Celebrate the stories of several northern Michigan women making an impact on their communities in this week's Northern Express, sister publication of The Ticker.

Sit down with the region's "first lady of yoga," Sandra Carden, who opened Traverse City's first yoga studio in 1989 and has since gone on to train the majority of instructors teaching and practicing in northern Michigan. The profusion of studios, classes, workshops and yoga-related retail stores can directly be traced back to Carden, who at age 68, is preparing to "pass the baton" to the next generation. "I feel like I've done what I was meant to do here," Carden says of her legacy. "I think yoga's got a great future here; it's got a great foundation, some real deep roots." Carden's prediction for the next evolution of yoga locally? "I think the future for yoga in this area will include a yoga retreat center," she says. "This is just a healing environment. It will happen someday."

This week's issue also highlights northern Michigan women serving on the front lines in life-saving positions. Grand Traverse Rural Fire Department firefighter Nichole Weeks, U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Traverse City helicopter pilot Lt. Katherine Pelkey, Otsego Lake Township Fire Department EMT/EMS Captain Nikki Booth and Grand Traverse County 911/Central Dispatch Supervisor Leah Hornacek share their stories of going out on harrowing rescue missions, responding to traumatic community emergencies, and assisting others in "the worst moments of their lives," in the words of Hornacek. The women also talk candidly about navigating male-dominated work environments, the physical and emotional demands of their jobs and balancing career, family and personal lives - plus the deep sense of fulfillment found in their work. As Pelkey shares, "being the difference between someone surviving and not is pretty rewarding."

This week's Northern Express also features a profile of Petoskey's Beth Eckerle, honored this year with the Michigan Historical Commission's Governor John B. Swainson Award; a special investigative report on human trafficking in northern Michigan (and the efforts of several agencies to stop its spread); an inside look at Traverse City's Smoke & Porter Public House; features on musical artists Billy Branch, Nik Carmen and Milo Birch - and much more! Check out the Northern Express online, or pick up a free copy at one of more than 600 distribution spots across 13 counties. And, stay connected throughout the week on Facebook.