CLAIRE ROBBIE

Keynote Speaker · Corporate Workshops · MC · Partnerships · Media commentary · Brand Ambassador

Meditation teacher and yogi, ex-journo and newsreader, and Founder of New Zealand’s first multidisciplinary meditation centre The School of Modern Meditation; Claire Robbie has combined everything she is passionate about into a varied and interesting career that she has evolved around being a present mother and partner.

Claire was a journalist in a previous life, but her love of language, people and human connection has now segued into helping people incorporate the powerful practices of breathwork and meditation into their lives through SOMM (The School of Modern Meditation).

Sobriety is also a pillar of Claire’s life and practices, and she also facilitates a powerful program called The Alcohol Reset and has worked with hundreds of people helping them drink differently.

Over the past 15 years Claire trained and continues to study with some of the world’s leading teachers in different styles/philosophies/types of meditation and yoga. Her practices have transformed her life and her personal experiences form the foundation of her teaching. She is the meditation coach for some of New Zealand’s leading businesspeople and entrepreneurs and is passionate about making meditation an integral and ‘normal’ part of our community.

She is currently navigating being both a stay-at-home Mum and a business owner – a combination of roles that is her most challenging yet. She also travels around the world teaching meditation and speaking on consciousness, shifting habits, alcohol education, meditation and the mind.

GET TO KNOW CLAIRE

  • 1 week before NZ’s last and longest lockdown I opened what had been a dream of mine for many years – The School of Modern Meditation. Having been a meditation teacher for several years, I have committed myself to making these practices as accessible and “normal” as possible to as many people as I can. The lockdown meant we transitioned into an online school as well which has actually been amazing as now our digital classroom has students from all over the world joining us live.

    We offer classes, courses and workshops in our studio in Central Auckland and online of breathwork, meditation, soundwork, EFT and more. We have programmes for the experienced practitioner and the complete beginner. Most of all we are a community. We have had thousands of people experience our classes and experience the profound mental, emotional and physical transformation these practices can activate and support.

  • I started NBWC in January 2017 as a way of holding myself accountable as I gave up drinking for 2017. So many people wanted to join me that I decided to turn it into a ‘thing’. A website was created, regular monthly events started taking place and the movement grew and grew. Creating a community was important to me as the first time I gave up drinking (a stint that lasted 2 years) was quite lonely, and I found myself struggling to socialize and get out. I lived in LA at the time and had been working in events – an industry that was notoriously ‘boozy’ and I found I had to really dig deep to get out and have fun. NBWC is all about normalizing socializing sober and providing events and support in this. Ou SOMM studio is now where we host all these events.

  • Learn to meditate! But as a start – take at least 5 minutes a day to themselves, just to relax and be present. A few deep breaths can work wonders. And move – the human body is designed to be pushed and stretched and to move. Cut back on alcohol and caffeine consumption and find an activity that is relaxing that you enjoy to do regularly.

  • I went to uni not knowing what to study so I failed my first year of Law and my BA is in Ancient Egyptian History and Russian Politics… hasn’t been overly helpful…