Aurora Hutchinson, M.A. is passionate about sharing the transformative power of mindfulness and meditation. As a certified Science of Mindful Awareness (SOMA) meditation teacher and wellness educator, she teaches group classes, workshops, conducts corporate seminars and works with private clients seeking to learn meditation for stress management, improved health, career and family support. As a PhD candidate in Psychology with training in neuroscience and pharmacology, Aurora has an understanding of the biological and psychological mechanisms underlying mind-body practices. This information provides students and clients a meaningful way to connect with the practice of meditation. Aurora is a certified Usui Shiki Ryoho Reiki Master Teacher and Jikiden Reiki Shoden practitioner. She is trained in Clinical Hypnosis through the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis (ASCH) and is an iRest Yoga Nidra Level 1 Teacher-in-Training. Aurora is a faculty member of the SOMA Meditation Teacher Training Program, and has served as the Mindfulness Programs Director at The Mindfulness Center in Bethesda, MD. She is committed to promoting and practicing evidence-based, best practices of self-care in hospitals, wellness centers, educational and corporate settings to empower and serve others.
Mindfulness v. Meditation While we hear the terms “mindfulness” and “meditation” almost interchangeably, there is an important difference and relationship between the two words. By understanding this relationship, we can deepen our comprehension of both the practice and its outcomes. The difference between meditation and mindfulness is that one is a practice and the other…
Dear Yoga Teachers, As teachers, we use words as a primary tool for conveying information to our students. As yoga teachers, awareness of prana is integral to the practice that we teach. Therefore, it is important that we understand the prana of the words we use in teaching. Words are a way of sharing energy…
As a licensed clinical psychologist, I’ve learned various types of psychotherapy. One size does not fit all when it comes to one’s well-being. The beauty of therapy is helping people to discover their voice, increasing self-awareness, recognizing the choices one has in life, and finding joy. Mindfulness allows us to find joy in the most…
There’s a Buddhist saying that “Life is suffering.” I like to look for exceptions to this rule. Maybe that’s why they say it; to get us to appreciate the opportunities when we are not suffering. I’ve had my share of suffering; and I’ve had many opportunities to find my way out of the suffering. I…
In the Flow: Bridging the Science and Practice of Mindfulness will change the way you live your life! In clear and captivating style, neuroscientist, Dr. Deborah Norris, lays out new theories in the science of mindfulness, revealing how simple practices are able to remove our roadblocks to health and happiness. You can get back In…
I’ve been exploring a raw food diet for the past five days, not for a preplanned reason, but because it seems unexpectedly to be exactly what my body wants right now. I’ve received a number of questions about eating raw and eating mindfully, and I thought that I’d address some of these questions together. Q:…
Dr. Deborah Norris discusses the Science of Mindfulness with Neal Howard on the podcast, Health Professional Radio, recorded October 27, 2017.
Repeated tragedies in the headlines bring pain and suffering into all of our lives. We experience the stress and trauma of these tragedies, requiring that we find a way to cope, to go on, and to heal again and again. Mindfulness cannot undo the damage done by senseless acts of violence and natural disasters, but…
Good health starts with Mindful Eating! Check out this WTOP special interview with Dr. Deborah Norris.
A total solar eclipse will occur on August 21, 2017, and cross the United States from coast to coast. Many are interested in the physical and psychological effects of this celestial event. All planetary and related astronomical cycles affect us physically and therefore psychologically. The most common effects are so routine that we take them…