About Me

With more than 30 years spent practicing and exploring the contemplative origin of mindfulness, I believe we all have the capacity to heal and reconnect to our inherent sense of goodness, worthiness, purpose, and knowing. That’s why I‘m passionate about helping people of all backgrounds learn the practices and principles of mindfulness, a way of being in the world that cultivates greater self-awareness, emotional regulation, compassion, and inner wisdom.

Mindfulness practice provides a space for reverence and moment-to-moment presence to bravely lean into challenges and relinquish attachments to what “should be” for the sake of what is. Within this inner landscape, we call in more kindness, compassion, and joy for ourselves and each other.

My personal journey

I was just 7 years old when I was introduced to meditation by a teacher at my elementary school. I remember the awe and wonder of discovering a practice that gave me a sense of agency over my mind. This pivotal experience left a lasting impression that would evolve to become a healing touchstone later in life.

After navigating a significantly challenging childhood, I continued to struggle in early adulthood even as my life stabilized (which I would eventually learn is often the legacy of childhood adversity). Then, a college friend inspired and rekindled the mindfulness practice that first sparked my curiosity as a youngster.

As I integrated mindfulness into my life, I began to experience transformative shifts that helped me reconcile my past and begin to recognize the intergenerational patterns of trauma within my family lineage. I noticed greater emotional regulation, enhanced self-awareness, and a deeper connection to self. 

Finding purpose in helping others

Driven to help others experience the power of mindfulness, I became a certified teacher of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction through the world-renowned Mindfulness Center at Brown University. I also earned a certification in Advanced Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness.

I teach classes and workshops and lead community practices and retreats. I also partner with companies, non-profits, and organizations across the U.S. on special projects, lunch & learns, keynote addresses, and events.

Because mindfulness can be an important resource for therapy, I collaborate with therapists providing mindfulness training to clients suffering from chronic stress, anxiety, depression, challenging medical diagnoses, and trauma.

Among my special appearances and projects, I was the keynote speaker for the Montalvo Arts Center’s “Arts in Your Classroom Conference” in CA. I also partnered with Kansas City’s Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art and Smartify to produce The Art of Mindfulness, a guided audio tour that invites participants to engage with visual works from the museum’s permanent collection while being more fully “in the wake” of their moment-to-moment experience. 

Active in the Kansas City community, I’m a board member of The Resilient Activist, a non-profit that offers resilience tools for activists. I’m also a past board member of MidAmerica Dharma. 

My children are my epicenter. In addition to hanging out with my family, I enjoy creating a home and garden that I love and spending time in the natural world.