Here are the faces of a couple of us behind this initiative - we don’t intend to be teachers, only fellow community members with some practices to offer to helpnyou facilitate your own process of coming home to yourself.
Contact Form at the Bottom!
Brooke Cassoff
I am an avid learner, traveler, and cookie enthusiast that has been living life with T1D (and all of its ups and downs) for over 15 years. I came to meditation in 2016 while in the midst of significant personal and professional transitions and have been growing in the practice ever since, most recently as a member of the first Applied Compassion Training cohort offered through the Stanford Center for Compassion and Altruism Research & Education (CCARE). Mindfulness and compassion practices have been tremendous forces for good in my life and I am excited to share them with the broader diabetes community!
Email: bcassoff@gmail.com
Peter Friedfeld
At the carefree age of 56, I was quite surprised to be diagnosed with Diabetes, on Valentines Day no less. Talk about Self-Compassion. For my first year I lived a life trying to accept this misdiagnosis of Type 2 Diabetes, only to be correctly diagnosed as Type 1 eighteen months later. During that time, I developed an engaged yoga practice which helped me heal my mind and body. In the early days of COVID under home confinement (everything from home) I began my relationship with a mindfulness practice and Zen teachings—both of which have helped me immensely in so many ways. I am passionate about connecting in this community and in finding ways to give back , to continually share my experiences, and in growing from these relationships.
Email: pfriedfeld@gmail.com
Instagram: @hamptons_t1dyogi
Kō Sam Tullman
I was diagnosed with Type One Diabetes when I was 8, and while I had some exposure to meditation in middle school, I didn’t start really practicing until many years later, and only then with hopes that it would make me a better college football player. Once my playing career ended, I realized meditation practice was the real gift all along, and took a deep dive into it. I primarily practice in a meditation tradition called Rinzai Zen, but also explore meditation from the lenses of other Buddhist traditions, and from the viewpoint of modern Psychology and Neuroscience, which is where my professional work is.
Each practice helps me be a little more the person I want to be, not separating myself from T1D, not separating from the joys nor hardships of life, and not separating from the sunrises and sunsets, the waves on this ocean of life, or the delicious snack behind me.
Email: samatullman@gmail.com
Sarah Petti
My diabetes diagnosis came at the age of 15 when I was a freshman in high school. It wasn’t until many years later that I discovered the diabetes community and the power of peer support.
For the last decade I have been leading support groups for people with all types of diabetes, both in the Boston area as well as virtually. My experiences with type 1, as well as diabetes complications like gastroparesis and neuropathy, inspired me to study integrative nutrition, as well as yoga and meditation, and most recently I trained to become a full-spectrum doula. In an effort to help myself, I have gained knowledge and developed practices that have allowed me to be an even better resource for others living with diabetes and chronic illness.
I am the founder of Grace & Growth, a group that focuses on spiritual wellness for women with diabetes. I’m also the host of The Diabetes Doula Podcast, a program that explores pregnancy, postpartum, and reproductive health through the lens of living with diabetes.
I love all things spirituality and especially enjoy tarot and astrology which I often incorporate into my meditation and yoga practices. I live on the East Coast, halfway between Boston and Cape Cod, with my husband, our baby, Angus, and a mini Aussie named Hawkeye.
Email: sarahannepetti@gmail.com
Instagram: @sarah__petti & @thediabetesdoula
Heather Neilsen
In 2002, I took an MBSR class (while pregnant with my first child) that changed my life! Twenty years - and many mindful moments - later, I still feel like this path of mindful awareness, blended with a strong dose of compassion, has helped me live (mostly) with peace and ease despite life's many challenges. I have Type 1 diabetes (since 1997) and autoimmune psoriatic arthritis (since 2018), both of which are well managed yet sensitive to stress. My husband and I own a small functional medicine clinic in Hood River, OR where we help people with chronic health concerns find root cause resolution through lifestyle and mind-body-spirit integration (he is an MD/Internist, I'm a counselor/health coach). I often share mindfulness practices and tools with our patients and the great community of people living with chronic health conditions of all sorts. Mothering my three amazing daughters; sharing life with my beloved husband, his daughters, and our pets; engaging with my community; reading, yoga, hiking, xc skiing, cooking and eating nourishing foods, and music (listening, singing, practicing) all bring me deep joy.
Heather Nielsen Horacek, LPC
Licensed Professional Counselor/Health and Wellness Coach
Director of Clinic Operations, Health and Happiness
Healthy Connections Hood River
541-716-5786 - office phone
SPECIAL EVENT FACILITATORS
Evan Soroka
C-IAYT, E-RYT 500, is a certified yoga therapist, educator, and author. She is the founder of Soroka Yoga Therapy in Aspen, CO, and the ID Method™, an integrative yoga therapy program for people with diabetes.
Diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in adolescence and chronic musculoskeletal issues throughout her life, Evan teaches and practices yoga as a health-providing tool. Her mission is to create ownership in personal health for everyone.
Evan is a certified Viniyoga™ therapist, yoga nidra, and meditation teacher. She is an initiate of Sri Vidya of the Himalayas. Her profound understanding of the structural mechanics, breathing sciences, Ayurvedic medicine, and deeper realms of spiritual practice make Evan an expert in the field of yoga therapy and diabetes management.
Evan's critically acclaimed book, Yoga Therapy for Diabetes, was published by Singing Dragon in 2021. She is a featured yoga therapist on Yoga International and a contributor to Yoga Journal and Yoga Therapy Today Magazines.
You can learn more about working with Evan at www.sorokayogatherapy.com and www.evansoroka.com.
Brianna (Bri) Schiavonni
Diagnosed with T1D at age 14, I wanted nothing more than to escape my mind and body as I transitioned from adolescence into adulthood. During the years of numbing, running and hiding - that followed - I found that yoga and meditation would ultimately provide me with the sanctuary I so desperately needed; but I couldn’t sit still long enough to explore these practices until understanding the nuances of also having ADHD. My values, character strengths and skill sets led me into the fields of psychology and medical social work, but despite a colorful resume with plenty of fancy titles I (like each of you) am perfectly imperfect.
As a guide, I delight in offering accessible forms of meditation for those that find it particularly difficult to settle; but as a fellow practitioner, I admit to feeling resistance, discomfort and frustration in response to my body’s limitations and my very hairy monkey-mind. Fortunately, there are gifts in every practice opportunity and in imperfection - itself.
To learn more my work and style - as a counselor, coach, movement arts, mindfulness & yoga nidra guide; visit www.MindfulMilestones.org and www.DearDiagnosis.com. You can email Bri @ bschiavoni@mindfulmilestones.org .
Rachel Zinman
Rachel Zinman has been practicing since 1983, teaching since 1992 and teaching teachers since 2000. She’s studied with some of the most influential teachers in the west including Alan Finger and Mark Whitwell as well as immersing herself in the study of Vedanta. She is the Author of Yoga for Diabetes, How to Manage your Health with Yoga and Ayurveda. She writes for many online and in print magazines including Australian Yoga Journal and Australian Yoga Life. www.rachelzinmanyoga.com and www.yogafordiabetesblog.com
Lucia Maya
Lucia Maya is an Usui and Karuna Reiki Master/Teacher/Practitioner and has worked in the healing arts for over 20 years. She provides heart-centered energy healing sessions with intuitive guidance, and soul readings, as well as Reiki classes and spiritual retreats online and at her Maui home.
Living with Type 1 diabetes since 1976, at age 12, she believes this experience has helped her to be more present in her body. She trusts that her 20 + years of Reiki practice and spiritual exploration has allowed for a more peaceful and positive way of dealing with the highs and lows of T1D, physically and emotionally. The ability to stay centered in challenging times has contributed to living well with a condition that requires 24/7 attention and awareness.
More info and ways to contact her about her work can be found here: https://luminousadventures.com/ and lucia@luminousadventurees.com
Kelsey Madison Dietrich
I don’t remember much about my type 1 diabetes (T1D) diagnosis at the age 3 other than being too young to fill my own water cup to quench the relentless thirst that precedes a diabetes diagnosis. For 20 years, I never thought much about life with T1D; it was always just a unique part of my experience that made me learn how to count carbs, inject insulin, and see blood all as normal daily events. After a traumatic experience of hypoglycemia, I started to think (and worry and feel negatively) about T1D a lot more than ever before. Consequently, my mindfulness practice became even more important as I navigated that new fear of hypoglycemia.
I first learned about mindfulness when I randomly took a course for college credits in 2018; this practice-based class initiated my academic research journey studying the effects of mind-body practices on physical and mental health. With bachelor’s and master’s degrees in psychology, and certifications as a 500-hour Registered Yoga Teacher, Trauma Center Trauma-Sensitive Yoga Facilitator, and Trauma-Informed Mindfulness Guide, I bring a unique perspective to studying and facilitating mind-body practices through the intersection of art, science, and practice. My facilitation style is invitational, gentle, and empowering. To share the power of mindfulness that continues to keep me balanced in my T1D journey, I published my first book in March 2024: Mindfulness for Type 1 Diabetes: 21 practices to support you through the literal and figural highs and lows of T1D. I look forward to future connections with the diabetes community.
You’re welcome to contact me via:
Email: mindfulness.for.t1d@gmail.com
Facebook: Mindfulness for Type 1 Diabetes
Instagram: @mindfulness_for_t1d