About
About Mindfulness Northwest
Mindfulness Northwest offers heartfelt, caring, evidence-based instruction to communities and organizations throughout the Pacific Northwest.
Mindfulness is the simple yet powerful ability to attend more fully to present moment experience. Cultivating mindfulness can improve mental and physical health, deepen kindness and compassion, and incline the mind toward joy.
We offer courses, workshops, and presentations for both individual community members and organizations. Visit our PROGRAMS page for a complete schedule, or check out FOR ORGANIZATIONS to bring mindfulness to your workplace or group.
Our mission is to make top-quality mindfulness and compassion training accessible to communities and organizations in the Pacific Northwest. Internally, we strive to be true to the mindfulness principles of cultivating truth, inclusion, and compassion.
Founded in 2011, Mindfulness Northwest is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt non-profit. All donations to Mindfulness Northwest are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law.
Our programs originate in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, home to the Coast Salish people since time immemorial. We humbly acknowledge that we are here as a result of colonialism. We are grateful to the Lhaq’te’mish (Lummi Nation), Nuxwsá7aq (Nooksack), Dxʷdəwʔabš (Duwamish), and our other native neighbors for their ongoing leadership and advocacy on behalf of our common home.
Donate
We’re a non-profit with a mission to provide accessible mindfulness training as broadly as possible, in the Pacific Northwest and beyond.
To that end, we have established an Accessibility Fund and request your generous help! These funds help us bring mindfulness training to those who might not otherwise be able to access it. We offer sliding scale fees, individual scholarships, and discounted and pro-bono trainings for non-profit organizations. Thank you very much for your support.
accessibility fund & Impact
In service of our core mission to provide mindfulness training as broadly as possible, our Accessibility Fund is an essential support for our deeply discounted scholarships, pro-bono trainings for non-profits, and broad sliding scale pricing.
Annually:
- 4,000 people participate in our programs, from 90 minute workshops to 7 day retreats
- 200+ individuals participate through deeply discounted scholarships
- 5-10 pro-bono trainings are offered to non-profits in the Northwest and beyond
- Hundreds of students use our sliding scale prices to fit mindfulness training into their lives
- At least a dozen people take our intensive teacher trainings to share mindfulness with their own communities
Through community support of the Accessibility Fund, we’ve been able to continue these offerings even as we’ve gone through several lean pandemic years. With your vital support, Mindfulness Northwest will be able to continue enacting our mission of offering affordable & accessible mindfulness training, in the Pacific Northwest and beyond.
Words from Founder & Executive Director, Tim Burnett
I founded Mindfulness Northwest in 2011 with curiosity about whether the valuable mindfulness and meditation techniques I’d been practicing since the 1980’s in Buddhism might be helpful to a broader audience.
To my surprise and delight, the answer has been a resounding YES. Participants in our programs report back regularly that including mindfulness in their daily lives is a real game changer – that it helps them navigate stressful situations, be more available to their loved ones, friends and colleagues, and reconnect with their deeper selves.
Fast forward to now and Mindfulness Northwest with its staff of 10 serves about 4,000 people each year in a variety of programs; from workplace trainings and wellness programs, to community classes and retreats. We offer these programs up and down the Puget Sound region in the Pacific Northwest and nationally through Zoom.
Knowing that the financial resources of those interested in mindfulness training varies greatly, we’ve always offered broad sliding scale tuition, no interest payment plans, and scholarships for our programs. Accessibility is a core value at Mindfulness Northwest, and at least 200 people each year join our programs with deeply discounted scholarships to make mindfulness more accessible.
To increase our impact further, we’ve been offering mindfulness facilitator trainings since 2014. One of our graduates recently reached out to me to say, “Thanks to your training, I’ve been able to guide thousands of people into presence and connection.” It’s an intensive training with significant cost, and can be a transformative experience, so it’s wonderful to offer scholarships for our teacher trainings.
I live in gratitude for this supportive community, which continues to grow and serve people in the Puget Sound region and now far beyond with online programs. You can be sure that your donation to our Accessibility Fund is directly contributing to the well-being of others.
All best wishes,
Tim
Your Donation to Mindfulness Northwest funds:
- $5 – We are grateful!
- $25 – Support of our free online community offerings.
- $100 – Sustaining our sliding-scale pricing.
- $250 – One discounted scholarship to our 8-week evidence-based classes.
- $500 – One scholarship to a 7-day silent meditation retreat.
- $750 – Three scholarships to a 5-day residential retreat.
- $1000 – Six scholarships to one of our weekend retreats.
Mindfulness Northwest is a 501(c)(3) non-profit (EIN: 45-5363026). All donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law.
Our office address is 214 N. Commercial Street #103, Bellingham, WA 98225.
Staff & Board
Rev. Tim Burnett
(he/him) Executive Director, Founder, Guiding Teacher
tim@mindfulnessnorthwest.com | 360-830-6439 x1
Tim founded MIndfulness Northwest in 2011 with the hope of offering the transformational practices he’d learned as a student of Zen Buddhism much more widely to the community. He is a certified teacher of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC), and Compassion Cultivation Training (CCT). Tim created our innovative Mindfulness Teacher Training Program in 2013 and co-created our MBSR Teacher Training Program in 2018. A meditator since his teenage years, Tim’s background in traditional Dharma practice informs his mindfulness work. Ordained as a Soto Zen priest in 2000, he apprenticed with Zen teacher Zoketsu Norman Fischer and is the Guiding Teacher of Red Cedar Zen Community in Bellingham. Former jobs include educator, carpenter, software developer, and scientist. When not in the classroom, you might find him hiking, paddling, or birding.
Teresa Johnson
(she/her) Programs Manager
teresa@mindfulnessnorthwest.com | 360-830-6439 x2
Teresa is dedicated to supporting youth and families, professionally and as a community volunteer. She is a certified teacher of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), has worked for many years in non-profit administration for organizations with heart, and holds a BA in Secondary Education. Teresa has educated parents and youth of all ages, from classrooms to summer camp. Facilitating and witnessing inner growth bring Teresa great joy, and she’s excited about the many opportunities to do this in her roles with Mindfulness Northwest.
Heather Adams
(she/her) Programs and Outreach Coordinator
heather@mindfulnessnorthwest.com | 360-830-6439 x0
Heather Adams is a ceremonialist and writer based in the Pacific Northwest and from Southern California. When asked “How are you?” She most often answers, “Life Is Good!”, and truly believes it. When she’s not supporting the many good people & programs of Mindfulness Northwest you can find her traveling to new exciting places (or old favorites), fussing over her houseplants or dance-walking around the neighborhood.
Carolyn McCarthy
(she/her) Diversity & Inclusion Coordinator, Teacher
carolyn@mindfulnessnorthwest.com | 360-830-6439 x6
Carolyn teaches in the hopes of moving us, individually and collectively, toward healing, wholeness, and love. With a degree in Latin American Studies and Women’s Studies, she uses mindfulness to support the work of social justice, turning toward the difficult within and without. Carolyn is a certified teacher of Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). Zest, warmth, and wit enliven her teaching. Core practices: sitting meditation, time outside, solo living room dance parties. Visit her online at www.carolynmcc.com.
Catherine Duffy
(she/her) Newsletter Editor, Teacher
catherine@mindfulnessnorthwest.com | 360-830-6439 x5
When a family member was diagnosed with a personality disorder, Catherine discovered mindfulness, and was deeply moved by its transformative power in navigating life’s complexities with grace. Catherine’s passion led her to train deeply in mindfulness, including Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) teaching certifications. The mother of four grown children — one of whom lives with developmental disabilities — and a grandmother, Catherine continues to learn the value of pausing, taking a breath, and inviting quiet moments to reset and refresh. Her supportive teaching is imbued with nurturance, compassionate listening, and gentle, sincere care. With her warm, grounded presence, Catherine helps her students find and rest in the peace that is always within them.
Ed Wayt
(he/him) Bookkeeper, Tech Wrangler
ed@mindfulnessnorthwest.com | 360-830-6439 x705
After disengaging from the tech industry, Ed traveled a winding path, eventually ordaining as a monk in the Plum Village tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh. After three years in that practice, he moved to Bellingham, where he explores a vibrant, authentic, communal urban life. He enjoys investigating the role of will and grace in everyday life, likes to dance and play, tends to be way too serious, and is an active community organizer.
Karen Schwisow
(she/her) Senior Teacher, Director of MBSR Teacher Training
karen@mindfulnessnorthwest.com | 360-830-6439 x4
Karen Schwisow is a certified MBSR teacher through the Center for Mindfulness at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center and has completed Therapeutic Yoga Training through Subtle Yoga Asheville, NC. She co-created and serves as Director for the MBSR Teacher Training Program. She’s been teaching yoga and meditation in hospitals, medical clinics, community and government organizations since 2005. Through compassionate listening, authenticity, and humor she creates a welcoming container that empowers participants to experience their own innate ability to thrive. For over a decade she has delighted in mentoring teachers as they develop their ability to support others in this profound work.
Beth Glosten, M.D.
(she/her) Teacher
beth@mindfulnessnorthwest.com | 360-830-6439 x702
Beth attended the University of Washington School of Medicine and had an academic anesthesiology career until physical issues prompted her to step back from that hectic life. She studied pilates, and through this system embraced moving mindfully. She was drawn to meditation several years ago and found it meshed naturally with her approach to teaching movement: turn focus inward to listen to, and befriend, one’s self. From this place, growth and healing are possible. This journey led her to Mindfulness Northwest where she completed both of our teacher training programs and became certified as a teacher of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). Beth particularly appreciates being able to serve fellow healthcare providers in our Mindfuless for Healthcare program.
Holly Bond
(she/her) Teacher
holly@mindfulnessnorthwest.com | 360-830-6439 x709
Holly is devoted to serving disenfranchised populations. She began her career in HIV education, then moved to advocacy for survivors of abuse and assault, followed by a brief stint in animal welfare. Holly is a qualified teacher of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and a registered yoga teacher. She holds a Master’s degree in Training, Coaching, and Development from the University of Louisville in Kentucky. In her free time, she enjoys reading, writing, dance, and archery.
RJ Rongcal
(he/him) Teacher
RJ believes deeply in the strength and vastness of each person’s mind and heart. He has practiced and studied mindfulness in both spiritual and secular settings, including completion of our Mindfulness Teacher-Training Program and a 9-month residency at Gampo Abbey where he lived as a Buddhist monk. RJ is a certified Mindulness Teacher and a MBSR Teacher-In-Training. When RJ’s not nerding out about mindfulness and meditation, he’s probably busy with one of his other passions: teaching 2nd grade, playing guitar, or spending time with his pulchritudinous wife, Jamie. You can learn more about him through his teaching and writing at www.mindfulmomentswa.com.
Amandeep Jassal
(he/him) Teacher
A born, bred, and resident Canadian with family roots in the Punjab region of India, Amandeep discovered the benefits of meditation practice in 2015, eventually becoming teacher-trained in Mindful Self-Compassion and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction. Amandeep graduated from the University of British Columbia and holds his Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and his Masters in Clinical Social Work. Amandeep is privileged to work in a helping role, providing compassionate and gentle therapy to adolescents, adults, and families in various settings including post-secondary institutions, government, non-profits, and private practice. Visit Amandeep here: www.mindclinic.ca
Ellen Zocher
(she/they) Visiting Teacher
While recovering from a vertebral fracture and spinal surgery in her early 20s, Ellen took a class with Mindfulness Northwest and found her passion. She graduated from Mindfulness Northwest’s 350-hour Mindfulness Teacher Training Program in 2022. Informed by her experiences navigating queerness, neurodivergence, and complex injury, Ellen teaches with humor, playfulness and compassion, emphasizing our inherent wholeness. A student of movement and somatic modalities including Feldenkrais, Yoga, Contact Improv and Ecstatic Dance, Ellen loves to explore our embodied experience of aliveness, and how playing at the intersections of presence, pleasure and creation brings us closer to our deepest knowing.
Richard Johnson
(he/him) Visiting Teacher
richard@mindfulnessnorthwest.com | 360-830-6439 x0
Richard is inspired by the way participants change and even transform their lives through their mindfulness and compassion practices. This passion led him to certification as a teacher of MIndfulness-Based Stress Reduction. He has taught university and community classes for over 50 years, and practiced meditation for over 40 years. Richard is a member of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh’s Order of Interbeing, a group of monastics and lay practitioners dedicated to mindfulness, compassion, and long-term social transformation. After several years teaching for Mindfulness Northwest as a Senior Teacher, Richard is now semi-retired and joining us as a visiting teacher for a few retreats per year co-teaching with Teresa Johnson.
Robin Boudette, Ph.D.
Visiting Teacher
Center for Mindfulness (MBSR)
Mindsciences (Mindful Habit Change)
Spirit Rock (Community Dharma Leader)
A clinical psychologist and mindfulness instructor, Robin has practiced yoga and meditation for more than 20 years and has completed multiple training programs including the Community Dharma Leader Training (CDL 5) at Spirit Rock. She is a certified MBSR instructor, and for the past 10 years has been a member of the teaching team at Mindfulness Institute at Jefferson University Hospital. In 2016, she began working with Judson Brewer, MD, Ph.D., offering evidence-based mindfulness interventions for habit change. As the Training Coordinator at Mindsciences, she heads up the Behavior Change Facilitator Training Program. She also offers online courses, workshops, and retreats around the country. She is especially committed to the practice of life release and is engaged in animal rescue.
Raizelah Bayen
(she/her) Visiting Teacher
Founder and Director of Open Pathways Institute for Integrative Massage, Raizelah has been teaching massage, yoga and wellness workshops for over 20 years. She is a registered yoga teacher and a nationally approved massage CE teacher. Her teaching style is grounded in Zen Buddhist breath meditation and body awareness practices. As a yoga teacher and bodyworker, Raizelah is most passionate about teaching embodiment as a path to presence. With a broad background in the healing arts, she brings to mindfulness workshops a variety of holistic self-care techniques that support your deepening connection to body, mind and heart.