• ACADEMICS:

Core faculty at Lesley University’s Mindfulness Studies Graduate program. Dedicated to educating the next generation of mindfulness professionals.

• TEACHING & ADVISING:

Senior instructor at the Center for Mindfulness and Compassion of Boston, which is affiliated with CHA and Harvard Medical School.

Senior trainer & consultant at Potential Project International.

• PERSONAL EXPERIENCE & APPROACH:

With a personal mindfulness practice of 40+ years, and over 2000 hours of teacher training, Yasemin Isler teaches/facilitates programs for resilience, stress management, emotional well being, embodied presence, wise living with balance, working and education, and if you so choose, awakening to your life. She brings theory, science and practice of mindfulness, compassion and related modalities into her work.

• SPECIAL AREAS OF INTEREST/FOCUS:

Founder of Grief Circles - Center for Mindfulness, Compassion and Grief, Yasemin offers support based on her MCCG curriculum for living with illness, caregiving, bereavement, all grief and loss, and marginalized populations. Yasemin is a certified end-of-life doula professional, certified integrative thanatologist and hospice volunteer.

• SKILLS & CREDENTIALS SUMMARY:

Experienced facilitator, circle keeper and teacher, Yasemin finds joy mentoring new teachers. Her credentials include: Certified Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) teacher. Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) trained teacher. Certified Mindfulness Meditation teacher (MMTCP). Certified Mindful Schools educator. Certified advanced Trauma Sensitive Mindfulness (TSM) provider. Certified Corporate Based Mindfulness Facilitator. Trained in Path of Freedom Prison Mindfulness Program. With Bachelors in Computer Science and Economics, Yasemin holds an MA in Mindfulness Studies. She is pursuing doctorate in interdisciplinary studies connecting human development and learning, mindfulness, and trauma.

How have you shifted your life as your questions, answers and wonderings evolved?

I once knew a friend who ate a tuna fish salad sub at every lunch break at work. Are you settled into predictable routines?

I have known a friend who needed to seek the next adrenaline rush, jumping from airplanes, bungees, or climbing rocks. Are you seeking the connection in the activities that over activate your nervous system and heart rate?

Or are you circling between rushing in, settling in, giving up, not knowing, thinking you are where you need to be and yet in the back of the mind knowing there is something more?

There is no one way of being in life. If we were all the same in our paths from the moment of being born and the last breath, how boring things would be!

My intention of working together with you is rooted in what will bring you joy, contentment, realization, recognition and a way to be fully in your own truth. It is marvelous work.

When your calling is getting louder, to figure what this life is all about, to be fully present to it, to be free of suffering, stress and anxieties, to unlock what’s within you, I’d love to work with you.

And if life has shown up for you at this moment with loss, grief, heartache, illness or insurmountable pain, my heartfelt sincere wishes for ease and peace. I would be honored to be alongside you as a humble guide.

I came to USA from Turkey in 1980, after recovering from a serious illness, and landed in Boston to join in the 350th anniversary celebrations. Since then I have been living in Cambridge, MA. I studied computer science and economics at Northeastern University. This put me on a path of a successful career in IT as an engineer and architect for 25+ years, in senior roles. Working in stressful / high pressure work environments, parenting while working, desire to be perfect at home as a mother and wife, and at work, were all too normal, as some of you may relate to. I was also an athlete in my own right, pushing the limits of my body and being proud of vibrant youthfulness. My husband and I ran along Charles River 365 days of the year, or close enough. Rain, snow, shine did not matter. We met along the Charles River, while running. He was born in Central African Republic and raised in France. 

Like many of you, I experienced life’s ups and downs, surprises and joys all along the way and kept on plugging. I was introduced to Rumi when I was 3 years old (still remember the visit to his tomb). I was introduced to meditation and yoga at 16, and a sustainable practice of mindfulness (Vipassana - Insight meditation) in my twenties. My personal practice was quite helpful in getting me to be present, manage stress, and approach work and life situations with patience, acceptance and loving awareness, most of the time, whether caring for terminally ill parents, grieving their deaths, being present in relationships or focusing on work. In fact, the many benefits of mindfulness at work which are being researched and published now, had been at work for me supporting clients, culminating relations, being present, designing solutions that addressed the real problems.

In 2014, a family crisis brought me face to face with the most elemental things in life which we take for granted and yet can change almost overnight. My vibrant and energetic husband became ill with a very rare illness and died within 6 weeks of diagnosis. As a young widow, parenting a young grieving child, my personal practices took a life of their own, in supportive ways. My employer was very understanding and supportive to give me time to heal through this major life event. For them, I am grateful. While I planned to return to my job, which I did, I also felt more connected with training the mind and how to approach life from a new point of view, both to help myself, my son, and others who would be interested in learning to be present to life and thriving during normal days and in the midst of adversities. 

Shortly after my husband’s passing, while also working, I decided to return to Lesley University, in Cambridge, MA, blocks away from our home, and earned my masters in Mindfulness Studies. Lesley’s is the only program in the country. My intention was to learn the impact of these practices from academic and research points of view. (By now, there are close to 9,000 research studies on mindfulness and 1,500 more on compassion.) 

I continued my practices that were developing since a teenager, and decided it was most pertinent to be a teacher, guide and a coach, in service of supporting anyone who is suffering, struggling personally or in relation with others, in private life or at work. I have a unique range of certifications for teaching mindfulness and compassion in different programs including stress reduction, self-compassion, mindful education, workplace and leadership mindfulness, in addition to my own program which I created for grief. I curate programs to meet the needs of individuals and organizations, including caregivers, people touched by life altering illnesses, bereavement, all grief and loss, parents, and educators.

For one-on-one work, I offer free 20 minute session to get to know one another and whether we are a good fit.

In addition to all that I offer for mindful living in personal life and at work, which you can find at www.tuned-minds.com, supporting grief, bereavement, living with illness, caregiving and end-of-life needs are dear to my heart. I believe that they have a tender space in our lives and deserve a special platform. You can find out about the full services I provide at this site and www.griefcircles.com.

If you are interesed in what I offer, drop me a line and let’s connect. Please know it may take some time to get back, due to the volume of requests and current priorities.

If you think you or your group/organization may benefit from learning mind training, I’d love to hear from you. 

One final mention. Be thorough finding a teacher, facilitator, or mentor. With mindfulness becoming popularized, the chances of encountering incorrect representation of qualifications have increased. This is unfortunate, but a fact. If you want to learn how to swim, you will probably pick someone with extensive experience, including how to teach and swim in a variety of conditions and waters, and watching out for you. Be mindful of who is teaching you to train your mind; and have fun in these new adventures.

Thank you for visiting.

With Love and Kindness,

Yasemin