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A Star Travels Home: In Memory of
Tricia McCauley
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For years I heard about this amazing woman named Tricia McCauley. My teachers from MUIH would say, "you have to meet her, you have so much in common," and we did. We both loved running around town teaching yoga, working with plants, and studying astrology. So we arranged a blind date in 2010. It was mutual admiration at first sight. Since that meeting we have collaborated on many projects and just two weeks ago she taught at our herb school.
Tricia was a dynamic teacher, fearless gardener, avid reader, and strong yogi. She survived being hit by a car while biking in DC and could lift extremely heavy garden tools and tote bags. She was tough yet always wore a smile when faced with adversity.
Several years ago we met for a glass of wine and dinner in her neighborhood in DC. She wanted to get back into acting. She missed her acting community and was restructuring her life to make space for it. And she did!
Tricia did SO much, she packed her life full of what she loved. She could accomplish so much in a single day. She was my scheduling hero.
On Christmas Day, Tricia was on her way to a dinner party with some of her acting friends. She never arrived. Then, the day after Christmas, she missed her flight to visit her family. We all knew something was wrong.
We now know that Tricia was carjacked in her DC neighborhood that night by a man who was very sick. He took her life in the most violent way imaginable. I can barely think about it without becoming physically ill.
I know she fought. I know she loved life and wanted to live. She was such a passionate person. So bright and full of life. So youthful and curious. So forgiving.
My heart is breaking. My stomach is sick. I am so angry that someone would so brutally take her from us. Yet Tricia wouldn't want us to be angry. She'd want us to take effective action, seek justice, and move on with making the world a better place.
The DC/MD yoga and herbal community will never be the same. Tricia loved this city, its chaos, its ugliness, the plants that crept through the city sidewalk, and I know the city and all its plants, loved her, especially the plants at the Common Good City Garden, where she taught and farmed herbs for local DC residents.
Tricia was a part of our teaching faculty for over 5 years. She always brought light, clarity, and friendliness to all of the classes she taught. She was reliable, dependable, and a damn fine teacher.
It is with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to our friend.
Please read below to learn more about her life, legacy, and ways we are coming together to celebrate her life.
You are gone yet will never be forgotten ❤️
With Love,
Ashley
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The Tricia McCauley Herbal Teaching Garden
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Sky House Yoga and Nightlight Astrology will be dedicating our community teaching herb garden to Tricia in her name with a special plaque on a bench that we will place in the garden next to a comfrey plant, which was one of her favorites.
To the left is an image of the garden. We will begin construction in the spring of 2017.
We hope this space becomes a living memorial to Tricia's life and her work with the plants.
If you would like to be a part of the creation of this garden we welcome your donations of seedlings, medicinal plants, and gardening skills. Please
email me if you'd like to be involved.
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Taking A Moment for Tricia:
A Woman of Many Worlds
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Tricia McCauley was known for her work on
The Paper Girl
(2000),
Step Up
(2006) and
Never Dream: The Beginning
(2012). She loved to act and performed for the Washington Stage Guild, Kennedy Center, and did voice overs and appeared on television and in several movies. She was a gifted actor and carried her acting skills into her work as a yoga teacher, herbal educator, and life coach.
See her full resume
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Tricia teaching our Sky House Herbal Apprentices this summer at the Common Good City Farm.
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A licensed nutritionist, certified health coach, and clinical herbalist, Tricia brought an engaging and passionate approach to her work. Tricia came to this work through her own issues with food allergies. I loved listening to her share recipes of amazing gluten free dishes. She always inspired me to eat more green and to think outside the box with food and herbs.
Tricia saw clients and was a supervisor at the MUIH student clinic for nutrition students. She was a guest teacher in the Sky House Herbal Apprenticeship Program.
View her herbal and nutritional blog posts
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Tricia was the queen of lotions and potions. She made the most AMAZING lotions and body butters. She had the magic touch and I remember when she showed me her new labels, she literally jumped up and down in excitement!
I will miss these beautifully handcrafted medicines and will treasure the ones that are still in my medicine cabinet.
See her Leafyhead Products
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Tricia began practicing yoga in 2002 and completed her yoga teacher training in 2012. Since that time she taught classes in the DC area including a full schedule of classes at District Yoga. As a part of her consulting work, Tricia led corporate and individual yoga training sessions and for fun enjoyed acroyoga with friends.
At Tuesday's vigil at District Yoga one student shared Tricia's message in her last class. She spoke of the Winter Solstice and how we will not notice that the days are getting lighter and longer, but we must have faith that the light is returning. What a perfect message, she always had such a deep well of faith.
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Tricia began working at the Common Good City Farm in 2009. She tended the herb garden and turned it from a single bed into an extensive medicinal sanctuary. She led a 10-week herbal apprenticeship course and a 5 week summer apprenticeship program for Sky House students. Among her favorite plants were comfrey, angelica, calendula, and rue.
Donations are being made in her name to the Common Good City Farm.
Donate
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Like so many, I loved Tricia. I loved her zest for life and her willingness to try just about anything. I also loved her commitment. She loved DC and loved her community. One day we joked about moving to Costa Rice to get away from it all. She laughed and said, "naw, I'd miss the swirling chaos of this damn city way too much."
I think if we can take away anything from this awful experience it is that Tricia loved DC. Even with the crime and ugliness Tricia stayed because she wanted to make it a better place.
As I sit here, typing between tears, I can only see her smile. Even if you didn't know Tricia personally, I hope you feel touched by her life and her work. I hope you are inspired to reach out and engage in your community. To make it a better place.
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Tricia Lynn McCauley
February 25, 1970 - December 25, 2016
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Dearest Tricia,
May we grieve your untimely loss, feel the anger, sadness, and disbelief and sit with these emotions to remember that we are alive.
Let us continue your work and speak for the plants and teach people how to love the earth, the stars, and all the people who live between them.
Let us not be afraid of the darkness in the world. Let us come together, carry the light inside, and take action to keep our brothers and sisters safe.
Let us find our passions our purpose and work tirelessly to better ourselves.
Rest in peace our dear friend, you are gone but will never be forgotten.
I love you.
Ashley, Adam, & The Sky House Community
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