We are a non-profit organization made up of directors, teachers, volunteers, and founding members dedicated to guiding meditation practitioners from suffering to awareness. We offer online classes and meditation retreats in various locations around beautiful Muskoka.
We are a non-profit organization made up of directors, teachers, volunteers, and founding members dedicated to guiding meditation practitioners from suffering to awareness. We offer online classes and meditation retreats in various locations around beautiful Muskoka.
Board of Directors
Leanna is grateful to be on the Board as a returning member. She was formerly a founding board member who headed the Governance Committee and is now pleased to be the Board’s Secretary. Leanna has been a part of the Muskoka mindfulness community since 2018.
Leanna Zylstra
Secretary
Joan has lived in Muskoka since 1978 and has been a full time Realtor since 1984. Her three children have given her the honour and pleasure of being Nanny Joan to 7 wonderful grandchildren. Her interest in meditation began in the 90’s and she explored many different types. The opportunity presented itself to participate in a MBSR course about 5 years ago and since that time Joan has enjoyed the benefits, peace and happiness that stems from her daily mindfulness practice. Serving on the Board of Directors of CMM provides a wonderful opportunity to deepen her practice, spend time with like minded people and assist in bringing mindfulness meditation to the local community.
Joan Ricard
Grant Committee Chair
Jiana Cutting
Treasurer
Jiana Cutting is a certified mindfulness meditation teacher receiving her training from the Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program developed by Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach and offered by the Awareness Training Institute and Sounds True. She grew up in sunny California and she and her partner Wayne moved to Muskoka, Ontario, Canada in 1995. While raising a blended family of 4 daughters she went to work at the YWCA Muskoka, a local non-profit whose mission is to see all women and girls thriving. Mindfulness has taught her to truly accept who she is - messiness and all - and see clearly the circumstances of this life and then to move forward with wisdom and compassion - the two wings of mindfulness - for herself and others. She regularly leads two local mindfulness groups, facilitates intro to mindfulness and self-compassion, radical self-love programs, and is Treasurer for the non-profit organization, The Centre for Mindfulness in Muskoka.
As a settler to the Muskoka area, in the traditional land of the Anishnaabeg people, Jiana's people are Hawaaiian, Scots/Irish folks, and she is a heterosexual woman with cisgender privilege. She is an advocate for mental health and addiction awareness.
Sarah Carlin-Ball
Chair
Sarah worked in marketing and media as a graphic designer for 15 years. In 2014 she began focusing on her artwork and she has been exhibiting around Ontario since then. Sarah began meditating in 2010 starting with MBSR and has attended retreats every year since. At first she began meditating to help manage MS symptoms. It helped immensely. From there a spiritual journey took on a momentum of its own as she worked with several different teachers in the Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhist traditions. Sarah is one of several sangha leaders with the Muskoka Mindfulness Community mentoring with its founding teacher, Bill Knight. She also works with Mala Sikka and Terry Hagan, core teachers at The Dharma Centre of Canada. She completed a year of teacher training, the equivalent of a one-year retreat, and subsequent two years of training with non-dual teacher, Matt Flickstein.
Meditation allows Sarah to see that life, even its challenges, are a gift and a precious opportunity.
Mandi Hargrave
Vice Chair
With over 20 years of experience in communications, Mandi deeply values the power of connection and storytelling. She is grateful to serve on the board and is excited to use her skills to help raise awareness of the Centre’s transformative programs and community support initiatives.
​ Mindfulness and meditation have been life-changing in her own healing journey, fueling a deep passion for sharing their profound benefits. Mandi hopes to support others in cultivating greater peace, joy, and presence in their lives.
She has completed MBSR (Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction), MBCT (Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy), and Being Human is Messy. Mandi also holds a Diploma in Mindful Education and a Certificate in Mindful Teaching from the Canadian College of Educators. She is inspired to continue her mindfulness education and is currently working toward becoming a certified mindfulness teacher.
Christina Clifford
Director
Christina moved to the Huntsville area in 2021 after retiring from a 35 year career as a Marketing Executive at a global publishing company. After years of study in the area of nutrition, Christina now teaches plant-based nutrition and cooking courses as a way to share her passion in plant-based health. Mindfulness meditation is another area affecting health and well being, and sharing its benefits is part of Christina's goal as a CMM Board Member. Christina attended the MBSR (Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction) course started by Bill Knight in Toronto many years ago. Life happens and the daily practice she developed from her time in the MBSR course fell by the wayside. After settling in the area, Christina discovered the Centre for Mindfulness in Huntsville and returned to practice in retirement, attending the sangha in Huntsville. Christina became involved with the CMM Board in 2024 as a way to strengthen her own practice and she is committed to the important work and joy of sharing the benefits of meditation practice with the local community.
Rob is a retired business owner who has lived in Huntsville most of his life. Rob took Dr. Knight’s MBSR (Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction) program in his late thirties to help manage symptoms of Cron’s disease and stress. This experience formed the foundation for what became his daily meditation and mindfulness practice. Rob raised his teenage daughter as single dad before re-marrying and now enjoys time with his blended family with three grandchildren. Rob is a long-time Rotarian with the North Muskoka Rotary Club, serving in various director roles. In his spare time Rob enjoys walking the dog and cottaging in Port Loring. As a Director with CMM, Rob’s goal is deepen his own practice and encourage others to engage in the benefits of mindfulness.
Robert Wilding
Director
Advisory
Council
The CMM Advisory Council advises on teachers and programs. The council consists of previous board members, trusted mindfulness meditation teachers and/or community members who can offer guidance to the Board of Directors. The council reviews and comments on teacher applications as needed. They also follow CMM’s offerings and activities as they relate to the organization’s vision, mission, and values and present any concerns to the Board.
By consulting with the Advisory Council, the CMM board of directors aim to increase transparency and accountability and to better represent the interests of the growing mindfulness community.
Bill Knight
Bill was trained as a physician and started his career doing emergency medicine and general practice. His interest in educating as well as treating patients resulted in his writing and producing medical and lifestyle programs for television. After training as a psychotherapist he spent 8 years working with individuals, couples and families. During this time he twice volunteered to work in refugee camps in Pakistan, treating refugees and training Afghan medics. As a part of his own process of growth, he discovered the practice of mindfulness. Seeing the profound benefits of this practice in his own life, he trained with Jon Kabat-Zinn, the founder of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). He was a co-founder and the Medical Director of the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Clinic at St. Joseph’s Health Centre in Toronto and from 1995 until 2016 he taught Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction in Huntsville. He has trained with many of the senior teachers in the west and has spent time practicing in India and Burma. His current teacher is Matthew Flickstein.
Dr. Shira Taylor
Family physician: Focused practice in psychotherapy since 2014 with a special interest in mind/body/spirit approaches to healing and wellness. Her practice focuses on group psychotherapy.
Dr. Shira Taylor provides clinical services for people struggling with a wide variety of life difficulties including depression, anxiety, PTSD, Complex Trauma, chronic pain, chronic illness, grief, sexuality, religious and spiritual challenges. She brings a unique trauma-informed approach to mindfulness and operates from an anti-oppressive framework.
Read more about Dr. Taylor at her website.
Samantha Pollington
Sam Pollington is a member of the Muskoka Mindfulness Community and one of several leaders in the group. Sam moved from England to Huntsville 14 years ago with her husband Graham. Two months after their daughter was born, she was diagnosed with a chronic illness. This brought her to The MBSR (Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction) course offered by Dr. Bill Knight. When faced with her mortality it made her aware of how precious every day is. She is healthy and loves the outdoors and traveling. She walks daily with her Goldendoodle dog Luna in nature. Raising a teenager takes deep awareness and patience and has helped her to be a more conscious parent. Presently she is training to become a Trauma informed Mindfulness teacher. She wants to share in the teachings as she sees the benefit of having a daily practice. Her life is her practice.