Susie Harrington teaches meditation nationwide and is the guiding teacher for Desert Dharma, which serves many communities in the Southwest near her home in Moab, Utah. She has trained in the Insight tradition since 1989, and in 2005 was invited into teaching by Jack Kornfield, Joseph Goldstein, and Guy Armstrong. Her teaching is deeply grounded in the body and often emphasizes the expression of mindfulness in speech and daily life. Susie brings the skills of inquiry, relational dharma, and the psychological/spiritual interface from her training in Hakomi Therapy and the Diamond Approach. Believing nature to be a profound teacher, and a gateway to our true self, she often offers retreats outside. For more information about Susie Harrington, see: www.desertdharma.org
Adrianne Ross, a retired family physician, has been involved in meditation and healing since 1976. She has been practicing Buddhist meditation since 1984. Her spiritual journey has also included contemplative inquiry practices (Enlightenment Intensives and Diamond Approach) and Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction. Trained by Jack Kornfield (in 1998), Adrianne is influenced by both Thai and Burmese streams of the Theravadan tradition, as well as Tibetan (Mahamudra and Dzogchen) practice. She teaches classes, weekend and residential retreats in Canada and the US. She co-founded BCIMS with the late Joanne Broatch. Adrianne served as the guiding teacher of SIMC, and we greatly appreciate her care and guidance for our community.
James Lowe has practiced meditation for over 15 years, with Adrianne Ross, Michele McDonald and Steven Smith as his main teachers. James has over 20 years of teaching adults in community agencies and institutions, primarily teaching the Brahma-Viharas to volunteers and healthcare practitioners. As a psychotherapist, he sees life as learning, and thus helps clients learn to use the Dharma in a one on one setting. James is currently interested in exploring different ways to teach the dharma in nature, online, and in smaller groups. He especially likes smaller groups where people get to share their practice with one another. His greatest wish is to make the dharma accessible and personal to all people. To connect with James, visit www.jameslowe.com.
Bonnie Duran, DrPH, an Opelousas/Coushatta descendant, began Buddhist meditation practice over 35 years ago. She enjoys teaching Spirit Rock’s Dedicated Practitioners Program, short and long retreats, and holds a People of Color and Allies Sangha in Seattle, WA. She also directs the University of Washington’s Center for Indigenous Health Research, is a member of Spirit Rock Teachers Council and a core teacher for IMS’s Teacher Training Program.
Pascal Auclair has been immersed in Buddhist practice and study since 1997, sitting retreats in Asia and America with revered monastics and lay teachers. He has been mentored by Joseph Goldstein and Jack Kornfield here at the Insight Meditation Society (IMS) and at Spirit Rock Meditation Center in California, where he now teaches retreats. Pascal teaches in North America and in Europe. He is a co-founder and Guiding Teacher at True North Insight in Canada.
Richard Shankman has been a meditator since 1970, and teaches at Dharma centers and groups internationally. He is guiding teacher of the Metta Dharma Foundation, and cofounder of the Sati Center for Buddhist Studies and of Mindful Schools. He practices and teaches meditation that integrates compassion, mindfulness, concentration and insight as one path of practice. Richard is the author of The Art and Skill of Buddhist Meditation and The Experience of Samadhi.
Bob Stahl is a long-time practitioner of insight meditation. He is the Guiding teacher for Insight Santa Cruz, also teaching at Spirit Rock Insight Meditation Center and the Insight Meditation Society. Bob lived in a monastery for eight years, and has studied with the renowned Burmese masters Taungpulu Kaba-Aye Sayadaw, Hlaing Tet Sayadaw, Dr. Rina Sircar and Pokokhu Sayadaw, and has extensive experience with teaching body based practises. He has a PhD in Philosophy and Religion with a specialization in Buddhist Studies, and is the author of Living With Your Heart Wide Open, Calming The Rush Of Panic, A Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Workbook for Anxiety, and the co-author of A Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Workbook. He also teaches Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction with Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn, and directs Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction programs in six Bay Area medical centers.
Howard Cohn has practiced meditation since 1972 and has led retreats since 1985. He leads on-going classes in San Francisco, California, near his home. He has studied and practiced with many Asian and western teachers of several Buddhist traditions including Theravada, Zen, Tibetan, and Advaita Vedanta, and incorporates a non-dual perspective in his teaching.
Donald Rothberg, PhD has practiced insight and metta meditation since 1976. A long-time organizer and teacher for the Buddhist Peace Fellowship, he is the guiding teacher for Spirit Rock’s the Path of Engagement program. He taught socially engaged spirituality, Buddhism and transpersonal psychology at Saybrook Graduate School for 18 years. Donald is the author of The Engaged Spiritual Life: A Buddhist Approach to Transforming Ourselves and the World.
Heather Martin has been meditating since 1972, and practicing Vipassana since 1981. Beginning with S.N. Goenka, she has since been influenced by both Thai and Burmese streams of the Theravada tradition – most recently by Burmese Sayadaw U Tejaniya, and by Tibetan Dzogchen with Tsoknyi Rinpoche. She makes her living by teaching the dharma mostly up and down the West Coast of the US, and the islands of British Columbia. She is the guiding teacher for the Salt Spring Vipassana Community, the Victoria Vipassana community and the sanghas in Bellingham, WA and on Samish Island, WA. She worked for 20 years as a midwife, and has lived on Salt Spring Island, B.C. for 33 years. Her approach is encouraging, accessible and practical.
Venerable Pannavati is an inspiring international leader of engaged Buddhism. She is a revolutionary in her ordination of Thai and Cambodian nuns, renowned for her work with homeless youth in North Carolina, and recognized for her ministry to the “untouchables” in India, and commended for her work with women and children in Thailand. She is ordained in both the Theravada and Chan Schools, and is a Zen and Tibetan practitioner. Venerable Pannavati is known for her compassion, humour, and great energy and enthusiasm.
Joanne Broatch was the founding guiding teacher of the Saskatoon Insight Meditation Community. She practiced Vipassana in the Theravada tradition since 1980, and taught since 1994. Her primary guide as a practitioner and a teacher was Jack Kornfield. She practiced extensively with senior teachers at I.M.S. and Spirit Rock. She was influenced by Diamond Heart work, the Painting Experience, and her years as a teacher, business consultant, writer and editor. Joanne passed away April 15 2017, but we hold her in special regard and with much appreciation as our guiding teacher for over 10 years.
Read our tribute to Joanne Broatch.