Hi there! My name is Claire.

I teach people how to develop a daily meditation practice because every fibre of my being loves talking about meditation, practicing, learning about and sharing this ancient tool. I’ve experienced firsthand, what a consistent daily practice has the potential to unravel and open up for us.

I was introduced to meditation many years ago through yoga. At the end of the class the last pose Savasana was my first little taste of stillness. Lying there on the mat I’d wonder if I was doing the pose right, because it just felt like ‘lying down and thinking’ or falling asleep - if I was lucky.

I was fortunate enough to live in Los Angeles at the time my interest in yoga blossomed and I was able to practice and train with some of the most incredible teachers — Jay Co, Rudy Mettia, Jerome Mercier, Bianca Fearon, Patti Quintero to name but a few…. I understood the concept of yoga being a moving meditation, I also became devoted to yogic philosophy as the foundation of how I lived and also as a way to design my life. Soon, I began to study seated and still meditative practices — my gateway into this was at the Lake Shrine Self-Realisation Centre in Malibu.

All of this study and introspection was happening at the same time I was going through some very painful personal growth - a divorce, resetting my relationship with alcohol, a huge career shift all whilst navigating this by myself in L.A. The ancient tools/science/disciplines of yoga and meditation started to reveal confusing parts of myself and at the same time a offer ways to integrate and understand these parts.

I continued to study but most importantly incorporate a seated meditation practice into my Sadhana (morning routine) of yoga and movement. I had found commitment to a daily, physical yoga practice pretty straightforward as the mind/body benefits were instantly palpable. The instant gratification through the endorphins and profound peace I would almost always feel after time on my mat, made me excited to practice. I also experienced the superficial and obvious benefits of being toned, strong and flexible. However, seated meditation practice was a bit trickier for me to commit and maintain…the benefits less tangible, not as instant and often I would feel frustrated, agitated and overwhelmed - just from sitting doing nothing it seemed. However, I continued to look to the teachers around me, years and years ahead of me on this path and saw how they lived and showed up in the world. I hung in there - something pulling me along, a quiet voice encouraging me to stay committed. Over there years I continued to commit to courses, workshops, read and of course practice. I became truly fascinated with the mind, human nature, relationships and the connection between mind, body, lead by our souls.

Some of the notable moments in this evolution have been discovering and applying Michael Brown’s work through The Presence Process, studying Vedic meditation with The Broad Place, working on retreats with meditation teacher Light Watkins, a year of intensive study with Dr. Gabor Mate in Compassionate Inquiry and ongoing work with Dr. Graham Mead.

I know train teachers in Awareness Insight Meditation and regular run courses and workshops in the areas of Awareness, Unconscious Conditioning, reforming habits and understanding our coping mechanisms. I’m also the Founder of The School of Modern Meditation — a comprehensive online and in-person meditation school based in Auckland, New Zealand.

Awareness Insight Meditation

I now teach what I practice Awareness Insight Meditation. A simple, straightforward practice in which we sit for 20 minutes twice a day. I teach from my own personal experiences taken from my non-negotiable practice. I teach from the heart, in a way that I hope, demystifies meditation and makes it understandable and accessible for all. My practice is the foundation of my life.

Over the years I have meditated through deaths, births, solo-parenthood, illness, breakups, a world-wide pandemic. I have practiced whilst navigating new jobs, new relationships, motherhood, financial uncertainty, moving houses and countries. I have sat in stillness in some of the most beautiful places on the earth and in public toilets. I meditate alone and in big groups, on retreats and with my students. My practice and life are inextricably intertwined - meditation isn’t something that I ‘do’, but part of me.

My practice continues to open me where once I was closed, to teach me patience, acceptance and illuminate the parts that I unconsciously hid/hide. It’s helped me remember who I am and perpetually reveals the magic of the world. It’s helped me become more present, joyful, courageous and comfortable in my own skin. Most of all I no longer abandon myself and remain present when life gets tricky or painful.

I am pulled to teach this practice and continue learning about it in a way that I can’t describe.

Join me and the SOMM (School of Modern Meditation) teachers over at www.wearesomm.co

Claire xxx