About Channing
I came to meditation in 2011 after my freshman year of college. I was depressed and experiencing regular panic attacks. That summer, my mom researched online and found me three different places to try meditation. During an intro talk on an effortless, mantra-based practice, I heard the instructor speak about meditation's benefits. I was hopeful that my life would be significantly better if I experienced just one of them. I gave it a try. What I felt that first weekend wasn't decreased anxiety, better sleep, or the myriad of other benefits that my teacher had spoken about, but rather an overwhelming sense of truth. That, for me, was enough.
After a year of practicing on my own in Philadelphia, I began to spend my weekends flying home to Los Angeles to take advanced courses. I would do this for two years before taking enough to be qualified to go to India in the Spring of my senior year, postponing graduation, to become a Meditation Initiator. I spent over 1000 hrs studying and meditating in what was for me complete serenity. I came back invigorated to teach. I wanted to continue my knowledge, so during my 5th year at Villanova, I took a 200 hr yoga teacher training and got my first two Reiki practitioner certifications.
After completing my two-year commitment with Teach for America, my mom was diagnosed with stage four brain cancer. I left Las Vegas and became a full-time caretaker—the job that I feel most proud of in my life—but one that I know I would not have been able to bear if it were not for my spiritual practice. My mom passed away in January of 2019 and left an imprint in my heart. I tried to go back to teaching, but the event had changed me. Although classroom teaching is a meaningful profession, I knew I had to find my true dharma.
Both practicing and teaching meditation is my way of self-discovery. Meditation has been my backbone and resting point despite all of life's trials and tribulations. The truth that I found on the 4 Day Intro Course makes me know that spreading meditation matters. I hope to help others find their truth through meditation and help them feel the stability it brings to our ever-changing lives.