About

“Don’t worry if you feel you can only do one tiny good thing in one small corner of the world. Just be a Buddha body in that one place” Thich Nhat Hanh.

I am a mindfulness martial artist. My work focuses on presenting, sharing and practising dynamic, hands-on and embodied activities that take mindfulness from a worthy idea right into the rough and tumble of daily life – at work, in the community, the home, relationships and family.

I am a long-time practitioner of meditation, yoga, qigong, surfing, journaling and fitness – these are the foundations of mindfulness as a martial art in my own life.

For over 24 years, I was a professional and community environmental sustainability educator, consultant and communicator. I earned a PhD in Adult Learning (University of Technology Sydney), that focused on transformative education and multi-party stakeholder negotiation and their potential to create systemic change. The insights gained from that research continue to inform my work today. I also co-founded and managed The Ethos Foundation, a not for profit adult sustainability learning centre.

At the age of 50, I stepped aside from the environmental sustainability field and retrained to gather fitness, yoga, surfing and qigong teaching under the applied mindfulness umbrella.

I am a speaker, facilitator and trainer to business, not for profit organisations and education in Mindfulness as a Martial Art, Gritty Mindfulness, Wellbeing, Resilience and Wellness & Aging.

I am also a coach and mentor in these areas, predominantly utilising Clinical Tapping to assist my clients.

I host community classes in mindful movement –  fitness, yoga and qigong.

I facilitate public retreats and workshops in mindfulness as a martial art, wellbeing, streamlined surfing, and taking rest.

I collaborate with my wife Jennifer Jefferies, an internationally renowned speaker and naturopath, to host the Smart Sassy Seniors podcast, live events and retreats. These are gathering enthusiastic audiences in Australia and around the world. Jen and I also collaborated with the Surf Witches Board Riders Club to produce the documentary film “Taking Off: Tales of Older Women Who Surf” (World Premiere May 2023).

I have published four books:

“Becoming a Stillness Ninja: Reflections on Resilience, Recovery and Love” (2023)

“Surfing as a Dance: How one woman found grace in and out of the water” (2018)

“the dharma of surfing: wisdom from the water for life” (2016)

“Expanding Green Strategies: Creating change through negotiation” (2009)

My formal qualifications include: PhD in Adult Education (UTS), Masters in Applied Science in Social Ecology (University of Western Sydney), Graduate Diploma Education (University of NSW), Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Public Relations (UTS). I am also a qualified and experienced fitness, yoga and qigong instructor. For six years, between 2013 and 2019, I was a surfing instructor on the Gold Coast helping mostly middle-aged women grasp their dream of surfing.

Most recently I am trained in Evidence-Based Emotional Freedom Techniques (EBEFT), Trauma Informed Practice, Mental Health First Aid, Gentle Somatic Yoga, Creative Community Recovery Facilitation, Rites of Passage Facilitation, Bringing Up Great Kids (BUGKs), and  PSYCH-K. I am currently undertaking Advanced Accreditation for EBEFT.