The Mindfulness Everyday Team
Heidi Bornstein
Founder – Executive Director
MBSR, SMART & Yoga Teacher/Facilitator
My passion for bringing mindful awareness to adults and teens comes from discovering meditation when I was a teen. It opened doors of perception, awareness and clarity that have guided me my entire life. Being able to share the mind body practices with adults through MBSR Workshops and teens through The Mindful Edge and seeing them open, soften, and connect with their own inner wisdom is incredibly inspiring.
Mindfulness Everyday ×
Heidi Bornstein, RP, CYA-E-RYTGOLD
Founder – Executive Director
MBSR, SMART & Yoga Teacher/Facilitator
HEIDI BORNSTEIN, RP, CYA-E-RYT GOLD , founder and acting executive director of Mindfulness Everyday, HEIDI BORNSTEIN, founder and acting executive director of Mindfulness Everyday, a registered Canadian charity, has an extensive background in mindfulness, yoga and meditation. Heidi is trained as a Hatha yoga and meditation teacher, and received intensive training at the International Meditation Institute while living in India and is Canadian Yoga Alliance member & faculty for Mindfulness Everyday CYA-E-RYSGOLD. She is a certified MBSR (Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction) Level 1 teacher, Hatha Yoga Teacher, Meditation and Level 2 SMARTeducation – Stress Managements and Resiliency Techniques for Educators (SMART) Facilitator and an Instructor for University of Toronto, School of Continuing Studies.
Heidi has trained extensively: she is certified in Yoga Ed for Elementary Schools, High Schools, and for Working with Those At-Risk; Mindfulness for Kids at Risk with Vinnie Ferraro; Street Yoga training for Kids at Risk; Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program for Teens: Interventions and Strategies to Use in Clinical Practice with Gina Biegel, MA LMFT, Teaching Mindfulness to Teens, Trauma Basics for Youth Workers, Resilience and Self-Care Basics for Helping Professionals with Sam Himelstein, Ph.D. at The Centre for Adolescent Studies, Trauma Sensitive Mindfulness Training with David Treleaven, and has completed the Certification in Applied Mindfulness Program at the University of Toronto Factor Inwentash School of Social Work.
She is the co-creator (with Heather Elson) of the Yoda-Yoga Program for kids, a program specifically designed for use in the 20-minute DPA (Daily Physical Activity) in Ontario elementary schools, the co-creator and teacher for The Mindful Edge (Stress Reduction and Life Strategies for Teens) program in high schools and community settings and the co-creator and teacher for The Mindful Yoga Teacher Training Program, a Canadian Yoga Alliance registered course that gives mindfulness teachers the confidence and knowledge to safely deliver comprehensive mindful movement as part of mindfulness-based programs and courses.
Heidi continues to investigate, learn and study in order to develop mindfulness-based programs that are accessible, experiential, relevant, trauma-sensitive, SEL informed and EDI (equity diversity and inclusivity) aware for delivery in educational and community settings to children, youth, parents and guardians, adults, educators, and helping professionals. She has presented at international conferences, with a focus on experiential mindfulness practices that can be implemented into daily life. Heidi is committed to helping create communities, by bringing mindfulness tools and awareness, to support well-being and mental health in Canadian schools. She has been supporting yoga, meditation, and mindfulness programs for children, youth, teens, and adults in Toronto since 2002 and with her partner Stephen Chadwick, continues to offer a 1-hour free weekly themed mindfulness session online, which began at the beginning of the COVID 19 pandemic.
Stephen Chadwick
Founder, Educational Liaison – MBSR & SMART Teacher/Facilitator
The “stress” of education has been on academics and a full education is missing, one where a child develops socially and emotionally.
Children are multi-faceted human beings. I believe that adults and youth need to become friends with themselves, accepting who they are and connecting with the wisdom that they have within already.
Mindfulness Everyday ×
Stephen Chadwick
Founder, Educational Liaison – MBSR & SMART Teacher/Facilitator
The “stress” of education has been on academics and a full education is missing, one where a child develops socially and emotionally.
Children are multi-faceted human beings. I believe that adults and youth need to become friends with themselves, accepting who they are and connecting with the wisdom that they have within already.
STEPHEN CHADWICK is an MBSR teacher who received his training under the direction of Roy Hintsa and Dr. Diane Reibel the Director of The Stress Reduction Program at Jefferson University’s Myrna Brind Center for Integrative Medicine. He received his certification as a Yoga Ed Instructor for High Schools, Working with Those At-Risk, Level II Curriculum Training of Mindful Schools, and trained in smartEducation™ (Stress Management and Resiliency Techniques) with Linda Wallace. Steve is a teacher for The Mindful Edge® –Stress Reduction and Life Strategies for Teens program in high schools. He has twenty seven years experience as a public school teacher with the TDSB, specializing in working with Children with Special Needs and ESL.
Bob Buckner
Director
BOB BUCKNER is a retired executive having worked 32 years for Bank of Montreal, most recently as head of Corporate Finance for B.C. He has a B.Sc. in Mathematics and Economics from University of Victoria and is a Chartered Professional Accountant. He has served on a number of corporate and charitable boards and is currently involved with strategic planning for Discover Mindfulness and a Director of Mindfulness Everyday.
Angela Ventrice, B.A. B.Ed
SMART Facilitator / Associate Mindfulness Teacher / Director of Education
ANGELA VENTRICE has been an Ontario certified educator with the York Region District School Board for over 28 years, with the last 19 years being in Guidance and Career Education. She is also an instructor with the Ontario School Counsellor’s Association where she teaches continuing education courses for certified teachers.
Mindfulness Everyday ×
Angela Ventrice, B.A. B.Ed
SMART Facilitator / Associate Mindfulness Teacher
ANGELA VENTRICE has been an Ontario certified educator with the York Region District School Board for over 28 years, with the last 19 years being in Guidance and Career Education. She is also an instructor with the Ontario School Counsellor’s Association where she teaches continuing education courses for certified teachers.
Her experience includes a background in Special Education, as well as a Specialist in Guidance. Angela experienced the personal health benefits of mindfulness while she attended the Transpersonal Therapy Centre of Toronto in 2002, where she received and completed training in meditation, mindfulness and therapeutic practices. Since then, Angela has incorporated mindfulness into her daily life and it has been a key component of her self care.
Angela is excited to promote mindfulness for teacher and student well being and has completed further trainings as a graduate of MBSR, and as an MBSR-T-Stressed Teens facilitator with Gina Biegal. She also participated in the SmartEducation program (SmartUBC and Mindfulness Everyday), most recently becoming a SMART instructor. She has facilitated numerous professional development workshops on mindfulness in the classroom, including "Mindfulness in the Guidance Office" at the Ontario School Counsellor's Association and "Ways to Wellness" at various elementary schools.
As a teacher, Angela hears the growing concerns for more mindfulness education, especially from parents and professionals, that is needed for all ages. Angela has seen the positive results of mindfulness in the school community and is dedicated to bringing mindfulness to educators, children, youth and their families.
Markus Bohlmann, PhD
Certified Mindful Self-Compassion Teacher
“We need to train the heart before we follow it” ~ Joseph Goldstein
Want to learn to be kind to yourself? More loving and understanding of yourself, including your inner critic? Mindful Self-Compassion flies on the wings of awareness (of our suffering) and kindness, for it is only when we become aware of our suffering, we can hold it (and ourselves) with loving kindness.
Mindfulness Everyday ×
Markus Bohlmann, PhD
Mindful Self-Compassion Teacher
“We need to train the heart before we follow it”
~ Joseph Goldstein
Do you wish to follow your heart? Do wish to learn to be kind to yourself? To be more loving and understanding of yourself, including your inner critic?
Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) provides a path. MSC unfolds on the wings of awareness (of our suffering) and kindness, for it is only when we become aware of our suffering, we can hold ourselves in loving connected presence. Join Markus Bohlmann, PhD, and certified teacher of MSC through the Center for Mindful Self-Compassion (CMSC) on your adventure through MSC. Markus has had the privilege to have trained directly with world-renowned mindfulness teachers including Christopher Germer, Kristin Neff, Steve Hickman, Michelle Becker, Zindel Segal, Patricia Rockman, Susan Woods, and Dawn MacDonald.
Markus is the team leader of the 2SLGBTQ+ Affinity Group of the Circles of Practice, a public meditation offering at CMSC.
Recently, Markus has also taken on the role of world-wide translation co-ordination with CMSC and a member of their DEIB committee (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging), promoting the inclusion of minorities, especially the 2SLGBTQ+communities.
Feel free to learn more about Markus at www.markusbohlmann.com and reach out to Markus at markus.bohlmann@mindfulnesseveryday.org
Naomi Nurgitz
MBSR & SMART Teacher/Facilitator
Mindfulness has made such a difference in my life, how could I not share it with others? Teaching mindfulness to others also benefits me because it reminds me to be mindful. It gives me such joy, as the weeks progress through a workshop cycle to watch participants' tight, stressed body language open up and the sparkle to come back into their eyes, as they realize that through mindfulness they have the power to live consciously.
Mindfulness Everyday ×
Naomi Nurgitz
Mindfulness has made such a difference in my life, how could I not share it with others? Teaching mindfulness to others also benefits me because it reminds me to be mindful. It gives me such joy, as the weeks progress through a workshop cycle to watch participants' tight, stressed body language open up and the sparkle to come back into their eyes, as they realize that through mindfulness they have the power to live consciously.
NAOMI NURGITZ is an MBSR teacher who received her training under the direction of Roy Hintsa and Dr. Diane Reibel, the Director of The Stress Reduction Program at Jefferson University’s Myrna Brind Center for Integrative Medicine. She participated in the 7-Day Professional Training in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction in Mind-Body Medicine under the direction of Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn and Dr. Saki Santorelli. She is trained in Mindfulness for Kids at Risk with Vinnie Ferraro, and Street Yoga training for Kids at Risk as well as smartEducation™ (Stress Management and Resiliency Techniques) with Linda Wallace. Naomi has completed MBCPM level 1 of the facilitator training at the NeuroNove Centre with Dr. Jackie Gardner-Nix for Mindfulness Based Chronic Pain Management. She came to MBSR with a long history of helping people to resolve their conflicts, both as a lawyer & mediator. She is an experienced adult educator, and spent 5 years dedicated to working with kids at risk as a volunteer member of the Youth Justice Committee at Conflict Mediation Services of Downsview.
Susan Meech
SMART Teacher/Facilitator
It is a privilege for me to introduce people to mindfulness, knowing that mindfulness lets us see the world and ourselves with greater clarity and compassion.
Mindfulness Everyday ×
Susan Meech
It is a privilege for me to introduce people to mindfulness, knowing that mindfulness lets us see the world and ourselves with greater clarity and compassion.
SUSAN MEECH received her training in smartEducation™ (Stress Management and Resiliency Techniques) from Linda Wallace; her MBSR training from Kate Kitchen, Kirstin Bindseil, and Dr. Steven Selchen at the Mt. Sinai Psychotherapy Institute, Toronto; and her training in Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy from Dr. Zindel Segal, Dr. Pat Rockman, and Dr. Darren Higgins. She participated in the 7-Day Professional Training in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction in Mind-Body Medicine under the direction of Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn and Dr Saki Santorelli. Her earlier training in mind body medicine was with Dr. Herbert Benson and his colleagues from the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine, Boston, MA, and her professional coach training was with Adler International Learning, Toronto.
Susan uses mindfulness in her work with coaching clients who are making changes in their lives. Her varied experiences as an educator, lawyer, and policy analyst contribute to her understanding of some of the work environments and issues facing her clients. Susan is on the steering committee of Mindfulness Toronto and founded the Mindful Leaders-Mindful Workplace special interest group.
Andrea Leskowsky-Grupp B.A., M.Ed.
SMART Facilitator
Andrea Leskowsky-Grupp has been a devoted movement practitioner for over 20 years, and is a certified instructor of both classical and restorative yoga. Her teachers include Jiwan Goyal of the Institute of Classical Yoga and Therapy; Pat Harada Linfoot and Scott Davis of Octopus Garden; and Andrea Peloso, a life-long student of Judith Hanson Lasater.
Mindfulness Everyday ×
Andrea Leskowsky-Grupp
Andrea Leskowsky-Grupp has been a devoted movement practitioner for over 20 years, and is a certified instructor of both classical and restorative yoga. Her teachers include Jiwan Goyal of the Institute of Classical Yoga and Therapy; Pat Harada Linfoot and Scott Davis of Octopus Garden; and Andrea Peloso, a life-long student of Judith Hanson Lasater. During a period of difficulty some time ago, Andrea took part in an eight-week mindfulness training that provoked keen awareness of how the mind influences the body and vice versa, as well as the long-term effects of trauma and chronic stress on a person’s relationship with themselves and others.
These experiences coalesced into an abiding interest in the connections between meditation, mindful movement, and self-healing. Desiring to begin a wider conversation, Andrea recently pursued facilitator certifications in both SMART and the Mindfulness Ambassador Program, and is currently working with first responders to foster a culture of mindfulness-based stress-management and self-care. Andrea is also a full-time college professor, and has taught courses on interpersonal theory, business writing, and wellness within several different programs. She is deeply passionate about teaching, and is a strong advocate for universal access to higher education by vulnerable and under-served communities.
Carla Waites, Hons. BA and B.Ed
SMART Facilitator / Associate Teacher, Certified Mindfulness in Schools Project Facilitator
CARLA WAITES, although retired after 30 years of teaching, considers herself to be a life-long educator and learner. Along with being a smartEducation facilitator she is also a certified Mindfulness in Schools .b Project teacher and has participated in numerous Mindfulness workshops, retreats and conferences at the U of Toronto, the Omega Institute and the Garrison Institute among others.
Mindfulness Everyday ×
Carla Waites
CARLA WAITES, although retired after 30 years of teaching, considers herself to be a life-long educator and learner. Along with being a smartEducation facilitator she is also a certified Mindfulness in Schools .b Project teacher and has participated in numerous Mindfulness workshops, retreats and conferences at the U of Toronto, the Omega Institute and the Garrison Institute among others.
The greatest satisfaction during the last several years of public school teaching was teaching Mindfulness practices to her students and colleagues. The joyfulness of the students was a continuing delight as they discovered for themselves the transformational benefits of Mindfulness.
Carla is passionate about nurturing educators by sharing Mindfulness practices and ideas with them. While it is important to focus on what is best for the students, Carla believes that it is equally as important to pay attention to and nurture the well being of our teachers. After all, their well-being impacts directly on the students.
Daphne Marsella, B.Sc., B.Ed.
SMART Facilitator / Associate Mindfulness Teacher
“You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn to surf.” Jon Kabat-Zinn
DAPHNE MARSELLA has been educating secondary school students in Durham Region for the past 12 years, and is a Holy Fire II Usui Reiki Master.
Mindfulness Everyday ×
Daphne Marsella
“You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn to surf.” Jon Kabat-Zinn
DAPHNE MARSELLA has been educating secondary school students in Durham Region for the past 12 years, she is also a Holy Fire II Usui Reiki Master. Prior to moving to Durham, Daphne taught Indigenous students in Canada’s Northwest Territories. Daphne has always had a passion for working with at-risk youth and her work in an alternative high school continues to motivate her to guide all students in recognizing their inner wisdom and beauty.
Daphne began her own meditation and mindfulness practice about four years ago and almost immediately experienced the transformative power a regular practice has. Daphne’s formal training in Mindfulness includes, MBSR online through Palouse Mindfulness, The Science of Happiness (Greater Good Science Centre, Berkeley University), The Way of the Shaman (basic workshop in core Shamanism), smartEducation (4 week summer intensive and 5 day intensive), The Science of Well-Being (Yale University) and a True North Insight Retreat.
Daphne is incredibly grateful for the amazing journey she is currently on and appreciates all of the learning she continues to receive. She is hopeful that the awakening she is experiencing will continue to have ripple effects throughout the world and is honoured to be a part of it.
Franca Battaglia BA, B.Ed
SMART Facilitator, Associate Mindfulness Facilitator/ Mindful Yoga Instructor/ Mindful Edge Teacher
“Smile, breathe and go slowly.” ~Thich Nhat Hanh “You are the sky. Everything else is just the weather.” ~Pema Chodron
FRANCE BATTAGLIA is an experienced Mindfulness Facilitator with Mindfulness Everyday, offering programs for Educators, HealthCare Professionals, Parents, Group organizations and Teens.
Mindfulness Everyday ×
Franca Battaglia
Franca has a great love for learning and often seeks opportunities for Professional Development and Training to deepen her practice. These PD interests and studies include Mindful Self-Compassion, Yoga, Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), Positive Psychology, the Foundations of Wellness, and Inquiry Essentials.
Franca is a certified Mindful Yoga Instructor and maintains a regular Mindfulness & Yoga practice at home. In all, she hopes to merge her 15- year background in education, and her Mindfulness Experience and Yoga Training with her interests in supporting the community, counselling and the Arts.
Special thanks to her mentors and teachers, including Jon Kabat-Zinn, Heidi Bornstein & Dianna Last, Chris Germer, Kristen Neff, Rick Hanson, Tara Brach and Susan Woods for all their teachings which continue to guide, inspire and support Franca on her mindful life journey.
Franca is grateful to have found a path that nurtures greater conscious awareness, acceptance and clarity and she is looking forward to sharing mindfulness resources with the community.
Helen Gault, B.Sc, B.Ed
SMART Facilitator
HELEN GAULT has been a teacher for 16 years, the last 14 working with secondary students in Special Education with YRDSB. Before becoming an educator, Helen worked in the environmental field, first as a park naturalist working with school groups, teachers and the public, then as an environmental educator developing resources and facilitating workshops and outdoor programs for children and teachers.
Mindfulness Everyday ×
Helen Gault
HELEN GAULT has been a teacher for 16 years, the last 14 working with secondary students in Special Education with YRDSB. Before becoming an educator, Helen worked in the environmental field, first as a park naturalist working with school groups, teachers and the public, then as an environmental educator developing resources and facilitating workshops and outdoor programs for children and teachers.
She has practised meditation for over 30 years. Helen began her mindfulness journey as a participant in the SmartEducation program and immediately saw the benefits in her personal and professional life. She incorporates the practises into her self-care program. In addition, she has co-facilitated mindfulness workshops for teachers and teens. She especially enjoys incorporating her love of nature and the outdoors with mindfulness. She has completed the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Program, and the SmartEducation Facilitator Training.
She is excited to be involved in the transition of SmartEducation to the on-line platform. Helen has seen the positive results of mindfulness in her own life and in the lives of teachers, parents and students.
Julia Neilson, BA, B.Ed
SMART Facilitator / Associate Mindfulness Facilitator
“Within you, there is a stillness and a sanctuary to which you can retreat at anytime and be yourself.” - Hermann Hesse
JULIA NEILSON has dedicated over 20 years to elementary school students as a teacher with the Halton District School Board since 1990.
Mindfulness Everyday ×
Julia Neilson
“Within you, there is a stillness and a sanctuary to which you can retreat at anytime and be yourself.” - Hermann Hesse
JULIA NEILSON has dedicated over 20 years to elementary school students as a teacher with the Halton District School Board since 1990. She has worked with varying grade levels from Kindergarten to grade 8. Julia has completed numerous workshops and courses through Mindfulness Everyday and Mindful Schools, dedicated to bringing Mindfulness to education and youth. With five years of personal practice, Julia has learned the importance of mindfulness and the positive changes it can bring to the way we live our lives, how we feel about ourselves, and how we interact with others.
I am inspired to help others learn how to incorporate mindfulness to live more consciously.
Lois Lorimer Nunn, B.Ed., M.Ed.
SMART Facilitator / Associate Mindfulness Facilitator
LOIS LORIMER NUNN is a retired teacher-librarian who taught for over 25 years with the Toronto District School Board at R. H. King Academy where she promoted and supported the Mindful Minute and Mindfulness curriculum for students. She received a SmartEducation certificate from the U.B.C. program developed to introduce stress management and resilience for teachers.
Mindfulness Everyday ×
Lois Lorimer Nunn
LOIS LORIMER NUNN is a retired teacher-librarian who taught for over 25 years with the Toronto District School Board at R. H. King Academy where she promoted and supported the Mindful Minute and Mindfulness curriculum for students. She received a SmartEducation certificate from the U.B.C. program developed to introduce stress management and resilience for teachers.
As part of her Master of Education degree at Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, Lois studied with John P. Miller, learning the importance of mindfulness and meditation practice in the classroom and for teacher self-care. Her MBSR training was with Dianna Last. Lois has received training in the Learning to Breathe Curriculum with Patricia C. Broderick.
In 2015, she was awarded a TDSB Award of Excellence for her work in mental health literacy, and mindful library initiatives. Lois is an experienced educator who has delivered workshops to teachers, parents and students and has observed the benefits of mindfulness for the school community.
Natalia Fister, B.Eng., B.Ed.,Yoga Teacher CYA-E-RYT GOLD
SMART Facilitator / Associate Mindfulness Facilitator / Yoga Teacher
NATALIA FISTER has been teaching Hatha Yoga since 2002 and has studied yoga, meditation and breathwork extensively, both locally and internationally, travelling to India several times, Kripalu in Massachusetts Nosara, Costa Rica and Lake Atitlan Guatemala to attend yoga retreats, and to Vallecitos, New Mexico to continue her yoga teacher training.
Mindfulness Everyday ×
Natalia Fister,
CYA-E-RYTGOLD
NATALIA FISTER, CYA-E-RYTGOLD is a yoga and mindfulness teacher. She has been teaching Hath Yoga since 2002 and Mindfulness since 2012. She was formerly a high school English teacher.
Natalia pioneered a CREDITED yoga and mindfulness course in high school for the York Region District School Board. She taught a Grade 11 “Mindful Yoga and the Art of Happiness” course 6 years in a row and Grade 12 “Mindful Yoga and the Philosophy of Wellness” course for 4 years.
She is a certified facilitator for SMART: Stress Management and Resiliency Techniques. She teaches a 10 week mindfulness program called “The Mindful Edge” to high school students. She has facilitated numerous professional development workshops for educators on mindfulness in the classroom, including the annual “Bridging Hearts and Minds” conference in San Diego for educators and health care providers. She is an instructor for the University of Toronto Continuing Education Department, teaching a course on “Teaching Mindfulness to Teens".
Natalia currently teaches a 200 hour Mindful Yoga Teacher Training, uniquely applying the attitudes of Mindfulness to the teaching of hatha yoga.
She relentlessly pursues on-going education in yoga and mindfulness, studying at home and abroad:
• India (Rishikesh, Varanasi, Goa)
• Kripalu (Massachusetts)
• Nosara (Costa Rica)
• San Marco, Lake Atitlan (Guatemala)
• Vallecitos (New Mexico) 5 day silent retreat for educators.
Natalia is committed to sharing the benefits of mindfulness and yoga to students and teachers alike in the conviction that it will transform their lives as much as it has hers.
Maryclaire Ordorico B.A. B.Ed
SMART Facilitator (Under Supervision)
"Educating the mind without educating the heart is not education at all." - Aristotle
MARYCLAIRE ODORICO is a high school teacher with over 25 years experience in education, working with students in areas of English, Italian, History and Drama studies, and working with staff in professional development.
Mindfulness Everyday ×
Maryclaire Ordorico
"Educating the mind without educating the heart is not education at all." - Aristotle
MARYCLAIRE ODORICO is a high school teacher with over 25 years experience in education, working with students in areas of English, Italian, History and Drama studies, and working with staff in professional development. In the last decade, her research and practices have extended to areas of mental health and the importance of self-care.
As an educational professional and certified SMART facilitator she is inspired to support teachers often the first line of defense for students, to learn and practice mindfulness for their own wellbeing, and to recognize the impact students’ mental health can have on learning and achievement.
She welcomes that mental health and mindfulness awareness is finally becoming an important part of a school’s function and curriculum and is committed to making it an integral part of learning and practice for both staff and students.
Sara Escott M.Ed, BFA
MBSR, SMART Facilitator / Associate Mindfulness Facilitator
Sara has been facilitator and educator for over 15 years. She is the co-director of In Forma Theatre, a community-based arts and education company in Toronto. Her work is grounded in the theory and practice of community-based transformation and peace-building. She facilitates mindfulness programs to adults, youth and children.
Mindfulness Everyday ×
Sara Escott
Sara has been facilitator and educator for over 15 years. She is the co-director of In Forma Theatre, a community-based arts and education company in Toronto. Her work is grounded in the theory and practice of community-based transformation and peace-building. She facilitates mindfulness programs to adults, youth and children.
Sara has a Masters in Adult Education and Community Development (OISE/UT), and an Honours BFA in Theatre Directing (York University). Sara is a qualified Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Instructor (Centre for Mindfulness Studies & Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto) and SMART Education Instructor.
Sharon Babineau
SMART Facilitator / Associate Mindfulness Facilitator
SHARON BABINEAU is a decorated military soldier (retired). She is a Corporate Wellness Facilitator, Keynote Speaker/Author/ & Mindfulness Specialist. Sharon is an instructor with the University of Toronto – Continuing Education in the Applied Mindfulness Meditation Certification Program.
Mindfulness Everyday ×
Sharon Babineau
SHARON BABINEAU is a decorated military soldier (retired). She is a Corporate Wellness Facilitator, Keynote Speaker/Author/ & Mindfulness Specialist. Sharon is an instructor with the University of Toronto – Continuing Education in the Applied Mindfulness Meditation Certification Program.
She is the co-founder of Mindful Solutions for Change and presents workshops and keynotes on wellness, health and safety and work-life balance at conferences, organizations and health care providers across Canada. She is certified at University of Toronto (Factor-Inwentash) as an Applied Mindfulness Meditation Specialist and facilitator in Transformative Mindfulness Methods and with Mindfulness Without Borders.
Sharon also presents to elementary and high schools on leadership and overcoming adversity. She is a member of the Canadian Association of Professional Speakers. Sharon is the founder of Maddie’s Everlasting Wish, a not-for-profit started in her daughter's memory and has been recognized for the charity work she has done at home and in Africa and is the recipient of many awards including the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal and YWCA Women of Distinction 2013.
Shawna Watson, BA, B.Ed
SMART Facilitator / Associate Mindfulness Facilitator
"We as human beings have this amazing capacity to be reborn at breakfast every day and say: this is a new day...who will I be?" Jack Kornfield
SHAWNA WATSON has been teaching in the Toronto District School Board for 15 years.
Mindfulness Everyday ×
Shawna Watson
"We as human beings have this amazing capacity to be reborn at breakfast every day and say: this is a new day...who will I be?" Jack Kornfield
SHAWNA WATSON has been teaching in the Toronto District School Board for 15 years. Early in her teaching career, Shawna discovered mindfulness as a way to manage the many demands of the work. Shawna spent her recent sabbatical creating art, writing, travelling, and furthering her mindfulness practice through courses, conferences and retreats.
A long-time volunteer with community mindfulness groups, Shawna is on the Discover Mindfulness Steering Committee where she coordinates and facilitates Days of Mindfulness for educators. She is a facilitator in the mindfulness-based smartEducation™ (Stress Management and Resiliency Techniques) program for educators.
She has also trained in Learning to Breathe (a mindfulness curriculum for adolescents) and teaches the program to grade 7 and 8 students at her school. She is currently training to be a facilitator in the Stressed Teens curriculum.
Theresa Meikle B.A., B.Ed., M.A.(T), OCT
SMART Facilitator (Under Supervision)/ Associate Mindfulness Facilitator
“Life only unfolds in moments. The healing power of mindfulness lies in living each of those moments as fully as we can, accepting it as it is as we open to what comes next—in the next moment of now.” ― Jon Kabat-Zinn, Full Catastrophe Living
Mindfulness Everyday ×
Theresa Meikle
“Life only unfolds in moments. The healing power of mindfulness lies in living each of those moments as fully as we can, accepting it as it is as we open to what comes next—in the next moment of now.” ― Jon Kabat-Zinn, Full Catastrophe Living
THERESA MEIKLE has played diverse roles in education for over 30 years. Her experiences include: school administrator, Educational Officer (Ministry of Education, Ontario), curriculum consultant, facilitator, instructional coach and secondary school teacher.
Her experience working with adults and students has provided her with many opportunities for learning, both personally and professionally. As an English and Dramatic Arts Head Teacher she fostered communities of inclusion, caring, trust and collaboration using many Tribes, Drama and Team Building activities.
As a facilitator of adult learning she continues to support teacher and administrator learning in the areas of literacy, assessment and inclusive classroom management. In addition, she has formally trained in Cognitive Coaching and Adaptive Schools.
Tiina Krabi, , B.A., M.Ed.
SMART Facilitator (Under Supervision)
What is a life? It is the flash of a firefly in the night. It is the breath of a Buffalo in the wintertime. It is the shadow which runs across the grass and loses itself in the sunset. ~ Crowfoot, Blackfoot Orator, 1899
Mindfulness Everyday ×
Tiina Krabi
What is a life? It is the flash of a firefly in the night. It is the breath of a Buffalo in the wintertime. It is the shadow which runs across the grass and loses itself in the sunset. ~ Crowfoot, Blackfoot Orator, 1899
TIINA KRABI has worked for over 25 years as a secondary school teacher and guidance counsellor with the York District School Board. She is a Stress Management and Resiliency Technique (SMART) facilitator, Registered Yoga Teacher and earned her B.A. and M.Ed.at the University of Toronto.
Her favourite place to practice mindfulness and yoga is at the cottage on Minden Lake with her family, friends and Golden Retriever.
Triti Namiranian BA, B.Ed., RYT 200
SMART Facilitator / Associate Teacher
TRITI NAMIRANIAN is a mindfulness and yoga practitioner. She has also been an educator with the Toronto District School Board for 12 years. She discovered Mindfulness when she was at a crossroads in her life and the practice helped her, and continues to help her navigate life’s challenges.
Mindfulness Everyday ×
Triti Namiranian
TRITI NAMIRANIAN is a mindfulness and yoga practitioner. She has also been an educator with the Toronto District School Board for 12 years. She discovered Mindfulness when she was at a crossroads in her life and the practice helped her, and continues to help her navigate life’s challenges.
After this initial introduction, Triti continued her commitment to the practice by taking MBSR, and different workshops regarding Mindfulness in Education which led her to take smartEducation™ (Stress Management and Resiliency Techniques).
Triti simultaneously began to fall in love with Yoga, which has become a passion of hers. She completed her Yoga Teacher Training in 2018 at Octopus Garden Holistic Yoga Center in Toronto, she has also completed Trauma Informed Yoga Training with Sarah Kinsley, and Mindful Education Teacher Training with Daniel Rechtschaffen.
Most recently, Triti has had the privilege to teach Mindfulness at her school to all the grades from Kindergarten to grade 8, and be the lead on raising awareness of children’s mental health. She has realized that an important part of integrating Mindfulness into schools was through supporting and connecting with other educators, which ultimately would benefit students as well. This in part led her to become a SMART facilitator, start a Mindful Teacher Support Group, and to continue to be a member of the Discover Mindfulness Steering Committee where she helps facilitate days of Mindfulness.
Dr. Ameeta Dudani, PhD, C.Psych, RYT-200, Associate Mindfulness Teacher
Clinical and School Psychologist
SMART Facilitator / Teacher / practitioner of mindfulness meditation & yoga
Ameeta has been practicing mindfulness meditation for over 10 years and has been a lifelong yogi. Her practice has been deeply influenced by Thich Nhat Hanh and Jon Kabat-Zinn's MBSR program, as well as various other teachers.
Mindfulness Everyday ×
Dr. Ameeta Dudani
Dr. Ameeta Dudani, PhD, CPsych (https://drdudani.com) is a Clinical and School Psychologist and a mindfulness and yoga teacher (RYT-200). At Mindfulness Everyday, she is an Associate Mindfulness Teacher and UBC-Certified SMART Facilitator.
Ameeta has been practicing mindfulness meditation for over 10 years and has been a lifelong yogi. Her practice has been deeply influenced by Thich Nhat Hanh and Jon Kabat-Zinn's MBSR program, as well as various other teachers. Ameeta completed the UMass MBSR in Mind-Body medicine program in 2017, the SMART training in 2015, and several other workshops since then. She loves facilitating the Smart program for educators/helping professionals and teaching mindfulness workshops in schools and organizations. She is especially passionate about the integration of nature and mindfulness.
Ameeta works as a child and youth psychologist in private practice and at the North Peel Family Health Team in Brampton. She also provides mindfulness consulting and leads mindfulness/yoga retreats. Ameeta endeavours to practice mindfulness in each step, in each breath and each moment, to support healing, wellbeing and non-violence in oneself and in the world. She is an aspirant of the Thich Nhat Hanh Order of Interbeing community, from whom she received the Five Mindfulness Trainings and given the dharma name "Gentle Healer of the Heart.
Kristin Wiens
Inclusion Coach
British Columbia
KRISTEN WIENS (@kwiens62) is an Inclusion Coach for the Sooke School District (#62) located on Southern Vancouver Island. She supports Integration Support teachers and classroom teachers from Kindergarten to grade 12.
Mindfulness Everyday ×
Kristin Wiens
KRISTIN WIENS (@kwiens62) is an Inclusion Coach for the Sooke School District (#62) located on Southern Vancouver Island. She supports Integration Support teachers and classroom teachers from Kindergarten to grade 12. She facilitates workshops on a variety of topics including self-regulation, inclusion, mindfulness and visuals.
Kristin also works with the Raffi Foundation educating others about the Child Honouring philosophy. Learn more about Child Honouring: raffifoundation.org.
Kristin has worked as a Child and Family Counsellor, Life Skills teacher, Integration Support teacher and Curriculum Coordinator. Kristin is author/illustrator of the children's book My Gratitude Jar and creator of Long Story Shortz educational videos and graphics. You can find her videos and graphics at northstarpaths.com
Rena Chadwick BMus, B.Ed, YTT
SMART Faclitator / Associate Mindfulness Facilitator
British Columbia
Sharing the joy of movement, music and mindfulness are Rena’s greatest passions. She has been a full-time educator for the past decade, specializing in music. Yoga and mindfulness, also came into her life at this time, extending beyond the physical practice and transforming the way she cared for herself, others, and the world around her.
Mindfulness Everyday ×
Rena Chadwick
Sharing the joy of movement, music and mindfulness are Rena’s greatest passions. She has been a full-time educator for the past decade, specializing in music. Yoga and mindfulness, also came into her life at this time, extending beyond the physical practice and transforming the way she cared for herself, others, and the world around her.
Creating joyful and inclusive spaces to unwind using methods of mindfulness meditation, Rena offers her students an opportunity to explore and tune into their mind and body, in a safe and creative environment. She has completed her 240-hour Hatha yoga training, in addition to the Applied Mindfulness Meditation Certificate (University of Toronto, School of Continuing Studies) and being a certified smartUBC (Stress Management and Resiliency Techniques) facilitator with Mindfulness Everyday. She is currently completing her 300-Hour Teacher of Therapeutic Yoga Certification Program (RYT-500).
Tyler Van Beers B.A., B.Ed., M.Ed., RCC
SMART Facilitator
British Columbia
Tyler has a Masters Degree in Counselling Psychology from UBC and is a Registered Clinical Counsellor. He works as a School and Family Consultant for School District 73 Kamloops-Thompson in BC.
Mindfulness Everyday ×
Tyler Van Beers
Tyler has a Masters Degree in Counselling Psychology from UBC and is a Registered Clinical Counsellor. He works as a School and Family Consultant for School District 73 Kamloops-Thompson in BC.
He has been supporting teacher well being through smartEduction and offering workshops on positive psychology and emotional awareness to help teachers cultivate presence with their students. He supports teachers in learning how to implement Social Emotional Learning Programs to elementary and secondary students. He has been trained in the Mindful School Curriculum and has been supporting teachers with implementing MindUP.
Victoria Scott
SMART Educator
British Columbia
VICKI SCOTT has been an educator in the British Columbia Interior for over 20 years. Discovering mindfulness and meditation has allowed her to find her most effective self, both professionally and personally, and allows her to live her best life.
Mindfulness Everyday ×
Victoria Scott
VICKI SCOTT has been an educator in the British Columbia Interior for over 20 years. Discovering mindfulness and meditation has allowed her to find her most effective self, both professionally and personally, and allows her to live her best life.
Vicki is trained in Special Education and works to support students with academic and social-emotional needs in the school setting, with a focus on trauma-sensitive teaching and resiliency development. Trained in SMART Education in 2017, Vicki now delivers mindfulness and meditation workshops to teachers and other educational professionals in the Kamloops/Thompson School District. She also works with individuals and small groups, coaching and supporting people with what arises as they develop their own personal meditation practices.
Vicki believes fully that creating space through stillness allows our true knowings to arise, helping us to clarify our purpose, and live well. Her mission is to share how finding stillness through mindfulness and meditation can positively impact one’s personal and professional life.
Laurie Arron
MBSR Facilitator
LAURIE ARRON has been practicing mindfulness and meditation since 2001. In 2002 he spent three days at Plum Village, the home of Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh. He returned there many times, spending well over a year in total, learning how to touch life deeply simply by opening to present moment experience and to the wonders of life.
Mindfulness Everyday ×
Laurie Arron
LAURIE ARRON has been practicing mindfulness and meditation since 2001. In 2002 he spent three days at Plum Village, the home of Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh. He returned there many times, spending well over a year in total, learning how to touch life deeply simply by opening to present moment experience and to the wonders of life. He is a member of Plum Village's Order of Interbeing. In addition to teachers at Plum Village, Laurie has trained with several of North America's best meditation teachers, including Joseph Goldstein, Ken McLeod, and Shinzen Young, as well as training in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction with Susan Woods.
Laurie is the Director of Finance and Development at The Centre for Mindfulness Studies, which brings mindfulness-based mental health therapy and training to people, with a particular focus on making it available to marginalized and disadvantaged people.
Laurie has had many careers, from real estate developer to lawyer to gay rights advocate to Executive Director of the Green Party of Canada. There he saw that underlying our collective inability to stop climate change are our minds that are driven by fear, craving and misperception, and that an evolution in consciousness is the answer.
Gwen Morgan. MSW
MBSR Facilitator
GWEN MORGAN is a Certified MBSR and MBCT teacher and Approved Mentor in both MBSR and MBCT with The Centre for Mindfulness Studies and the University of San Diego Mindfulness-Based Professional Training Institute. She has extensive experience offering groups in medical and community settings. Her own training began with the 7-day Intensive with Jon Kabat Zinn and Saki Santorelli and she has trained with many senior teachers over the years.
Mindfulness Everyday ×
Gwen Morgan
GWEN MORGAN is a Certified MBSR and MBCT teacher and Approved Mentor in both MBSR and MBCT with The Centre for Mindfulness Studies and the University of San Diego Mindfulness-Based Professional Training Institute. She has extensive experience offering groups in medical and community settings. Her own training began with the 7-day Intensive with Jon Kabat Zinn and Saki Santorelli and she has trained with many senior teachers over the years.
She has been a teaching assistant in the 6-day MBSR intensive for professionals and is involved in training professionals and community peer leaders at The Centre. She facilitates both MBSR and MBCT programs and works with staff in the Community Program to offer mindfulness to marginalized peoples. She designed Finding Balance, MBSR for diabetes and is certified in Mindfulness-Based Eating Awareness Training (MB-EAT). Gwen is a Social Worker and Registered Psychotherapist focusing on promoting wellness when living with chronic illness.
Sue Hutton
Social Worker, Mindful Parenting Teacher
The beautiful thing about mindfulness meditation is that there are so many layers to the practice – that blend into all the parts of our selves. It’s such a privilege and gift to share it with others. I love having conversations with everyone I work with; adults, youth, professionals- all of us on the journey - of how mindfulness helps change the way we live our lives, with a spirit of acceptance and compassion for ourselves exactly as we are.
Mindfulness Everyday ×
Sue Hutton
The beautiful thing about mindfulness meditation is that there are so many layers to the practice – that blend into all the parts of our selves. It’s such a privilege and gift to share it with others. I love having conversations with everyone I work with; adults, youth, professionals- all of us on the journey - of how mindfulness helps change the way we live our lives, with a spirit of acceptance and compassion for ourselves exactly as we are.
Sue Hutton has been practicing formal Mindfulness meditation since 1985, and is a mindfulness teacher, a social worker, musician and a mom. She has studied meditation with teachers in India, Canada, and the US. Sue has over 25 years experience as a social worker, focused her post-graduate MSW research on mindfulness, and received her professional training in the US in delivery of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) with Jon Kabat-Zinn.
Sue leads mindfulness groups with a diversity of communities, and with her extensive experience, adapts mindfulness for the uniqueness of each group. Sue has created accessible mindfulness practices for autism and parents of autistic children with a CAMH research team and has created “Autism-Informed Mindfulness” recordings for autistic adults and their parents. Sue has also taught mindfulness in schools, in the cancer community, in the prison system, and additionally delivers one on one online mindfulness sessions. Sue deeply enjoys the experience of helping to bring accessible mindfulness to the everyday applications of real life in our homes, relationships, and community.
Rachèl Hughes
Smart Facilitator (Under Supervision)
Rachèl Hughes has been an educator for the last 16 years in the secondary panel, she has been working with students in the areas of Careers training, Positive Psychology and Social Justice. Rachèl is a Compassionate Inquiry practitioner, Mindfulness facilitator (In training) and Life Coach. She has also completed training in a number of modalities including Reflexology, Reiki and Singing Bowl Massage.
Mindfulness Everyday ×
Rachèl Hughes
RACHÈL HUGHES has been an educator for the last 16 years in the secondary panel, she has been working with students in the areas of Careers training, Positive Psychology and Social Justice. She has been using mindfulness in her classes for the last few years and has found a positive effect on students. Rachèl is a Compassionate Inquiry practitioner, Mindfulness facilitator (In training) and Life Coach. She has also completed training in a number of modalities including Reflexology, Reiki and Singing Bowl Massage.
Rachèl’s formal training in mindfulness includes SMART (Stress management and Resiliency Techniques – Summer Intensive), Smart Facilitator (under supervision), Mindful Self-Compassion and currently MBSR. Rachèl has travelled extensively and worked beside many varied populations with an emphasis on women and children.
Ann Rauhala
SMART Facilitator
Ann Rauhala has been a professor of Journalism at Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson) for more than 20 years.
She seeks to counter the all-too-common misconception that mindfulness equals passive acceptance of the world’s problems. Rather, as Jon Kabat Zinn says, “The spirit of inquiry is fundamental to living mindfully.”
Mindfulness Everyday ×
Ann Rauhala
ANN RAUHALA has been a professor of Journalism at Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson) for more than 20 years. Before that, she worked as an editor, writer, reporter and producer for the CBC, the Globe and Mail and the Toronto Star. She has witnessed how mindfulness has enhanced the lives of her students and her colleagues in the often-stressful world of journalism.
She seeks to counter the all-too-common misconception that mindfulness invites passive acceptance of the world’s problems. Rather, as Jon Kabat Zinn says, “The spirit of inquiry is fundamental to living mindfully.” Inquiry and curiosity are the oxygen of journalism and mindfulness can help us return to those fundamental attitudes in our professional and personal lives.
Reg Raju
Mindful Yoga Teacher, SMART Facilitator (Under Supervision)
REG RAJU has been an educator in Peel for the past 23 years. She believes that mindfulness is not a destination, but a journey and that there are a variety of entry points for everyone.
Her hope is to share what she has learned along the way with others, and to help them add to their ‘Personal Tool Kit’ for wellness.
Mindfulness Everyday ×
Reg Raju
REG RAJU has been educating elementary school students in the PDSB (Peel District School Board) in Mississauga for the past 23 years. She has been a homeroom teacher from Kindergarten to Grade 4 and continues to co-facilitate professional learning with and for other educators. Currently her roles include Teacher-Librarian and Mentor Leader for the NTIP (New Teacher Induction Program).
She came to Mindfulness Everyday in 2017 as a participant in the smartEducation™ program, through a TLLP (Teacher Leadership and Learning Program) grant, to explore mindfulness and what it had to offer educators. This experience was so impactful that she decided to continue her mindfulness journey by participating in the Mindfulness Everyday MYTT (Mindful Yoga Teacher Training) in 2019. She also participated as a co-organizer for MFF 2019 (Mindful Family & Friends) event, hosted at the WE Global Learning Center.
When her journey to learn more about what mindfulness had to offer began, she quickly came to realize how beneficial it was for her personal wellness and immediately began sharing what she had been learning with colleagues and students.
She believes that mindfulness is not a destination, but a journey and that there are a variety of entry points for everyone. Her hope is to share what she has learned along the way with others, and in turn, they find some aspect of mindfulness to add to their ‘Personal Tool Kit’ for wellness.
Mindfulness, yoga, and meditation are gifts. A collection of wisdom distilled from the experience of countless others…before us. At their essence, these tools teach us that we have the power within ourselves to weather whatever life throws our way. ~Yoga Journal, Rachel Slade
Moyra Bell
SMART Facilitator (Under Supervision)
Moyra or Joyra, as the Mindfulness Everyday community knows her as, is an Outdoor Experiential Educator and a wellness practioner. She holds certifications in Applied Positive Psychology, Yoga instructing (Hatha 200hr) and Mindfulness facilitating.
Mindfulness Everyday ×
Moyra Bell
Moyra or Joyra, as the Mindfulness Everyday community knows her as, is an Outdoor Experiential Educator and a wellness practioner.
She holds certifications in Applied Positive Psychology, Yoga instructing (Hatha 200hr) and Mindfulness facilitating. She has worked as an Outdoor Experiential Educator, Health educator and Well-being facilitator in various private high schools in Ontario and B.C for the past 8 years.
She is on the path to becoming a SMART facilitator and teaching mindfulness to Teens with Mindfulness Everyday. Joyra embodies the statement: to be and inspire joy, which guides her on her purpose to connect people to themselves, to others and to the natural environment.
Deb Taylor
HBA, HBEd, MYndful Movement Director, YTT200
It is in gratitude that Deb Taylor links arms with the Mindfulness Everyday team as a facilitator of the SMART Program. Deb’s mission: to share these beneficial mind-body techniques for greater ease in work and home life.
Mindfulness Everyday ×
Deb Taylor
HBA, HBEd, MYndful Movement Director, YTT200
It is in gratitude that Deb Taylor links arms with the Mindfulness Everyday team as a facilitator of the SMART Program. Deb’s mission: to share these beneficial mind-body techniques for greater ease in work and home life. Her own life-changing experiences in mindfulness practices and mindful self-compassion as both an educator and parent has helped Deb relate to her colleagues, friends, and family in new and more meaningful ways.
In addition to being a MYndful Movement Program™ international keynote speaker and curriculum writer, Deb is a primary, intermediate and senior-level teacher, and professional development instructor with more than 20-years of experience in and outside of the classroom. She has specialized training in trauma-informed mindfulness for adults and children. Supporting educators as a SMART facilitator at the beautiful Joshua Creek Heritage Arts Centre in the Halton Region brings Deb great joy.
Deb Taylor
Twitter: @MYndfulDeb
Instagram: @debtaylorlife @myndfulmovement
www.myndfulmovement.com
deb@myndfulmovement.com
Shital Sharma
PhD., CYA-RYT 200, Embodied Mindfulness Instructor
Understanding Wellness as a journey that encompasses the whole body, I have created an Embodied Mindfulness practice, where I bring together the synergistic benefits of conscious breathing, mindful movement, and mindfulness meditation.
Mindfulness Everyday ×
Shital Sharma
PhD., CYA-RYT 200, Embodied Mindfulness Instructor
After graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Sciences, I ended up pursuing my PhD in South Asian Religions from McGill’s School of Religious Studies. Since then I have taught over two dozen courses in the areas of Hinduism and Buddhism at McGill and Concordia University. Bringing together my interests in health & wellness and Eastern philosophy, I became certified as a BreathWork Facilitator, completing my Breathing for Yoga Instructor Training from Oxygen Advantage. I am also certified as a Mindful Yoga Instructor through the Canadian Yoga Alliance and Mindfulness Everyday, and I am currently completing my training as a Mindfulness Meditation Teacher under the guidance of Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield in collaboration with The Awareness Training Institute and the Greater Good Science Center at the University of California, Berkeley.
Understanding Wellness as a journey that encompasses the whole body, I have created an Embodied Mindfulness practice, where I bring together the synergistic benefits of conscious breathing, mindful movement, and mindfulness meditation. I want to help individuals develop their emotional and physical resiliency by teaching them how to harness the power of conscious breathing, develop somatic awareness through gentle movement, and nourish the qualities of gratitude, kindness, and self-compassion through meditation. I teach these classes in group settings, as well as privately, virtually, and in-person. My teaching style is playful, inclusive, culturally sensitive, and trauma informed.
Christy Hutchinson
B.A. (Hons.), M.A., B.Ed.
Christy began an open-hearted and open-minded journey into the practices of Mindfulness and Mindful Meditation. Working in highly stressful situations she was moved by the chronic levels of stress that often resulted in compromised physical and emotional well-being...
Mindfulness Everyday ×
Christy Hutchinson
Before retiring from a 30 year career with Peel District School Board primarily as a consultant/resource teacher in Special Education, Christy began an open-hearted and open-minded journey into the practices of Mindfulness and Mindful Meditation. Working in complex and highly stressful situations she was struck and moved by the chronic levels of stress that these situations caused others and herself, stress that often resulted in compromised physical and emotional well-being.
This journey led her to certifications as an Applied Mindfulness Meditation Specialist through University of Toronto (Factor-Inwentash) as well as facilitator certification with Mindfulness without Borders. She is passionate about the work of Kristin Neff and Christopher Germer having completed the Mindful Self-Compassion program. Most recently she has completed her training as a facilitator for smartEducation™ (Stress Management and Resiliency Techniques) with the Mindfulness Everyday community.
Most recently Christy can be found deepening her own practice, facilitating groups of educators in Peel District Schools, co-facilitating Wellness retreats, and providing individual and group coaching to those wishing to integrate Mindfulness into their lives. Christy believes that each moment of presence, whether challenging or joyful is a gift to be explored and cherished.
Jenn Bruer
Director
Jenn Bruer is a counsellor, wellness advocate, burnout prevention & recovery trainer, parenting consultant, mindfulness teacher, cooking demonstration instructor, ketogenic diet proponent, and retired foster parent after 18 years of service with the Children’s Aid Society of Toronto.
Mindfulness Everyday ×
Jenn Bruer
Jenn Bruer is a counsellor, wellness advocate, burnout prevention & recovery trainer, parenting consultant, mindfulness teacher, cooking demonstration instructor, ketogenic diet proponent, and retired foster parent after 18 years of service with the Children’s Aid Society of Toronto.
Jenn is the author of self-help book Helping Effortlessly: A Book of Healing and Inspiration, based on her personal experience recovering from burnout.
Check out her website www.jennbruer.com for more.
Aileen Menezes
Project Coordinator
Our Project Co-Ordinator - AILEEN MENEZES, a York University graduate, has a diverse background in education, development and not-for profit organizations both in Canada and the United States over the past 20 years. Aileen has completed trainings in Mindfulness courses, including the SMART Course and Mindfulness for Teens.
Mindfulness Everyday ×
Aileen Menezes
Our Project Co-Ordinator- AILEEN MENEZES, a York University graduate, has a diverse background in education, development and not-for profit organizations both in Canada and the United States over the past 20 years. In addition to a specialization in ABA (Applied Behaviour Analysis) and working in Special Education, Aileen excels in client engagement having worked as a Community Outreach Consultant and Development Management. Aileen has completed trainings in numerous Mindfulness courses, including the SMART Course (Stress Management and Resiliency Techniques) and the Mindfulness for Teens Course with Mindfulness Everyday at the University of Toronto. Aileen is passionate about empowering students, teachers and others to access Mindfulness strategies, skills and techniques in schools and the community at large. She has adopted Mindfulness strategies into her life which she has found to be higly valuable and greatly enriching in her life.