Hi, I’m Ilana. I am a Reiki Master, meditation teacher, Ayurvedic nutritionist, mindfulness coach, permaculture designer and writer. Most recently, I began studying for my Ayurvedic Health Counselor and Ayurvedic Practitioner dual certificate, a dream come true. In these roles, I spend my days caring for the Earth and its inhabitants (people, plants and animals).  What this looks like is daily meditation, leading group meditation sessions, practicing Reiki and Ayurveda, observing and managing landscapes in a way that mimics nature, and serving others where I can. Each practice is a continuation and extension of the other and of my daily pursuit and practice of self-realization.

After years of reflection, I created Bodhi By Design to include you, to hold space for you to both observe and experience the natural, balancing flow of life force energy in and around you and to bring more resiliency, balance and calm to your life…even in the midst of life’s storms.

I wasn’t always in a place of stillness and observation.

In 2013, I was a top performer in the “corporate play,” after playing roles as operations, production and capture managers. Yet, it was two years after my daughter’s birth, and I found myself crying on the kitchen floor with the profound realization that I could not continue to lie to myself and do work that I knew I felt nothing for.  I mostly loved the coaching, mentoring and teaching aspects of my job, which was a part of my management style, but I needed the foundations, the “why” of my work to feel true to my heart’s desire.  And, I knew that I needed to set an example for my daughter to be true to her unique self and gifts.  So, as my career took off, I quit.

It wasn’t an easy journey.  I experienced the uncomfortable process of unburdening myself from an identity whose self-worth was based on what I did, the roles I played and the people I pleased.  I also went through various healing crises as my body and mind let go of embedded traumas and limiting beliefs.  But, I persevered.  I found the stillness that I first passionately resisted, and surrendering to this peace accelerated the healing process.  

My journey is best described as the path of self-realization, a process of remembering who I am, the true Self that is ever-present in each of us but difficult, if not impossible, to hear when our minds and lives run non-stop.

I am here to walk with you on your unique journey.  How?

The answer is as unique as you are.  But if you imagine your life as concentric circles or layers that impact each other, you can begin working inward from your thoughts outward through the layers into your physical environment or in the reverse order.  This working through the layers can look like:

• Reiki sessions to restore balance and help you experience the stillness in which healing can begin

• Integrating guided meditations to begin the habit of sitting still and/or eventually learning to build a daily solo sadhana (practice) using classical meditation, which according to Vedic teachings, is the tool for experiencing greater stillness and calm in the mind/body/spirit

• Ayurvedic nutrition consultations to discover the best way for your unique mind/body/spirit system to thrive, because there is no “one-size-fits-all” method for balance and well-being, and your body and mind is quite literally a result of what you ingest

• Permaculture resources walk you through creating outer balance through low-maintenance, yet resilient, natural systems…peaceful extensions in your environment that benefit both you and nature.

Here’s how to work with me…

By this time, you have an inkling if you want to work with me (or not). Trust your intuition; there are no coincidences. If you feel a pull to work with me, then book a first session in the modality that most speaks to you. From there, we will determine the best approach forward, based on your goals.  My goal is to help you get to a place where you don’t “need” me anymore. I mean that in the most loving way.

If you are interested in knowing more…

Subscribe below to my newsletter which keeps you updated with my journal and other resources like live classes and new services (more on the way).  I won’t inundate you with mail or “selling,” just periodically forward ideas to motivate you, get you thinking and support your journey.

Or ask a question.

Other Fun Facts

My superpowers are both building community and helping others see their own light (and if they struggle with that, holding the space for them until they can). I am here to live a big, adventurous life by being open to creative, healing possibilities and then inspiring others to action.

I love to sing and dance.  Dancing is singing with the body.  I used to social ballroom dance and Hawaiian dance.  Now, you will find me at the ice rink figure skating, which I find very meditative.

I love plants, gardening, observing nature and its interconnections and have been “foodscaping” for over fifteen years. In 2020, I managed a very productive school Victory Garden during the pandemic, which grew produce to address the food insecurity that arose during that year. In 2022, I received my Permaculture Design Certificate. My urban yard is a National Wildlife Federation Certified Wildlife Habitat and permaculture project with a focus on edible landscaping.  I have a passion for creating habitats within urban and suburban spaces that nourish all creatures, while being beautiful.  I call these places “Eden.”  I foresee a network of these beneficial spaces reintroducing necessary habitat as waystations to native animals, birds and insects in the landscaped deserts of lawns and introduced, ornamental plants.

I have experimented with and practiced Ayurveda and Ayurvedic nutrition for over a decade to help maintain my balance and vitality in mind, body and spirit. I have experienced first-hand that food IS my medicine and that a “one-size-fits-all” approach to nutrition, movement, and lifestyle does not work. When I have been unbalanced or unwell, Ayurveda has been a loving mother, wrapping me in her arms and telling me health and balance are my birthright.

I still write poetry, essays and blog posts, though now they often start as long text messages.

I try to live a simple, quiet and uncluttered life with my daughter and our pets (two cats and a dog), who made their way into our home ashram to be our soulmates, teachers and friends.

I am eternally grateful and thankful to my guru, teachers and masters - faithful and true - who have guided me through so many years and lives, pointing me to the Guru within:  Yeshua, Swami Sri Yukteshwarji, Paramahansa Yogananda, Paramahansa Hariharananda, Paramahansa Prajnananda, Maharishikaa Preeti, Mikao Usui Sensei….

Namaste.