Presenting at the National Stuttering Assoc conference
I am a scholar-practitioner; educator, mindfulness meditation teacher, Life Balance strategist and a consultant.
I teach embodied mindfulness, compassion, trauma-informed practices, and joy to instigate internal and external shifts in perspectives.
I’m a dedicated practitioner of contemplative practices. I attend annual Vipassana retreats. I have 30 years of diverse educational experience, ranging from secondary science teaching to university professorship and mentoring roles, I hold two doctorates, a master’s degree, and teacher certifications in mindfulness meditation. My expertise extends into in trauma-sensitive mindfulness, anti-racism, and ethical sensitivity.
“What I love about working with Shawn is her deep compassion for others and her honest intuition. She has a way of making me feel safe and protected during every conversation we have, which gives me the motivation to dig even deeper and implement solutions we come up with together. ”
I, like you, want to live authentically - to my fullest - out from under my own oppressive thoughts and society’s messages as backup singers.
Throughout my work on me I came to understand that I need to be the softest place for me to land. It is through compassion and kindness that I teased apart the thoughts that held me most captive. My mindfulness practice centered me and my trauma informed me. There was a lot to learn and a lot to release.
It is because of my journey that I commit to helping others. I listen, coach, inspire, cheer and motivate.
“Shawn really does have a gift for getting to the heart of the issue without making me feel as if I’ve been beaten over the head. ”
I founded The YOU in you Consulting Inc., to help individuals shift from conditioned behaviours and perspectives, and toward practices of inner-reflection, personal mastery, and interconnectedness.
As a consultant and meditation teacher, I guide individuals in immersive learning experiences, which enhances cognitive understanding. I foster perspective-taking, discernment, and valuing mistakes and discomfort as opportunities for growth and compassion.
As a Life Balance Strategist (in training), I support individuals going through or planning a change or transition in their life. I help you to uncover your values and determine which ones are the most important at this time n your life. Clarity about your values, particularly naming them, empowers you and supports mapping your intentions toward wellbeing.
I wanted to create a mandala to show how each part of my work is interconnected. This mandala was created by Takaaki Okada and is the result of the truest form of emergent collaboration I’ve ever experienced. I am forever grateful.
Educator. Strategist. Consultant.
I work in the following areas.
INTRODUCTION TO EMBODIED MINDFULNESS MEDITATION
Why: Embodied Mindfulness is a way of living and when practiced can transform our inner states, thoughts, and other experiences at a fundamental level. It has proven benefits on your physical, mental, and emotional health. It has the power to transform your overall well-being.
How: Grounded in science and designed to help you build a consistent mindfulness practice and integrate embodied practices into your daily life. Each session is a different component of mindfulness with plenty of time to process, practice and to receive support between sessions.
TRAUMA-INFORMED CARE AND THE MIND-BODY SYSTEM
Why: Unresolved trauma can leave us trapped in a cycle of activation and dysregulation and struggling to understand why. Our window of tolerance shrinks and we stay in reactivity mode with our fight-flight-freeze reactions in overdrive.
How: Know how your mind-body system becomes activated and dysregulated. You’ll learn about your nervous system, interpersonal neurobiology, coregulation and the window of tolerance. This knowledge can expand your ability to regulate when stressed, show you how to co-regulate, and increase your self-awareness with compassion.
fortify with SELF-COMPASSION
Why: Embodied self-compassion is a powerful self-awareness practice that changes you from the inside out. We rarely, if ever, offer ourselves self-compassion. We think we will be weak and unmotivated. Yet, we are self-compassionate by nature and it can be cultivated. It is the antidote to balance everyday stress and will add joy to our lives.
How: Learn practical skills with embodied mindfulness meditations to feel what self-compassion feels like. You’ll learn the challenges of self-compassion, how to overcome them and how to use your compassion in service of others.
EMBODIED MINDFULNESS FOR personal mastery
Why: Without intentional awareness, leaders can struggle with isolation and self-judgment. You turn yourself inside out trying to be a better person, trying to build a better team, and trying to stay afloat when things get turbulent. You want to be an authentic leader, leading with your head and your heart.
How: You’ll learn the fundamentals of self-awareness, reflection and compassion then combine them to explore your inner ethical compass. These skills when put to use personally in your organization will fortify you to lead with your head and heart and improve your workplace environments.
Exploring Bias: Interrupt Conditioned Thinking
Why: Biases direct our thinking, beliefs and actions. When unexamined, biases can lead to persistent harm of self and others. Biases can erode another’s sense of belonging and is a form of othering. You’ll explore biases and uncover how your thinking contributes to and compounds inequities.
How: Art-based explorations, combined with embodied mindfulness practices and self-compassion are used to explore biases and to support changing our understanding and reactions. Pictures take the place of words and become a vehicle for deep reflection and a pathway to lasting changes.
“Shawn’s process enabled me to be present with what was in my heart and mind and allow it to unfold into a cohesive workshop structure. I experienced her method as a creative collaboration that moved along with joy and ease.”
Coaching or Mentoring: Both require similar skills and both are used for professional development, however the structure and outcome can look different.
Coaching: Built on a co-created outcome with regularly scheduled meetings, often short-term (6 months or longer) using thought-provoking questions on a given area to improve reflections, decisions, and behavioral changes in that area.
Mentoring. A broader definition of being an experienced and trusted advisor. The mentor-mentee relationship can last for years and meetings are informal and based on need.