ABOUT
I am Kali Soul Art & Yoga, I am Lauri Andreacchio:
I am a Yogini, an artist, an athlete, a mother, a wife, a friend, a student, a teacher and much more...
As a kid, I was always creating, moving, smiling and mixing it up. I painted, sketched, did gymnastics, skied. I rode horses, climbed trees, read books (usually in trees), performed in plays, played baseball with the neighborhood boys, Barbies with my cousin. I helped out when anyone needed it. I was very independent- my famous words were “I can do it myself!”; Even if I really couldn’t. My interests were diverse- I loved trying new things. I was always looking for the creativity, variety, beauty & joy in life.
As a high school freshman, I began practicing visualization/relaxation techniques formally with Marcus Evans (Blue Feather) as part of my training for diving. But it became much more than that very quickly. Marcus taught me the power of energy & our thoughts, our ability to shape our experience. He introduced me to what spirituality was really about. I began applying what I learned from Marcus into my life immediately and continued to learn & grow. Marcus continues to be my mentor and guide me to this day. (Even since his passing in 2015). I am forever grateful.
After graduating with honors from Tyler School of Art I got married and enrolled in grad school for Physical Therapy. It didn’t take long for me to realize that, although I liked the idea of being a PT, it was not where my passion truly was. So I started painting again & showing in local galleries and then in New York & Philadelphia. I eventually started my own design/sign company. I discovered Yoga and was hooked! Naturally, I wanted to share what was helping me so much, so I got my first certification and began teaching. I was doing my best to live “from the heart” and help others along the way.
But even with all that I was doing for myself, there was something that I wasn’t giving the attention that it truly needed. Ironically enough, that something was me! And a few months after giving birth to my second child, I underwent emergency open heart surgery to repair a deteriorated mitral valve. I had a newborn whom I couldn’t pick up and an active 6-year-old- and I couldn’t even open my refrigerator door. I was physically and emotionally depleted. Now I needed help- and lots of it; not an easy thing for me to accept. Thanks to my wonderful Husband, my extraordinary Mother (and a lot of amazing friends & family) I was able to get through the crisis. Utilizing lots of deep breathing, visualization, alternative medicine, etc- I began to heal. I played Marcus’s recordings constantly. ...And, as it turns out, “Legs up the wall” pose really does work & even helps reduce your heart rate when you’re in A-fib!!
I had a lot of time to sit and be, a lot of time to realize that I needed to do some real emotional clearing to fully heal. I was not realizing my true potential. It was time to Kali Up! I began taking actions to step through the fear, and destroy my demons so I could release my true self. I explored, studied & applied various healing modalities- and continue to do so. My art continues to shift to reflecting my transformation as I shed layers & reveal new ones. Yoga practice also morphs, becoming more & more organic and more Core-based (Giving my heart the much-needed support it was missing) And while I continue to practice Seva- service to others- I do so while making sure that my needs are met as well. And when I start to get a little off balanced- I still get physical reminders from my heart- I do my best to take care of myself.
Although it has been a pretty wonderful ride so far, it’s not always been easy & it’s not always been pretty, but it is always perfect. The accomplishments, as well as the challenges, continue to help me be who I am...
I am Kali Soul Art & Yoga, I am Lauri Andreacchio:
I am a Yogini, an artist, an athlete, a mother, a wife, a friend, a student, a teacher. I am a Fierce Warrior of Light and Compassion, I am Kali Soul Art & Yoga, I am Lauri Andreacchio and much more...