Noel Blanchard

Noel Blanchard is a meditation teacher who shares Shantistar with her partner, John Croft. They met in 1994 and went on to explore travel, mindfulness, meditation, sound therapy, essential oils and raw chocolate together.

For more than twenty years, Noel and John have run a weekly meditation group. On her Insight Timer teacher page, Noel describes their passion as connecting with a wider spiritual community and helping to lift up the minds and spirits of the people around them. She writes that she hopes to bring "some mindfulness, peace and quiet" to people's days.

Shantistar is dedicated to helping people reach and keep a state of wellbeing through good habits, a healthy diet and managing stress well. Its themes include meditation, natural healing, essential oils, superfoods and raw cacao recipes. John is the author of two raw cacao recipe books, "Cacao Addict" and "Chocolate Is Not a Dirty Word".

Noel and John are now based in Lierna, on the shores of Lake Como in Italy, where they also run a lakeside holiday apartment. Their Insight Timer page says they have also lived between Western Australia and Italy, taking inspiration from the beauty of both places.