Teachers for 2023 retreats
Margo McLoughlin Mar 04 and 05 2023
Margo McLoughlin has been practicing in the Insight tradition of Theravada Buddhism since 1986. Margo is known for her telling of Jataka tales and in leading meditation retreats and courses on Vancouver Island, the US and Ireland. A former staff member at Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts and a graduate of the Harvard Divinity School, Margo has also completed her training to be a Community Dharma Leader through Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Woodacre, California. Her teachers include Joseph Goldstein, Carol Wilson, Thanissara, and Eugene Cash. For more information about Margo, please visit her website at www.margostoryteller.net
Tuere Sala Mar 31 (evening), Apr 01 and 02, 2023
Tuere Sala is a retired prosecuting attorney who has practiced Vipassana meditation for over 25 years. She has been an active member and volunteer at Seattle Insight since 2001. In 2009, she was appointed to be a Local Dharma Leader and has often supported SIMS in unconventional ways such as answering the many letters SIMS receives from practitioners in prison; offering beginning classes at Angeline Women’s shelter and Jubilee House, a women’s transitional house; and facilitating workshops using nonviolent communication (NVC) to support a mindfulness practice.
https://seattleinsight.org/teacher/tuere-sala-guiding-teacher/
Jeanne Corrigal and James Lowe Apr 29 and Apr 30, 2023
http://www.jeannecorrigal.com/
https://www.jameslowe.com/
Jeanne Corrigal is the guiding teacher for the Saskatoon Insight Meditation Community, and a graduate of the 2017-2021 IMS teacher training program. She deeply appreciates kindness and nature-based practices.
She is certified with Indigenous Focusing Oriented Trauma Therapy, is a certified MBSR teacher, and has trained with Mindful Schools and Somatic Experiencing. Jeanne is Métis, and one of her first teachers in loving presence was Cree Elder Jim Settee.
James Lowe completed Spirit Rock’s Community Dharma Leader Program in 2012. He began
retreat teacher training at Spirit Rock in 2017.
After experimenting with meditation since the mid 1980’s, James made a commitment to Theravada practice in 2004 that includes annual three to four week retreats.
James has been an adult educator since 1992 and is a counsellor and instructor in his work life. He’s interested in the workable day-to-day practice of Metta and Mindfulness at home, work, school, and community. He incorporates the dharma in his counselling and leadership work, thereby translating the dharma into everyday language and practice.
Ajahn Jotipalo May 20 and May 21, 2023
Jotipalo Bhikkhu ordained at the Abhayagiri Buddhist Monastery in Redwood Valley, CA in June 2000. As a monk, he has lived in various Ajahn Chah branch monasteries in Canada, New Zealand, Thailand and the United States. He currently resides at Birken Forest Buddhist Monastery, British Columbia. In addition to traditional sitting and walking practice, Jotipalo Bhikkhu explores ways to use time in nature as meditation practice, as well as how to use creative arts as a meditation subject.
Ajahn Tiradhammo June 11, 2023
Ajahn Tiradhammo is one of the most senior monks in the tradition of Ajahn Chah. After his ordination at Wat Meung Man in Chiang Mai with Venerable Tong in 1974, he moved to study with Ajahn Chah at Wat Pa Pong and Wat Pa Nanachat In 1975. Several tudong journeys took him through the northeast of Thailand and the mountains of Chiang Mai where he visited many famous forest meditation masters. Venerable Tiradhammo was invited to England in 1982 to help with developments there. He spent two years at Chithurst Monastery, and three years in charge of Harnham Vihara in Northumberland. In 1988 he helped establish Dhammapala Monastery near Bern, Switzerland and later at its new location in the Bernese Alpine village of Kandersteg where he was the senior monk until 2005. In July 2005 he assumed the position of senior monk at Bodhinyanarama, Wellington, NZ where he remained as abbot for six and a half years. Ajahn Tiradhammo is retired and resides at Wat Buddha Dhamma in Australia.
Brock Brown Sept 23, 2023
Brock Brown is a founding member and Chair of the Victoria Insight Meditation Society where he teaches and leads meditation retreats. He has been dedicated to the study and practice of the Buddha’s teachings in the Theravada tradition for the past 30+ years, and is inspired by the Thai Forest tradition. He is a graduate of the Spirit Rock Dedicated Practitioners Program and the Community Dharma Leader Program and completed the Birken Forest Monastery Upasika program. Brock enjoys studying the suttas and making them relevant to our everyday lives.
Tempel Smith Oct 22, 2023
Tempel Smith teaches Mindfulness, Insight and Metta meditation with an emphasis on Buddhist psychology and mind-body awareness. He spent a year as a monk in Burma with Sayadaw U Pandita and Pa Auk Sayadaw. Tempel serves on the Spirit Rock Teachers Council, organizes the Dedicated Practitioners Program (DPP) and Living Dharma retreats for Spirit Rock, and teaches classes in the East Bay.
https://www.spiritrock.org/tempel-smith
Howard Cohn Nov 11 and 12, 2023
Howard Cohn
Howard Cohn has practiced meditation since 1972 and had led vipassana retreats since 1985. He leads a weekly ongoing class in San Francisco. Howard has studied with many Asian and western teachers of several traditions, including Theravada, Zen, Dzogchen and Advaita Vedanta and has been strongly influenced by contact with the Indian master H. W. L. Poonja. He has done postgraduate work in East/West Psychology and has a private counseling practice.