Founder | Meditation | Yoga | Teacher Trainer

Online & Auckland

Claire is a highly experienced and multidisciplinary teacher in the fields of meditation, yoga, and integrative wellbeing. She is formally trained in Vipassana meditation, initiated into the Vedic tradition, and is Compassionate Inquiry-informed, integrating trauma-aware practices into her work. The founder of The School of Modern Meditation (SOMM) and the creator of Awareness Insight Meditation (AIM), she leads AIM teacher trainings and continues to mentor teachers and facilitators.

She has been a devoted practitioner and teacher of meditation for nearly two decades and has led retreats, workshops and courses in Peru, Mexico, Los Angeles, New Zealand, Fiji, The Philippines, Costa Rica. She has taught hundreds of people how to meditate, and works actively with sobriety mentoring and with people in recovery from alcohol and drug addiction.

Her teachings are the culmination of her study of Vedic, Hindu and Buddhist traditions, integrated with her direct experiences from her daily, non-negotiable practices. She is also Compassionate Inquiry and IFS informed.

Meditation Teacher I Breathwork Facilitator

Online & Auckland

Jo is a dedicated teacher and guide in the fields of breathwork and meditation, passionate about helping people cultivate a more conscious and compassionate relationship with their minds, emotions, and bodies.

Jo is an AIM 800 Hour Certified Meditation Teacher and has also done extensive training with Alchemy of Breath & in Himalayan Breathwork & Meditation.

Her work draws on the transformational tools of breathwork, embodied mindfulness, and presence-based practices to help people reconnect with their own innate wisdom and capacity for healing. Whether through group sessions, one-on-one work, or immersive journeys, Jo offers a grounded and heart-centered space for real change to unfold.

Jo also teaches regular classes with The School of Modern Meditation & The Contemporary Yoga School.

Meditation Teacher

Online, Raglan, Hamilton

An accountant turned meditation teacher., Kim was drawn to meditation to help reduce stress and find a calmer way of being. Her frist meditative practice was yoga and then she began exploring learning to meditate properly, with a teacher.

“The practice I found, Awareness Insight Meditation taught me how to sit in stillness and observe myself. As I developed my own practice and turned my focus inwards, I gained the gift of a greater understanding of myself.”

Kim has been a devoted practitioner ever since, attending silent retreats and courses as she is deeply committed to her own evolution in the world and as a teacher.

Based in Raglan, New Zealand, Kim teaches courses and wellness workshops online and in-person.

Meditation | Yin Yoga | Pilates

In-person, Eastern Suburbs, Auckland

Amanda is an AIM 800 hour certified meditation teacher offering in person group classes and 1:1 coaching in Auckland, New Zealand. She is also the founder of Inner Insight, facilitating retreats both locally and abroad. Her teaching draws on years of her own dedicated and evolving personal practice. Known for her supportive and non -judgmental approach, Amanda creates a welcoming space for others to cultivate awareness, presence and compassion.

In addition to her work in meditation, Amanda is a certified Romana's Pilates instructor and Yin yoga teacher, with well over a decade teaching embodied practices which enrich her teaching, offering a holistic and somatic approach integrating mind, body and breath.

Meditation Teacher

Wellington & Online

Emma is a “real world” meditator. She runs multiple businesses, is a wife, mum, daughter – while also being deeply committed to a daily meditation practice. She teaches people with full lives and full calendars, helping them integrate stillness and awareness into their everyday routines. Her students are often people like her – busy, bright humans who want to experience more ease and joy in their own skin.

Her practice began with a healthy dose of curiosity (and a touch of scepticism), but over time, it transformed how she related to stress, emotions, relationships, and herself. She is AIM 800 Hour Certified and has also done training with The Broad Place. Emma believes meditation isn’t about escaping life – it’s about embracing it, fully. If you feel the quiet nudge to begin, she’d love to sit with you. She is also a teacher with SOMM.

Meditation Teacher

Christchurch & Online

Amanda is a Christchurch-based meditation teacher, mum, and corporate HR professional who understands how busy and demanding life can be. Her daily practice has helped her find more balance, calm, and connection in her everyday life. Meditation has become a steady anchor that supports her through work, parenting, and the general rush of modern life.

Amanda teaches regularly at The Cove Wellness in Christchurch, offering simple, supportive sessions that help people slow down and reconnect with themselves. She is also passionate about bringing meditation into the corporate world and runs regular sessions at her workplace to support wellbeing and presence for busy people.

Her approach is warm, grounded, and practical. She meets people where they are and helps them find small moments of stillness and clarity in the middle of a full life.

Meditation Teacher

Auckland

Jo Bridgford has been practicing Awareness Insight Meditation since she joined SOMM for a free week trial back in 2021, and never looked back. Jo has since trained in teaching Awareness Insight Meditation and continues to deepen her practice through regular retreat work and ongoing study. Her teaching invites a return to simplicity - meeting life as it is, moment by moment.

Jo is a dedicated teacher, committed to guiding others in cultivating presence, clarity, and compassion through mindfulness. With a grounding in both traditional and contemporary meditation practices, Jo supports students in developing a direct understanding of their inner experience through sustained awareness and gentle inquiry.

Rooted in the teachings of early Buddhism and influenced by modern approaches to psychology, Jo's teaching style emphasises embodied presence, deep listening, with a touch of humour. Every encounter promises a spacious, inclusive environment that encourages self-discovery, emotional resilience, and inner freedom.

Meditation Teacher

Online & Auckland

Lyn came to meditation nearly a decade ago, drawn by a quiet curiosity about what happens when we stop doing and simply sit. What began as exploration became a daily practice that has fundamentally changed how she relates to herself, her work, and the people around her.

An AIM 800 Hour Certified Meditation Teacher, Lyn is particularly drawn to how contemplative practices can support clarity, focus, and self-compassion, especially for people navigating the demands of professional life. A business owner with a PhD in educational psychology, she brings a warm and practical approach to mindfulness and meditation, making it feel accessible, even for the most sceptical beginner.

Lyn's sessions have an easy, down-to-earth feel, with a thread of humour and care running through them. She teaches online and in person in Auckland.