In 2010, my mother had a stroke and my father died in the same week. I was accustomed to managing stress in my life as I was raising 2 teenage daughters, working, volunteering and my husband was traveling every week for work, but this pushed me past my ability to cope. The high level of ongoing and chronic stress that I was under resulted in frequent anxiety, migraines and difficulty sleeping.

As a social worker, I knew the value of self-care but, as is often the case, I was better at caring for others than for myself. I found that the self-care strategies, such as they were, that I had used in the past were not sufficient. I began searching for ways to better manage my stress. I tried many helpful things but nothing was as effective as learning to meditate and incorporating mindfulness practices into my daily life.

The impact of practicing meditation and mindfulness has been profound on my physical, mental and emotional well-being. So much so, that I decided that I wanted to devote myself to sharing the transformational benefits of meditation and mindfulness with others as a certified instructor. I am deeply grateful for the gifts of meditation and mindfulness in my life and for the opportunity to support others in their journey toward greater peace and wholeness.