Claire began her meditation practice in 2005 in the midst of her hectic life in New York City to seek greater happiness, peace, and self-knowledge.  Her daily practice for 5 years was founded in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. She studied meditation under the guidance of Lauren Benjamin and Lama Marut while completing the 36-course Asian Classics Institute curriculum of Tibetan Buddhist Studies, including completing a 30 day solo retreat. She also studied the great texts of the Yoga tradition with Lama Marut, receiving a 200 hour Yoga Philosophy training.  Seeking a greater understanding of the technique of meditation, she began studying the Shamatha/Vipassana technique of Professor John Yates, aka Upasaka Culadasa.  She has attended two 10 day retreats in that lineage, and helped with the release of his book The Mind Illuminated: A Complete Guide Integrating Buddhist Wisdom and Brain Science for Greater Mindfulness. In recent years her path has led her to the teachings of Shinzen Young, who synthesizes and systematizes the core teachings of many meditation traditions. In 2021 she completed 4 week-long self guided retreats. 

The “Meditation Basics” series of classes, started in 2010 and offered across the country and in England, came out of her love of teaching, and desire to introduce people to the benefits of having a daily meditation practice.  The classes combine traditional meditation advice from the Tibetan and Pali Buddhist traditions, with the holistic knowledge Claire brings from her yoga and massage background, and cutting edge psychology and neuroscience research.

Videos of her 2013 Meditation Basics series Journey to Stillness and Balancing the Mind can be found at: https://www.youtube.com/user/MeditationBasics

Claire is available for individual meditation guidance and instruction, contact Claire(at)ClaireThompson(dot)com