I was raised in a small rural town, on a family farm in Southern Wisconsin. I graduated from UW-Madison with a BS in Physical Therapy in 1991. I spent the next 19 years working at inpatient and outpatient Physical Therapy settings, treating individuals with orthopedic and neurological conditions. During that time, my love of learning took me back to school, and I received my Master of Science Degree in Physical Therapy in 2000 from Rosalind Franklin University.
In 2002, we started our family of three wonderful children and I started to work part time. This occurred at the same time when I was questioning what was next for my professional career. After 12 years of treating patients with traditional physical therapy approaches, I was sensing that there was something more I needed to know. I had always been interested in mind-body medicine. Personally, I was also sensing there was “more” to life. My professional and personal curiosity became very intertwined. Now, with working less hours as a PT and a few free moments amidst raising children, I started to pursue my questions. I attended classes to learn Reiki and myofascial release. I got on the yoga mat and was soon enrolled in the Alignment yoga teacher training program. I started to study and practice Neurovascular Integration and Zero Balancing. I learned and practiced mindfulness and meditation. Life itself became my teacher in so many ways. I became a novice again in my profession as I learned a whole new way to view and approach health and well-being. My professional worldview was radically rearranged!
In 2010, I started my private practice, Awareness in Motion. As my studies and practice found me at the intersection of mind-body medicine, I realized that the spirit is one aspect of our being that is not often addressed in our current medical model. And again, I jumped into another rabbit hole! Currently, I am enrolled in the Spiritual Direction Program in at the Sienna Center in Racine, which has opened yet another, and deeper realm of well-being and exploration.
Through my studies and experiences, I have found that our personal health is very similar to, and is inseparable from our collective health. As a parent, I taught yoga and mindfulness to kids where my children were attending school. I was PTO president for two years at Cherokee Middle School. Issues of homelessness, LBGTQ+ rights and racial inequities are near and dear to my heart.
Learning how to advocate about these social issues and learning about my own privilege are continual areas of learning and growth for me. I am grateful to have a husband, three wonderful children and an adorable dog who accompany me daily through life. I love to spend time with my family and friends, dig in the dirt and garden, hike and walk in nature, be creative, play piano, and read.
Working with Shannon has let me return to a normal life again and I am back doing the activities I like to do. With Shannon’s guidance she has worked with me on incorporating yoga in my life and emphasizing the most important part of the practice is the breathing. If it wasn’t for Shannon’s therapy she treated me with I don’t know where I would be. She has an amazing skill set she uses on her patients.
— Pam B.
