Henrietta Hammarlund

City & Country:

Based in Stockholm, Sweden but I teach in all of Sweden and also Norway.

Background:

Henrietta is a Stockholm-based meditation teacher and life coach specialized in stress management. Her background started as a busy entrepreneur with a full calendar. Running between meetings, family and work so fast that she ran straight into the famous wall of stress. She got so ill in stress related burnout syndrome that she lost her memory and her body shut down completely. She was introduced to Jon Kabat Zinn's MBSR Mindfulness program and that changed her life. She started to learn everything she could about the body and mind.

She now has more than 10 years of meditation and stress management experience. She is a certified life coach and DiSC trainer and started with Jon Kabat Zinn's MBSR Level 1 and after several teachers went on to complete her 200 hour Unplug Meditation Teacher Training with world renowned teacher davidji.

Henrietta healed herself from stress and learned what a strong breathing tool meditation is and are now on a mission to help and support others on their path towards wellness.

Why I Practice Meditation:

I can go on forever on why I meditate, but it has changed my life for real. It makes me feel more present in the moment, happier and calmer. I don´t react instantly on my emotions anymore, with the meditation I push my inner pause button and that makes me more and more immune against stress.

Why I Teach Meditation:

I have three reasons why I teach meditation. The first one is simple. It makes me feel so good knowing that I have helped another person. The second one is that I need to teach because if this strong breathing tool that meditation is has helped me recover from stress related burnout syndrome in such a way that it did, then it must help others as well. So it is my mission to teach everyone who wants to listen. The third reason is that I believe in it. It is that I do want to change the world a little. One breath at the time.

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Jewelia Orlick

City & Country:

Ottawa, Toronto & Montreal, Canada

Background:

Jewelia is an Ottawa based meditation teacher, former Canadian sprint kayaker and graduate of the Institute of Integrative Nutrition. After she stumbled upon meditation, she quickly fell in love with the practice and went on to complete her 200hr Unplug Meditation Teacher training with world renowned davidji. She also studied at PranaShanti, a local studio in Ottawa. She is an advocate for brain health, having dealt with and seen the effects of Alzheimer’s in her family from a young age.

Why I Practice Meditation:

I practice meditation to honour my brain (in its many stages) and to support myself on a daily basis. To put it simply, it just makes me feel SO good. I love how meditation is a tool that is designed to meet you where you’re at. Today, I meditate to create space. Allowing my breath to nourish what needs to be nourished and allowing my practice to heal what needs to be healed.

Why I Teach Meditation:

My greatest wish is that people feel held + supported along their meditation journey. If there’s anything meditation has taught me it’s that we meditate, not to be able to sit super still & feel serene when we’re alone, but for life. For the times where life asks that we remain calm amidst the chaos. For the times when things are going great AND the times when they aren’t… I love being able to share that with others and that is why I teach.

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Daphne Lyon

Background:

Daphne’s mission is to share the modern science and ancient wisdom of meditation practices so that we may live happier and healthier lives, create stronger more beautiful relationships with ourselves and others, and stand in the power of our most authentic self.

Meditation transformed Daphne’s life. Introduced to the practice at a young age by her parents, meditation became a vital tool, allowing her to feel more grounded and embodied no matter the experience, thought, emotion, or stressor. Daphne deepened her curiosity of meditation by traveling the world learning and working with a diverse community of yoga and meditation teachers, healers, shamans, and medicine workers. This evolved into her passion of studying ancient wisdom and modern science for the goal of simplifying and integrating these practices into our everyday lives.

Daphne's classes, workshops, trainings, and retreats offer various culturally responsive disciplines and practices that stay at the root of the teachings so that we may reside within the heart, cultivate peace of mind, connect to the earth, hold space for others, and find ways to bask in compassion and laughter along the way.

Daphne is eternally grateful to her teachers davidji, Sharon Gannon, David Life, Don and Amba Stapleton, Al Finger, Elena Brower, Mandy Trapp, Rod Stryker, Manorama, and Ram Dass and many others for their knowledge, wisdom, and grace they bestowed upon her through their teachings. To her family and the many teachers in her community who continue to inspire her, especially the students who allow Daphne to share her love and passion.

Why I Practice Meditation:

The meditation practice allows me to stand in the light and love of my most authentic self with clarity, balance, and lightheartedness. This practice enables me to hone in on a transformative skill that gives me a more encompassing and healthier awareness of my mindbody, elevates my relationships with others, and uplifts my life so that I may better serve all others.

Why I Teach Meditation:

To make great change in the world, we must begin here, with ourselves. We cultivate our full potential, brain and body health, calmness, inspiration, focus, clarity, happiness, balance, intuitive wisdom, empathy, and resilience when we practice the simple tools of meditation. Who doesn’t want this? This is why I teach, to share this profound practice of meditation and make it accessible, simple, and easy to integrate into our everyday lives so that we can live the life we want and make the world a better place.

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Jylani Ma'at Brown

Background:

As one born into a family of educators and medical practitioners, Jylani Ma’at’s background as both a teacher and a nurse came as no surprise. She inherited a legacy of traditional and alternative healing practices. Since a very young age, Jylani has been engaged in meditation, holistic wellness and embodied awareness practices. As a teenager, she found herself making deep spiritual connections in nature and with stillness. She has continued along this path ever since. When Jylani became a mother, she realized just how important it was to be disciplined about her daily practice in order to stay balanced and healthy. She has an affinity for guiding people toward wellness modalities that connect with and through the body using all of their senses. Jylani believes taking deliberate moments needs to feel authentic and comfortable so that people may practice regularly and live a life of greater ease.

Jylani has trained and taught meditation, mindfulness, movement and integrative nutrition in schools, studios and communities around the world. She enjoys learning healing practices from indigenous cultures. Admittedly, her Yoga Nidra Teacher Training with Tracee Stanley and Chanti Tocoronte-Perez, was by far the deepest and most embodied experience of her life. It was the purest example of using the body, breath and stillness to achieve deep levels of inner peace, resilience, strength and radiance.

Why I practice meditation:

I practice meditation to re-connect with my deepest sense of knowing, moment after moment. Meditation keeps me grounded and aware in my body. My daily practice helps me experience life from a calm, grateful and deliberate place. It allows me to stay aligned with my purpose, well intentioned and connected to nature’s elements.

Why I teach meditation:

I teach meditation to guide people back to themselves. The everyday life, the busyness, can get in the way and disconnect people from their joyful selves. I believe taking moments to connect the breath with the body is the most important step toward wellness and liberation.

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Madison Flock

Background:

I’m Madison Flock. I am yoga teacher, fitness instructor and Unplug certified meditation teacher from Los Angeles. From a young age, I have always had a desire to make people feel good. I grew up participating in musical theater, using my time on stage to create a whole different world for the audience to escape to. I attended UC San Diego where I studied Psychology with the goal of helping people heal through talk therapy. After I graduated college I felt lost and overwhelmed. With a desperate desire to gain more clarity and ease in my day to day life I dove head first into my yoga practice. Giving myself the time to slow down and focus on myself was a game changer. So much so that it changed the trajectory of my career.

My greatest passion is to provide safe spaces for people of all ages, where they can let go of their grip on life, surrender to the present moment and live up to their full potential. For years I was creating these experiences solely through movement, and then I took my first class at Unplug. I quickly noticed the benefits that a regular meditation practice had on my own life and I knew I was being called to share this with as many people as I could. Whether it be through mindful breathing, guided visualization or sound healing, my intention is always to leave you feeling calm, clear, and at home in your own body. I’m so grateful for the opportunity to guide you all in the very same space where I learned the power of this practice.

Why I Practice Meditation:

I practice meditation because it feels like coming home to myself. Every single time. Sitting in stillness used to drive me up the wall, but now, it is what I crave when life is driving me up the wall. Meditation has taught me how to quiet the noise of the outside world and listen to my heart. It’s what makes me feel safe. It’s what makes me feel whole. It’s what makes me feel like me.

Why I Teach Meditation:

Everyone deserves to feel good. I want to do my best to help everyone feel good. I know this works. If you trust it, you’ll know it works too.

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John Kennedy

Background:

John Kennedy is a certified energy healer and Reiki Master Practitioner based in Los Angeles. With a background in entertainment and healthcare operations, John has a lively and welcoming approach to ensure a space of healing and acceptance for all. Available for individual and group Reiki, guided meditation, aromatherapy, space clearings and Animal Reiki.

Why I Practice Meditation:

Meditation has opened me up to shifting the way I see myself and the world. Not only has meditation been extremely beneficial for my body and soul, it has helped me accept my past and understand the significance of being present. My decision to practice meditation and energy work wasn't about becoming someone new, but rather connecting the dots within myself to become the person I'm intended to be.

"Healing doesn't mean the damage never existed. It means the damage no longer controls your life". - Akshay Dubey

Why I Teach Meditation:

I teach mediation to allow others the chance to uncover the purest version of themselves. Who we truly are as humans is often hidden under past traumas, anxiety of the unknown and the overall pressures of society. Let’s strip it back, focus on your needs and uncover the many layers of the sublimely unique person that is “you”!

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Connect with John :

www.YourReikiGuy.com

Rachel Kanarowski

Background:

Rachel is a certified meditation teacher and leadership coach. Through her Year of Living Better™ program, Rachel combines her extensive knowledge of science-backed wellness strategies and self-improvement techniques to create a meditation practice that focuses on feeling healthier, more rested, and motivated to take on new challenges. She received her formal meditation teacher training at Unplug Los Angeles where she completed their signature 200-hour program led by internationally-renowned meditation master and author davidji. Currently, she teaches at corporations and public institutions throughout Chicago.

Prior to joining the wellness community, Rachel served as Editor-in-Chief of InStyle magazine in Prague where she lived for almost a decade, and then as an in-demand marketing consultant for Fortune 500 companies. In her downtime, she travels the world exploring new cultures and volunteering for organizations such as English in Mind (a non-profit English language school in Haiti). Rachel is a member of the International Mindfulness Teachers Association, the American Mindfulness Research Association, and the Society for Human Resource Management.

Why I practice meditation:

My meditation practice turns down the volume on that self-critical voice we all have inside our head. When that voice is quieter, I feel happier and better equipped to dive into important projects.

Why I teach meditation:

Teaching meditation is my way of contributing to the greater good of public health. A consistent meditation practice is scientifically-proven to promote the regrowth of healthy brain cells, making it one of the most beneficial things we can do to protect our cognitive health. However, it can also be pretty intimidating for many people. They may have tried it a few times, and decided it’s not for them because they don’t believe they’re “doing it the right way.” I provide that reassuring voice and answers to questions many are too nervous to ask.

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Zel Amanzi

Background:

Zel Amanzi (pronouns: they/them) is a queer nonbinary/trans* humxn leveraging the power of spirituality in favor of decolonization, specifically as it relates to Black and Queer liberation. Zel offers public classes, online courses, certifications (Yoga alliance + Reiki), and 1:1 private coaching. They are also a founding member of the Trans Yoga Project. They've earned their M.S.Ed in Social Justice Education, and they are a 200hr Registered Yoga Teacher, a Reiki Healer, and they have completed certification courses in Yoga Nidra and Meditation. They also practice sound healing using crystal bowls and traditional African instruments.

Why I practice meditation:

“I practice meditation to fully understand myself, my motivations, my desires, and my needs; I practice to improve my communication with myself and the world and to support myself in leading a heart-centered and courageous life.”

Why I teach meditation:

“I teach because I personally know the healing effect of feeling fully seen and heard; teaching allows me to offer that experience to others while helping them recognize and step into their power and purpose. I also teach to help people guide themselves toward the freedom of clarity and to cultivate spaces where people feel brave enough to confront their shadows so they can bring light into the world!”

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Connect with ZEL:

 
 

Unplug Meditation

12401 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 101 Los Angeles, CA 90025

(310) 826-8899

info@unplug.com