the chance to be up amongst the beautiful scenery, blue skies, clean air, incredible teachers, interesting patrons and friendly and qualified staff here at Inner Harmony. I know I have found a place I want to be and work here at Inner Harmony Yoga Retreats for as long as you will have me.

So how did I get to Inner Harmony?

After graduating with a master's degree in tax accounting I worked in Dallas, Texas for KPMG-Peat Marwick's International Tax Department. Following this experience I would spend several years as a tax consultant with the Trammell Crow Company, one of the largest real estate development companies in the world. While working as a tax consultant, I took the opportunity to volunteer in the public school system teaching economics and accounting to high school students.

Teaching in the schools became something I greatly enjoyed and always looked forward so, to make a long story even longer, I went into a graduate teaching program in history and would spend the next several years as a social studies teacher for both middle school and high school students. While teaching in the public schools, I was heavily involved in the creation and implementation of thematic based curriculum. In addition, I spent quite a bit of time teaching critical thinking skills for both students and teachers.

In 1996 my wife, two daughters and I moved to Cedar City to own and operate a bed and breakfast in conjunction with the Utah Shakespearean Festival. This was a lot of fun and we made friends from around the world. During this time my family volunteered and even had small acting parts in some absolutely incredible Shakespearean plays.

If you haven't been to the Utah Shakespearean Festival, you definitely need to check it out (http://www.bard.org). Starting the end of 1999 both my wife and I found our selves both teaching again full-time and so we sold the bed and breakfast and turned our attention to teaching and rearing our two daughters, Dyana and Joanna.

My wife, Melanie, is a teacher trainer and is responsible for the training of technology of more than 80 schools in the six Southwest Utah counties. Needless to say, I don't see her as much as I would like. My oldest daughter, Dyana, is a skinny little thing who dances ballet and plays the upright bass in our family western swing band, Prairie Dawg Jam. Joanna, my cute-as-a-bug 9 year-old, plays fiddle, loves all sports and has always been a hard working member of the family.

Last, but certainly not least, is our big, furry lab/golden retriever mix dog, Margaret. Margaret is everybody's friend and loves to eat, be scratched, eat some more, be scratched some more. I love music and have played guitar and sung with several bands. Currently, I have my whole family part of a western swing band which has kept us busy performing at several festivals and many local functions.

I love hiking and exploring the beautiful terrain of this country and grew up wandering through the mountains and deserts of Southwest Utah.
I look forward to meeting and talking with every single one of our guests. This truly is a remarkable setting and I believe the time you spend here will be making memories to last throughout the year or until you can find yourself back at Inner Harmony.

Ryan Durfee