Waking Down

Linda Groves-Bonder

Linda Groves-Bonder, along with husband Saniel Bonder, is a teacher of the "WholeHEART Way," as well as a core transmission-lineage holder and Senior Teacher of "Waking Down in Mutuality."  She is also a professional jazz and cabaret singer and songwriter.

 

Linda was raised in a large, musically gifted Catholic family in the Midwest. Her grandfather was a recording artist and radio performer, and as a child Linda sang along to her father’s phonograph records before finding inspiration in such female legends as Ella Fitzgerald, Joni Mitchell, and Bonnie Raitt. She trained in opera, theater, and art, and became a favorite of club owners, critics, columnists, and producers in the San Francisco area in the late 70’s. She performed in civic light opera, rock bands, and cabaret, and shared her original songs in the acclaimed musical group Hellman & Groves, as well as in her one-woman show, before leaving the stage in the 80s to pursue a career in art, photography, and, eventually, the Waking Down process.

Even as a young child, Linda had recognized inconsistencies in the teachings of her native Catholicism, and in adult life was never attracted to join any formal spiritual organization, preferring the experiential path of learning life lessons through meditation, reading, and attending various seminars and teachings. From her childhood, her intuitional support and compassionate counseling of others took place very naturally. Upon attending Saniel’s meditation gatherings in October 1994, she was deeply attracted to his work and grew quickly in the process, experiencing a major breakthrough in August of 1996. Since then she has been assisting Saniel in all aspects of their work, and has come into her own as a brilliant teacher and adept of Waking Down in Mutuality.

Overall, Linda's story is one of deeply felt spiritual yearning, something that almost all of us can relate to in one way or the other. By seeking clarity of mind and following the counsel of her heart's intuition, Linda was able to safely explore many of the world's spiritual traditions before finding one that truly worked for her. Sifting through the details of her awakening, and recognizing some of the archetypal road signs along her journey, her story becomes immediately recognizable as our own. It is a universal story, told time and time again throughout the ages, acted out perpetually in the hearts of every man and woman willing to take a closer look at their own eternal nature.

As husband and wife living, working, and teaching together, Saniel and Linda are living testament to the profound effects of submitting one's understanding to the loving, critical gaze of another human soul, in trust, and in mutuality.