From Deidre M.

Ivette, your laugh, your laugh, how you'd laugh. I hear you now and see the sparkle in your eyes. You loved hearing of mischiefs and making light of 'grey matter'.

Bold. Courageous. Compassionate. You had the biggest heart, full of compassion. No wonder it gave way. You held the world.

We'd connect via Zoom, then lapse and not talk only to resume picking up where we'd left off, perplexed by how it had been so long. You with astounding accomplishments, diverse interests, ever expanding, studying, leading through dedication and commitment, joyful passion. While I'd wallow "Oh Ivette, I've made another right blunder", you'd laugh and encourage me to pursue, do it, take action. Why not?

Getting stuck in my head of gobblydigook chatter, you listened, you held space for me, made me feel worthwhile, helped me decipher what was important and what was true. You shone a light on the jewels of wisdom I had discarded so flippantly, jewels of wisdom within me, within all of us. You brought me back to truth. You cut away distractions.

When we'd connect, I knew you knew me. At times when I feared criticism, you flooded me with compassion. We'd talk about everything and nothing. To be in your company was a tonic. How you loved beautiful things, skills in artistry, sculpture, architecture, all the ancient art forms and philosophies, images, words, chants, sounds and silences. You transcended space and time, easily connecting and merging ancient practices and opinions with 21st century living. Each decade, century, millennia only a breath away.

How easily you connected times and peoples. We all breathe as one. The sadness you felt in your heart, the world's hurts you carried. Yet you rose rejoicing of the blessings and gifts of life, this precious opportunity to begin anew.

To see, to hear, to stand still for ten minutes, being present to it all. Oh Ivette, you did all the work, I just made the jokes. I'd “talk” about meditations, you were the one doing them. You lived as you spoke. You lived your Truth.

Your honesty – refreshing, powerful and terrifying. Standing firm, you held your ground, glorious in your uniqueness, unswayed by the maddening crowd – and how we love you for it. You've touched our lives incredibly. Sharing your views through books and art, music and movement, so generous with your wisdom, your kindness and encouragement. You were my friend, I loved you. I treasured our connections.

How it lifted your spirits to be surrounded by beauty, beautiful things, scenery and the beauty within people. Your love of nature, of the Divine, ever present though invisible. You were life. You lived, felt and breathed life to the full, on every level and depth, from the highs to the lows.

You were perfect. Of all the art you created, you made this world more beautiful by being you.

And how you laughed, how you laughed. That's what I hear now ringing in my heart.

Haiku: Ode to Ivette

Six moons shining
The night sky dances
Every star imprinted
With who you are.

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From Martin & Ursula G.

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From Dan S.

Remember?

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From Barbara C.

Ivette entered my life at a serendipitous moment when she was recommended by Nalanda Miksang to lead a class for our Philadelphia Shambala center. Despite the challenges posed by Covid, there was a bright side: we could conduct online classes. This meant that participants from across the globe could join us. This unexpected opportunity allowed us to connect with a broader community and Ivette's presence made this shared experience even more meaningful. We had a small group from the USA and Europe. I decided to keep chatting with her because we had this connection. Plus, I really valued our time spent swapping stories and brainstorming our latest creative masterpieces. Thanks to Ivette's Zoom account, we managed to have our get-togethers where we laughed and shared our life stories with appreciation. It's amazing how she turned deep spiritual insights into fantastic pieces of art and I'm just there clinging onto this wild ride of inspiration and giggles. I had the heartfelt pleasure of taking several classes with Ivette and her Haiku class remains a cherished memory. Despite my struggles with writing—writer's block was a constant foe and my pen seemed allergic to paper—Ivette's encouragement and patience gave me the confidence to embrace Haiku. Her unique way of drawing out my creativity was both funny and inspiring. It was as if she was a magical muse, whispering poetic wisdom. Even now, I revisit the Haikus I wrote and can't help but laugh and marvel at what Ivette helped me unleash.

Wise owl gently hoots
In her embrace, wisdom grows
Feathers stay unruffled.

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From André L.

I am thinking so much about you; and especially Ivette. These past few days I have been hearing her voice in my head. She had such a gentle and soft voice. So calm, open, interested and searching – but not at all pleasing. There was a firmness to it too that left no doubt about that she knew exactly who, where and why she was Ivette.

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From Kas F.

I am now home from my travels and have access to my computer again. I am attaching an image she sent me. I marvelled at her beauty, Srajan, inside and out. I had imaginings of travelling to Ireland to see and meet her in real life. Now she will be more accessible to me than ever before.

It was only last April that I met Ivette in a leader certification program through Sage-ing International™. She'd heard me say that I felt unsure about having any artistic capacity and was quick to reach out to encourage me to join her in a SoulCollage session. She wanted me to see for myself that we all have creative capacity. When I shared that I do feel like an artist but without a medium, she declared that this was art itself! "Such poetry", she said, “so much feeling in its simplicity". This was Ivette. So generous. So encouraging. Before long I had an Oracle Card Workshop under my belt. Ivette's images were hauntingly beautiful and inspiring. Mine were rudimentary and . . . well, at least colourful. And that was enough for Ivette to smile so widely that I'd tapped into my creative side. There were three of us that day and Ivette took us through a hilarious process whereby we made up words beginning with a certain letter, then had to make up actual definitions for these words: spontaneous, completely made-up and goofy words that had us belly laughing.

Ivette's words were:

AXIGOFORTH: things well done.

UBANGIE: music heard through my mouth.

GUTTERMUNG: a drink drank after making art.

YUKONERY: a link between all Human races.

One of the words I came up with was QUIM: the fun of seeing a friend that you haven't seen in a long time – and now Ivette will always be my QUIM friend, the one I can now talk to without audibly speaking. Over time we learnt so much more about each other, including our shared admiration for the music of Joni Mitchell. And in October when the news came that Ivette needed surgery, we were able to talk like the friends we had become. Ivette shared her most sincere raw fragile thoughts and then in another breath, told me all about the bundles she was creating – Unidentified Meaningful Objects*! Honestly! So wonderful! (*I'm sharing Ivette's verbal instructions below.)

Ivette, thank you for your gift of friendship. For your humour, your grace, your generosity and for sharing your soul with mine. I will remember you always.

*UMOs in Ivette's exact words: "Am doing these little bundles called UMO – Unidentified Meaningful Objects. You choose a small item you love and wrap it in a piece of paper where you've written either something personal, a wish, a thought, a poem or prayer etc. Then you wind a length of red thread around your little parcel into a ball or approximately shaped ball, then you choose a piece of felt or cloth that is soft and you love it and cover the thread-covered object with. Take a needle and coloured thread and begin to sew the bundle closed, following the flow of the shape. Cover the entire surface with all kinds of stitches. Create some as you go along. You can also add other little mandala-shaped circles and patch them onto this shape. It's a rather mindful and relaxing piece of artwork. Time flies and it's like a meditation where your attention is focused on the thing in hand – do you know what I mean? And you end up with a lovely little UMO bundle that you can hold and keep adding stitches to in an assortment of colours. I just got a little circular-shaped rose-coloured gem stone to create another UMO. Was inspired to make an UMO from a book I got during Xmas week called SoulFul Stitches, Creating Under Crisis by Cas Holmes. It's about making some form of art no matter what you're going through in life. Maybe you'll feel inspired to attempt making one…"

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From Kathleen J.

Remembering Ivette. I had the good fortune to meet Ivette five years ago during the middle of the Covid lockdown when I signed up for a beginning class in Miksang photography through the Shambhala center in Philadelphia. Naturally it was offered online via Zoom. In-person events were nearly non-existent at the time. It was a wonderful course and I loved Ivette's warm kind teaching style. So I took a second class with her and my respect for her grew. I loved photography but couldn't at all see myself as someone 'artistic' or even creative. However dear Ivette saw those qualities in my photographs and repeatedly pointed this out to me. Eventually I began to take this in and see some of it myself. What a gift this was to me, what a joy! Later I took Soul Collage classes with Ivette and participated in her superbly developed and presented Sage-ing workshops. I was impressed by her energy and drive to keep learning and teaching and creating. It wasn't just that she had a passion for artistic expression which reflected her spiritual depth and wisdom in my eyes but also that she had a passion to share and teach and encourage others to plumb their own spiritual and creative depths. She was a generous soul. Ivette was an excellent teacher but also open with us, sharing her work and telling us a bit about her life, her spiritual and creative journeys. We became friends and connected via email and Zoom meetings for intimate chats. We discovered our commonalities, similar ages, both having been raised in the Catholic Church but having later embraced Eastern wisdom traditions, particularly Tibetan Buddhism, both fascinated by the arts. I felt profoundly safe in talking with her. She was a master at creating a holding environment for others while also being open and vulnerable herself. The last several conversations I was lucky enough to have with her dealt very much with issues of aging, death and what lay beyond death. She spoke about her fears too especially in regard to the upcoming and frustratingly delayed open-heart surgery she had to face. I fully expected that she would survive it and that we could resume our chats and she her work with Sage-ing International. But here we are without her sweet presence. I miss her beautiful face, her soft voice, her caring, her wisdom, her shining being right here in this physical world. I feel her absence keenly. I feel sad for Srajan who knew her better than anyone but am glad for him that he had many decades of a life with such a special woman who loved him completely.

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From Javier M.

Dear Ivette, my pain is my goodbye, my memories are my comfort and in my mind there will always be the shared moments. Our paths first crossed in Granada, a visit I will never forget. Your way of being, your energy will always be present with all of us who appreciate you and were able to enjoy your smile, your way of thinking and enjoying this life. Thank you for your goodness, your generosity and having had the pleasure of meeting you. Your soul will last in our hearts forever. I am sure that your trip to another dimension will continue to illuminate the way. Thank you for being who you are. Continue to shine and transmit. Such unexpected news. It has left me thinking how to thank you for your hospitality and affection since we met. The only way for me to return your love and hospitality would be to create a special speaker that can bear your name; if Srajan allows me. [Of course he does. We're honoured!]. You are with us always. See you soon, Ivette.

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From Prasad E.

I met Ivette at the Leadership programme with Sage-ing International. The first thing that resonated with me about her was the depth and grace she possessed. We immediately connected and over the duration of the program met virtually several times. During these meetings, we would not only share on various aspects of the programme but Ivette would often share her art and at times, her interest in Haiku. She lived with a rare harmony, always seeking beauty in the world around her. The spiritual and artistic blended seamlessly in Ivette, reminding me of the sacredness in everyday moments and the power in simple self expression so fascinatingly reflected in her book, Little Bear's Secret Longing. Thank you Ivette, for being there, for the art you created, for your kindness, for remembering me in your book and most importantly, for the twinkle in your eyes and smile, something I will always remember you by.

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From Paul R.

Ivette was a very special person for me and I knew that from the moment I first saw her. It was like she had a special energy surrounding her, very calm and friendly as though she were oozing love and kindness. It reminded me of a book I once read, Autobiography of a Yogi, and how Yogananda described his feeling when he was in the presence of a great person. I remember being alone with her once and it was like time behaved differently. It's hard to describe but my visual perception of depth changed as well, like I was looking through binoculars or a big looking glass. Her face looked super big and close to me; as if reality got bent a bit for lack of a better description. On that same day, she asked me if she could do a little 'experiment' on me with something she had been working on. She asked me to draw two pictures from a deck of special cards she'd made and tell her how I felt when I looked at them. I still get emotional when I think of it because it was right there and then that I realised I was stuck in self-destructive behaviours and needed help. I realized I was an alcoholic and she showed me that there was a way out. I vividly remember the kind expression on her face when she handed me the deck of pictures, oozing the time-bending love and calmness. It helped me to pull myself out of the shadows and for that, I am forever grateful to her.

This was Ivette's favourite of the Miksang photos I took during her workshop.

Later when I was fresh in my recovery, Ivette reached out because she knew that I was into meditation and photography. I followed her Miksang course which was a perfect blend of those two topics. Through the course of several weeks, she taught me a completely new way of looking at the world. She didn't mess around and could be strict but in the most loving way possible. Hers was a firmness you would expect from a mentor or a loving mother. Miksang gave me a sort of new 'goggles' to see the world, not rose-coloured but 'Miksang enhanced' to experience the world fully engulfed in the present moment in all its glory and splendour, surrounding the most simple things you can imagine. She made me realize that beauty lies in the little things and for that, I am forever grateful to her. Dear, kind, wise, loving, magical spirit, you will be forever in my heart. When I look at your picture now, I can still feel the reality-bending love you oozed. You mentioned to me once that you felt his love when you looked at a picture of the Dalai Lama. You are my Dalai Lama now. Thank you for everything.

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From Linda W.

I first met Ivette when she trained with me as a SoulCollage® facilitator in Portugal in 2014. Her sensitivity, creativity, appreciation of beauty, atunement to the sacred, deep seriousness of purpose and compassion for others shone out during the training, as did her sense of humour and love of life. Ivette was a dedicated participant of the UK/Ireland SoulCollage® facilitator group. She brought to our gatherings her unique grace, appreciation of beauty, abundant creativity, deep listening, generous sharing and deep reverence for mystery. Her contributions to our monthly meetings and to our retreats will be achingly missed by everyone.

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From Lindsay C.

I met Ivette when we both participated in an online Miksang course exploring this world with photography and haiku in the first summer of Covid, 2020. Though I had taken a Miksang course previously, haiku was new to me; bewildering and fascinating. Ivette's photographs and haiku were striking in their elegance and vitality; she was discreet but clearly a seasoned practitioner. I reached out to her after the course's end and we met on Zoom, sharing photographs and haiku, with Ivette offering encouragement and guidance, prompting where's the insight? I joined Ivette leading her own online Miksang and haiku classes through Philadelphia Shambala, with a group of students from the US and Europe taking photographs on a camera she kindly sent me. What a lovely surprise, so demonstrative of her warmth and generosity. Looking over the instructions she gave at the time, she made the following statements: "You really don't know when your haiku or Miksang photo will touch someone just where they need to be touched. This is why your work is so vital to this process. You never know how your work will influence someone enough to get them out of their funk and try picture taking from an enlightened point of view."

"A haiku's sense of motion and movement is accomplished through words that describe change; nothing in life is perpetual or remains the same; everything is in constant motion in Nature and within ourselves."

It's so good to hear her voice in these words. Her passing was shocking; such creativity, depth and sense of humour. I feel very grateful for the time I shared with her and send my prayers for her future and her husband's solace.

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From Horst L.

I first met Ivette in 2017. Together with Srajan she came to the Grecian island of Aegina to participate in a Transomatic workshop led by Devageet, Osho's dentist. I remember she was very intrigued by the transomatic approach and had that longing to connect with her deepest roots into existence, to find out hidden layers about herself and her path. The whole energy of that workshop and Devageet touched something deep inside of her. This experience inspired her so much that she designed a beautifully illustrated transomatic deck of cards—much like a tarot card deck—that would integrate the transomatic approach and the transomatic integration that was brought to her by Devageet. She was filled with that inner passion to use her time here on earth, to reconnect with whatever seeds of wisdom had already been implanted in her innermost core and then to find a way to live and share it with people. Later she came to visit me with her beloved in my city of Duisburg where she dove into the unchartered waters of the bardo-karmic memories, discovering the many seeds that were already in those deeper layers of her consciousness, waiting to be discovered and then to become a part of her life. Ivette was very much aware that her life was not accidental, that there was a singular path for her to live her joy and creativity and that every moment was precious. Her unique creative capability allowed her to manifest those inner visions and memories into paintings and drawings. One of her drawings she presented to me and it is still standing on my desk. 

Fly high Ivette, even though that name for your consciousness will now be only an echo of a human experience. There are skies beyond skies beyond skies. This journey only has a beginning but no end. You have used your time well.

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From Miriam H. & John M.

Our names are John McQuade and Miriam Hall. We are the co-directors of Nalanda Miksang International, an organization in which Ivette was a dedicated teacher. She was one of our two teachers in Ireland though taught in many other places. We were asked to share a few words about Ivette from our experiences of her—both personally and in our community—and are happy to offer them. Miriam met Ivette in Paris in the summer of 2019. She had contacted Miriam in 2018 to see if she could mentor her in Miksang. Miriam encouraged her to come to Paris so she could spend a week in person with other folks from Europe. Miriam lives in Madison, Wisconsin, USA and travelled from there. Ivette came from Ireland. We had many French folks and others from Denmark, the UK and elsewhere. Ivette struck Miriam right away as having a 'miksang', a 'good' or 'clear' eye. She paired a soft contemplative heart with a precise and direct mind. In Paris over that week, Miriam and Ivette connected deeply, their styles matching and occasionally clashing as they are wont to. For the next few years they kept in touch via Facebook and email.

In 2021 we offered our very first online Teacher's Training course due to the Covid pandemic. Ivette leapt at the chance to do this training and again joined folks from all over the world now including Mexico, Spain, Scotland and more. We spent many weeks together parsing through the incredibly rich and complex teachings of this way of contemplative photography and it was clear that Ivette already had a deep understanding. Since that time Ivette taught in many places and combined Miksang with the breadth and depth of her other practices including haiku and contemplative art endeavours. John never met her in person but they had some Zoom encounters and many e-mail exchanges. In John's experience she was a little "eccentric" in the best sense of that description: unique, creative, interesting, independent, sometimes challenging him. John and Miriam also experienced her as a bit of a mystery; again in a good way.

One thing John and Ivette shared was an interest in what might be called 'Celtic or Aboriginal mysticism', the way of the Elements and Dralas. Of course this makes sense with her Irish life. Ivette definitely understood and held the Inner Teachings of Nalanda Miksang as a contemplative way. This is evidenced in the chapter "Within Every Flower the World" from her wonderful contemplative book on Miksang presented through our website blog. Ivette will be remembered and honoured by having her name placed in the Memorium section of the Nalanda Miksang website. We will miss her. From time to time John will recall her when he connects with the ancient Irish dralas:

I think of Ivette –
mysterious drala mind
twinkle in her eyes

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From Geoff A.

I only learnt of Ivette's passing yesterday evening through watching your podcast on YouTube with John Darko. This morning I went to 6moons and found the pages you wrote, dedicated to her life, art and your beautiful story together. I feel privileged to have been one of the few people in HiFi to have met Ivette when I visited you in Vevey with Silvio of Audiopax and you treated us to that wonderful Japanese lunch in Montreux. I was there with my family recently and thought of you whilst taking a meal in that same restaurant. During the time we visited your apartment, what impressed me the most was how the judicious arrangement of artwork on, or close to, the audio gear made the presence of the equipment far more discrete than it would otherwise have been. That was obviously Ivette's hand. Until seeing your pages this morning though, I have to admit I was not aware of what an accomplished artist she was. I did know that she was a committed spiritual practitioner and remember seeing you both at the monastery in Mont Pèlerin where we attended the same teachings by the Dalai Lama. Many people choose to have spiritual beliefs of one kind or another. With Ivette and yourself though, it is actual spiritual knowledge that she shared via her art, and thank you for also sharing it with us all through your writing on those pages. I'm glad that her passing was peaceful and that you were able to be with her to the end, including the three-day vigil which you described so beautifully.

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