out to Kalalau Beach on the rugged Napali Coast fulfilled my desire for a wild experience. It also initiated the gradual growth and discovery of a purpose that I did not know. It was there that I was invited to try some Yoga. I assumed it would be easy. Having been blessed with natural flexibility, I had danced my way through my school days in Southern California and prided myself on the ability to fly into the splits effortlessly. However, I discovered places within my torso and shoulders that were stuck, that didn’t move as I intended. These limitations awakened an unquenchable curiosity.

What, me? Not flexible? This needed some attention. Returning home to Park City, Utah, I sought out all the Yoga classes I could find. Not so easy back in 1979. The University of Utah surprisingly offered Yoga in their curriculum, so I went back to school that summer joining not one, but two Yoga classes, along with running, swimming, backpacking, and accounting. (I failed accounting.)

Forever emblazoned in my memory is that first long held downward dog in which I watched beads of sweat dripping off the tip of my nose onto my yoga mat. “Hmmm, this is so much more that a good stretch,” I marveled. Increasing my flexibility while equally developing my strength had me hooked. Daily practice became a pattern and then something shifted deep in my soul.

Becoming certified as a Holistic Health Practitioner, Herbologist, and Massage Therapist launched me into alternative healing. I dove into as many workshops, certification courses, and retreats that I could. My training in Mind-Body Fitness combined Aerobics, Weight Training and Yoga along with Tai Chi, Anatomy, and Nutritional Counseling, and I returned to Montana State University to focus on the science of Sports Medicine.

Moving from Maui to Bozeman in 1983 gave me the opportunity to introduce Montana to this new wave in wellness. At that time the term Yoga instilled a fearful resistance so I launched a course called Strong, Stretched and Centered, which enabled me to sneak Yoga in by sandwiching it around aerobic dance and calisthenics.  The mind-body modalities of right/left brain exercises, energy balancing, and deep relaxation were well received and I made my mark as an innovative pioneer in the fitness field. For several years I traveled back to Maui where I had trained with Gloria Keeling stepping up as the Director for the Strong, Streched and Centered Teacher Trainings.

Over time, I was able to drop the aerobics and teach Yoga in its truest form as one of the only Yoga teachers in Montana. With the production of my first video, YogaMotion was born and I courageously opened the first yoga studio in Bozeman in 1998. It was a hit. Classes were packed and students were eager for more in-depth studies. They also wanted to learn how to teach the art and science of Yoga.