El Salvador/U.S.A.*
UNHCR, (The UN Refugee Agency), in El Salvador, partnered with Kelly to support our staff and bring mindfulness into our work while being on quarantine. Kelly provided 3 online group sessions and some private consultations. Kelly made the sessions interesting because of the engaging content. She made mindfulness so simple and easy to implement, encouraging us to take small steps at a time. Many of my colleagues confirmed that the exercises helped them to go through the anxiety and the uncertainty of the lock down, and that they were trying to figure out ways to integrate those exercises into their daily lives and make them a habit. One often sees mindfulness or even a meditation as something unattainable. Kelly managed to make us understand that it is very simple, though requires some discipline. Thank you, Kelly!
Learning mindfulness and deepening the meditation practice with Kelly far exceeded even my most positive expectations. It has been, without a doubt, a life changing experience for which I am grateful. It has brought me to a place of peace with my past, excitement about the future and awareness of the present moment. Kelly is the real deal, bringing a space of compassion, personal growth and spiritual nourishment to anyone willing to do the work. She's extremely warm and open minded. Her teachings are always clear and practical, her words resonate within for far longer. Thanks Kelly!
Patrick
Tombola/international photo journalist
Kelly is an amazing human and teacher. Through the practice of mindfulness based stress reduction she helped me see my reality with different eyes, and live better, lighter, smarter!
With her guidance, advice, tips and practice, I was able to expand my horizon and create an healthy and safe space for me to get back to as needed. Often times Kelly and I burst in a huge laugh and those are magical and disarming moments of deep self realization.
I feel blessed as I am keeping discovering. Thank you Kelly! With her guidance, advice, tips and practice, I was able to expand my horizon and create an healthy and safe space for me to get back to as needed. Often times Kelly and I burst in a huge laugh and those are magical and disarming moments of deep self realization.
I feel blessed as I am keeping discovering. Thank you Kelly!
Irene Vignini
Around the Globe
I have been practicing mindfulness and meditation for the past one year with Kelly and it has been one of the most productive journeys of my life. I spent many years on my own reading and studying about these practices; however, working with Kelly has brought the principals to life for me. Kelly is warm, unguarded, and down to earth. She is a trustworthy, patient and encouraging guide with a wonderful sense of humor. Her techniques are clear and practical and most importantly attainable in daily life. I feel blessed that our paths have crossed.
Shannon Smith
SENIOR OPERATIONS OFFICER International Organization for Migration (IOM) New York
There was no hope. My perfect life had made a 360 degree turn with the almost simultaneous ALS diagnosis of my mother and the sudden death of my father due to cancer. I’ll never forget what the doctors in Cleveland prescribed: Mindfulness. I was so mad. Was this real?
Now I get it, the prescription was not for my mom, it was for me.
Mindfulness may not have cured my parents, but I know it allowed me to be present with them on their last days and enabled me to prepare and cope with my grief in a completely different and compassionate way. Mindfulness helped me focus on being grateful for the time I had with my parents, instead of listening to the uncontrollable thoughts in my mind that expected me to suffer because I was going to miss them.
I will never forget our first session together. A whirlwind of thoughts running around in my head thinking- really? I don’t have time for this, this is definitely not for me. However, Kelly’s beautiful and insightful soul kept me going. Her guidance allowed me to understand what mindfulness was about- to simply be present for the small things in life. She made me understand that working on my brain/mind was as important as working on the rest of my body. I noticed that as I started living in my present moment, everything around me, my relationships with those that surrounded me, and within myself, all began to work.
Paola Cristiani
I'm going to start with the text message I just sent to Kelly a few days back because frankly nothing is more powerful than this one concept, "for the first time in 5 years my ex-husband and I just had a peaceful hand off of the children. I feel balanced, stable, and cool. I owe you a debt so great I could never repay. Generations of harm avoided because of you." Through the Mindfulness journey, Kelly has helped me see that each story in my life has been mine to create. I can choose to create a masterpiece or a tragedy, but only I can paint my own life's picture and I am in full control to do it. Now I'm sure you've heard phrases like that before, but the difference in working with Kelly is that she gives you practical and tactical advice as to how you can actually achieve that. Since what Kelly likes to call "Aha Moments," but I call them "Oh Shit Moments," - it's when you figure out that you really did create all the stress you currently have in your life and you can single-handedly undo it just as easily, my life hasn't been the same. Suddenly I'm re-connected to the compassionate and kind person I used to be. You know, back before I was hurt by another? Suddenly, I'm not only connected to myself, but I'm connected to others. Gone is the grumpy girl who couldn't tolerate losing control of any little aspect of her life and now in her place is someone who can flow. I come home from work happy to see my energetic little kiddos who have missed their Mom all day instead of feeling burdened by homework, dinner, shower and bedtime. It's all become a game for us to play together. I can honor my struggles while I'm in them. I'm can maintain my peace and calm despite others behaviors in a way that seemed impossible before. I can let things go right away instead of holding them for years. I hadn't belly laughed in months. I belly laugh every single day now. If it doesn't come up in life, youtube some comdey! See what I mean? Practice advice. (I'll bet you didn't know that you can re-program your brain with seratonin hits by implementing her practical advice? It's literally like taking an anti-depressant; it's the same seratonin hit!) I can't stop saying to myself, "Life is so delicious." I can see the beauty in the world around me and have compassion for others which connects me to them in turn bringing me joy. Don't get me wrong. It's a practice and I will always be practicing, but in the practice life is colorful and beautiful again.
Janina Khaylai
Managing Director
A little under a year ago, Kelly introduced me to Mindfulness at a time when I was experiencing deep change and uncertainty both in my personal and professional life.
My experience im Kellys class has been marvelous, she has guided me through the concepts of mindfulness and has taught me how to practice it in a daily basis. Thanks to this, I have been able to surf through life with a positive mind and attitude to the point where I now welcome change instead of fearing it.Thank you Kelly for showing me that living in the present is the happiest way to live.
Justo Sol
Entrepreneur
2019 for me was a year of many personal challenges and changes. I began soul searching, with a wild and unstopping mind that blocked my ability to see clearly the path to follow. It was when I met Kelly and began my weekly sessions that I was able to start seeing more clearly, it was an instant connection with her. She has a special way of listening, a soothing voice, she always seems to have the right tools or homework that allow me to find the better path. I am now present, able to see and understand my mind, my stories and how I can rewrite them.
Javier Interiano