When I was a kid I don’t remember people thinking that I was spoiled, but I do remember being overly sensitive. For example, I'd throw a fit if there were even the smallest wrinkle in my socks when my mom put on my shoes. I liked things to be just so. Even my dad once told me to "unfuss myself." I guess that’s my journey, learning to accept and allow.
I want to be as transparent as I can; I'm not a highly realized person. At least for me, spiritual growth requires effort and practice. I know that if I didn't engage in a daily meditation practice, the peace and happiness I derive from it might slowly fade and I’d turn fussy again.
Like most people, my journey to self-discovery began with a bottoming out experience. This experience was so potent that it rocked me to the core. The cliff notes version is that I had a thriving business, a title, and a healthy income stream; basically my life and identity were solid. Then, within a short time, it all disappeared. Afterwards I was depressed, scared and angry. I was forced to deal with feelings that I'd never felt before. My health deteriorated quickly and I was given medicine to cope with intense emotions, physical pain and insomnia.
It took me a couple of years to realize that the medicine wouldn't (and couldn’t) heal me. Looking back it's clear why not. I could not stop my mind from replaying the trauma over and over. It was like being stuck in a movie theater, forced to watch the saddest, most scary and maddening film ever produced, and one where I was cast as the main character. And I had no idea how to get up and walk out.
I’ve always loved to read, and especially during that difficult time reading brought me comfort. My motivation was to learn how to heal my mental, physical and emotional pain. The new ideas I gleaned from books helped to broaden my perspective. With my motivation for self-care in mind, I walked into a bookstore in Flagstaff, Arizona. The psychology, self-help and spirituality sections of the bookstore called to me. It was there that I found a book that would change my life forever. In it I learned the basics of meditation. As fate would have it, there was a website in the back of the book as well, which led me to a home study course and a teacher. That teacher was an ex-nun living in Australia. She and I corresponded for a year before I decided to "enter treatment." In July of 2003 I left my home in Tucson and spent the next two months on retreat in the Buddhist monastery, Chenrezic, in Eudlo, Australia.
While at Chenrezig I took teachings from the most highly realized person I've ever met, Geshe Tashi Tsering. I wanted to be more like him and his deep wisdom and compassion inspired me to practice. But my time in Australia was short and the traumatic memories and emotions still had a hold of my mind. I knew that as soon as I returned home, my old triggers would be there to greet me. I knew there was a high likelihood that old unhealthy patterns of thinking and behavior could reemerge. So I strongly determined to keep up with my daily spiritual practice.
As soon as I got home I found another teacher. His name is Shinzen Young. He, like me is interested in the science of meditation so we are a good fit for each other. Shinzen is a tremendous inspiration and a major contributor of ideas and practices in my Skillfully AwareTM program.
In 2004 I went back to school and got my doctorate degree. And over the next half dozen years I dug even deeper into the literature, reading all I could on meditation, biology, psychology, and physics, all so I could understand better how help people heal their chronic health related problems.
My career took a turn when I began consulting and developing programming for in-patient treatment centers. I started the first ever pain program at Sierra Tucson. While there I counseled patients suffering with more than just pain. Many of these patients had co-occurring addictions, anxiety, depression, eating disorders, trauma and insomnia. I treated them all with my mindfulness program and it helped each one that practiced the techniques. My program evolved and soon most of the doctors and therapists at Sierra Tucson were sending their patients to consult with me.
Fast forward to the present. I left Sierra Tucson to start a private practice and to teach. I modified my mindfulness-based pain program to make the information and practices relevant to a wider audience. Skillfully Aware is the result. This evidence-based program is designed for anyone suffering from a stress-related problem like depression, anxiety, insomnia, addiction, trauma, pain, or eating disorder. If you’re self-motivated and are struggling with a complicated and chronic stress-related issue, and if want to decrease your dependence on medicine and want to learn new healthful practices I’d like to offer you my assistance. I unfussed myself; you can too.
I want to be as transparent as I can; I'm not a highly realized person. At least for me, spiritual growth requires effort and practice. I know that if I didn't engage in a daily meditation practice, the peace and happiness I derive from it might slowly fade and I’d turn fussy again.
Like most people, my journey to self-discovery began with a bottoming out experience. This experience was so potent that it rocked me to the core. The cliff notes version is that I had a thriving business, a title, and a healthy income stream; basically my life and identity were solid. Then, within a short time, it all disappeared. Afterwards I was depressed, scared and angry. I was forced to deal with feelings that I'd never felt before. My health deteriorated quickly and I was given medicine to cope with intense emotions, physical pain and insomnia.
It took me a couple of years to realize that the medicine wouldn't (and couldn’t) heal me. Looking back it's clear why not. I could not stop my mind from replaying the trauma over and over. It was like being stuck in a movie theater, forced to watch the saddest, most scary and maddening film ever produced, and one where I was cast as the main character. And I had no idea how to get up and walk out.
I’ve always loved to read, and especially during that difficult time reading brought me comfort. My motivation was to learn how to heal my mental, physical and emotional pain. The new ideas I gleaned from books helped to broaden my perspective. With my motivation for self-care in mind, I walked into a bookstore in Flagstaff, Arizona. The psychology, self-help and spirituality sections of the bookstore called to me. It was there that I found a book that would change my life forever. In it I learned the basics of meditation. As fate would have it, there was a website in the back of the book as well, which led me to a home study course and a teacher. That teacher was an ex-nun living in Australia. She and I corresponded for a year before I decided to "enter treatment." In July of 2003 I left my home in Tucson and spent the next two months on retreat in the Buddhist monastery, Chenrezic, in Eudlo, Australia.
While at Chenrezig I took teachings from the most highly realized person I've ever met, Geshe Tashi Tsering. I wanted to be more like him and his deep wisdom and compassion inspired me to practice. But my time in Australia was short and the traumatic memories and emotions still had a hold of my mind. I knew that as soon as I returned home, my old triggers would be there to greet me. I knew there was a high likelihood that old unhealthy patterns of thinking and behavior could reemerge. So I strongly determined to keep up with my daily spiritual practice.
As soon as I got home I found another teacher. His name is Shinzen Young. He, like me is interested in the science of meditation so we are a good fit for each other. Shinzen is a tremendous inspiration and a major contributor of ideas and practices in my Skillfully AwareTM program.
In 2004 I went back to school and got my doctorate degree. And over the next half dozen years I dug even deeper into the literature, reading all I could on meditation, biology, psychology, and physics, all so I could understand better how help people heal their chronic health related problems.
My career took a turn when I began consulting and developing programming for in-patient treatment centers. I started the first ever pain program at Sierra Tucson. While there I counseled patients suffering with more than just pain. Many of these patients had co-occurring addictions, anxiety, depression, eating disorders, trauma and insomnia. I treated them all with my mindfulness program and it helped each one that practiced the techniques. My program evolved and soon most of the doctors and therapists at Sierra Tucson were sending their patients to consult with me.
Fast forward to the present. I left Sierra Tucson to start a private practice and to teach. I modified my mindfulness-based pain program to make the information and practices relevant to a wider audience. Skillfully Aware is the result. This evidence-based program is designed for anyone suffering from a stress-related problem like depression, anxiety, insomnia, addiction, trauma, pain, or eating disorder. If you’re self-motivated and are struggling with a complicated and chronic stress-related issue, and if want to decrease your dependence on medicine and want to learn new healthful practices I’d like to offer you my assistance. I unfussed myself; you can too.
