Kara Hordlow Smith is a co-founder of MindWell. A cultural anthropologist and Buddhist scholar by training and an international business consultant by profession, Kara is particularly interested in transferring and localizing ancient wisdom to modern-day, “real life” situations that are approachable by all.

 

Having lived and worked in the US, Europe, Asia and the Middle East throughout her 20-year career, she is now based in Vancouver, Canada.

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Kara’s mindfulness and meditation practice began in 1989, when she had the opportunity to receiving teachings from the Dalai Lama as part of a semester abroad program in India; she later followed an in-depth meditation training under the direction of Pao Rinpoche in Nepal and with Dr Rolf Sovik, Director of the Himalayan Institute of Yoga Science and Philosophy.

On the foundation of this experience, Kara has developed a teaching approach that is experiential and proven in the classroom, on the court, and beyond. She has trained hundreds of students, parents, and teachers in mindfulness, as well as specialized training in mind-body peak performance for athletes and teams.

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Kara holds a BA degree, with honours, from Middlebury College, an MA in International Affairs from The George Washington University, a teaching certification from the Himalayan Institute, and a Economic Development Finance certification from the National Development Council. She is certified to teach Mindfulness in Schools Project ".b" (dot-be) and Dr. Amy Saltzman's Still Quiet Place curricula.