Ayyā Suvijjānā Bhikkhuni

Ayyā Suvijjānā Bhikkhuni

Ayyā Suvijjānā started meditating in the Soto Zen tradition in 1976 with Kobun Chino Roshi as her teacher. In 1998 she was introduced to Vipassana at Santa Cruz insight Center. She was deeply inspired by the teachings from the Early Buddhist Texts, or the Suttas from...
Ayya Niyyānika Bhikkhuni

Ayya Niyyānika Bhikkhuni

Ayya Niyyānika is a fully ordained Buddhist monastic in the Theravada tradition. Ayya uses they/them pronouns. Ayya received their initial monastic training within the Dhammadharini Bhikkhunī community from 2014 through 2019 in Sonoma County, CA, USA and then was with...
Kate Davies – Assisting Teacher

Kate Davies – Assisting Teacher

For as long as I can remember, I have been curious about life and about how human beings relate to the Earth. After completing a doctorate in biochemistry at Oxford, UK, I spent 30 years working on environmental issues and social change for government and social...
Deborah Helzer

Deborah Helzer

I got my first formal mediation instruction in college while I was working on my engineering degree. I desperately needed some stress reduction, and sought out the local Zen center. The tools I learned helped me get through my courses, and then the stress of a job in...
Neesha Patel

Neesha Patel

Neesha is inspired by the call to awakening. She is deeply grateful for the Buddha’s teachings and for the opportunity to learn and practice dhamma in both Asia and the US.  She loves both intensive longer retreat practice as well as daily life practice. Her practice...