ratnadevi

LUISE HOLTBERND

A very short selected autobiography

I first encountered meditation and yoga in Germany, in 1982. Rooted in the Iyengar method of Yoga, I  draw on a variety of other styles and methods of bodywork, including Pilates, Feldenkrais, and dance. My classes  are characterised by a warm and open atmosphere and a spirit of inquiry. For 5 years I lived and worked in a residential Buddhist retreat centre for women in Shropshire, before moving to Glasgow in 91.  In 92 I became a member of the Western Buddhist Order (when I received my Buddhist name) and have been teaching meditation and yoga since, in ongoing classes and on retreats, both in Scotland and internationally. I  have also been mentoring many individuals in their personal and spiritual development. Since 2003 I have been offering MBCT (mindfulness-based cognitive therapy) based courses and in 2005 completed a training course run by the ‘Centre for Mindfulness’ in Bangor.

My first degree is in music and movement and I recently was awarded a practice- based PhD in Creative Arts at Dartington College, Devon. The title of my thesis was ‘Gestures towards Emptiness - an exploration of ritual with reference to Buddhist tradition and innovation’.

In 2001 I was artist in residence at the Glasgow Buddhist Centre, as part of ‘Scotland Year of the Artist’. I exhibit and teach arts, often combining different disciplines.

I am one of the founder members of the bodhi eco project, a charitable organisation that was set up in 2000 to promote the idea of creating a village community based on the practice of ecology, ethical living, education and the arts.