I began meditating in 1973. In my early 20’s and going through one of life’s challenges, I was fortunate to meet a mahatma from India who introduced me to meditation. I can honestly say it changed my life. Never before had I experienced such peace, wholeness, or love and this was all within me.
The life journey continued which included marriage and three children. I continued to meditate and practice yoga.
In the 80’s I studied Holistic Health, yoga, and meditation at the Kripalu Center and eventually was certified teacher in all three.
During that time I began to read books on Mindfulness Meditation by Thich Nhat Hahn and in 1993 attended a 5 day silent retreat with him. When I left, I vowed to practice mindfulness as a way of life as well as a meditation.
Over the years, the practice has supported me through several life challenges. Most recently, when my dearest friend and fiancé passed following a tragic mountain bike accident on October 29, 2018, I was reminded of one of the many benefits of a mindfulness practice, the strengthening of resilience. Although my heart was broken and my life was turned upside down, I bounced back and was able to move forward into a new life chapter.
In this new chapter, I decided to step out and introduce others to Living Mindfully.
Two of the class participants at Ohana Yoga have offered words of inspiration.
“I first started meditation with Judy several years ago, and like so many others, I was juggling many responsibilities. Practicing meditation with Judy helped me find moments of peace and silence for myself. A few years passed, and Judy reached out to say she was teaching meditation again. Although I was in a different place in my life, I jumped at the opportunity to practice with Judy again. I recommitted myself to my practice, and have such support and understanding from Judy.
Being mindful sounds so simple, but it really isn’t. Meditation and mindfulness have helped me to take a breath, take a step back, and to be aware-of the good and the not so good-without judgement. While I am not always successful, my awareness grows every day. Coming together in Judy’s class each week to share experiences and practice is an oasis in the craziness of daily life.” – Amanda Noonan
“I’m generally not a crystals-and-incense kind of gal, but this class won me over to meditation/mindfulness practice. Judy is an excellent instructor-kind, insightful, inspirational, and incredibly good at transmitting her deep knowledge of the subject matter. She makes you want to grow up to be someone just like her! Although I’ll admit I wax and wane in terms of my sitting practice at home, I always look forward to the class on Sunday mornings and the calm, peacefulness, and insight that I gain from every class (and just a p.s., although I am a rank amateur at this, more experienced meditators also seem to gain a lot from the class).” – Carol Hooper
