Makeda McKenzie

Based in Trinidad & Tobago, I’m a former human resource professional and the present-day founder and principal consultant of the Caribbean Mindfulness Institute (CMI). After my own experience with workplace burnout and chronic stress, and having benefited tremendously from the mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) programme and my ongoing personal practice, I decided to use my many years of corporate experience in training and development to create meaningful and practical workplace mindfulness programmes that help people stress less, focus more, and feel their best with mindfulness and meditation. I hold an Upper Class honours degree in Management with Economics from the University of the West Indies, completed the mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) programme with the University of Massachusetts Medical School, and the residential MBSR teacher-training with the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine. I’ve also completed further professional development training in human resources, mindfulness, happiness and wellbeing, and psychology at work. I’m passionate about integrative health, stress management, and workplace wellness.

I’m a mindfulness coach, advocate, and practitioner, fully dedicated to mindfulness education and training as a teacher and teacher-trainer. I’ve been collaborating with Oxford Mindfulness since October 2020 and am currently a Teacher-Trainer on several programmes, including the 12-month Teacher-Training programme, Mindfulness Teaching in the Workplace programme, and Introducing Mindfulness programme. I also teach the Mindfulness for Life and Introducing Mindfulness programmes to the general public and actively contribute as a Meditation Lead on the Community Sits.  Additionally, I provide technical support as a Zoom Driver for our specialist and teacher-training workshops.

I’m also the Founder and Managing Consultant of a mindfulness institute based in Trinidad and Tobago. Through my institute, I offer MBSR classes and design and deliver mindfulness workshops, presentations, and keynotes that cater primarily to workplace contexts, and the general public as well. I believe deeply in the transformative potential of mindfulness to help people reduce the effects of stress, live with more presence and connection, and cultivate more happiness and resilience using evidence-based mindfulness practices – both on and off the job.