Judy Martin was one of a kind. Hours before her death, she tweeted a link to an article about the importance of living in the moment. This was the embodiment of who she was as a soul. We, the board of directors of the Source of Synergy Foundation and members of the Evolutionary Leaders Circle, are deeply saddened by the sudden loss of one of our beloved founders, Judy Martin, who passed away on January 31, 2014 at the age of 49.
Judy Martin was born in Brooklyn in 1965 and grew up in Baldwin. For two decades, Judy,, an Emmy award-winning broadcast journalist tracked business, workplace culture and career trends with an emphasis on work-life balance and stress management strategies. She has contributed to Forbes.com, Marketplace Report, NPR, Huffington Post, CNBC Business Radio, World Vision Report, BBC Radio 3, and News 12 Long Island. http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/tv/tv- zone-1.811968/news-12-s-judy-martin-a-video-montage-1.6928022
As the founder of WorkLifeNation.com, a site dedicated to transforming stress in an “always-on” world, Judy championed the evolution of a new workplace culture concerned with employee well-being, engagement, productivity, innovation and creativity.
“To compete in a 24/7 high-tech new world of work, managing your work stress and work-life merge is key toward catalyzing the innovation and creativity that will differentiate you from the rest. We just have to tune into the right frequency of usage for our own personal needs in the work-life merge.” ~ Judy Martin
Judy dedicated her life to alleviating humanity’s suffering. She served on the board of directors for River Fund, whose mission is to feed and empower people to move beyond the line of poverty. She has served with great compassion people who were suffering from extreme poverty, AIDS, the homeless and others with life challenging illnesses. She was also a certified hospice volunteer who was at peace with the dying process and helped numerous people in hospice as well as friends make their transition.
She was also a member of the Coalition for OneVoice, a coalition of organizations united to form a collective power that reflects the evolution of consciousness toward an enlightened society. The Coalition invited her to facilitate two of its main dialogues, one with Deepak Chopra and Andrew Cohen https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-_rNd3ZxUg and another with Andrew Harvey and Carolyn Myss.
Judy facilitated stress management and work-life resilience workshops for numerous companies and organizations including: UJA-Federation, American Cancer Society, Hofstra University, National Association of Mothers’ and Centers and NYS Home Healthcare Providers.
Judy received her yoga teacher’s accreditation (RYT-200) in eclectic Hatha Yoga under Mokshapriya Shakti of the Yoga Teachers Training Institute in New York. Her work is influenced by her mentors: Vassar College Asian Studies Professor and Career Sociologist Rick Jarow PhD, mind/body expert Joan Borysenko PhD, Deepak Chopra, social economist John Perkins and work-life pioneer Matthew Fox. Calling on her experience in the frenetic pace of news, and her study of yoga, breath-work and meditation, in 2001 she developed her signature stress management workshop, Practical Chaos: The Four Gates of Transformation.
In 2006, she released her first meditation CD, Practical Chaos: Reflections on Resilience. In 2012, Judy was chosen as a Top 10 on-line influencer on “stress” by Sharecare.com, a collaborative effort between Dr. Oz and WebMD. She has been a student of meditation for more than 30 years.
Judy said,"Essentially, I teach business professionals the skills they need to take their stress down a notch – to be fully present and harness awareness at work and in business, to cultivate an inner state of calm, clarity and resilience that is completely aligned with their values and highest purpose in the face of an uncertain marketplace. It’s what I call the “exaltation” of the human experience in business."
During her 25-year broadcast news career, she covered a long list of major stories. She wrote on her website:
“I was in the tent cities reporting after Hurricane Andrew, covered the rescue efforts at the crash site of Avianca Flight 52 in New York, witnessed the post-genocide aftermath of Kosovo and lived and worked through 9/11. Methods to reduce stress and cultivate resilience emerged from the chaos along with my lecture series, Practical Chaos: 4 Gates of Transformation and my 2006 CD, Practical Chaos: Reflections on Resilience. I’ve spent much of my adult life teaching meditation and volunteering in Hospice-related work. Then it happened—9/11.”
“I reported from ground zero for Marketplace Morning Report on NPR by day, and then volunteered with the children of the victims at night to consume the chaos and personal grief of that time. September 11th ignited my inquiry into how we reduce stress and navigate chaos in the workplace, while being productive. It forced me to find ways to embrace my own “humanness,” especially at work.”
Judy has been recognized for her work by numerous groups including: National Press Foundation Economic Fellowship, New York Emmy, Associated Press Club Award, Numerous NY Press Club Award, National Telly Award, Houston Film Festival Award, Victim’s Information Bureau of Suffolk and the Long Island Coaching Alliance Award.
Tributes and Memories
Judy Martin's life was filled with countless students, colleagues, friend and interests that supported the evolution of consciousness towards a more compassionate and humanitarian worldview. As a founding member of the Source of Synergy Foundation, she helped establish the project known as Evolutionary Leaders Circle which brings leaders together so that they can inspire, support and serve conscious evolution. Judy, along with the late Emily Squires, produced the introductory video for the Evolutionary Leaders homepage www.evolutionaryleaders.net as well as the introductory video for the Source of Synergy Foundation’s homepage www.sourceofsynergyfoundation.org
Judy’s commitment to supporting the evolution of human consciousness was her main priority in her short life as we are sure it continues to be as she continues her journey on the other side. We wish to express our deep gratitude to her for being such a shining light in our lives and in our world.
Please find heartfelt tributes for Judy from members of the Source of Synergy Foundation and the Evolutionary Leaders project below:
Judy was a whiff of joy in our life. We wish her magic in her onward journey! Happy trails Judy! We shall meet again on the cosmic highway. Deepak Chopra
Dearest Judy, You are home now. Rest in the love you will always be held in, the divine love you so beautifully and eternally are. Gordon Dveirin, Ed.D.
Judy was one the most gracious, loving, compassionate and unpretentious human beings I have ever known. She will be missed by many. Andrew Cohen
We'll miss her in our EL family, I will miss knowing that she's in my world...I appreciate all that Judy brought to this world and wish I'd taken the opportunity the last time we talked to tell her...Today we can all appreciate one another even more as we honor our memories of our dearest Judy. Gregg Braden
May her spirit fly into the Eternity of Unconditional Love. Fred Matser
If people only realized how thin the veil is between here & what we call 'there'...... let’s cheer Judy on for the cleanest possible transition and the glory of her new winged beauty!!!!!!!!!! Elisabet Sahtouris
Judy had the gift of being luminous and feisty at the same time, as full and accomplished a human being as ever there was. Jean Houston
Judy was a very magical being. I am sure her death had an element of magic in it. I am certain that a hundred angels were with her helping her to make that transition with peace in her heart.
I do not pretend to understand the mystery of what happens after death. Yet I am fairly certain that consciousness survives and must go through a process to transition from one form to the next. Katherine Woodward Thomas
Judy was a beautiful being. Joan Borysenko
The one thing that I am joyous about is that I did get to see her at the Salon event last June and remember our Hugs and her Beautiful smile vividly!! What a Special Being!! Rod McGrew
In gratitude for her life, her friendship, her spirit. Deborah Moldow
Yes death is a mystery and certainly an untimely one like Judy’s can cause pause, reflection and a time to honor and remember for all who knew her. My heart and care extends to her in the new life she has now entered as I join with our EL family. Howard Martin
Death sure is a reminder of how important it is to express our love now. Christian Sorenson
I am so very shocked by Judy's passing as it has left me breathless. How could such a wonderful young woman with so many dreams and such goodness leave us so suddenly? Judy you are missed already. Oh Judy may your travels be fine in this other state of consciousness and may you know we will never forget you. My love is for you is great and your heart touches mine as you are always with me. Nina Meyerhof
My dear friend... how we would share thoughts about Yoga Philosophy, Vedanta and the mysteries of life. You did your Dharma with such dedication dear one, ever mindful, reminding others of the purpose of life -- guiding them to meditate -- to realize the peace within, to find the Truth within -- yet remaining in the thick of the media whirlwind and the busy workplace. Your life represents the symbol often used in Vedanta -- reminding us that we must live in the world like a Lotus flower that has its' feet in the mud but... rises above it. You did that so well. Holding you in my heart with love, until we meet again. Dale Colton
So much positivity resided within Judy and came through her and I often wondered if there were other ways it would take shape in her own life and career. It’s beautiful to recognize the power of that light regardless of what shape it takes. Death is a mysterious thing that I really don’t understand, but I have the same sense that there is some transition and that perhaps the unexpected nature of it, may mean that transition will take a little more to happen. I’m not sure how to help, but certainly leave that openness in me for it to happen and hold her dearly in my heart. Gerard Senehi
Sending love and peace to my beautiful forever friend and kindred spirit Judy Martin on her journey to the other side. I love you sweetie and will miss you beyond words can express. So happy we had our virtual over 3 hour Skype "chat and breakfast" together before you passed over. Now you can use your angel wings in the realm of the formless and continue to do your work there dear one. Sending love to you always. Diane Williams
A note: One thing Judy said to me the week of her passing was that she felt a real sense of completion with her book proposal being finished and other things in her life.
Shortly after Judy Martin passed away Neale Donald Walsh sent the Evolutionary Leaders group this excerpt from his book mentioning “Completion”
Home with God in a Life That Never Ends.
For now, know quietly in your heart that all things are happening with perfection.
Life is a process by which the soul turns Knowing into Experiencing, and when what you have known and experienced becomes a felt reality, that process is complete.
Home, it turns out, is a place called Completion.
It is the Complete Awareness of Who You Really Are through the Complete Knowing and the Complete Experiencing and the Complete Feeling of that. It is the End of the Separation between You and Divinity.
This Separation is an illusion, and your soul knows this. Completion can therefore be defined as the moment when Separation ends, the moment of your reunification with Divinity.