Home

Back

Study and Practice of Meditation: 1974 at age 10, initiated into Transcendental Meditation in the Maharishi Maheshyogi lineage 1978 received Zen instructions and breathing techniques from Oshima Sensai, third Dan black belt Aikido 1979 Vippassana sweeping technique from my father, John Bonitz Jr. 1982 Transcendental Meditation refresher course 1987 two weekend Sufi meditation retreats 1987 a weeklong Kripalu meditation retreat 1988 a month-long self retreat-practices included Asana, Pranayama, Mantra Jappa, Yantra Tratac, Meditation, Social Silence 1998 -1993 3 ten-day Vippassana meditation retreats as taught by S.N. Goenka, at Vippassana Meditation Center, in Shelburne Falls, MA 1992 - 1993 2 three-day Vippassana meditation retreats at Vippassana Meditation Center, one weekend at Insight Meditation Center in Barre, Massachusetts. 1993 Six month Advaita Vedanta course with Swami Shivananda, Thomas Amelio, at Kripalu 1993 A Fourteen-day workshop and a three day retreat in Siddhi Samadhi yoga with Rishi Prabhakar 1994 a Three-day Zen retreat in Woodstock, NY 1994 A Three-Month Long Vippassana Meditation silent retreat at Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts 1996 A Fifteen-day retreat at Insight Meditation Society with Sharon Salzburg and company 1997 to 2000 4 retreats of one-weeklong or ten-day long retreats at I.M.S. 1997 to 2000 3 retreats of one-weeklong in the Zen or Vippassana tradition at Southern Dharma Center in Hot Springs, North Carolina 2000 to 2002 4 retreats of one-weeklong or ten-day long retreats at I.M.S. 2003-2004 several self retreats at Meher Baba's Center in SC. 2005 a weeklong retreat at Wat Greensboro, where I took temporary ordination as the first female monk in the living memory of the Thai Forest Monastic tradition. 2008 Two weeks at the Forest Refuge of IMS, in Barre, MA. Currently my meditation practice is centered at home. I sometimes sit several hours a day and have integrated a mindfulness practice into my daily life.

Study and Practice of Yoga: Began in 1972 at age 8 with hatha yoga sun salutations in the Shivananda tradition. Through 1988 ongoing personal study (incl. from Shivananda Yoga Self-Taught and various writers on Tantra, including Harish Johari and Francis King) 1988 - 1994 studied, traveled, practiced directly with Amrit Desai, founder of the Kripalu yoga. 1992 certified as Kripalu yoga teacher 1992 studied with Yogi Hari, founder of Shivananda Ashram in Fort Lauderdale Florida. 1993 studied with Swami Bouha, a 108 year-old Yogi 1992 studied with Bikram Chaudhury (practiced his series 3-6 days a week for a year and a quarter) 1994, '95 Tri Yoga with Shri Kali Ray of Santa Barbara California Frequent periodic study other originators of Kripalu Yoga: Brahmananda Don Stapleton, Nateshvar Ken Scott, Ken Baxter, Gitananda Ward Powers, Yogananda Michael Carol, Dayashakti, Vrajmala Peggy Schejdahl, Sumitra, Prabhakar Jeff Migdow, Manu Todd Norian, Shivananda Thomas Amelio, Sudhir Jonathan Faust, Vyass Houston, Sudha Carolyn Lundeen, Bhavani Loraine Nelson, Deva Parnell, and others. 1997-1998 Ashtanga with Baxter Williams 1998-2000 Ashtanga with Patricia Micklebee 2005 - Anusara with Patricia Micklebee Eight years between 1986-2000 there were Tantric energy studies and practices lasting eight hours and more a day for 1-4 days a week.