Laurie Lyons is the founder and director of Zen & the Arts, a nonprofit organization offering donation-based meditation and creative arts to the Southwest Florida community. Laurie is a musician and has trained in yoga and meditation since 1996.
In 2010, Laurie formally took Zen Buddhist vows and went on to receive authorization to teach Zen (called Dharma Transmission) in 2018. Her work teaching meditation has brought her to classrooms, rehabilitation centers, churches, museums, and campgrounds. She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music performance. She worked as an orchestral musician, performing as a percussionist with the Naples Philharmonic for over 20 years, and now works as a piano teacher. Laurie is training to become a certified professional organizer using the Konmari Method as taught by Marie Kondo. She also enjoys writing and frequently shares Zen stories and teachings for free on Substack.
At the heart of her varied professional and personal endeavors is a commitment to inspire people to get in touch with the contemplative side of life.