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PRACTICING LIVING AWARENESS, EVERY DAY.
MEET OUR BOARD
MEET OUR BOARD
STEVE KRAMER, president
In 2012, after living in NYC for twenty five years, Steve moved to Leyden, Massachusetts to reside at Spirit Fire's Meditative Retreat Center. He would eventually take on the role of President of the Board of Directors. The spirit of exploration and connection that took him to NYC, a city of over 8 million people, was the same that led him to a spiritual non-profit with a mediation center in a tiny agricultural hill town of less that 800.
As a young artist, New York City offered Steve access to every sight, sound, and taste that could be gathered from around the world and placed in one dynamic location. He would be introduced to Trans-Himalayan Wisdom Teachings and became a practitioner and teacher of Esoteric Healing, a form of subtle energy healing that works to align an individual with their inner-most source energy as a way of clearing any distortions that may be keeping them from the fullest, most authentic version of themselves.
Meditation is an integral part of this healing practice. Steve was immediately drawn to Spirit Fire's Practice of Living Awareness. It was the first time that he was able to say, “I have found a meditation practice that works for me!” This began his delightful relationship with the organization and he became a certified teacher of The Practice of Living Awareness meditation technique.
The wide range of experience that Steve found in New York City, he now finds in meditation and in direct connection with nature. He spent 10 years running Spirit Fire Meditative Retreat Center, which was a delightful melting pot of spiritual dialogue where seekers, teachers, practitioners, and guests from all over the world came together in the name of conscious co-creation. The pandemic saw the meditation center close its doors, but the Practice of Living Awareness continues to support practitioners online.
Steve now resides in the Green Mountains of Southern Vermont where he teaches meditation online and in-person. Additionally, he has been trained to teach MBSR (Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction) through Brown University's Center for Mindfulness.
As a young artist, New York City offered Steve access to every sight, sound, and taste that could be gathered from around the world and placed in one dynamic location. He would be introduced to Trans-Himalayan Wisdom Teachings and became a practitioner and teacher of Esoteric Healing, a form of subtle energy healing that works to align an individual with their inner-most source energy as a way of clearing any distortions that may be keeping them from the fullest, most authentic version of themselves.
Meditation is an integral part of this healing practice. Steve was immediately drawn to Spirit Fire's Practice of Living Awareness. It was the first time that he was able to say, “I have found a meditation practice that works for me!” This began his delightful relationship with the organization and he became a certified teacher of The Practice of Living Awareness meditation technique.
The wide range of experience that Steve found in New York City, he now finds in meditation and in direct connection with nature. He spent 10 years running Spirit Fire Meditative Retreat Center, which was a delightful melting pot of spiritual dialogue where seekers, teachers, practitioners, and guests from all over the world came together in the name of conscious co-creation. The pandemic saw the meditation center close its doors, but the Practice of Living Awareness continues to support practitioners online.
Steve now resides in the Green Mountains of Southern Vermont where he teaches meditation online and in-person. Additionally, he has been trained to teach MBSR (Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction) through Brown University's Center for Mindfulness.
BRETT AHLSTROM, treasurer
Brett has worked in non-profit operations since 1996. During the period from 2004 to 2013, he was a senior manager at the Insight Meditation Society, managing the kitchens, front office, registration and housekeeping departments respectively. Brett lives nearby with his wife Eowyn Ahlstrom. They both continue to be involved in the meditation community.
ADAM SUTTON, clerk
Adam Sutton is the founder of Working Happier as well as an inspirational speaker, singer, coach, and corporate trainer who has become a leader in the fields of Positive Psychology and practical spirituality. As an ordained interfaith minister, Adam embodies a simple, powerful message of love, hope, and limitless possibility for audiences in both sacred and secular settings across the country. Through his preaching, teaching, coaching, and singing, Adam has been helping people connect with the Divine, authentic self-love, and deep compassion for more than 20 years.
EOWYN AHLSTROM, director
Born in Petersham, Massachusetts in 1971, Éowyn Ahlstrom grew up a stone’s throw from the then emerging Insight Meditation Society and a short drive from the Center for Mindfulness at UMass. After years of personal practice and professional training, she developed the Middle Path Approach to well-being.
All along the way in developing this integrative method for creating well-being Éowyn’s intention has been to learn and share practices that lessen pain, stress and suffering and support fellow humans interested in deepening happiness, contentment and health.
All along the way in developing this integrative method for creating well-being Éowyn’s intention has been to learn and share practices that lessen pain, stress and suffering and support fellow humans interested in deepening happiness, contentment and health.
JEFFERY BORNMAN, director
Thirty years ago, when I started my career, ‘Mind-Body Personal Training’ had not yet been defined. But after just a short time working with clients, I came to see that changing one’s body permanently will only come from changing one’s mind—one’s thoughts, attitudes and ideas about how life is lived. It became clear to me that our overall state of wellness is directly proportional to our relationship with self and, thus, training the body successfully also requires training in Self-examination, Self-efficacy, Self-motivation, Self-control, Self-awareness… it all goes back to Selfwhich goes back to Mind...where “self” resides…
When I was a young trainer, it was not common to encounter other trainers teaching these concepts. I could see it was true that our bodies are heavily impacted by our thoughts and states-of-mind, but who was I, a twenty-something kid, to suggest to my “high-powered” (in my mind, at the time) older clients that they needed to change their ways of thinking? I realized then that this was an area of expertise I would have to develop if I was going to have any success as a trainer. That prompted me to embark on a path of study and practice that has resulted in a spectacular personal journey... and along the way, has allowed me to develop a unique style of training that continues to be life-changing for both my clients and me. Even decades later, as I continue to practice and teach the arts and sciences of living well, I still continue to find excitement in how the body works and how it changes when we change our physical and mental habits. The relationship of Mind, Body and Spirit has always been the center of my work as a trainer. Now, they call this Mind-Body Personal Training and they call me a pioneer in that movement. I call it The Practice of Living Well.
When I was a young trainer, it was not common to encounter other trainers teaching these concepts. I could see it was true that our bodies are heavily impacted by our thoughts and states-of-mind, but who was I, a twenty-something kid, to suggest to my “high-powered” (in my mind, at the time) older clients that they needed to change their ways of thinking? I realized then that this was an area of expertise I would have to develop if I was going to have any success as a trainer. That prompted me to embark on a path of study and practice that has resulted in a spectacular personal journey... and along the way, has allowed me to develop a unique style of training that continues to be life-changing for both my clients and me. Even decades later, as I continue to practice and teach the arts and sciences of living well, I still continue to find excitement in how the body works and how it changes when we change our physical and mental habits. The relationship of Mind, Body and Spirit has always been the center of my work as a trainer. Now, they call this Mind-Body Personal Training and they call me a pioneer in that movement. I call it The Practice of Living Well.
SARAH OLESON, director
Sarah was introduced to yoga at a young age when her mother brought her along to yoga and meditation classes in their hometown studio in Newburyport, MA. Keeping a daily practice Sarah decided to take her practice a step further. She completed her 200 hour Vinyasa Flow Teacher certification with Frog Lotus Yoga International in Bali, Indonesia in 2015, training and teaching alongside some of the best instructors in the world. She also completed her Childlight teacher training, and is certified to teach ages 2-18. Sarah is also OM births certified to teach expecting mothers. Sarah recently ventured to Bali again to complete her 300 hour YTT with Zuna Yoga, to further advance her skills and knowledge. Sarah is also involved with karma yoga projects such as SATYA, and she is on the board of Directors for Lucy's Love bus, an organization to deliver comfort to children and families suffering from life threatening illness. Traveling and teaching all over the world has allowed Sarah to be constantly inspired by nature, spirituality, and the elements, linking movement, breath and life through the graceful practice. Sarah seeks to help others thrive by nurturing body and soul through yoga, and her hope is that her students will step off the mat and into everyday life with that same nourishment and balanced attitude.
TIM DARTER, executive director
Tim is the executive director of Spirit Fire Meditative Retreat Center. He joined this non-profit after 20 years in the private sector. After watching talented individual’s burnout from the constant struggles of corporate visions that were often incorrectly focused, he moved on from healthcare to direct his focus on well-being at its very root… the well-being of human beings themselves.
Recognizing the design beneath disorder has always come naturally to Tim. This principle is steeped in kabbalistic tradition and is based on the universal law of cause and effect. When it is applied, it propels the individual to self-betterment. Tim used this principle as a guiding force in his career, specializing in healthcare system design.
An organization is nothing more than a collective of individuals focusing their energies on a goal. The corporate paradigm all too often focuses solely on the goal and neglects the value of the individual. The whole system suffers as a result. Human beings naturally organize themselves. We are corporations, communities, families; even our physical body is an organization of sorts. The whole is dependent upon the working order of each part; both personal and collective evolution necessitates a conscious focus ones' self. By creating environments that encourage self-discovery and empowerment, Tim feels that the disorder that many feel in their lives can be diminished by design.
Recognizing the design beneath disorder has always come naturally to Tim. This principle is steeped in kabbalistic tradition and is based on the universal law of cause and effect. When it is applied, it propels the individual to self-betterment. Tim used this principle as a guiding force in his career, specializing in healthcare system design.
An organization is nothing more than a collective of individuals focusing their energies on a goal. The corporate paradigm all too often focuses solely on the goal and neglects the value of the individual. The whole system suffers as a result. Human beings naturally organize themselves. We are corporations, communities, families; even our physical body is an organization of sorts. The whole is dependent upon the working order of each part; both personal and collective evolution necessitates a conscious focus ones' self. By creating environments that encourage self-discovery and empowerment, Tim feels that the disorder that many feel in their lives can be diminished by design.
DONNA MITCHELL-MONIAK, founder
Spirit Fire Meditative Retreat Center’s Founder is Donna Mitchell-Moniak. She is an author, lecturer, teacher, and mother. Through the course of her spiritual and meditative practice, she developed The Practice of Living Awareness as both a meditative and a life practice. The key components of The Practice of Living Awareness served as a guiding force in the creation of Spirit Fire: a conscious connection to nature, the undeniable interconnectedness of all beings, and the lighted expansiveness of awareness.
The phrase, “change yourself, change the world” has become a directive of Spirit Fire. In Donna’s words, "Once one is made aware, no matter what the source or the reason is for that new awareness, they cannot go back to ignorance. It is bold to live an aware life. Awareness is a powerful energetic call and one that Spirit Fire puts forward in every endeavor. The Path of Enlightenment is a path of change."
Donna’s work, study, offerings, and writings span three decades. It is inclusive of the Native Tradition, the Trans-Himalayan codex of Alice Bailey, Raja and Agni Yogas, Mystical Christianity, and Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism. She is retired and currently resides in Colorado.
The phrase, “change yourself, change the world” has become a directive of Spirit Fire. In Donna’s words, "Once one is made aware, no matter what the source or the reason is for that new awareness, they cannot go back to ignorance. It is bold to live an aware life. Awareness is a powerful energetic call and one that Spirit Fire puts forward in every endeavor. The Path of Enlightenment is a path of change."
Donna’s work, study, offerings, and writings span three decades. It is inclusive of the Native Tradition, the Trans-Himalayan codex of Alice Bailey, Raja and Agni Yogas, Mystical Christianity, and Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism. She is retired and currently resides in Colorado.
