Born in Newark, New Jersey to a very close-knit Italian family. I really enjoyed the huge parties we were always having, the holiday gatherings, the elaborate weddings, the spaghetti every Thursday, fish every Friday and the dozens of donuts, eggs, bacon and sausage we had every Sunday morning after church. Looking back, even though I may be far from the environment surrounding me as a child, I can recognize some of the influences that subtly led up to the interest I now have in herbs. My Grandmother was practically a vegetarian; she boiled all her water and picked dandelions greens from the back yard to serve at dinnertime. Dandelions are one of my favorite herbs for the liver and also for a quick fix meal power packed with vitamins, mineral and digestive bitters. My mother had huge hydrangea flowers in her front yard, the root being a great herb for kidney stones.

In the 60’s I experimented with an alternative lifestyles and interests and in my early adult life discovered the most influential, long term interest which lasts even to this day. I entered a yoga ashram, traveled to India, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Italy and England. I lived a very austere life, renouncing many material goods and worked hard devoting all I did to the ashram. Along the way, I was able to re-kindle my passion for herbal medicine and so Tara’s was opened, originally as a new age shop not an herb shop. The community asked for more and more herbs and now we carry over 350 bulk herbs, spices, teas, blends and tinctures.

1971 - Traveled to India to study yoga and visit temples associated with Tamil Kriya Yoga Siddhantha

1976 - Certificate in Massage Therapy from Heartwood Holistic Health Center, Santa Cruz, California

1980 - Traveled to India, Europe and Sri Lanka to attend a Parliament of World Religions and Yoga, International Conference on Yoga, and Acupuncture Workshops.

1986 - Birth of first child, Valmiki, named after the author of The Ramayana

1990 - Birth of second child, Nandi Devan, named after the Siddha Nandi

1992 - Traveled to India to attend Parliament of World Religions and Yoga and visit Kerala state

1996 - Opened up Tara’s Whole Earth and Herbs Shop

2000 - Graduated from Northern Arizona University with a degree in Psychology

2001 - Attended Clayton College of Holistic Health and obtained Certification as Family Herbalist

2002 - Traveled to India mostly just for fun

2003 - Aromatherapy, massage therapy and massage therapy consultant at the Saguaro Foundation for the Developmentally Disabled.

2004 - Staff Developer for the Saguaro Foundation for the developmentally disabled.

2005 - Associate Professor Arizona Western College, offering classes in herbal remedies

2005 - Member American Herbalist Guild