App Instructors

The iRest® meditation method offers 10 mindfulness tools that teach you how to welcome and work with what each moment of your life presents you. The JabuMind app has adapted these 10 iRest® tools as lessons to support teacher well-being. We guide you through these lessons in the weekly meditations of our app. 

The 10 iRest®-inspired, JabuMind lessons that make up the app’s 10-week fundamental mindfulness program are: Heart Speaks, Intend & Affirm, Inner Resource, Body Speaks, Air-Breath-Energy, Feelings, Thoughts, Joy, Awareness, and Being Wholeness. 

For the first 10 weeks of your app use, Jill Manly will lead you through an introduction to these 10 core lessons as part of the 10-week fundamental mindfulness program. From Week 11 on, our featured iRest® instructors will lead you deeper into your practice of these 10 lessons which will continue over the course of the school year. To learn more about the iRest® method of meditation and its impact on teacher well-being, be sure to read our blog post: Teacher Self-Care with iRest® and JabuMind. 

You can also visit the iRest® website for additional training and programs. 

Jill Apperson Manly

Co-Founder | Certified iRest® Teacher

California, USA

Jill is an award-winning author and illustrator of children’s books; they are translated and distributed in 5 continents as part of Social and Emotional Learning Curricula. She has taught elementary school children in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Okayama, Japan; and Mbabane, Eswatini. She earned her BA in French Literature from Pomona College and completed language training in comprehensive Italian at Department Of State Language Center, Roslyn, VA. Before starting JabuMind, Jill owned Jabulani Yoga Studio in Corona del Mar, CA. She created and led youth yoga programs for the City of Newport Beach, CA and at local elementary schools. She is passionate about teaching, learning, and sharing. She is a certified iRest teacher. She practices and teaches somatic yoga, iRest, and yoga nidra. Her desire to promote emotionally healthy and compassionate education tools led her to start JabuMind. She joined educators, administrators and mental health specialists who shared her belief in the importance of caring for the classroom teachers. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her adult daughters, teenage sons, husband and coaching High School Girls Basketball.

Stacey Fetterman

Certified iRest® Teacher

Maine, USA

Stacey Fetterman is a Certified iRest® Teacher with six years of experience in teaching yoga, mindfulness, and art. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Communication from The University of San Diego. Stacey holds her Certified Yoga Teacher (200 hours) in Power Yoga, Restorative Yoga, and Yin Yoga. Before joining JabuMind, Stacey was a full-time teacher for Jabulani Yoga. She also consulted for and had contracts with local schools, crisis centers, and recovery homes. For three years, Stacey has been an essential part of the Peer Assistance League (P.A.L.) program, and its TeamWork Leadership Ropes Course. She leads the yoga portion of the workshop where she teaches mindfulness, the science of the brain, and yoga poses to elementary and high school students and teachers. Stacey also received grants from UCI Law and the Center For Living Peace to teach the iRest method. She developed and led the kids’ yoga program, Peaceful Painting program, and Mind-Body -Nature Summer Camp for three years at Sherman Library and Gardens in Corona Del Mar, CA. She is a certified Creatively Fit Coach with artist Whitney Freya, a preschool teacher at the River School, and is also a professional artist who loves supporting others as they explore and play with creativity. Stacey finds joy living and creating her art surrounded by nature and animals. She practices mindfulness and present moment awareness through her art and connecting with others.

Kassie Gada

ScB., MSN, Certified iRest® Teacher

Virginia, USA

Kassie works part time as a nurse case manager and volunteers as a CASA in central Virginia, where she lives. Also a cancer survivor, Kassie has a passionate interest in the integrated science and applications of meditation in health and resilience. As such, she has pursued further training and certification in trauma-informed schools, iRest® in trauma, and the Safe and Sound Protocol® based on Dr. Stephen Porges’s Polyvagal Theory.

Rhonda Gerhard

LMFT and Certified Yoga Teacher

California, USA

Rhonda Gerhard, is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Certified Integrative Yoga Teacher, and Mindfulness Teacher. Her early years of study in yoga and psychology include classes, workshops, and teacher trainings with Jean Grant Sutton, Joseph Le Page (Founder of Integrative Yoga Therapy), Erich Schiffman, Elise Miller, Judith Lasater, and T. K. V. Desikachar, son of Tirumalai Krishnamacharya. In addition, she has attended other trainings, programs, and classes with several Buddhist psychologists and teachers including Tara Brach, Jack Kornfield, Daniel Siegel, M.D., Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, and Adyashanti, to name a few. In 2007, she completed trainings in Integrative Restoration, iRest®/Yoga Nidra, with Richard Miller, PhD., and founder of the Integrative Restoration Institute.

She has guided individuals and groups in Yoga Nidra, Mindfulness, and Asana practices including working with the “At Home Within” program at COTS (Committee on the Shelterless) and giving iRest® presentations at Kaiser Hospital, Sonoma State University, the Integrative Yoga teacher training programs, and various yoga studios.

She joyfully brings iRest® practices to you.

For more information, go to http://www.rhondagerhard.com

Kathryn Willder

MA PGCE

London, UK

Kathryn Willder has been a student and advocate of meditation for most of her life. She trained in zen meditation whilst attending university. After completing an MA in Psychology, she facilitated the initial provision of yoga and meditation classes in prisons throughout the UK with the Prison Phoenix Trust in Oxford.

Through many years as a Reception and Kindergarten Teacher, Kathryn has developed a playful approach to learning and aspires to infuse her teaching with aspects of stillness, imagination and a sense of adventure.

Kathryn offers iRest® Integrative Restoration at educational, clinical and private settings in Bath, London and around the world on-line. She is an iRest® Certified Teacher, Mentor and Supervisor and regularly assists at iRest® teacher trainings and retreats. She has trained with James Reeves, Richard Miller, Stephanie Lopez and Kirsten Guest.

Visit her website at: www.timeforalittlerest.com

Rachelle Rice, M.A

iRest® Supervisor and C-IAYT

Texas, USA

Rachelle is an iRest® Supervisor and C-IAYT yoga therapist with an M.A. in Somatic Depth Psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute. Her path is that of a seeker and a guide. Rachelle holds space with curiosity and reverence for what it is to be human. Her work in private practice with clients is a blend of dyadic practices that mean the most to her from the traditions of somatics, iRest®, depth psychology and hatha yoga.

Rachelle discovered Richard Miller and iRest® in 2014 and immediately began the path to Certification. She has been teaching weekly group iRest® classes for six years and assisted at multiple Level I and II teacher trainings. A teacher in one form or another for twenty years, there is nothing Rachelle would rather share now than the gift of welcoming ourselves in the nondual tradition.

Rachelle’s deepest desire is to live fully alive as Presence in the beautiful, hard, infinitely mysterious moments that make up Life. She currently resides in her native country of West Texas and gardening, Paleo baking and being outdoors are what she calls fun. However, her greatest delight presently is her journey as foster-to-adopt mama to precious 18 month old James, who has also become her number one teacher.

Davina Ho

Certified iRest® Teacher, Hatha Yoga Instructor, Co-Founder HASIKO

Singapore

Davina is a passionate advocate for sustainability and mindful leadership within organizations. She dedicates herself to elevating the consciousness of humanity using the power of self-awareness techniques such as yoga and meditation in healing the systemic issues plaguing our society and planet today. Currently, she pioneers the use of silent spaces in cities for modern secular contemplative practices and is the Co-Founder of the mind-body movement practice HASIKO. She is also the Partnership and Stewardship Officer for Panarchy Partners, a B Corp certified sustainable fund manager. Davina is a certified iRest® teacher and Hatha yoga teacher.

Joanie Terrizzi

Contributor

Missouri, USA

Joanie Terrizzi is a Mindful Schools trained educator with more than a decade of experience as a school librarian in New York City, weaving mindfulness into her library program. She has worked with students, teachers, and families with children in Pre-K through 12th grade.

Joanie currently lives in St. Louis and she works to create sustainable school-wide and district-wide models for mindfulness integration. Joanie is co-director of the iRest® Institute’s youth initiatives. Her passions include teacher resilience training, brain science, trauma-sensitive education environments, secular mindfulness, as well as childhood grief and grief/end-of-life care. She has studied these topics extensively for years and is a doctoral candidate in Mind-Body Medicine at Saybrook University.

Karen Lazarus

MD, MS, MPH and Certified iRest® Teacher

New York, USA

Karen is a trauma-informed specialist in addiction medicine and a certified iRest® Teacher. She has trained in integrative medicine and a variety of mind/body practices. She is especially interested in teaching about the effects of stress and trauma and providing tools for regulating the nervous system.

Karen has taught iRest® as part of group counseling in the treatment of opioid and other substance use disorders. She has also taught mindfulness and iRest® to students, teachers, and parents in elementary education.

Jennifer Baradi

M.Ed, MAET, 400 RYT, iRest® Teacher

Toronto, Canada

Jen taught internationally for 20 years in the public and private school systems and was granted a year Sabbatical visiting schools around the world. During her time abroad, she completed two Master’s Degree programs in education. She first developed an interest in combining yoga and education while completing a research project on the effects of yoga on academic achievement. As an avid yoga practitioner, she completed two yoga teacher training certifications upon repatriating back to Toronto. After being introduced to yoga nidra and discovering the healing benefits of iRest®, she has awakened to a path of integrating education and well-being. She is grateful for her training with Richard Miller, Stephanie Lopez, Kirsten Guest, and Anne Douglas. She offers weekly meditations and yoga to teacher candidates, staff, and faculty through OISE Wellness (Ontario Institute of Studies in Education, University of Toronto) as well as through Jen B Yogi, Our Health Story, and Courage Health & Wellness. She teaches in the public school system and works with nonprofits and organizations, including teaching children with learning challenges, women detoxing from addictions, and people with autoimmune conditions.

Sam Voolstra

Certified iRest® Teacher and Supervisor, Trauma-Sensitive Yoga Facilitator & Teacher, Somatic Experiencing Practitioner

Canberra, Australia

Sam is a certified iRest® teacher and supervisor, yoga teacher, Trauma Center Trauma-Sensitive Yoga facilitator, and Somatic Experiencing Practitioner.
Sam’s yoga and meditation journey started in Nepal. During the 12 years that she lived in Nepal, she was grateful to study with several yogic and Buddhist masters. She founded a yoga center in Kathmandu and it grew into a beautiful community of Nepalese and international teachers and students. It included yoga classes and workshops in city studios and retreats in Tibetan Buddhist monasteries.

After moving to Australia to be with her partner Michael, Sam was diagnosed with PTSD due to experiencing a natural disaster in Nepal. To heal, she extended her yoga practice with iRest® meditation. Not only did her PTSD symptoms disappear over time, but she also felt more whole and present than ever before. The desire to share what healed her with others fuels her iRest® studies with Fuyuko Toyota, Richard Miller, and Leigh Blashki.

Sam currently shares iRest® Yoga Nidra and Trauma Sensitive Yoga at the Mental Health wards of Lismore Hospital, at a Drug and Alcohol Rehab Center and at organizations that work with domestic violence, refugees, and mental health. She also organizes regular iRest® courses, assists in iRest® Teacher Trainings in Australia, and works with trauma survivors in private practice.

Sam’s website

Tatiana Melnyk

Certified iRest® Teacher

Toronto, Canada

Tatiana has worked as a Psychiatrist at the University Health Network, an academic and tri-hospital center in Toronto, Canada since 2000. She completed Jon Kabat-Zinn’s Professional Training for the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program (MBSR) in 2005 and subsequently ran groups for cancer patients at UHN’s cancer center for 10 years. Tatiana also ran the MBSR program for artists at the Artists Health Center at UHN for 5 years.

Tatiana worked individually with a number of Vipassana teachers, and attended retreats, deepening her personal practice. However, at some point, she felt stuck. She found herself struggling with her practice and began to explore nondual teachings. After a number of stressful health events in her family, she decided to plunge herself into Level 1 iRest® training. Though she was initially skeptical, she made a commitment to investigate and immediately sought out a personal mentor through the iRest® program. She soon felt that she had come home. She believed iRest® to be one of the most precious gifts she had ever received.

She completed certification in December 2017, and ran iRest® for patients struggling with cancer and other health issues, pain, anxiety, brain injury, depression, and trauma for three years at the UHN outpatient mental health department and also incorporated iRest® into individual psychotherapy. The iRest® program was in high demand and she received numerous referrals from physicians who noted the extraordinary impact iRest® was having on their patients’ lives. Tatiana also witnessed how adding iRest® to standard mental health treatment helped many patients get “unstuck” and resume progress in their individual work. In addition, she supervised psychiatry residents who came to the group with an interest in furthering their knowledge of meditation-based interventions. Tatiana has since left that aspect of hospital work, and she is exploring bringing iRest® to community settings.

Apart from medical work, Tatiana and her husband have an independent dance theater company based on Eugenio Barba’s physical theatre. Their own creative work is now a co meditation, as they create new pieces, explore movement, perform, and teach. Tatiana’s daughter is an endless source of inspiration for her; she is Tatiana’s true meditation teacher, never failing to amaze her with the effortlessness of her own Being and unconditional joy.

Julie Seibt

I.A.Y.T Certified Yoga Therapist

Alberta, Canada

Julie is a Certified iRest® Teacher, mentor and supervisor and I.A.Y.T Certified Yoga Therapist. She offers private coaching for yoga and meditation online. Julie lives in Canmore, Alberta Canada, in the beautiful Rocky Mountains.

Visit her website at www.bodymindease.com

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