About Lisa

My passion is teaching, my practice is mindfulness and meditation. 

In 2012 and 2013, three events transpired that would set me on a course which today has become my way of life. A failed marriage, the loss of a friendship and the death of my father sent me into a dark downward spiral of grief, fear and shame. Life was difficult to navigate, and at times I couldn’t find peace. I am not one to give up easily so I kept searching to find answers. I believed there was something out there that could fill the hole in my soul – I just hadn’t found it yet. I began grasping at self- help books and searching for meditation instructors. I am and will always be an optimist, so I knew if I kept digging through the shit, a pony would appear and save my life! That pony for me was meditation and mindfulness.  

Mindfulness is paying attention on purpose – to thoughts, emotions, sensations, our environment and people, with non-judgement, kindness, self-compassion and curiosity.  As the doors to mindfulness and meditation opened to me, that hole I’d been feeling in my soul, slowly began to fill. In the beginning, I couldn’t even sit for a minute – literally! Meditation is a practice like anything else, so I committed and practiced. Over the next six  months, one minute became two, then two became five. Five minutes turned into ten, then twenty. Nowadays, I sit for silent retreats. The strategies that I have studied, used and continue to learn have helped me navigate the dark, murky waters of my life. My practice has brought me many things but most importantly I have gained more awareness and inner peace.

As a public school educator for almost 25 years, these are now strategies I bring into my classrooms and teach my 6th grade students. I have seen the benefits firsthand of sharing the practices of mindfulness and meditation with children, and continue to develop curriculum to make these practices more accessible to children from marginalized communities, who might not otherwise have access to them. Former students still contact me and share how these strategies have helped them navigate situations, in and outside of school. 

Life is not always easy but mindfulness and meditation have given me strength and compassion to navigate it. My hope now is to share these practices with as many human beings as possible. While I cannot promise transformation overnight, what I can offer is a space to practice and learn these techniques. Techniques which I believe offer relief from the daily struggles we face with ourselves, our families, our jobs and our lives. Because of my practice, I’ve seen my life change in ways that are beneficial to myself, my family and my community. Bringing my passion for teaching and my practice of mindfulness and meditation to the youth of our community is a dream come true! 

Thank you and take good care,

Lisa Spinelli