About Deb
Deb Phelps
C.MI, MMT, E-RYT 500, YACEP
My Path
My meditation journey began as a teenager in 1980, and over the decades it has become both a personal refuge and a way of life. In 1996, while pregnant with my youngest daughter, I embraced yoga as an additional part of my regular self-care routine, deepening my relationship with embodied awareness, breath, and stillness.
My path has been shaped not only by study, but by lived experience. Having navigated trauma, grief, chronic illness, and significant life transitions, I found steadiness and healing through mind–body–spirit practices that fostered resilience, compassion, and self-acceptance. These experiences continue to inform how I teach and how I hold space for others.
How I Teach and Facilitate
I am a certified meditation and mindfulness teacher, yoga specialist, and sound healing practitioner. My work integrates meditation, mindfulness coaching, sound and vibrational practices, energy-based modalities, and gentle movement, always with attention to nervous system awareness and individual agency.
I teach with an emphasis on:
presence over performance
listening before fixing
invitational, trauma-aware language
practices that meet people where they are
Rather than offering one-size-fits-all approaches, I support students and clients in discovering practices that feel accessible, sustainable, and meaningful in their own lives.
Study, Lineage, and Ongoing Learning
My teaching is informed by decades of study in mindfulness, meditation, yoga, sound-based practices, and contemplative traditions. I have trained across multiple lineages and approaches, blending classical teachings with modern, trauma-aware perspectives.
At one point in my life, I lived in a spiritual community and retreat center with a focus on daily meditation, study, and mindful living. This experience, along with years of continued education, reinforced my understanding that learning is not something we complete, but something we continually return to.
Teaching, Mentoring, and Service
I have led thousands of hours of meditation, mindfulness, and sound-based sessions for individuals and groups. My work includes teaching classes and trainings, mentoring students, and developing certification programs focused on meditation, mindfulness, and guided practice creation.
My personal life’s mission embraces the heart of service, grounded in kindness and compassion. I believe that teachers inspired by their own healing and growth naturally transmit that inspiration through presence, integrity, and care.
Spiritual Orientation
I am a practicing Buddhist and a nonsectarian spiritual teacher and ordained minister. While my work is informed by contemplative and spiritual traditions, I welcome people of all paths and belief systems. My intention is not to direct anyone toward a particular philosophy, but to support inner clarity, peace, and wise action.
A Gentle Note on Scope
While my work supports well-being, self-awareness, and inner growth, I am not a licensed therapist. I approach my offerings as educational, contemplative, and supportive in nature, and I encourage individuals to engage with practices in ways that honor their own needs, boundaries, and lived experience.
From the Heart
I continue this work because I believe deeply in our capacity to cultivate peace, even in the midst of difficulty. May my efforts support happiness, well-being, safety, peace, and ease — for myself, for my students, and for all beings.