What brought you to meditation? I was introduced to meditation many years ago as a child. My mother would often attend silent retreats when I was young. I was fascinated by how one could do that! What do you do all day? I thought I would go mad being just with my own thoughts. Then I attended classes with my mother held by a local hospital. The class technique used was guided body scan to help people with high blood pressure. My mother had high BP and was seeking natural alternatives. I was pretty amazed at how I was able to quickly drop my own blood pressure and release physical stress at will. Since, then I was devote and studied various forms of meditation and mindfulness.
Why do you guide meditation? The shift that meditation brought my life has been truly invaluable. I knew that I needed to help teach others who like me, have suffered with chronic high stress and anxiety. I continue to deepen my meditation practice and further my own studies. Currently, I am completing my Yoga Therapist certification (C-IAYT) with well over 1000 hours of clinical specialized training using movement, breath and meditation tools. I owe deepest gratitude to my many teachers and mentors. It is my duty to share the gift.
More about my experience... As an IT Consultant and Computer Engineer, my schedule was always full and mind constantly building, designing, analyzing, planning and simply working overtime for days on end. As with anything, there needs to be downtime to rest and regenerate. I used meditation throughout my career to clear away residual thoughts and mental noise, recalibrate, refresh my mind and body and bring deeper awareness. Meditation eventually became a necessary part of my daily routine and would be noticeable the days I had skipped or missed due to hectic schedules. The benefits are uncanny. Less stress, more positive outlook on the world, able to deal with different situations in rapid succession, acute awareness and deeper compassion to name a few.
What brought you to meditation? Crossroads in life are created for a reason and I decided to take the “road less traveled.” Meditation was the last thing I would ever ever considered. But my career, relationships, motivation, and sense of purpose had all come to a standstill, yet I had to keep moving forward. Meditation provided a space for me to explore, grow, and discover another part of myself that was always there, yet, I forgot how to access. With an experienced background in yoga (as a practitioner and teacher), meditation was integrated into my practice but in meditative movement form. Meditation brought me into a place of stillness where the mind-body-heart connection created a deeper experience of my human beingness.
Why do you guide meditation? I offer the guidance of meditation as a moment-to-moment experience; always changing and ever present. In everyday life, so many of us operate from a fragmented nervous system and we have no concrete connection to the present moment. I know this too well:) The moments where attention is present, stable, and felt, are grounding for the nervous system. The sense of grounding, connection and compassion are part of a being human. My purpose is to help others experience mindfulness meditation as a method to live from a greater place of clarity, calm, ease and freedom. By helping others create a personal practice of consistency and sustainability, it is hopeful those skills can be more easily applied to offer support in daily life.
Can you share more about your experience and journey to here? Experiencing and knowing suffering brought me here. I teach from that place. Judgement, shame, doubt, attachments, boredom are just a few of the many feelings encountered on the path. But mediation has offered a middle ground to life that brings me support while incorporating contemplative practices into everyday encounters. After Vipassana (10-day silent retreat), multiple silent retreats, and MBSR mindfulness retreats thereafter, I pursued the teacher pathway of MBSR - Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction for UMass School of Medical Science. I am now a Qualified MBSR teacher who offers an 8-week MBSR course to help others on their journey of awareness, stress reduction and well-being.
What do you offer in a one-on-one setting? MINDFULNESS. Mindfulness tools—the building blocks of mindfulness meditation and how to establish a personal meditation practice. Mindful Eating-how to develop a healthier relationship to food and eating. I have been a stress and emotional eater for many years, but after being certified in MB-EAT, eating is now a nourishing experience versus a mind-numbing release. Mindfulness tools for Parents and Educators--As a public school educator of 18 years and teaching yoga + mindfulness in schools, I offer support to parents and high school age students who may suffer from anxiety, depression, etc. Additionally, I work with athletes (professional, collegiate, high school and youth) with specific focus on attentional stability, self-awareness, and application on/off the playing field.
What brought you to meditation? I first experienced mindfulness and presence through the practice of yoga. I soon found that the peace and calm I found on my mat also started to show up in the rest of my life too. In 2017 I attended a two day meditation workshop with Megan McCarver and have been exploring meditation ever since.
Why do you guide meditation? I hope to share the sense of grounding, calm, and clarity, that mindfulness and meditation can provide. It is a wonderful way to practice self-care while building the skills to be present and show up for ourselves in life. My goal is to make the practice of meditation approachable and accessible. My favorite aspect of meditation is that it is forgiving; it’s okay if your mind wanders, just take a breath and try again!
1100 Quail Street, Suite 100
Newport Beach, CA 92660
