Background
Coaching, Buddhist practice, and meditation
I have an Associate Certified Coach (ACC) credential through the International Coach Federation, and received my training through the Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching (iPEC). Coaching came to me as a natural outgrowth of my practice and teaching of meditation and Buddhism. I began my Buddhist practice in 1995, and quickly discovered my love of teaching and engaging with people to hear their personal stories. Within a few years I was leading activities at my local center, the Boston FWBO, and continue to do so today.
In 2004, I was ordained into the Western Buddhist Order, and since 2006 have been teaching the online meditation courses and writing regularly for Wildmind Buddhist Meditation. I also run workshops at Aryaloka Buddhist Center in Newmarket, NH.
High tech business
My prior life looked very different, to say the least! For 16 years, I worked in software product management and marketing. My role was to interface between the engineers, business managers, and customers in order to plan future software products. I worked at Lotus Development/IBM for 6 years where I was, among others, part of a fabulous team that worked on Lotus 1-2-3 for Macintosh in the early 1990s. There were also several internet startups along the way — but of course, none of them exist anymore. My MS degree (basically an MBA) is from the MIT Sloan School of Management.
Music
Another vital part of my life is my music. This lifelong love began in grade school, when I started piano lessons at the age of 8. I studied classical piano for 20 years until a serious injury put a complete stop to it. Since then I’ve discovered my true inspiration — sharing my love of music through my mezzo-soprano voice. I’m often seen (and heard) having a blast leading the chanting at Buddhist gatherings and running occasional workshops on singing and chanting. I also sing with an a cappella septet called The Silk Tones that performs a totally fun repertoire of jazz, pop, show tunes, and spirituals (Christian, of course!).