Oscar Flores, M. Ed.,NBC-HWC, LMC, IFECH-TMHP, RFP I

PRONOUNS: HE/HIM/HIS  

Above all, I am human being that continues to deepen my self-awareness in order show up for myself,  others and the communities I belong to with authenticity and compassion.  I also try, as best I can, to live into into the reality that the present moment is that only one I have to live.  This translates into a deeper capacity to spend time doing what brings me joy and meaning.  It also means that I am committed to showing up in ways that contribute toward making our world a more equitable and prioritizes social justice work.  As part of my self-awareness journey, I have come to understand that the more I understand myself and my inner-world (including my underlying trauma, beliefs, inter-connection, emotions and feelings), the more attuned I can be for others, the systems and politics of our times.

I am an educator, meditation teacher, trainer, coach, and an early childhood advocate.  I am also an aspiring author.

My passion and dedication to support others started early.   My mom would include me in many activities while she worked in an early education program for migrant agricultural workers.  Early on, I understood that my mom was more than an educator, she was more like community health worker.   That spirit of being of service to others, and supporting others through a whole-person lens has and continues to guide me and the work I do.

In my high school years, I was involved in work to support vulnerable families to access free computers and technology training.  In college, I started my 20+ years of career in public service.  I first started working with a city library bookmobile program, and years later oversaw the library's outreach programs.  I have also managed a large public-private early childhood education program, and for over 11 years I served as a senior manager for a public agency where I oversaw design and monitoring of grant investments, oversaw systems-improvements efforts, led training and capacity building efforts, and managed fiscal leveraging projects. 

In a parallel fashion, outside of full-time work, I pursued smaller, but meaningful opportunities that complemented this work.  I have worked as an early literacy consultant and storyteller,  parent educator,  adjunct professor of child and adolescent development, mindfulness educator, and health and wellness coach.

I wear and have worn many professional hats.  It's an honor to keep growing, evolving, and serving others in the work I do.  

I found mindfulness practices after a long search for support with stress and anxiety stemming from a lifelong developmental stutter.  "Respond Mindfully" encapsulates so much of what I felt I've been able to learn and apply experientially from practicing mindfulness meditation, especially with the stutter.  For a long time, I reacted to the stutter through a deep layer of conditioning, fear of what others would think and aversion, including suppressing uncomfortable body sensations, feelings, emotions, and thoughts.   As I learned to "respond" with acceptance and kindness to these layers and reactions, I've been able to Respond Mindfully, and from a place of pride, genuine acceptance of the stutter, and wisdom.  Over the years, this same practice of Responding Mindfully has impacted all domains of my life and the work that I do.