My Story

Why would a university trained mindfulness teacher ends up speaking about “Pure Mind” and “Abiding.” It is a fair question.

I have spent much of my life in the world of rigorous training. I am a qualified teacher of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT). I graduated from the University of Massachusetts Medical School program in 2007. I have studied the mechanics of the nervous system, the psychology of stress, and the protocols of clinical attention.

I loved this work. I still do. But there was a chapter in my life where the training was not enough.

When the Storm Came

Like many of you, I have known loss. I lost my father at a young age. I have navigated the loss of a career, health challenges, and some difficult family relationships. In those darkest moments, I found that my “thinking mind”—even my trained, meditating mind—was trying to solve the grief like a math problem.

I was trying to “mindful” my way out of the pain.

It was exhausting. And more importantly, it didn’t work. The more I tried to fix the despair, the stronger it became.

The Shift to Abiding

Slowly, I began to realize that I needed a “larger container”. I didn’t need a sharper focus; I needed a wider embrace. I began to practice not just observing my experience, but abiding with it.

I discovered “Pure Mind“—that space of awareness that exists before our stories begin. I found that I could let this vast awareness hold me, just as the sky holds a storm. I did not have to be strong enough to carry the grief; the Pure Mind was strong enough to carry me.

Why This Website Exists

I created Pure Mind Abiding as a legacy project. It is my offering to those who are tired of fighting. It is for the person who has tried the techniques and the therapies but still feels a cold ache in their chest.

My wish is simple: May this be a place where you stop trying to fix yourself, and start learning to be held.