My Journey

Meet Dori Kelner - Mindfulness Teacher and Facilitator

A Journey of Transformation

Throughout my life, I found myself working to meet others' expectations, regardless of how they aligned with my own needs. Fear shadowed me—fear that I wasn't good enough or smart enough, that I would face punishment or rejection for being authentic. Imagine moving through each day unable to speak your truth.

The skills essential for wellbeing—setting boundaries, cultivating perspective, aligning life with personal values—remained untaught in my early years. Instead, I witnessed impatience and anger. A child models what she sees, and these became my unconscious patterns.

After a series of failed relationships and professional burnout, I recognized something was fundamentally wrong. Depression and panic attacks sabotaged my days. Living on autopilot, I knew I needed to discover a better path forward.

Discovering Mindfulness

I embarked on what I called "rewiring my brain." Little did I know in the 1990s that I was practicing mindfulness. This practice gradually transformed my perspective—I stopped seeing life as something that happened to me and recognized it as something I actively shaped.

I learned to pause, to breathe, and to find healthier responses to life's challenges. I developed the confidence to speak up for myself and to trust my emotions rather than suppressing them. These weren't small adjustments but profound breakthroughs in how I experienced my life.

Sharing the Path Forward

My mindfulness training and practice allows me to recognize when situations lie beyond my control, while empowering me to choose my response. Everything begins with how I relate to myself and others.

I founded Insightful Culture to provide evidence-based wellness practices to those seeking proven methods for quieting their inner critic and moving through life with greater ease.

You are a delightful work in progress. You are enough—and it's time to embrace that truth.