I am a dharma practitioner in the Western Insight and Theravada Buddhist traditions.

I came to meditation because I was suffering. At the time, I was receiving support from therapy and medication, both essential tools in the alleviation of my suffering, but still found myself a prisoner in my own mind, hurting myself with my thoughts. 

My therapist suggested that I begin to practice mindfulness, and in early 2016, I walked into my first meditation class. It was strange and uncomfortable. I sat on a meditation cushion for 30 minutes and watched my mind run through thoughts, sing show tunes, make to-do lists, and do just about anything other than focus on my breathing. But I enjoyed the stillness and environment of the space, and was curious enough, so I went back for another class the next week. The following week, I started going to two classes a week. Then I started going every day. 

What I found on the meditation cushion was the space to separate from my thoughts. I learned that I didn’t need to identify with every thought that races through my brain, that feelings are thoughts with charged energy behind them—important messengers but not necessarily truth—and that if I can stay in pause between my thoughts and my reaction to those thoughts, there would be space for something different to emerge. And in those more sticky places where a thought felt too powerful to apply my mindfulness, I could apply another tool: compassion. Compassion for the pain of my experience, compassion for my struggles, compassion for the self that is trying. 

I genuinely felt happy for the first time in years. Within three months of beginning my meditation practice, I had quit my job—in which I had been desperately unhappy—and begun to work at a meditation center. My pain was no longer nebulous; I could identify it and make active choices to cultivate well-being for myself. I learned that there was a philosophy behind the meditation techniques I was learning—Buddhism—and I wanted to understand everything about this course of study that had so deeply impacted my life in such a short period of time. So I began walking this path, studying dharma, the teachings of the Buddha, and endeavoring to move through the world with an individual and collective awareness of buddhnature at the center of things. 

I received an initial meditation teacher training through​​ MNDFL Meditation, a secular mindfulness community that existed in New York City from 2015 to 2020. From 2016 - 2018, I completed over 400 hours of training, preparing me to provide mindfulness and lovingkindness meditations in various settings. I have taught in studio classes, corporate offices, large events, private events, online, in-person, and one-on-one. I spent several years co-leading Inner Fields, a collaborative, social practice project exploring the intersection of Dharma, radical ecology, and artistic practice. I am a regular contributor to Tricycle: The Buddhist Review. 

From the start of my meditation practice to the present, I have received guidance on the dharma path through both individual mentorship and intensive silent retreat practice. I am currently a member of the 2025 - 2027 Community Dharma Leader cohort at Spirit Rock Meditation Center. While most of my study has taken place in the Western Insight and Theravada traditions, I am also heavily influenced by the Mahayana traditions, particularly the Kuan Yin Dharmas and the Bodhisattva Precepts, both of which guide my ethics and politics. 

This is a quick and sanitized version of things. The path has been messy, confusing, stop-and-start, but above all, a deep refuge. I would love to dig into all of this with you. Right now, my heart lies in teaching the dharma through courses and programs, and working with students one-on-one. If you’re interested in working together, you can learn more here. 

Learn more about my dharma path and thoughts on starting a practice via my essay The High of New Beginnings—and the Joy of What Comes Next. 

TRAINING + COURSES

• 400+ MNDFL Meditation Teacher Training Program

• Wise Speech: An Introduction to Mindful Non-Violent Communication with Oren Jay Sofer ℅ Barre Center for Buddhist Studies

• Awakening the Heart Course ℅ Sacred Mountain Sangha

• Community Dharma Leader Training Program ℅ Spirit Rock Meditation Center