How I came into teaching mindfulness

I came to MBSR while working as a social worker and case manager in homelessness services, alongside teaching yoga. While practical support is essential, I could see that lasting change often depended on something deeper — people having the inner resources to meet life as it is. I felt a strong pull toward this inner work. Life brings challenges in both quiet and overwhelming ways, and I became deeply interested in how we learn to be with those experiences, in ways that are helpful and freeing, rather than constantly trying to escape or fix them. MBSR was exactly what I had been looking for, and I was immediately inspired by my own experience of the program and by witnessing the impact it had on others.

My own practice, now over 20 years, has been a steady companion. I began practicing as a teenager, navigating significant grief, depression, addiction, and chronic digestive issues. Mindfulness helped me shift from avoiding and numbing my pain toward developing the courage to turn toward my experience. That shift changed everything. I learned healthier ways to respond to difficulty, listen to my body, and regulate my nervous system, which brought greater ease and healing. Just as importantly, I rediscovered joy, love, and connection. Being present allowed me to feel the full range of being human, and life became more meaningful and alive.

Now, as a parent of two young children and a psychotherapist in private practice, the challenges I face look different, but the practice remains vital. It helps me stay regulated, present, and connected to what matters. I understand that practice can be hard — that meeting ourselves isn’t always comfortable — and I aim to create a space that is grounded and compassionate as we navigate this together. It’s a privilege to witness people discovering their own capacity for awareness, resting more fully into themselves, and learning to respond to their minds, bodies, and emotions in ways that soothe the nervous system. It’s a delight to see people grow, connect with themselves and each other, and engage with life in more meaningful ways. For me, this feels like essential human work.

Background

• BA Social Work; Member AASW
• Level 1 MBSR Teacher Training (teaching since 2017)
• Cert Yoga Teaching and Therapy (teaching since 2010)
• IFS Level II; EMDR Level II
• Cert ACT; Cert Interpersonal Psychotherapy; Cert Motivational Interviewing.
• Psychotherapist (In private practice since 2021)
• Over 20 years of daily meditation practice, including yearly week-long silent retreats

Specialisation

Ingrid has been facilitating MBSR through Openground since 2018. She has taught mindfulness and yoga in diverse settings, including schools, hospitals, youth refuges, workplaces, and the broader community. She has also offered MBSR through the University of Melbourne as a teacher in residence. Ingrid is particularly passionate about supporting people emotionally in response to climate change. Through her work with Psychology for a Safe Climate, she has co-facilitated workshops, courses, and Climate Cafés.

Her work focuses on helping people meet emotional difficulty with greater awareness and compassion, supporting individuals and groups to build inner resources to navigate stress, trauma, anxiety, depression, relationships, life transitions, and the emotional realities of living in a changing world. Her approach is informed by both her personal journey and professional experience as an MBSR teacher, psychotherapist trained in Internal Family Systems (IFS), EMDR and ACT, social worker, and yoga therapist/teacher. Known for her genuine, down-to-earth style, Ingrid makes mindfulness practical and relatable, offering an embodied, compassionate presence that supports people to integrate practice into their lives in meaningful and sustainable ways.

Teaching Philosophy

I believe something softens when we can meet ourselves as we are. There is real relief in releasing the pressure to fix or be different. In my experience, lasting positive change grows from care and compassion, not from criticism. When we feel safe enough, we can listen more honestly to our inner experience, connect more deeply with those around us, and respond in ways that reduce stress and cultivate awareness. Creating that sense of safety in a group is central to my teaching. It is from this place of safety and acceptance that we can be fully present with what we value and what truly matters in life. From there, we begin to wake up to the ways we want to be with ourselves, our loved ones, and the world around us. This is where the power and meaning of practice can genuinely shape our lives.