Maus

I first became interested in the Mind of Mindfulness at the University of Notre Dame where I studied Psychology.  What sparked my interest was the exploration of the mind and its effects on our day to day happiness. I went on to get a graduate degree in Social Work at Colorado State University in order to explore not just the mind, but how people use their mind to interact with their environments.  As a hospital Social Worker at Mayo Clinic, I saw first-hand how people’s mind-states directly affected healing.  I knew that I wanted to explore how this Mind-Body connection could be utilized to live a better life; it was not until years later that I would find my way into Mindfulness as a bridge from psychology to true healing. 

I became interested in Meditation and Mindfulness when I was trying to raise my four children and keep a marriage going.  In essence, I was in the work of life.  Like so many of us, my attention span was being pulled in many directions leaving me scattered and having a constant feeling of “not enough.” I was finding myself more reactive and judgmental with my spouse and teenagers.  I constantly doubted “what was I doing”   as a stay-at-home mom - again “not enough” was the resounding theme.  As with any pathway, I had signposts that were pointing toward a mindful life: a close friend started a local yoga studio (Thank you True Yoga) and she encouraged me to embrace the practice; my husband and I started seeing a therapist who was a practicing Buddhist; I started noticing journals and research articles on the many benefits of Mindfulness, some that I felt were speaking directly to me.  I ended up following one of those articles to a website much like this one, and I enrolled in the class that I now teach, Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction.  It was not long before I noticed a significant improvement in my attention, my confidence, and my overall wellbeing.  Moreover, I experienced a noticeably improved ability to be less reactive to my teens and my husband.  I keep this quote by Victor Frankl (holocaust survivor and Author of Mans Search for Meaning”) on my fridge:

I realized through practicing Mindfulness that there actually IS a space between when something happens or someone says something, and I then respond.  If I can learn to pause long enough in that space (ie Mindfulness), my response will be drastically different and more in line with who I want to be.

It truly felt like a superpower. When I was ready to return to the workforce, I started exploring Mindfulness as a way to bridge my psychology and social work training with my newfound knowledge of meditation.  I felt  passionate  to share this superpower I had found with others.   I  started attending extensive trainings on Mindfulness, multi-day silent retreats (because you can’t teach what you don’t practice yourself!) and I became a Certified Yoga Instructor. I started teaching Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Courses in 2017.  As A Certified Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Teacher through the University of California San Diego, I hope to spread this amazing practice to others, which is why I created this web site.  It offers people the ability to try the practices I teach on their own, sign up for a course, or just experiment with one of the zoom meditations or Nature practices.  I also offer presentations to introduce the concepts of Mindfulness. I have given presentations to schools (both for parents and kids), medical practices, rotary, hospice, senior centers, community centers, yoga/wellness studios, sports teams, businesses and country clubs. 

I could not end this Bio without saying a little something about my passion for Mindfulness practice in the outdoors. Although Mindfulness can be practiced anywhere, practicing in nature is my favorite.  An avid skier, mountain biker, and outdoor enthusiast,  I have always had an appreciation for Nature’s affect on well being. Ever since teaching Skiing in my early 20s, I have loved to guide people in finding joy and playfulness in the outdoors. Nature Meditation Practice combines my two passions for Mindfulness and the outdoors.  When I am outside, it is easier for me to be present, even if I’m just in my own back yard. More recently, I have done training courses on Nature Meditation Practice so I can share the benefits of this practice with others.