Ellen's hand with flower

Ellen embarked on her study of Ikenobo Ikebana in her early 20’s studying with a prominent teacher, Ikka Nakashima in the Chicago area. Ellen’s floral arrangements and wall sculptures were displayed at the annual Ikebana show at the Botanic Gardens in Glencoe, Illinois.

Although Ellen focused on her professional career in sales and business development in the commercial interiors industry, her true passion was to create contemporary sculptural Ikebana for friends and family. She dreamed of ways to share this creative expression with others. 

Facing the rigors and demands of her business life, she developed a personal practice integrating embodied meditation with creative floral design. The highlight of every week was her time spent creating and connecting with natural floral materials. The process of pausing to create and see with new perspective became a significant act of inspiration, balance and well-being in her life. 

Her first foray into sharing Mindful Flowers involved creating inspirational workshops for the architectural and design community in corporate America. Following her corporate career, Ellen has integrated her meditation practice and floral design into a new form of creative meditation.

Her training includes advanced Ikebana certification and full certification as a Realization Process teacher—a form of embodied meditation.