Karen Fierro
Karen's interest in natural health and Yoga began 16 years ago. After receiving a baccalaureate degree in Fine Arts from Parsons School of Design and The New School For Social Research in New York, she incorporated vegetarian dietary standards into her lifestyle. She enjoyed the cultural enrichment derived from employment in several New York City museums and co-directing the Department of Ceramics at Brooklyn University, Brooklyn, N.Y. While living in Manhattan she met vegetarian-Natural Hygiene advocate, Peter E. Firk and renowned author-lecturer Viktoras Kulvinskas, M.S. Karen was invited to contribute her research and artistic talents to their joint venture known as The Vegetarian Lifestyle Home & Travel Guide.This marked the blossoming of her personal journey and commitment into the growth-enriching realms of Natural Hygiene, Living Foods, Yoga and Meditation. In due course her position with the Guide elevated to assistant production manager, a post she held from 1990 to 1999. The Guide soon found an expanded home on the internet in 1999 as VegetarianUSA.com where it continues to receive an impressive 100,000 hits per month.
One
of Karen's greatest assets is her natural ability to develop and maintain good
working relationships with many key professional members of the Natural Hygiene,
Raw and Living Food communities. Her tenure with VegetarianUSA.com, coupled
with independent study of nutrition and Yoga served to amplify her personal
desire to educate the general public on important natural health issues. From
1991 to 1992 she successfully co-directed the New Haven Vegetarian Society in
New Haven, CT. From 1993 to 1995 she co-founded and subsequently co-directed
the Miami Vegetarian Society in Miami, FL.
A strong belief in the healing benefits of therapeutic touch motivated her to
receive certification as a Licensed Massage Therapist in 1994 from Educating
Hands School of Massage in Miami, FL. This was followed by a one year stay as
Research Consultant with the pioneering Touch Research Institute (T.R.I.), University
of Miami, Jackson Memorial Hospital, Miami, FL. There she directed three studies
on the effects of massage therapy with patients suffering from Chronic Fatigue,
Fibromyalgia and Eating Disorders. Budgetary cuts briefly interrupted completion
of two but Fibromyalgia was finalized and later published in the Journal of
Clinical Rheumatology 2, 18-22. 1996. She developed and maintained a flourishing
private Massage Therapy practice while upholding her responsibilities with T.R.I.
and VegetarianUSA.com.
As an aspirant on the path of Hatha Yoga and Meditation, Karen sought to expand
her knowledge, teaching skills and practice. She achieved Certification as Yoga
Shiromani (Yoga Instructor) from the internationally-acclaimed Ashram of Yogi
Hari and Leela Mata in November of 1999, Wilton Manors, FL. Personal study of
Vipassana meditation is an ongoing self-practice coupled with attending special
nationwide retreat programs.
She resides in Miami Beach, Florida where she maintains her practices of Yoga
Instructor, Licensed Massage Therapist, Freelance Graphic Design Artist and
Natural Health Consultant thriving on Living Foods, fun and sunshine.
karen@gardenofhealth.com
