Liza Kindred, spiritual teacher

About Liza Kindred (she/her)

Liza Kindred is a top meditation teacher and founder of Eff This! Meditation, where she speaks and teaches around the world. Her work has been featured in Wired, People, Women’s Health, Well+Good, and many other publications and broadcasts. Liza is the author of Eff This! Meditation: 108 Tips, Tricks, and Ideas for When You're Feeling Anxious, Stressed Out, or Overwhelmed. Her latest book, Calm Your Anxiety Journal is out now.

But that’s just the resume. More fundamentally, think of Liza as your spiritual friend.

Liza’s teachings are backed by a longtime formal study of Buddhism, and she operates from a place of deep respect for Buddhism’s foundational teachings.

Liza pairs this reverence with healthy irreverence. You probably haven’t met a Buddhist meditation teacher like Liza before: she swears a lot, calls bullshit on the wellness industrial complex, and comes from a storied business career in both fashion and technology. She grew a tech startup from two people to a multi-million dollar industry leader, and her clients have included Microsoft, Bloomingdales, Amazon, and VOGUE.

With her insider knowledge, Liza shines a clear light on the tech industry, revealing its assault on our attention, its cynical gospel of hustle culture, and the personal and cultural anxiety those things create. Big tech has even begun to create a haze of capitalistic productization in the world of meditation. Despite great promise, Liza cautions that Silicon Valley hasn’t saved the world–and it is certainly not going to lead anyone to enlightenment.

And yet this is the world in which we live, and Liza gets it. In this hyper-active world of deadlines, competing priorities, and devious distractions, Liza offers an alternative path using spiritual meditation and self love.

The techniques and practices Liza teaches allow you to reconnect to the calm, peaceful, wise parts of yourself–even in today’s world. Liza’s broad expertise in a range of healing modalities, as well as her deep personal practice, make her a popular meditation and spiritual teacher for those seeking a friend on their own path.

For press + speaking inquiries, please email hello (at) effthismeditation (dot) com.

“She makes getting your spiritual shit together fun!”

— Heather Demetrios, mindfulness coach and author

Buddhist Meditation Teacher

As a formally trained Buddhist meditation teacher, Liza has spent many years studying, practicing, and developing a deep understanding of what kind of spiritual path works in today’s world.

Here are Liza’s guiding principles:

We are complete, just not finished.

You are whole. A whole person, a fully-fledged human, a complete entity. There is nothing missing from you: no inherent lack, no emotional holes to be filled by anything or anyone outside of yourself.

Spiritual work is about finding and connecting to that wholeness; to that beauty that is in you–whether you feel it right now or not.

There is work to be done; there are teachings to grow from–but our work together starts from this place of wholeness.

Anyone who wants to “fix” you thinks that you are broken.

The teacher’s role is to help you learn to clean some of the dirt off of the mirror so that you can see yourself reflected as you truly are: brilliant, imperfect, full of primordial goodness and love.

If someone implies that you need to be “more,” “better,” or “fixed,” then they are probably not connected to their own innate truth, and will likely not do a good job of helping you to connect with yours. We don’t want to “fix” you–we want to help you see and feel your own wholeness.

We cannot hate ourselves into someone we can love.

The only way to love ourselves is to love ourselves as we already are–right now, today. We can’t change ourselves into someone more lovable, or more worthy of love. We are already deserving.

Liza teaches precise practices that allow us to begin to make friends with ourselves, because it’s the most important relationship we will ever have–and it enriches every other relationship in our life, too.

A good teacher is a spiritual friend first.

The Pali word kalyāna-mittatā describes the Buddhist concept of spiritual friendship. Liza believes strongly that a teacher is a spiritual friend first and foremost; someone who has been down a certain path and can share from their own lived experiences.

In a world of self-styled gurus, self-appointed shamans, and prophets seeking profits, it is vital that a spiritual teacher always embodies the twin spirits of learning and friendship.

A deeply held respect for ancient traditions.

There is a vast ocean of fundamental truths out there for us to learn from, and Liza has spent many years studying with renowned spiritual leaders. By respecting our past, we can more thoughtfully meet the present moment.

(For more on Liza’s spiritual education, see below.)

Our spiritual teachings are updated for modern times.

While many ancient teachings are full of wisdom, they also come from eras of rampant racism, sexism, and classism.

We certainly don’t do things perfectly, but we do take great care to study and avoid whitewashing and spiritual bypassing. We are always working to dismantle our own privilege and to hold a safe space for others to do the same, and to amplify the voices of people from marginalized communities. We do everything we can–and are always learning to do better.

“We are complete, just not finished.”

— Liza Kindred

One of the Best Meditation Teachers Online

“I’ve lived a life of anxiety and depression, but your book and practices are changing this journey for me. I’m experiencing joy and peace for the first time in a really long while.”

— Student

“Your words make me feel accepted, seen, and empowered, always reminding me of my validity and my worth.”

— Student

“The best part is that Kindred provides multiple ways to relieve stress in as little as a minute.”

– People Magazine

“Liza shows up like the sage, funny, and direct big sister that you always wish you had. She gets it: your life is complex. You self care doesn’t need to be.”

— Adreanna Limbach, author of Tea & Cake with Demons

“If meditation’s super-precious, über-enlightened rep has put you off in the past… Liza Kindred is here to reintroduce you to the practice.”

– Sarah Buino, founder of Head/Heart Therapy

“Liza creates an environment that is soft and inviting. She keeps it real while inspiring you to keep practicing.”

— Melissa Carter, Head of Mindfulness at NYU

“Liza is the real deal: a devoted Buddhist teacher whose ability to translate ancient teachings into modern lessons shows just how relevant the dharma is.”

— Lodro Rinzler, bestselling Buddhist author of seven books and founder of MNDFL

“Liza’s vast experience and commitment to her own growth make her teachings grounded, accessible, and relevant. She makes getting your spiritual shit together fun!”

— Heather Demetrios, mindfulness coach and editor of Dear Heartbreak

Keynote Speaker: How to Practice Self Love

Liza has spoken at 100+ events globally, for clients and events including:

SxSW
Apple
FedEx

Hearst Magazines
Condé Nast
Web Summit

Columbia Business School
NYU Stern
SoHo House

Meditation Certification

A spiritual teacher must continue to learn and to develop their own practice. As a teacher, Liza tries to always hold the seat of the student. Here is an overview of Liza’s personal meditation and mindfulness training, trauma training and certification, and related education in energy work and other healing modalities.

Advanced Buddhist Studies

Liza took Buddhist vows in 2017, the same year she completed Shambhala Buddhism’s multi-year Warrior In the World intensive study program, which she began in 2011.

Study with Top Spiritual Leaders

Liza has studied and practiced with renowned modern spiritual leaders including Eckhart Tolle, Ram Dass, Marianne Williamson, and Pema Chödrön.

Meditation Teacher Training (500+ hours)

Liza completed a 300-hour meditation teacher certification with MNDFL teacher training in 2017. Since then, she has completed another 200+ hours of ongoing teacher training.

Certified in Integrative Somatic Trauma Therapy

An in-depth three-month certification, including 27 modules with sections on individual and group trauma, ancestral healing, resilience, Polyvagel theory, Hakomi, IFS, EMDR, and post-traumatic growth. An holistic, unified approach to trauma healing with practices and treatment leading to embodied healing.

Trauma Informed Care

Liza has studied directly with Bessel van der Kolk (20 hour program on The Body Keeps the Score) and Peter Levine (10 hour masterclass series in Somatic Experiencing.) She has also taken classes in the field of trauma-sensitive mindfulness, in order to ensure the safety and comfort of all of her students.

Additional Somatic and Body Training

Liza’s somatic training is ongoing, and includes current study of EMDR for healing, posture for meditators / Alexander Technique with Hope Martin, yoga asana for meditators with Cyndi Lee, and somatic meditation.

Experienced Reiki Practitioner

Liza has received transmissions and been certified in levels I and II of the Usui reiki lineage through Reiki Master Brian Brunius. She also received additional in-person training with Phyllis Furumoto, the late lineage holder. Additionally, she is training in a decolonized, non-Westernized version of energy healing.

Energy Work & Healing Modalities

In addition to energy healing, Liza has had introductory training in chakra healing, sacred breath work, and plant medicine. She continues her ongoing search to add more knowledge, experience, and tools to her teaching repertoire.