My Background
Naturally a caretaker and curious about how the body works guided me to become an RN 25 years ago. I very quickly learned the importance of the mind body connection one night shift in the emergency room at MGH during my rotation. The patient was in heart failure and his lungs were filled with fluid, his BP was sky high and he was in full panic mode. The staff worked quickly to get medication into him to ease his breathing.
I heard a nurse say to him "I'm here, we are all helping you. Close your eyes and picture a vacuum clearing the fluid from your lungs...just breath and let the vacuum and the medication work together...we are here...we will take care of you". His whole body changed, the blood pressure came down slightly and things started to turn around. I was in awe and right then I knew one day I would be like that nurse.
Raising two children and working, I was in caretaker mode all the way. September 11th, Sandy Hook shootings, and the Boston Marathon bombing. I suddenly couldn't be the caretaker I needed to be for my family. I was fraught with worry, ruminating about the senseless violence, waiting for the other shoe to drop, losing sleep, struggling against the universe.
I found a six week introduction to mindfulness workshop at my work and decided it couldn't hurt. It changed my life. I found clarity, peace, confidence and hope. I had tools and support to start practicing mindfulness in my everyday world and learned how to meditate. I fell off a few times, but the more I practiced, the more control I gave up (and gained), the calmer I felt and the happier I became.
From there I found the Jon Kabot-Zin Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program at UMass Medical and deepened my practice. I found a Reiki master and began my journey learning and practicing Usui Reiki. The coach, facilitator, caretaker in me wanted to share these things that enriched my life. I searched for a mindfulness/meditation teacher training program and found The Boston Buddha. The rest, as they say, is history and now I am ready to help bring this same journey of exploration, awakening and peace to you.