OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS and also MBSR INSTRUCTORS
There was a point when I felt lost in today’s never resting, fast world and I sought for alternatives. My journey to living slower and closer to myself has begun - and thanks to IM’s MBSR course I discovered the key importance of awareness in daily life. I feel grateful being part of Imagine Mindfulness and sharing the positive experience with new people, helping them be happier in their lives.
I learned Transcendental Meditation in 2016. In 2020, I completed a Mindful Self-Compassion Course and a Palouse Mindfulness class. In 2021, I took my first Imagine Mindfulness course and began my journey in learning Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction. Initially, I was involved in the Instructor Development Program and was an inaugural member of the teacher training program in 2021 and have been training ever since.
Merel De Boer
Certified MBSR Instructor, Secretary, and Founder
When I was in my late 20s, working as a social psychologist, training companies, and living live as was expected to be seen as ‘successful’, I realized this was not MY life. Mindfulness has given me the insights to learn about myself, to truly listen to and trust myself and plot my own path. I enjoy teaching MBSR and in doing so helping others navigate their own personal journey to learn about themselves.
Shishir Arya
Director of the Instructor Development Program, Certified Mindfulness Instructor, Board Member, and Founder
An engineer turned MBA turned consultant, I was perhaps doing well on most metrics except one - happiness. And so I quit, to search for answers. I was fortunate to stumble upon mindfulness - a scientific bridge that helped me unlock a deeper meaning to life. Serving the world through spreading mindfulness unconditionally, especially in the education space, is something that helps me realize my own happiness.
Summer Meyer
Executive Director, MBSR Instructor, and Founder
While working in the sustainability field, I realized that change will only be possible with increased awareness of self and the world around us. Coming back to my roots in counseling psychology, I co-founded Imagine because MBSR’s groundedness offers both a professional and a personal framework to develop this much needed skill. I’m passionate about inspiring people to become and embrace their very best self.
OUR MBSR INSTRUCTORS
Kristin Stein
MBSR Instructor with Imagine and through the Centre for Mindfulness, Canada.
(Heart is link to webpage about Kristin)
The very first time I sat in meditation was in 1997 while in graduate school. Since then, I have studied and practiced different traditions, approaches, and teachings. While teaching formal mindful practices is a more recent professional development, I have been designing, developing, and delivering educational courses and programming for over twenty years, across a diverse spectrum of audiences and learning platforms.
Jerry Cambra
Certified MBSR Instructor, and Founder
Heart arrhythmia, anxiety, and a racing mind were my reward for 45 years of a driven, stressful lifestyle. Medication did little to help, but MBSR changed this. I practice MBSR for focus, relaxation, and awareness. I teach MBSR so that others, especially those under 40, may learn to live more skillfully and with ease.
OUR ADVISORY BOARD
Pat Owen
Chair of the Advisory Board and Qigong Instructor
I serve on Imagine's Advisory Board as an Imagine alumna. I am also a Spring Forest Qigong instructor. Spring Forest Qigong was created by Master Chunyi Lin, an international Qigong Master from China. This form of Qigong is designed to be very simple to learn and practice, yet very powerful in its benefits. This practice is one of breathing, focusing your mind, doing very simple body movements, and meditating.
Vanessa Hood
Yoga Instructor, Wilderness and Mindfulness Guide
My approach to people is rooted in kindness and understanding. Metal and ceramic both serve as artistic outlets. I was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in 2012, I underwent a bone marrow transplant in 2013 and that experience led me to finding new purpose and growth with my life. In my survivorship I found a young adult cancer non-profit, True North Treks. I was offered the position to guide as a meditation leader and jumped at the chance.
