Mary Lillian Schatz

Mary Schatz was born in Louisiana and attended Louisiana State University before going on to the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine where she received her medical doctorate in 1969.

She had a long career as an anatomic and clinical pathologist with Associated Pathologists, West Side Hospital, and as an Assistant Clinical Professor at Vanderbilt School of Medicine. In 1991 she was elected Medical Staff President at Centennial Medical Center in Nashville TN.

Her medical career extended to the study of yoga. She was certified by the renowned yogi B.K.S. Iyengar to teach his method of yoga and to certify others to teach yoga as well. She was the author of numerous articles in medical journals and was on the editorial board of Yoga Journal. She was the author of Back Care Basics, a best-selling yoga book that offers back pain solutions using gentle yoga techniques.

Fluent in French, she loved to spend time in Quebec, Canada with her late husband Walter and her two dogs, Katie and Havoc. She is survived by her two sons David (Ronda) and Douglass; grandchildren Connor, Ava, and Walker; and her sister Beth (Joe) Hitt.