My meditation journey began as a teenager in 1980, and while pregnant with my youngest daughter in 1996, I embraced yoga as an additional part of my regular self-care routine. My personal life’s mission embraces the heart of service with kindness and compassion. Having experienced trauma, tragedy, and chronic illness myself, I have found refuge in mind-body-spirit practices that have provided me with a sense of wholeness, well-being, and loving acceptance. Teachers who are inspired by their own healing and personal growth transmit that inspiration in their interactions with their students.

I am certified both in mindfulness and meditation. I am also a E-RYT500, YACEP and a Yoga Specialist. I include mindfulness coaching, sound healing with singing bowls, energy healing and other modality work in my repertoire. I lived in a spiritual community at one point in my life for one year with the focus on daily meditation, study, and mindful living. As now a practicing Buddhist, I find that when I understand what causes peace, I know where to direct my efforts. May my efforts continue to bring happiness, well-being, safety, peace, and ease to all beings.

In 2021, I created a Mindfulness Meditation and Coach Training Certification Program that focuses on the background of Mindfulness, teaching Mindfulness effectively for a variety of populations, creating and recording guided meditations, and working with one-on-one Mindfulness Coaching clients.

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Certifications and Affiliations

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Meditation and Mindfulness

University of Holistic Theology, Stephen Rinaldi, D.MT.

 

• • Certification Focus: Mindfulness Meditation/Vipassana (C.MI)

• • Advanced Training Study Program

Mindfulness Exercises, Sean Fargo, former Buddhist monk

 

• • Mentorship and Certification Focus: LovingKindness and Mindfulness (MMT)

Skillful Mind, Peter Radcliffe, former Buddhist monk

 

• • Certification Focus: Mindfulness and Meditation

• • I supported Skillful Mind by acting as the North America Leader/Administrator and as a Mentor for students

Transformation Meditation Institute, Sherri “Shree” Wade, M.A. and “Brijendra” Bob Eaton

 

• • Certification and Study Focus:

     

    • • Transformation Meditation
    • • Essence of Patanjali
    • • In the Stillness of Breath: Praanaayaam for Meditators

Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Training with Cyndi Lee and Yoga International

Awakening Joy Course & Teacher Training with James Baraz of Spirit Rock Meditation Center

Insight Meditation with Sharon Salzberg and Joseph Goldstein

Insight Meditation and The Four Buddhist Heart Practices (Brahma Viharas) with James Baraz

Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness Training with David Treleaven 

Mindfulness-Based Mind Fitness Training (Trauma and Stress) with Dr. Elizabeth Stanley

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) with Saki Santorelli & Florence Meleo-Meyer

The Heart of Mindfulness with Dr. Judith Simmer-Brown of Naropa University

Buddhism Through Its Scriptures with Dr. Charles Hallisey of HarvardX

Mindfulness and Meditation Summit (32 presenters)

The Way of the Buddha A year-long study with Sharon Salzberg and other teachers of Insight Meditation Society

Member of Vipassana Fellowship with Andrew Quernmore

Radical Compassion: Actively Loving Ourselves and Our World Workshop and RAIN Partners Training with Tara Brach 

Mindfulness Meditation Day Retreats with Jack Kornfield

Breathing Deeply Yoga Therapy’s Meditation Teacher Training, Brandt Passalacqua, Yoga Therapist I-CAYT

In this program, we work with a blend of classical and tantric techniques. The method divides techniques into three general sections: Grounding and Tranquility, Deeper Awareness and Pranic Activity, and Samadhi and Surrender. 

iRest Level One Teacher Training, Richard Miller and Stephanie Lopez

iRest is a simple and accessible form of meditation designed for modern day living. In this training, I learned the basic principles, history, theory, practice, and delivery of iRest. I learned how to incorporate the simple yet profound 10-step iRest protocol into  my life, my yoga teaching, and my practice with clients. I also learned the process of Co-Meditation Dyads to work one-on-one with clients.

Yoga Nidra, Scott Moore Yoga, Scott Moore

Yoga Nidra for Private Clients and Yoga Nidra Dyads: These two programs included ways to offer the practice of yoga nidra to private clients in a way that matches their unique needs for essential transformation of body, mind, and spirit.

Insight Dialogue Community

The tenets of Insight Dialogue are Pause, Relax, Open, Attune to Emergence, Listen Deeply and Speak the Truth. The guidelines serve as the foundation for bringing meditative qualities of mind to the practice. Contemplation topics in Insight Dialogue range from direct noting of sensory experience (e.g., pleasant and unpleasant sensations in the body) to more content-rich teachings such as the three characteristics (suffering, impermanence, and not-self) or the “divine abodes” of lovingkindness, compassion, sympathetic joy and equanimity. These teachings are not discussed in the abstract, but rather explored in present moment experience. In this way, relational contact and meditative qualities of the mind help bring root wisdom teachings into lived experience, here and now.

Insight Timer App 

I am a meditation teacher on the Insight Timer app where I provide live and recorded sessions in meditation, mindfulness and sound baths.

Spiritual Community Living

I lived in a spiritual community and retreat center for one year with the focus on daily meditation, study, and mindful living. I facilitated retreats, courses and mentored students.

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Yoga

Registered Yoga Teacher E-RYT 500, YACEP with Yoga Alliance

 

• • YACEP Specialty in Mindfulness and Meditation

Accessible Yoga Certification – Jivana Heyman, C-IAYT, E-RYT500

 

• • In this 30 hour training for Accessible Yoga. The Focus: Creating Integrated Accessible Yoga classes where all students can practice together. Explore the many ways that yoga can be adapted to suit students with disabilities, physical challenges, seniors, and more. How to make classes welcoming to everyone and how to teach in a trauma-informed way. How yoga can be used to support health and healing for every body.

Lakshmi Voelker Chair Yoga Certification – Lakshmi Voelker, E-RYT 500, C-IAYT, YACEP, KYT, AY Ambassador

 

• • In this 30 hour training for LVCYT, Lakshmi teaches an accessible path to fitness through her Levels of Flexibility, breathing techniques, modified Yoga postures, and other holistic practices. There are five forms of LVCY – Single Chair Yoga, Double Chair Yoga, Pair Chair Yoga, Weighted Chair Yoga (light weights for bone & muscle mass building), and Wheelchair Yoga. LVCY certification is the same one used by the Mayo Clinic and the NYC Department of Education.

Yoga for All Teacher Training, Dianne Bondy, E-RYT 500 and Amber Karnes, E-RYT 500

 

• • 25 Hour Certification – The focus is on a body-positive experience for you, my students. I learned how to adapt yoga poses for any size, shape, and age. So, it doesn’t matter if you are in a larger or as we like to say in “Yoga for All” an abundant body, a senior body, or a differently-abled body. I am dedicated to creating an inclusive yoga experience for every student I teach.

Warriors at Ease Teacher Training

 

• • Warriors at Ease Level 1 Trained Teacher: In this training, I learned valuable skills to support the health and healing of service members, veterans, and their families, including those who’ve been impacted by war and sexual trauma experienced while serving in the military. I will also learn yoga practices and teaching principles grounded in an approach that is trauma-sensitive, evidenced-based, and informed by the unique aspects of military culture. This training helps me to assist others who may have experience PTSD and other traumas.

Mindful Resilience for Trauma Recovery Training, Veteran’s Yoga Project

 

• • Mindful Resilience Teacher: Mindful Resilience is what we call the collection of mind-body practices that we teach: Breathing, Meditation, Mindful Movement, Guided Rest, and Gratitude. These tools help us breathe easy, focus clearly, move freely, rest deeply, and remember what is working in our lives. As a result we become more resilient in the face of both ordinary and extraordinary challenges. Veterans Yoga Project is honored to offer an extraordinary opportunity for intensive training online in a proven, mindful approach to teaching yoga to veterans and others who are struggling with posttraumatic stress and other trauma-related psychological difficulties.

iRest Level One Teacher Training, Richard Miller and Stephanie Lopez

iRest is a simple and accessible form of meditation designed for modern day living. In this training, I learned the basic principles, history, theory, practice, and delivery of iRest. I learned how to incorporate the simple yet profound 10-step iRest protocol into  my life, my yoga teaching, and my practice with clients. I also learned the process of Co-Meditation Dyads to work one-on-one with clients.

Trauma-Sensitive Restorative Yoga Teacher Training, Carrie Dennison, E-RYT200, YACEP, Reiki Master

 

• • This training provided additional resources in Restorative Yoga with the focus of Trauma-based practices. Restorative Yoga can be effective in supporting trauma recovery as it helps one to shift into the parasympathetic nervous system.

Om Restorative Yoga Teacher Training, Cyndi Lee 

 

• • Comprehensive restorative poses, working with different body sizes, shapes and abilities, energizing and quieting practices, meditation, alignment and principles of restorative yoga.

Subtle Yoga – Subtle Yoga Revolution 40 Hour Teacher Training and Other Trainings, Kristine Kaoverii Weber – MA, C-IAYT, eRYT500, YACEP

 

• • The science of slow, conscious yoga is the antidote to the fast-paced, crazy world we live in. The focus of this training is slow, mindful practices that are safe, beneficial and fun for all people regardless of age or capacity. This allows me to offer unique classes and private sessions that are healing, relaxing, adaptive, and beneficial to students. Slow, mindful yoga improves brain function, builds nervous system resilience, increases interoception, develops mindfulness, increases psychological flexibility, reduces inflammation, improves self-regulation, and ultimately creates better health.

Grief Yoga with Paul Denniston – Grief Movement Guide Level 1 & 2 Training, Paul Denniston

 

• • Use movement, breath, and sound to guide others to break through the heaviness of grief. Choose specific exercises, movements and meditations to meet your clients’ needs. Learn the Cycle of Compassionate Transformation to release pain and move towards peace. Empower others to share their vulnerability while also embracing their strength. Guide others who have experienced past trauma to feel safe and empowered. Embody techniques to move through anger, guilt, and regrets. Explore empathy in a compassionate way while not taking on another’s pain. Use own grief to transform and hold space for others. 

Yoga. Psyche. Soul – Yoga Psychology Training, Ashley Turner, MA, LMFT

 

• • In this 300 hour training, it combined yoga, meditation, depth psychology, neuroscience, sound healing, mythology, and leadership. Yoga Psychology recognizes that the mind and body are inseparable, and that mastering our minds and building emotional resilience are the keys to true health, wealth, and happiness on every level.

Laughter Yoga Leader Training with Dr. Madan Kateria and Robert Rivest

 

• • Basic Learning Course with Dr. Madan Kateria – Laughter Yoga combines interactive laughter exercises with deep centering breaths and calming movements.

• • Laughter Yoga Leader Training with Robert Rivest – Laughter Yoga is fun and an effective stress relief program for all ages and abilities. 

Ayurvedic Yoga Specialist Training Kathryn Templeton, MA, RDT/MT/LPC, E-500 RYT, C-IAYT

 

• • Currently in training

Hot Stone Restorative Yoga with Tamara Skyhawk

With Hot Stone Restorative Yoga, we rest in carefully-chosen restorative yoga poses, while heated basalt stones are thoughtfully placed on the body to deeply melt tension, calm the mind and soothe the spirit. 

Breathing Deeply Yoga Therapy Foundations – Yoga Therapist Training, Brandt Passalacqua, Yoga Therapist I-CAYT

Yoga Therapy Training: Yoga Therapy is a type of therapy that uses yoga postures, breathing exercises, meditation, and guided imagery to improve mental and physical health. The holistic focus of yoga therapy encourages the integration of mind, body, and spirit. It can help to nurture the physical, emotional, psychological, social, and spiritual well-being.

Aura Wellness Center, Dr. Paul Gerard, E-RYT 500

 

• • 240-hour Chair Yoga Training 

My Vinyasa Practice, Michelle Young, M. Ed, E-RYT 200, RYT 500, Yoga Therapist C-IAYT

 

• • 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training Certification and 300-hour Yoga Teacher Training Certification

• • 300-hour Clinical Yoga Therapy Training: Clinical applications of Hatha Yoga. Yoga Therapy helps to nurture the physical, emotional, psychological, social, and spiritual well-being of individuals. 

• • Mindfulness Coaching Training

• • Yoga Nidra 40 Hour Training

• • Trauma-Informed Yoga 20 Hour Training

• • Restorative Yoga 40 Hour Training

• • Yin Yoga 20 Hour Training

• • Adaptive 40 Hour Training

• • Previously worked as a Livestream Meditation Teacher and Mentor for students in the Mindfulness Coaching and Meditation Certification Programs. In the past. I mentored students in the 200 and 300 hour yoga teacher and Yoga Nidra training programs.

• • Course Author – I created and developed the Advanced Meditation Certification Program that focuses on teaching Mindfulness, creating and recording guided meditations and one-to-one sound healing. This is now a course on my own site under Mindfulness Meditation Teacher and Coach Training. It now that
    focuses on the background of Mindfulness, teaching Mindfulness effectively for
    a variety of populations, creating and recording guided meditations, and working
    with one-on-one Mindfulness Coaching clients.

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Modalities

Labyrinth

Veriditas, Rev. Dr. Lauren Artress

 

• • Trained Labyrinth Facilitator – Veriditas training prepares facilitators to introduce others to the labyrinth in an articulate, professional and effective way. The training addresses both meditative walking and ceremonial use. Walking the Labyrinth is embraced as a spiritual practice and a path to peace. I use the labyrinth as another way clients and students can meditate, i.e. as a walking meditation, or to access their inner wisdom, or release what no longer serves the spirit.

Sound Energy Healing

Sound Healing Academy

Levels 1 & 2 – Sound Healing with Multi-Instruments including Crystal Singing Bowls, Tibetan Bowls, Gongs, Drums & Rhythm, Tuning Forks, and Voice 

Bliss Bowls, Ann Martin

Various trainings for Tibetan and Crystal Singing Bowls

Kirtan Leader Institute, Mike Cohen

Level 1 Training followed by Level 2.

Ataana Method Energy Healing

Ataana Badilli

 

• • Ataana Method Energy Healing Practitioner

Aromatherapy

Aroma Hut with Rebecca Park Totilo, Certified Aromatherapist, Bestselling Author, Speaker and Educator

 

• • Level One Certified Aromatherapist

• • Level Two Currently in training

Mental Health First Aid

FAA Level 3 Award Supervising First Aid for Mental Health with Hannah Francis

 

• • FAA Level 3 Award Supervising First Aid for Mental Health

Spiritual Teacher and Ordained Nonsectarian Non-Traditional Minister

 

• • Rev. Deb Phelps has extensive knowledge through over 43 years of personal meditation experience since 1980, certifications, and training. She has led 1000’s of hours of meditation with groups and individuals. She is also a spiritual teacher and non-sectarian minister for well over 30 years open to all spiritual paths. While not a licensed therapist, she is dedicated to assisting you in your spiritual life and personal healing goals with spiritual direction.

Education and Background

 

• • B.S. Community Ministry

• • Technology and Web Design

• • Worked in Non-Profit Sector

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Questions?