A leader in personal coaching, organizational wellness and curated retreats.
MEET SAMARA ZELNIKER
about samara
Hi, I'm Samara Zelniker and I believe in the power of mindfulness to change lives and businesses - a path that I have been actively pursuing in my own life for over a decade.
Let’s start from the beginning. I was always fascinated by people. Our similarities, our differences and essentially what makes us tick. Why certain people thrived while others remained stuck. More specifically, what makes us the way we are, and is it possible to evolve?
After graduating from the University of Western Ontario with a BA in psychology, I worked in the fashion industry for half a decade, where I learnt all aspects of running a business. From sales to marketing, shipping and budgeting, I delved into the operations of fashion distribution, and soaked up all I could learn. With two entrepreneurial parents, my brother and I often joke that growing up in our household was similar to receiving an MBA!
Real talk: My upbringing came with its set of benefits and disadvantages. It taught me that I could be an independent woman who could pursue her dreams, but it also created a sense of loneliness in me. I was constantly searching for a sense of belonging and fulfilment.
After oddly breaking my foot boarding a flight home from an overseas sales trip, I realized I was not fulfilled with my current career. Basically, if I needed some sort of sign, this was it. Leaving me immobile for 8 weeks, I started to recognize how critical the role that health and wellness played in my life.
Serendipitously, the opportunity arose to enroll in a yoga teacher training post-injury, and I thought, “What the hell, why not get better at yoga?”
Although I did improve my practice, the experience was incredibly more impactful than I could have imagined.
I connected to my own truth and let go of who I thought I needed to be. For the first time, I felt free.
Shortly after I went to Nairobi, Kenya to take part in the teaching team for Africa Yoga Project, a non-profit that trains global well-being leaders in and from Africa.
This further developed my obsession with authentic connection and sparked the desire to build a platform for optimizing leadership.
This is how Mindfulness Matters began.
I have journeyed around the world creating an international community of seekers.
Through coaching, organizational wellness, yoga, and retreats, it is my purpose to help you create a life of impact.
I believe that as you rise, we all rise collectively.
I invite you to come along for the journey.
Warmly Samara Zelniker
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professional experience
Samara has been teaching and sharing the power of mindfulness in organizational, community and non-profit settings for over a decade.
She completed rigorous training in neuroscience, mindfulness and emotional intelligence from the Search Inside Yourself Leadership Institute, the leadership development program born at Google. Samara is also trained as a holistic health coach through the Institute of Integrative Nutrition and is a certified yoga teacher.
Samara has been featured as an expert in Forbes, Business Insider, Focus TV and The Coveteur, and has served as a panelist and speaker at several conferences and podcasts.
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