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Randall Richards
Randall, a graduate of University of Utah in Recreation Management has been a senior mountain guide for Alpine Ascents International on peaks in Peru, Argentina, Ecuador, and the U.S., has been a senior staff trainer and instructor for Outward Bound on the Pacific Crest, Mexico and Alaska for 15 years, and a ski guide for the late Allan Bard in the High Sierras of California. He has guided in the Alps, South America, and the North Cascades, on programs lasting from three weeks to three months.
Randall is a long-time "professional member" of the American Mountain Guides Association since 1984, a certified member Professional Ski Instructors of America (Level III Alpine (since 1976), Level II Telemark, Level II Backcountry), Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician and has a certificate in Heli-Ski Guide/ Forecasting, and Level II NZ Avalanche Safety, & NZ Skippers ticket.
He has been meditating since an early teen, and been doing intuitive readings since the late '80's He is a graduate of Rise Leadership's Awakening, and Movement into Mastery programs. He accepted an invitation by a Native American elder, to be a member of a Native American Church "in the capacity of shaman, healer and minister."
Randall holds a "Private Practice Certification" in life coaching from Rise Leadership Group. He speaks French, German and Spanish, enough Quechua to get himself into trouble and has a certificate in Maori Level 2. He is a performer/songwriter of world and folk music and worked a music therapist for Alzheimer's patients. He is founder and the Director of Mountain Spirit Institute in the US since its inception in 1998.
Amanda Richards
Amanda has been passionate about yoga, meditation and organic food her whole life, and here at Mountain Spirit all of these passions meet.
She is a certified homeopathic practitioner, has a degree in philosophy and microbiology from the University of New South Wales, and worked in project management at the University in Auckland. She has been a national marketing manager in Australia for a multi-national computer company but jumped ship in favour of a meditation cushion in India some years ago.
Amanda is passionate about mountains, having trekked extensively in Nepal and India and climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro. She has been a back-country hut warden for the Department of Conservation at Mt Aspiring and French Ridge huts, and others in the National Park.
Since her late twenties has been on an actively inward journey deepening after spending 8 months practicing yoga and mediation in India in her ‘30’s
She has attended a number of programs including The Awakening, and “The Work” by Byron Katie and attends regular meditation retreats and yoga training.
"It started with Outward Bound and the high school I attended modeled on OB principles.
The experiential model rubbed off on me. I'm a product of Kurt Hahn's educational philosophy. After teaching at OB for years, I wanted to blend that educational model, (compassion, integrity, excellence, and inclusion), with learning of presence, gratitude and to help participants reconnect to nature, oneself and each other."
Randall
My journey started when I realised I had to listen to my heart, not just my head. It was my big "ah-hah" moment . I had always been led by the 'control tower'. I started a journey of going inside and learning to trust the wisdom from within rather than just the thoughts
I think that peace does begin with us. If we want the world to be a peaceful place we have to be peaceful. Everything starts with us. Becoming self-responsible is the beginning of that journey"
Amanda
