About Layne



"It seems I always knew that all that exists is Energy. And that, of course, included me and everyone around me. I remember as a child feeling the Energy and seeing the Energy when I sat very still. "This is what people call God," I thought, and I knew that this Energy was everywhere, in all things, at all times. I continued to learn about this Energy as I moved through my life, and I continued to learn how all the apparent levels of reality work together, in everyday life and in deeper states of consciousness. I knew that this Energy was formless, bright, intelligent, and loving, and I knew that my life was about living in and with this presence. I was made of it. I could not be separate from it. Nor could anyone else, even if they didn't realize it.

After decades of meditation, attention, study, and life experience, I find the same Energy, though my experience of it has deepened, rounded, and permeated my being and my experience of life. It is as beautiful as ever, and it continues to be the focus of my life's purpose. I do what I can, often in very small ways, to help others realize they are this Energy and Light and that they are one with the Source, and to assist them in deepening this realization.

All reduces to this constant, luminous Energy, this Presence. We are not separate from it. It is all we are, all we do, all we create."

Layne Russell is the founder of High Mountain Wind. She has been teaching spirituality and consciousness for over forty years. She teaches meditation and practical spiritual tools, inspires realization of one's true spiritual identity, offers gentle, loving assistance in deepening the experience of Living Presence and in assisting and inspiring people to live fully their precious lives. Layne is an intuitive who has the ability to tune into where each person is on her/his path and guide in ways that will help open, expand, and deepen both heart and awareness and help bring balance, peace, and fulfillment.

Layne began her regular meditation practices in 1970 while living in Vancouver, B.C. Her teachers include Ram Dass, Tibetan Buddhist lamas, Hilda Charlton, Sathya Sai Baba, Neem Karoli Baba, Ramana Maharshi, Yogananda, and others. Contemporary Tibetan teachers include Kalu Rinpoche, Dezhung Rinpoche, Tarthang Tulku, Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, the Dalai Lama, Karmapa, Lama Lodru, and Wangdor Rinpoche. Much of her guidance and inspiration has occurred throughout her life with teachers and guides on inner planes, sometimes in dream and meditation states.

In 1972 she had an NDE ("near death experience") in which she "died" and dissolved fully and consciously into light and energy and then returned to her physical body. Months later that same year she traveled to India on a spiritual pilgrimage. In early 1974 she fully relived her birth and pre-birth state. Both the experiences of dying and prebirth and birthing were experiences of transmission after which her life was never the same.

In 1980 she was introduced to Rebirthing, which she also calls "Integrative Breathwork," underwent extended training, did the LRT ("Loving Relationships Training" - a Rebirthing intensive), and became a resident rebirther at the Santa Rosa Rebirthing Center in Northern California. Layne's rebirthing and breathwork teachers have been Leonard Orr, Jacqueline Angel, Bob Mandel, Bob Frissell, Sondra Ray, Bobby Birdsall, and James Russell.

Layne is certified in hypnotherapy, taught and trained by Joseph Simons, Ph.D., and is a Reiki Master, trained by Joy Metcalfe of the Dr. Mikao Usui lineage. She has studied spiritual, humanistic astrology since 1971, and finds this a valuable asset in her work with others. Her spiritual astrology mentors since the 1970's have been professional astrologers John Rutherford and Shen Dok. She has also studied dreams for over forty-five years and at times includes dream work in her readings and consultations.

The name "Ashta" was given to Layne in 1981 in meditation. About ten years later she serendipitously discovered its personal meaning for her. The Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita Sutra (The Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines), written around 100 BCE, is the first Mahayana Buddhist sutra. It is often referred to as the Ashta. Over many centuries, the Ashta was both expanded and shortened into many versions. Of the more well known compacted versions are the Diamond Sutra in 300 lines (or slokas) and the Heart Sutra in twenty-five lines. The ultimate contracted version is the A which consists of the one seed syllable (bija) "A."

Layne's Tibetan name, "DrenKar", was given to her in 1972 in Vancouver, BC. DrenKar means "White Light" and is often associated with White Tara. Kalu Rinpoche had come to Vancouver on his first trip to the West and while there established his first Dharma Center in the West with Tsenjur Rinpoche as the resident lama at that time. This center is the North American Seat of Kalu Rinpoche. Kalu Rinpoche was the first Tibetan lama Layne had seen this lifetime, and her published poem commemorating Kalu Rinpoche and this event is here on Layne's poetry site.

Layne is one-sixteenth American Indian of the Cherokee tribe through her father's side.

A publishing poet, Layne has poems published in five countries (USA, Canada, England, Ireland, and China). Two of her poetry books are being published this year: Last Vist and Into the Dark Mountain. Her poetry site is at whiteowlweb.com.

As a songwriter, guitarist, and singer, Layne has performed in Vancouver, BC, Flagstaff, AZ, in the north San Francisco Bay Area in Sonoma County, and more recently in the Redding area. She is working on a CD of her most recent songs and hopes to have it completed in 2011. She also spent many years studying post-modern improvisational dance and yoga in Vancouver, BC, New York City, and Boulder, CO. Layne performed and/or taught dance in Vancouver, New York, Boulder, Sonoma County, Chico, and Redding, CA.

Layne has a B.A. in English Literature and Composition with an emphasis in Poetry from California State University, Chico. She has a minor in Spanish and also studied French. Later, she did post-graduate work in Religious Studies at Chico State and also at Naropa University in 1974, the year Naropa opened. She was on the editorial staff of Loka, Naropa's journal. She became a legal nondenominational minister and chaplain in 1984 and was later ordained as a nondenominational minister through World Congregational Fellowship in 1993. Layne served as a Home Hospice chaplain in Santa Rosa, California, has conducted memorial services, and has performed well over 1000 wedding ceremonies. Layne also served as a high school substitute teacher for fifteen years.

Layne is a native Northern Californian. As a child, Leslye (her first name, used till she was in her twenties) lived in Chico, Portola (near Quincy in the Northern Sierra), Orland for one year, Redding, and then Chico where she studied at Chico State. She has always loved the Sierra and Mt. Shasta where she skiied as a high school and college student. She later lived in Vancouver, BC, for four years, Boulder, New York City, Flagstaff, and Sonoma County for twenty-six years, mostly in Santa Rosa. She has two grown daughters and a stepson. She and her husband, James, a guitarist, guitar maker, guitar teacher, and also a spiritual teacher, and their dog, Tashi, currently live in Redding where they enjoy living near the Sacramento River and being surrounded by mountains on three sides.

Layne is currently writing a book on meditation. It will be published both in print and as an e-book. Other book plans are waiting in the wings.