Amanda Stiler:
Energy Healing Arts Practitioner and Body Awareness Guide.
Originally from New Zealand!
Hi, Meditation is my longtime 25+ years reliable 'refuge'. I have been inspired by many teachers from all traditions, travelled to many retreats around the world, served as a managing staff member in retreat centers and have been encouraged to step into a teaching role by my teacher Jaya Ashmore of Open Dharma.
In my early 20s after finishing my honors degree in Architecture, I started realizing that I no longer needed to be living up to the expectations of others and unhappy.
This was the beginnings of a more active exploration for meaning in my life, so I joined the Wellington Insight Meditation group.
Over next ten years, I attended many NZ meditation retreats, with Insight Meditation teachers Sharda Rogell, Christopher Titmus, Stephen Batchelor and Gregory Kramer. These retreats felt like a safe place to rest into being myself and no one else to please.
By 2005, after a series of challenging life events; I felt a strong calling to travel overseas to attend longer meditation retreats, exchanging my need of working a long term plan, for the freedom to simply “go with the flow”/ to be present to life. By 2008, I had attended and served on many meditation retreats from 7 days to 6 weeks in length, in India, France, Spain, UK and New Zealand, while earning my way as a live-in care giver. This time included; a further exploration of my life long passion in movement and dance; gaining a new vocation as a practitioner in the Japanese healing art of 'Jin Shin Jyutsu', and exploring the process of learning to surrender with lying down meditation.
My curiosity in 'Dialogue', or learning 'to speak from presence', landed me at Springwater Center, Rochester, NY, to volunteer and attend retreat with Toni Packer. I unexpectedly met my husband to be, Jay Stiler, there. Got married in 2009, spent 3 years on staff at Springwater Center, as one of Toni's carers, then Center housekeeper, and a retreat kitchen manager and QiGong teacher. Where we provided and attended 7 day silent mediation retreats every month. (Influenced mainly by Zen Buddhism and Krishnamurti.)
2012, we landed in Santa Cruz, CA, with the initial shock of leaving a life living in a retreat center, to starting our life 'out in the real world'! With a huge passion for the gifts we had realized from meditation and Springwater Center - we founded local Soquel, CA. group.
Today, I help those on their own path of self-discovery, re-connect to who they truly are and lead a life of greater liberation.
I look forward to meeting you in meditation soon!
More on Amanda's training and credentials.
More about 'who we are'.