Meet Drea Hartwell
Student. Teacher. Human.
Over the course of nearly two decades, mindfulness and meditation have fundamentally changed me and my approach to life. What began as a way to navigate a very restless mind has become a steady place to land; a way of coming home to myself and inhabiting the present moment with less judgment and a greater sense of ease.
My teaching is grounded in this long-term study and my daily life as a nurse in Anchorage. I am a Teacher Trainee with the Mindfulness Training Institute and a student in Spirit Rock’s Dedicated Practitioner Program. My work is deeply shaped by my mentors, Erin Treat, Mark Coleman, and Martin Aylward, as well as the teachings of Tara Brach, Vinny Ferraro, Carol Cano, Syrah Smith, and Diana Winston.
When I’m not on the cushion or at the clinic, you can find me on the trails with my dog, Monty, or in the kitchen whipping up a batch of butter mochi.
Training & Lineage
the mindfulness training institute
This 6-week series is deeply informed by the Mindfulness Training Institute (MTI) and the teachings of world-renowned instructors Mark Coleman and Martin Aylward. Their approach, deeply rooted in decades of practice and a deep respect for the natural world, emphasizes that mindfulness isn’t about escaping our lives, but finally arriving in them.