About Geeta Cowlagi

I am delighted to share a bit about myself with you.

I have been teaching Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), Mindfulness, Compassion and meditation to individuals and groups through my practice with Joyful Living for over a decade.

Starting in 2004, I attended several silent meditation and mindfulness retreats under the guidance of Insight Meditation teachers Joseph Goldstein, Jack Kornfield, Sharon Salzburg, Michele McDonald, Kamala Masters, Rodney Smith, Steve Armstrong, Mark Coleman, Christina Feldman and Howard Cohn.  I continue to deepen my personal practice with at least one month in retreat every year.

Geeta with her teacher and MBSR founder Jon Kabat-Zinn at Mt. Madonna, CA in March 2014.
Geeta with her teacher and MBSR founder Jon Kabat-Zinn at Mt. Madonna, CA in March 2014.

I am a CFM Certified MBSR Teacher from the University of Massachusetts Medical School Center for Mindfulness (CFM) in Medicine, Health Care, and Society.

My formal MBSR teacher training includes:

MBSR in Mind-Body Medicine taught by MBSR founder Jon Kabat-Zinn, and Saki Santorelli, Director of the University of Massachusetts Medical School Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society.

Practicum in MBSR: Living Inside Participant-Practitioner Perspectives taught by Florence Meleo-Meyer, Director of Oasis Institute for Mindfulness-Based Professional Training and Education Programs at the University of Massachusetts Medical School.

MBSR Teacher Development Intensive taught by Bob Stahl, Elana Rosenbaum and Carolyn West, senior teachers at the University of Massachusetts Medical School Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society.

Geeta with her mentor, supervisor and teacher, Bob Stahl.

MBSR Teacher Supervision: One-on-one individual supervision over 10 weeks with Bob Stahl, Senior MBSR Teacher at the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Healthcare and Society and co-author of the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Workbook.

MBSR Group Supervision over 7 weeks for experienced teachers with Florence Meleo-Meyer, Director of Oasis Institute for Mindfulness-Based Professional Training and Education Programs at the University of Massachusetts Medical School.

Self-Compassion and Emotional Resilience with Kristin Neff, co-creator of the Mindful Self-Compassion program and author of Self-Compassion.

Remembrance: Dialogue and Inquiry in the MBSR Classroom – a 5 week course for experienced MBSR teachers with Saki Santorelli, Director of the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care and Society at the University of Massachusetts Medical School.

Prior to devoting myself fully to the practice and teaching of mindfulness, I worked at the Counseling Center at the University of Texas at Austin and taught courses in the Department of Educational Psychology.  I have presented interactive workshops and trainings to over 50,000 individuals worldwide.  The core of my work is a “heart-centered” approach that invites participants to explore life’s challenges in a safe and supportive environment.


Mindfulness Based Stress ReductionTo learn more about my story, you are welcome to read this article I wrote for Hat Trick Magazine.

Your inquiries for individual or group sessions are welcome. Please email info@JoyfulLiving.us.