MEAGHAN SKYE SWINNEY Newcomer

In early 2022, Meaghan Skye Swinney left Cambria, California, bound for Sandpoint to join her partner Wayne Ball, a research biologist. She brought her orange rescue cat named “Jake from the Lake.”

Swinney also brought a wealth of outdoor-related experiences, a sense of stewardship, and a desire to make a positive difference in people’s lives.

“I feel so blessed to have landed in a small town with such a thriving yoga and wellness community,” said Swinney, a 33-year-old yoga instructor and UCLA grad. She doubles as front-desk receptionist and aide at Ponderay’s Kauai Therapy and Wellness.

“I’m particularly passionate about working with the aging community,” she said, “and people with physical limitations who wouldn’t feel comfortable in traditional yoga settings.”

Now teaching yoga in The Yellow Room on Euclid, she hopes to offer more formal classes at Kauai.

“Like any true millennial, I have already taken many career paths in several industries in my three-plus decades on this earth,” she said.

Some include leading private night-