Hi. I am a Zen teacher living in Santa Rosa, California, who offers spiritual direction, ceremonial services, hypnotherapy, and qigong. My teaching centers around the experience of reality, innate compassion, beauty, connection, and the greatness of the unknown. I'm interested in how thoughts and emotions affect our sense of what is actually possible in the world, in our communities and in ourselves.

 

My personal journey has taken me from being someone who did not particularly want to be here, to being someone who feels the generosity of life and is immensely grateful to be a part of the tapestry. Photos of me as a toddler show an exuberance completely absent in pictures a few years later. I survived a life-threatening illness as a child, developed an intense form of stage fright which was completely at odds with my creative path, and suffered from depression seated in childhood trauma. As a young adult I struggled with intense spiritual longing, the meaning of life, my purpose, all of it. This naturally turned my life towards inner, contemplative quests for meaning, extensive counseling, journaling, and reflection.

 

I've tried many ways to feel whole, and I understand the strong drive to heal. At this point, here's what I can say: We are intelligent, resilient, creative beings with the capacity to imagine and dream. We both create and release suffering. It's worth asking yourself, how do I find and hold my true center during difficulty and release undue suffering? How do I know who and what I am? How do I respond when I notice myself repeating the same patterns despite my best thinking? Do I have useful tools and relationships to navigate my personal experiences and tendencies? Am I willing to explore something new, to keep experimenting? Is there joy in my life?

 

In 2022, my ongoing interest in navigating the mind lead me to take up hypnotherapy training.​​ My style of both hypnotherapy and spiritual direction is informed by long-term Zen meditation, teaching and Taoism, along with formal training in holistic fields including Intrinsic Coaching, medical qigong, and interfaith spiritual direction. My spiritual foundation includes decades of formal practice, study, and experience with both contemplative Buddhist, Christian, and shamanic traditions. Creative arts and Japanese Tea Ceremony are also significant in my life.

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My husband and I have been married for over 30 years, living in Sonoma County. We heartily appreciate this beautiful place and our caring, resilient community.

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It would be my pleasure to help you explore your true and expansive nature, to release what burdens you, and discover your spiritual fluency. Spring Road represents a new path to freedom, integrity, and contentment. Now is the best time to live your best life!