guests
Steve Armstrong
Steve has been practicing Vipassana meditation since 1975 and leading retreats since 1990. As a layperson he was active for many years at the Insight Meditation Society as a retreat manager and Board member. As a monk for 5 years in Burma under the guidance of Sayadaw U Pandita, he undertook intensive, silent practice of insight and loving-kindness meditations. He has studied Buddhist psychology (Abhidhamma) with Sayadaw U Zagara, and presents the Abhidhamma in practical and easily understood terms. He is co-founder and guiding teacher of Vipassana Metta on Maui.
Howard Cohn
Howard has practiced meditation since 1972 and has taught Vipassana meditation since 1985. He is a senior Dharma teacher at the Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Woodacre, California and leads ongoing classes in San Francisco and Marin. He has studied with many Asian and Western teachers of several traditions including Theravada, Zen, Tibetan and Advaita Vedanta and incorporates a non-dual perspective in his teaching. He is a Ph.D. candidate in East/West psychology and has a private practice in counselling.
Mark Coleman
Mark as practiced Buddhist meditation since 1984, primarily within the insight meditation tradition. He has also been invluenced by the teachings of Advaita Vedanta and Dzogchen. He first started teaching Vipassana retreats in 1997 and now teaches nationally as well as in the UK and India. Mark also leads wilderness and nature-based meditation retreats, including backpacking and kayaking expeditions in Alaska, Baja, and throughout the western U.S. He is the author of Awake in the Wild: Mindfulness in Nature as a Path of Self-Discovery. In addition, he has a private counselling practice in Marin.
Christina Feldman
Christina has been studying and training in the Tibetan, Mahayana and Theravada traditions since 1970 and teaching meditation worldwide since 1974. She is co-founder and a guiding teacher of Gaia House in England and is a guiding senior Dharma teacher at the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts. Christina is author of Woman Awake!, The Quest of the Warrior Woman, Principles of Meditation, Compassion, and co-editor of Soul Food.
Joseph Goldstein
Joseph has been leading insight and lovingkindness meditation retreats worldwide since 1974. He is a cofounder of the Insight Meditation Society, of the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies, and of The Forest Refuge Center for long-term meditation practice. Joseph first became interested in Buddhism as a Peace Corps volunteer in Thailand in 1965. Since 1967 he has studied and practiced different forms of Buddhist meditation under eminent teachers from India, Burma and Tibet. He is the author of Insight Meditation: The Practice of Freedom; The Experience of Insight; Seeking the Heart of Wisdom; One Dharma: The Emerging Western Buddhism; and A Heart Full of Peace.
Heather Martin
Heather as been meditating since 1972, and practicing Vipassana since 1981. She has been influenced by both Burmese and Thai streams of the Theravada tradition, and by Tibetan Dzogchen with Tsoknyi Rinpoche. Most recently she has been studying with Burmese Sayadaw U Tejaniya. Her practical and wholehearted approach embodies ease and joy, while grounded in realism. She has been leading retreats in Canada and the US since 2001. She worked for 20 years as a midwife, and lives on Salt Spring Island, off the south coast of B.C. Heather is the founder and guiding teacher of Salt Spring Vipassana Community.
Kamala Masters
Kamala has been practicing Vipassana meditation since 1975. Under the guidance of Sayadaw U Pandita and Anagarika Munindra she has been trained in Vipassana and Metta meditation. She is co-founder of the Vipassana Metta Foundation on Maui and is currently developing Ho’omalamalama, a sanctuary-hermitage for longterm practice. Kamala teaches meditation internationally and leads Metta and Vipassana retreats annually in Vancouver. She is also a co-founder and guiding teacher of Vipassana Metta on Maui.
Sharda Rogell
Sharda Rogell began meditating in 1976 and teaching worldwide in 1985. She brings a strong emphasis to awakening heartfulness. She has also been influenced by the non-dual teachings of Advaita, as well as by Dzogchen in the Tibetan tradition. She is a student of the Diamond Approach with A. H. Almaas.
Rodney Smith
Rodney worked full-time in hospice care in a variety of roles from social worker to executive director for over 16 years. He has taught Insight Meditation since 1984, is a former Buddhist monk, and Senior Teacher for the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts. He is author of the book Lessons from the Dying and Guiding Teacher for the Seattle Insight Meditation Society.
Steven Smith
Anchored in theTheravadan tradition of Southeast Asia since1974, Steven has trained as a monk and layperson with the Burmese meditation master Sayadaw U Pandita. He is a co-founder of Vipassana Hawaii and the Metta Dana Project in Burma, and is a current developer of a regional international retreat center in Hawaii. He is also a Working Group member and senior advisor on comtemplative practice for the Center for Contemplative Mind in Society, whose mission is to integrate contemplative awareness into contemporary life. Through CMIS Steven develops programs for, and teaches meditation to, national environmental leaders, business executives, journalists, and philanthropists.
Thanissara
Thanissara began Buddhist practice in the Burmese school in 1975. She was inspired to ordain after meeting Ajahn Chah and spent 12 years as a nun. She was involved in founding activities for families and children at Amaravati Monastery, which later led to the establishment of the Dharma School in Brighton. She is co-founder and a guiding teacher of Dharmagiri Buddhist Retreat Centre, KwaZulu Natal, S.Africa, and initiated the Woza Moya HIV/Aids Outreach which she continue sto fund raise for. Thanissara has recently completed an MA in Buddhist Pyschotherapy with the Karuna Institute in the UK. She has written a book of poetry called Garden of the Midnight Rosary.
