About Vidyamala

Hi, I’m Vidyamala. Today, I am lucky to have a rich and happy life, but the journey has been long, slow and at times very tough. At age 17, I sustained spinal injuries that required multiple surgeries and left me with a complex back condition, chronic pain and partial paraplegia. After experiencing despondency, anger and hopelessness, I discovered mindfulness as a way to ease the mental torment associated with the physical pain. Soon I was meditating everyday, and the results were truly life changing and transformative. 

 

I’ve spent the subsequent years exploring my mind with all the depth and commitment I can manage. As a Kiwi, I’m a born nature lover and mountaineer; I like to imagine that I have now become a mountaineer of the inner world, where the peaks are infinite and the vistas awe-inspiring.

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"I discovered mindfulness as a way to ease the mental torment associated with the physical pain. Soon I was meditating everyday, and the results were truly life changing and transformative."

 

My mission from the start has been to inspire and empower people to thrive by unlocking the tools and knowledge to reduce suffering. As someone who lives with a disability and chronic pain, I hope that my life experience can help others like me to harness the power of their minds and hearts so they too can have fulfilling and meaningful lives. 

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I founded the mindfulness organisation Breathworks in 2001 with Gary Hennessey and Sona Fricker and today I’m proud to see the organisation reaching thousands of people every year with courses, retreats and teacher trainings (with now over 600 mindfulness teachers across 35 countries). 

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My name, given to me when I was ordained into the Triratna Buddhist Order in 1995, means ‘Garland of Wisdom’. This is something I continue to aspire to; alongside passing on the knowledge of mindfulness and compassion, my goal has been to make these teachings accessible to everyone, so that more people can benefit from experiencing a more meaningful life, whatever the circumstances. To help fulfill this vision, Breathworks gives away a third of its places on courses as bursaries and scholarships. 

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"...my goal has been to make these teachings accessible to everyone, so that more people can benefit from experiencing a more meaningful life, whatever the circumstances."

 

If you are interested in finding out more about my approach, you can join me at my next event, or pick up my books Mindfulness for Health, Living Well with Pain and Illness and Mindfulness for Women. 

 

I speak at seminars, deliver keynotes and host workshops for organisations in the corporate, health and charity fields and the public sector. I also love working more intimately with individuals and groups through my coaching in which I aim to provide guidance and practical steps to finding empowerment and transformation.