My view
My perspective on meditation, Buddhism, and what it can offer
I believe you are inherently whole, good, complete just as you are. And… I bet you don’t feel this way and attribute it to some type of personal defect.
I believe that your distrust in your basic goodness is reinforced by cultural conditioning informed by systems of domination and oppression.
I believe Buddhist teachings and meditation practice can help you unlearn and heal this conditioning in an embodied way, bringing you into deeper connection with yourself and solidarity with others.
My teaching emphasizes Buddhist meditation practice as a path of radical transformation beyond isolated stress-relief and wellness.
My writing is focused on the reemphasis of Buddhist ethics in Western-convert communities in conversation with our current political, economic, and socio-cultural realities.
My facilitation and chaplaincy work is centered around BIPOC communities, specifically those of Asian and mixed-descent, and also covers grief-work related to the climate crisis and non-human animals.
My training
A brief overview of my practice, projects, and education
I started practicing meditation in 2012 and took refuge in the Shambhala Buddhist lineage in 2018.
Between 2015-2018, I helped build an office wellness company that brought mindfulness meditation to hundreds of organizations across the nation.
In 2016, I graduated from MNDFL’s 300-HR Meditation Teacher Training Program and received authorization to offer meditation instruction.
In 2018, I completed the Mukpo Institute, a 3-month intensive retreat program, at Karmê Chöling Meditation Retreat Center in Barnet, VT.
From 2018-2020, I supported and received mentorship from three Shambhala Buddhist teachers, serving as Assistant Faculty for their programs and retreats.
In 2019, I co-founded Weekly Dharma Gathering, an online live learning platform featuring female, BIPOC, LGBTQIA+ meditation and Dharma teachers.
In 2020, I co-founded the Mixed Race Meditation Group, a contemplative community for multiracial individuals dedicated to healing internalized racism and white supremacy.
In 2022, I became an Ordained Animal Chaplain through the Compassion Consortium.
In 2023, I graduated with a Masters of Divinity in Buddhism and Interreligious Engagement from Union Theological Seminary in New York City.
I continue to study and practice in Theravada, Soto Zen, and non-sectarian Buddhist communities across New York and New Jersey.
My story
An incomplete, abbreviated summary on how I came to meditation
Over a decade ago, I struggled with depression and found myself seeking methods to understand and ease my suffering. After exhausting my initial attempts at finding happiness through my college coursework, dating, and partying, I picked up a book about Buddhism that said meditation could be a way to get to know myself. That my neurotic thoughts aren’t who I really am. That I’m not fundamentally messed up, but basically okay. Buddhist teachings gave me relief and hope, providing me with a language to describe a worldview that felt aligned with my spirit and values. Intrigued by my initial taste of the Dharma, I started meditating, reading more books on Buddhism, and attending community gatherings at the Shambhala Meditation Center of New York.
Between 2016 and 2018, I received training to offer meditation instruction and formally took refuge in the Shambhala Buddhist tradition. During these years, I started to teach meditation and deepened my understanding of Buddhist teachings through intensive retreat, study, and mentorship. Most recently, I completed a Masters of Divinity in Buddhism and Interreligious Engagement at Union Theological Seminary. As a graduate student, I developed my thinking and writing on the intersection of Buddhist ethics, animal studies, and critical social theories. I am currently on leave from public teaching, taking time to write, and perhaps most importantly, enjoying my responsibilities chasing around my toddler.