Art on a Lifelong Journey
Mara's work has been published internationally and featured in exhibitions in San Francisco, Washington D.C., Philadelphia and New York.  She lives, draws and paints in San Francisco, currently instructing classes and local workshops.  In September 2010, she directed her first international painting workshop in Corsica, and then traveled across the island on her own, continuing to paint.  The Alliance Française in San Francisco held a solo exhibition of her work in July,  2011.
 
Mara has been naturally drawing and painting all her life.  She was born in Marlborough, England, and grew up in the United States.  Her earliest memories include creating artwork as a very young child with her brother, the late visionary painter, Brian Gahagan(curator on Brian, here).   She was awarded the School of Art and Architecture Scholarship to the University of Michigan, where she graduated with honors.  Her first limited edition was published when she was twenty-one and exhibited at the New York Art Expo. She has received awards for both fine art and design.

Yoga for the Creative Way
Mara began practicing yoga as a bored teenager, after discovering a dusty 1953 edition of The Study and Practice of Yoga by Harvey Day.  As her practice developed, she found it enhanced her work, healed injuries and cleared creative blocks.  Physical and meditative practice are effective pathways to a more creative and fulfilling life for everyone, and we're all inherently creative, even if we pretend we're not.  A creative approach to yoga gives us all a place to begin, honoring individuality and all levels of practice.  Better overall health, relief from stress, improved right to left brain functioning, agility and greater problem solving ability are just a few benefits of practicing yoga the creative way.