Mindful Wow

I know meditation and mindfulness can change lives. 
It changed mine.

 

Like many people, I was stuck in a whirlpool of anxiety, depression and insomnia. It was confusing because nothing particularly horrific was happening, just the cavalcade of life events... realizing I was aging; supporting elderly parents; seeing friends deal with health issues; having more responsibility for a special-needs sister; being overweight with high blood pressure; and dealing with a shifting career.

I had been teaching meditation, stress reduction, and wellbeing to health care professionals for many years and decided that I needed to start practicing what I was teaching. I began meditating regularly, doing yoga, and attended many workshops and retreats on mindfulness. Slowly, I began to feel better as I learned to focus my attention on whatever I was experiencing in the present moment. Over time, I felt at ease, could smile again, felt energized and balanced. I was getting in touch with the calm inner space that all of us have. The “wow” factor was back in my life.

My training in mindfulness includes an intensive mindfulness-based stress reduction group training program taught by Jon Kabat-Zinn and Saki Santorelli. I completed the Practicum at The Center for Mindfulness at The University of Massachusetts Medical Center. My teaching has been greatly influenced by attending numerous workshops and retreats taught by inspiring teachers: Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, Jack Kornfield, Tara Brach, Stephen Cope, Sylvia Boorstein, Joseph Goldstein, Sharon Salzberg, Mark Epstein, Christina Feldman, Judson Brewer, Rick Hanson, Susan and Bill Morgan, and Andrew Olendzki.

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Advanced certificates include:

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Intensive and Practicum 
(Center for Mindfulness/U.Mass. Medical Center)

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Mindful Schools Mindfulness Curriculum 
Reiki Master, trained in the Usui System of Reiki Healing
Yoga Nidra trained at Kripalu

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Certified Instructor Connecticut Police Academy

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Certified in administering and consulting with the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator

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Wellness Committee Internal Medicine Department, University of Connecticut Health Center

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My academic background includes a Ph.D. in medical education, Masters degrees in counseling and adult educational program development, and a Bachelor’s degree with honors in psychology.

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My invitation to you is to become aware that, like me, you have the inner capacity to deal with bumps in the road that life inevitably brings along the path. You also have the capacity to savor life’s joys. Begin to be awake to your life -- moment to moment; breath to breath. Live your life with curiosity and compassion. As Jon Kabat-Zinn says, “We can’t stop the waves but we can learn to surf.”

I look forward to helping you start your journey toward living mindfully. Feel free to reach out to me to find out more.
With warm smiles and gratitude,
Sharon 

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