about me

Personally, I am blessed to live with my patient and supportive husband in one of the most beautiful areas on earth, the Sierra Nevada Mountains just outside of Yosemite National Park.  I am the proud parent of a mix of children, step-children, children-in-law, an amazingly adorable grandson, crazy cute twin grandkids, pets and grand-pets. 

So who am I and how did I get here (here – as in the present moment)? My foray into meditation began some years back through an online meditation program put on by Deepak Chopra.  I really didn’t get it at first, so, as a birthday present from my husband, I attended a two day retreat at the Chopra Center.  Don’t get me wrong, Deepak Chopra has done much to promote meditation, but the program just wasn’t my cuppa herbal tea.  I left with more questions than answers.  

Fast forward a few years and I decided to spend 10 days at a silent Vipassana retreat not too far from where I live. 10 days. Silent. Actually the silence was the easy part.  It was the eleven hours on the cushion each day that nearly did me in.  And for an introvert like me, whose mind is always active, it was like trying to stop a runaway train.  Spending eleven hours a day on the cushion is how I calculated I was spending eleven hours on the cushion each day, but I also learned so much about myself and felt that I accomplished something when it ended. And still I had questions. 

So, the science nerd in me began researching and gobbling up information I found on the Internet.  For me, it’s important to know the purpose in order for it to make sense.  After finally getting it and establishing my own consistent practice, I decided I wanted to help others with their meditation practice, and so I started researching meditation teacher training programs.  

I selected the program taught by Shane Wilson at the Meditation Learning Center in Mesa, Arizona.  Shane had the style I related to and the course was a comprehensive 300 hour program over eleven months.  I completed the program in Summer, 2016 and can proudly add the Certified Meditation Instructor designation to my name. In the meantime, I have taught an 8 week course at a couple locations and lead a weekly meditation group. Future plans call for corporate wellness programs.  Most gratifying are the retreats that I have facilitated.  Much more than meditation, they are, as one participant commented, “life affirming.”