How my journey began

Hi, I’m Jenny, the founder of Open Wisdom. I am fully certified as both a Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) teacher and a Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness Practitioner with years of experience.

It might not be a panacea for all life’s woes, but mindfulness has helped thousands and thousands of people live happier, calmer and less anxious lives.

Like everyone, I live in the real world. A world of noise, challenges, pain, heartbreak, love, happiness, tension, illness, wellness and so much more. I know that life can throw us challenges, including some we think we won’t recover from.

Mindfulness has been a part of my life for over 35 years. I was first introduced to it while living alone at 15 years old and I’ve been practicing ever since. Mindfulness helped me through this challenging time, and others, and shaped who I am today.

I am one of only four people in NSW who are fully certified as an MBSR teacher by the Mindfulness Training Institute of Australia and New Zealand (as listed on their website), which has rigorous standards and assessments all teachers must meet.

I started my working life as a classical musician before turning to corporate people-focused roles. I studied Human Resources and have a Master’s Degree in Business Administration and Project Management. Coaching and learning and development were a core part of my career, and today, I put those skills to good use in my mindfulness courses.

After my breast cancer diagnosis and treatment, I knew it was time to leave the corporate world and share my knowledge with others, so I founded Open Wisdom to run mindfulness courses both for the general public and corporate clients. I also decided that I want to support people who are recovering from sexual violence, the topic of Wisdom of Survivors, a book and podcast I’m working on. 

My clients have diverse needs and goals including overcoming extreme anxiety, depression and stress, or they just want to feel happier and more at ease. They all want to experience the benefits of mindfulness in their everyday life.

I teach from my base in the Blue Mountains, NSW, Australia and online. Supporting people to live more peacefully and mindfully and to meet life’s challenges head-on is my passion, I can’t wait to share it with you.

Ongoing development, certification, study and practice is very important to me. Here is some evidence of my commitment:

• Certified Mindfulness Teacher - Professional Level (International Mindfulness Teachers Association)

• Member of the International Mindfulness Teachers Association

• Certified Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Teacher (Mindfulness Training Institute of Australia & New Zealand)

• Certified Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness Practitioner (David Treleaven Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness)

• Accredited International Corporate Mindfulness Facilitator (Potential Project International)

• Trained Mindfulness Facilitator (UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior)

• Trained Mindfulness Mentor (Taught by Jack Kornfield, Tara Brach, & more)

• Certified Organisational Coach (Institute of Executive Coaching and Leadership)

• Masters of Business Administration (University of Technology, Sydney)

• Graduate Diploma in Human Resource Management (Deakin University)

• Graduate Certificate in Project Management (University of Technology, Sydney)

• Professional Diploma in Human Resource Management (Deakin University)

• Hogan Certified - Hogan Personality Inventory; Hogan Development Survey; Motives, Values, Preferences Inventory (Peter Berry Consultancy)

• Certified Facilitator (Development Dimensions International)

• Participant at annual 10-day silent meditation retreats (typically at the Blue Mountains Insight Meditation Centre)

• Participant of the Positive Neuroplasticity program (Dr Rick Hanson)

• Participant of the Engage Mindful Leaders program (Search Inside Yourself Leadership Institute)

• Participant of the Satipatthana Sutta program - The Four Foundations of Mindfulness (Barre Centre for Buddhist Studies)

• Participant of the Mindfulness of Breathing program (Barre Centre for Buddhist Studies)

• … there are probably some I’ve left off and the list will continue to grow.