This month’s Teacher Feature is Micaela Gahr, a certified Primordial Sound Meditation instructor who has introduced this timeless healing practice with hundreds of students throughout Oregon. In this issue of Namasté, Micaela shares the many gifts she has received from practicing and teaching Primordial Sound Meditation for nearly a decade.

“I was first introduced to Primordial Sound Meditation when I attended the Seduction of Spirit retreat in 1999. For years, I had made various attempts to learn how to meditate, but with little success. After taking the Primordial Sound Meditation course, receiving my mantra and the knowledge of how to use it, I finally became a daily meditator.

"For me, meditation is like taking a shower on the inside. It washes away things that are not serving and allows me to experience the fresh, joyful person I love being. Another gift I love from meditation practice is the awareness of thoughts as they arise. In meditation we learn that when we notice that we are having thoughts, we redirect our mind to our mantra repetition.

"The most complete and true happiness comes in moments when you feel right there, completely present, with no ideas about good and bad, right and wrong — just a sense of open heart and open mind." ~Pema Chödrön

"The practice of observing thoughts and redirecting is a powerful tool. Now when I notice I am thinking thoughts that are not serving or are negative, I can let go of them and move on instead of playing whatever drama is going through my head over and over. Having this awareness and ability to shift my focus has profoundly changed in my life and allowed me to have much greater joy on a daily basis.

"My love for meditation created a strong desire within me to share this wisdom, and I became certified in teaching Primordial Sound Meditation in 1999. I have been teaching ever since and have met many wonderful people as a result.

"When I teach, I always learn more and deepen my own practice, and I feel so fortunate for each experience. Hearing from the people who have attended my meditation course how much it has changed and improved their lives is deeply rewarding. Seeing how much meditation helps someone challenged with health issues is a beautiful gift as well.

"I am fortunate in having a partner, my husband, to meditate with each day. We currently live on a ranch in southern Oregon with our extended “animal family” – including horses, deer, wild turkeys, red tail hawks, and many other magnificent animals who share our days with us now that our kids are grown and off on their own life journeys. The ranch is a beautiful setting for the retreats we host, and over the years we have offered many Primordial Sound Meditation courses here as well as some fantastic Ayurvedic cooking retreats. I am deeply grateful for my meditation practice and The Chopra Center for the infinite gifts I have received!”

Micaela Gahr
Certified Primordial Sound Meditation instructor
Email Micaela here

Read more about becoming a certified Primordial Sound Meditation instructor