ABOUT ME
I teach meditation and high school English, applying my knowledge and experience to help adolescents through mindfulness. I completed Susan Kaiser Greenland’s Inner Kids Professional Training, which focuses on how to teach mindfulness to children and teens, and also received my Certification in Mindfulness Facilitation through UCLA’s Mindful Awareness Research center.
Using my skills and passion for educating young people, I created The Science of Mindfulness, the first-of-its-kind elective for teens that earns academic credit through the Cal State and University of California systems. As a teacher, I lead meditation groups, sharing the transformative power of mindfulness with students, faculty, parents, and adults. I just released a mindfulness series for Audible Originals entitled Press Pause: A Young Person’s Guide to Managing Life’s Challenges.
“Catherine’s meditation session was one of our most highly attended and well received employee events of the year. She was extremely prepared, professional, and engaging. Her straightforward, accessible techniques are easy to practice in the middle of a hectic workday, and a great way to reduce stress in the workplace.”
The Power of Mindfulness
“Be well and stay mindful” are words I live by. From a young age, I learned the importance of self-care. I believe that developing a mindfulness practice is one of the best ways to care for ourselves. With that belief as a guiding principle, I have devoted my life to teaching mindfulness practices to young adults.
I aim to empower others, so they can choose where they place their attention. In my role as a mindfulness facilitator, I have brought meditation to students, as well as teachers and parents.
While I spend most of my time with teenagers, my goal is to share the practice of mindfulness with anyone willing to learn, from children in elementary school to adults in corporate settings. My hope for everyone is to Be well and stay mindful because I know firsthand that mindfulness generates awareness. Once we are truly grounded in the moment, we gain insight so we can effectively cope with emotional turbulence. From that place of knowing, we can decide how we respond to the world around us.
The most gratifying part of my job is watching students transform as they implement these tools. Young adults often tell me that learning and practicing mindfulness has been life-changing. By exploring a variety of practices, teens learn that mindfulness provides them with the freedom to choose how they experience the world.
TEaching experience:
The Science of Mindfulness, High School semester elective, Campbell Hall School
Introductory Mindfulness Talk, HARMAN, a Samsung Company
Psychiatry 175 (mindfulness course), Professor Marvin Belzer, Teaching Assistant, UCLA
LA Writing and Meditation Retreat, Bay Area Teacher Development Collaborative, Mindfulness Teacher
Trainings:
Certification in Mindfulness Facilitation, UCLA’s Mindful Awareness Research Center
Inner Kids Professional Training, Susan Kaiser Greenland
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)
Mindful Schools Mindfulness Fundamentals
Mindful School Educator Essentials
UCLA’s Mindful Awareness Practices (MAPs) Classes:
● MAPs I for Daily Living
● MAPS II Relational Mindfulness
● MAPS II Working with Difficult Emotions
● MAPS II Finding Happiness-Cultivating Positive Mental States
● MAPS II Turning Obstacles into Allies
Retreats:
Insight Meditation Retreat with JoAnna Hardy and Mark Coleman, Spirit Rock
Heart of Love Metta Meditation Retreat with Spring Washam and Mark Colemanan, Spirit Rock
Educator's Meditation Retreat with Diana Winston at Spirit Rock
Mindfulness Retreat with Grove Burnett and Peter B. Williams, Vallecitos Mountain Retreat Center
Retreat & Renewal, Shambala Mountain Center
Meditation and QiGong with Joanna Hardy and Hakim Tafari
Freeing Yourself from the Inner Critic with Mark Coleman, UCLA
Mindfulness in Education: One-Day Symposium with Susan Kaiser Greenland, Rachel Lewin, Lisa Flook, and Diana Winston, UCLA
Dependable Happiness, Daniel Davis, Campbell Hall School
Mindfulness with Laurie Cousins, Campbell Hall School
Dealing with Hindrances, Lisa Kring, Campbell Hall School