Meditation & Mindfulness
… Simply Being. Simply Breathing. Simply Noticing…
Top of Mount Arunachala, Thiruvannamalai India - 2014
Awareness
“Observing what is, as it actually is, at this moment.” This is the practice of Simple Awareness. Just being, and noticing… without trying to change or control what we see.
Can we notice how the body actually feels right now, without going into stories that we’ve created about the body or injuries?
In a conversation, can we listen fully as the other person speaks, instead of trying to think of something smart to say next?
Can we live in the current situation, rather than being primed by emotions and ideas from earlier moments of the day?
Can we simply be here, now, and observe all things as they unfold? … with kindness & curiosity. …without judgement or criticism?
(the answer is yes… by the way)
Mindfulness & Meditation practices help us to cultivate various aspects of our larger practice of Awareness.
When we become more aware, we truly begin to see the people in our lives and the world around us. We begin to detangle our chaotic emotional state and learn to embrace & process emotions rather than simply pushing them away. We begin to observe the world as it is, instead of living in the stories and fears we’ve constructed about it in our minds. We become more resilient, more compassionate, more patient, and better listeners. Kinder to ourselves & others. Our minds become clearer, more focused, and freed from unnecessary doubt.
and with all of this clarity about ourselves & the world around us, we can make better, clearer choices in life!
These practices are simple and transformative, and I look forward to sharing them with you!
Practice & Teaching
Foremost, I am a student. I continue to practice, always. Out of this, comes teaching & sharing.
My Meditation & Mindfulness teachings incorporate techniques & philosophies from multiple traditions, including Vedic, Yoga, Buddhist, Taoist, and Self-Inquiry. I also frequently incorporate elements of asana yoga, pranayama (yoga breathing), chanting, kirtan, and sound meditation. Most important is the experience of practicing a technique, so all of my teachings focus on creating opportunities to experience & cultivate states of awareness, stillness, compassion, kindness, etc…
In my almost 15 years of practice, I’ve attended many trainings, read many books, and listened to many teachings. I’ve studied mindfulness at the Blue Cliff Monastery, meditation & Vedic/Yoga philosophy at the Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram, completed Dr. Patricia Broadrick’s “Learning To Breathe” mindfulness training, meditated on a holy mountain, practiced with Gary Weber PhD, studied mindfulness research with Mark Greenberg PhD and about 10 years of other great stuff. All of that has been very useful, and I’m truly grateful for opportunities to study and the open hearts of so many teachers.
I’m also very grateful for the most fabulous teacher of all: Life. Every glorious, confounding, lovely, and funky moment of it is a perfect opportunity to Practice. Nothing has been as transformative for me as simply showing up in my own life every single day and living the practice. Breathing, observing, practicing, feeling and doing the best that I can. What ever that means, and however imperfect it is. No stack of books or workshop series will ever substitute for actually starting to “live the practice”. Come! Let’s support eachother, learn from eachother, and live the practice together!
Publications
Promoting healthy transition to college through mindfulness training with first-year college students: Pilot randomized controlled trial
Kamila Dvořáková, Moé Kishida, Jacinda Li, Steriani Elavsky, Patricia C. Broderick,
Mark R. Agrusti, and Mark T. Greenberg – Journal Of American College Health
Experience
An incomplete list of teaching experiences
- Facilitator of weekly meditation & self-inquiry practices, workshops, & retreats locally and regionally.
- Co-primary teacher for the Dharma Lions Meditation & Mindfulness Community at Penn State.
- Co-owner and mindfulness/meditation teacher at Yoga Lab.
- “Mindfulness & Meditation Integration Specialist” on projects in the Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center.
- Developed & taught a pilot program for teaching mindfulness, stress reduction, & emotional intelligence practices to freshman engineering students at Penn State, in conjunction with Live It U.
- Teacher of mindfulness, meditation, and compassion at the 2017 North American Vegetarian Society Summerfest Conference.
- Yoga and meditation teacher at 2017 Vegetarian Vision Expo in NYC.
- Currently co-developing a mindfulness-based self-care program for Juvenile Justice officers in the state of Pennsylvania.
- Meditation & Mindfulness instructor at the 2016 & 2017 Ahimsa Yoga Festival.
- Co-author & co-facilitator of “Just Breathe” mindfulness research study at Penn State.
Nosara Costa Rica - 2015
