Laura is a mother, wife, visual artist, writer, singer-songwriter and experiential educator combining art, yoga, meditation and Jewish spirituality. She is also a Creativity Coach, SoulCollage®  facilitator and Spiritual Director. Throughout the past 11 years of child rearing, teaching, facilitating and eventually coaching and spiritual direction, she has also been ill with a wide variety of symptoms receiving several different diagnoses. On September 3, 2009 after an emergency room visit, she was finally diagnosed with RRMS (relapsing remitting ms). While no longer able to work outside her home, she continues to be engaged in the world through blogging regularly and offering individual services via the Internet and phone conferencing. As challenging as living with a chronic, disabling disease is she feels that in many ways, MS has expanded her heart, mind, soul and appreciation for all the things her body IS able to do.  “It seems that as the neural connections in my central nervous system decrease, my compassion toward my own lived experience and toward all beings increases. For this I am deeply grateful.” Laura's columns focus on "Healing with Gratitude."

Cindy
Cindy calls the Roanoke Valley in Virginia her home. She is surrounded by beautiful mountains that inspire and heal her everyday. Having worked twenty five years in the retail industry, she moved up quickly and loved her career, but had to quit work due to chronic illness. She is on a healing journey through Metta meditation, mindfulness practices and self compassion. Cindy's heads up the "Mindful Living" department here. She also writes here:
 "Awakening The Woman Within" with Goffstown Today,   www.Goffstowntoday.com  Simple Steps Real Change, FB page   http://www.simplestepsrealchange.com Psychological Health of Roanoke, VA,   www.PsychHealthRoanoke.blogspot.com Cindy (Harpe) Hively FB page,   http://facebook.com/cindyhivelybc  

Cheryl is a freelance writer, whose essays, feature articles and columns have been published online and in print since 1998. Cheryl's weekly column, Wright Words of Wisdom, debuted in September 2006 in the WomanWise magazine - a Sunday pullout in the Trinidad Guardian Newspaper. You can catch up on the column here :  http://www.guardian.co.tt/category/byline-authors/cheryl-wright
Website: Cheryl Wright - Perspectives
Cheryl's column here focuses on "Womanly Wisdom."

Kaveri has been on a quest to find answers, not through religious texts, any particular person or popular dogma,but through her own experiences. She lives with her wonderful family in northern California where she practices medicine, meditation, parenting, yoga, writing, and patience. Kaveri's column here focuses on "Living Poetry." Her first book of poetry, An Invitation, is available on Amazon. She can be reached at: aninvitationpoetry@gmail.com

Lisa is a meditation teacher, energy worker, writer, and mom to three. She loves helping people heal and explore the unseen aspects of themselves through chakra (energy center) meditation and related energy body work. She specializes in women's energetics - the distinct characteristics and phases of women's subtle bodies, and the special spiritual doorways available to women through their feminine divinity. In her work she draws on many diverse traditions, including Vajrayana Buddhism, Tantra, Zen, gnostic Christianity, shamanism, yoga, astrology, and several energy healing systems, most particularly the work of Cyndi Dale. She writes on all these subjects at her blog Mommy Mystic (http://www.MommyMystic.com), as well as writing regularly on Buddhism for Bellaonline (http://buddhism.bellaonline.com/Site.asp), where she is the Buddhism site editor. She offers classes, workshops and personal sessions through The Maat Institute (http://www.themaatinstitute.com.) Lisa's column here is entitled, "Women's Energetics."

  Ingrid is a poet, artist, writer and an anthologist with gratitude to a long lineage of mystics, teachers, theologians, skeptics and saints from all ages and around the globe who have lived in awareness of oneness and of joy. For more than twenty years, Ingrid has shared her love for spiritual inquiry, poetry, beauty, and the wisdom traditions of the world through her books, cards, retreats, e-offerings and gifts.   It gives Ingrid deep pleasure to help others feel more whole, more  spacious, centered, and more intimate with their own lives.  Her books include The Joy Book, The Honey Sutras, Good Mother Welcome, What Holds Us, Moonlight and Remembrance, Simple Graces for Every Meal, The Abundance of Grace, and many quote anthologies.  Ingrid lives with her husband and two daughters on the island of Martha’s Vineyard.  She may be found online at www.TendingJoy.com

Jennifer Niedzielski is a teacher, writer, mother of three young daughters, and the co-founder of Mindful Moms Network™. After teaching in the traditional classroom setting for over 12 years, she is transcending classroom walls to inspire and teach women how to reclaim their calm and take exquisite care of their mind, body, and inner-selves amidst the chaos of mothering. Through Mindful Moms, it is her intention to create a nurturing and supportive community for moms that encourages Inward Development through the Art of Mothering.

To find out more about how to be a mindful mama, please visit Mindful Moms Network™ Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1275432069#!/MindfulMoms

and Mindful Moms Network™ blog, Intentionally Inspiring Mamas:
http://www.intentionallyinspiringmamas.com/

Danielle, in her own words: I am a young woman seeking out ways to help and heal my life.  I am releasing my fears and worries to enlighten and lift my being in order to better myself, my children and the world around me.  I am learning to be responsible for my energy and my contribution.  I live in tiny town in the middle of Illinois on 2 beautiful sandy lakes surrounded by family.  I have 14 beautiful healthy nieces and nephews and 2 amazingly bright children that help me to live life on the silly side.  Children are so pure and free to be.  They inspire me to let loose and live optimistically. Danielle writes the column "Buddha Babies."

Previously know as Undercover Buddha Chick, Uncovered Buddha Chick is learning to live more and more out of her true self - to live authentically. To live simply. To live without fear – or, at least, to be courageous in the face of fear. To live with an open heart.  Through mindfulness, metta and loving-kindness and self compassion practices self awareness is being cultivated. With eyes wide open to see and ears to hear what’s really going on within herself, she is learning transparency. In the process, pre-conceived notions, prejudices and judgments are being released. Her longings for authentic community are being met, in part, on the pages of Buddha Chick Life. Having come out of the shadows to live clear, calm and wise, she wants to be a better human being. She is me. Is she you?

Jan is the editor of "Buddha Chick Life." She is passionate about supporting women on their life journeys. Whether it is through online or in-person workshops or retreats, as an Interfaith Spiritual Director in private practice, or writing, her dedication to the spiritual journey is evident. She is the author of four personal/spiritual growth books for women, her newest being, Your Truest Self: Embracing the Woman You Are Meant to Be (Sorin Books). Jan is a nationally syndicated columnist for Women's LifeStyle  and writes quarterly for Women's OutLook. She is a student of Vipassana and a teacher of Metta. She calls the peace-filled shores of Lake Michigan home. Her website is AwakenedLiving.Com. You may enjoy receiving her daily "Beads of Wisdom."

Wanna write? If you feel you have knowledge or insights to share—photography, poems, or personal essays—rooted in mindful, compassionate living, we'd love to meet you.
You can view our submission guidelines here.