Ratna Ling Retreats Faculty
Abbe Blum, Ph.D.
Abbe Blum, Ph.D., teaches Tibetan yoga, contemplation, and mind courses at the Nyingma Institute and Dharma College in Berkeley, California, and has helped to edit some of Tarthang Tulku’s books for Westerners. She is also a faculty member in the Psychology program at Saybrook University. She is part of a team that will be offering Kum Nye Tibetan Yoga teacher training for the first time through the Nyingma Institute, based in Berkeley, CA, and offered online…
Andi Egle
Andi Engle received degrees from both the College of Arts of Riga and the Academy of Arts of Latvia. He has been a student of the Tibetan master, Tarthang Tulku, since 2009. During this time, he has created numerous sculptures in the Buddhist tradition, along with studying and practicing various forms of Kum Nye.
Andrew Todhunter
Andrew Todhunter is an award-winning writer and lecturer at Stanford University, where he teaches writing, interdisciplinary creativity and contemplative practice. He is the co-founder and co-director of two programs at Stanford—The Senior Reflection, and the LifeWorks Program for Integrative Learning. His book A Meal Observed won the PEN USA Literary Award for Creative Nonfiction. He is also the author of Dangerous Games and the San Francisco Chronicle bestseller Fall of the Phantom Lord. A longtime…
Anita McNulty
Anita has been a student of the Nyingma teachings since 1982. She has a special interest in the study and practice of Kum Nye. She is retired from a 42 year career as an RN & currently lives in Michigan with family.
Annete Kogler
Body Worker About Rosen Method Bodywork: Rosen Method Bodywork is a gentle yet powerful massage that uses attuned and compassionate touch to relax chronic muscle tension, calm the nervous system and restore wellbeing and ease. It can help release long held physical and emotional tension and bring awareness to holding patterns in the body. Many clients report states of deep relaxation and increased awareness in body and mind after receiving a treatment. Rosen Method…
Barbara Belew
Barbara has a Masters’s and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, and a BA in Education, and has provided teaching and psychological treatment services for adults and children for nearly 50 years. She assisted as an editor of the Caring book prior to publication and has participated in the development of the Caring Program curriculum. Barbara has taught several Caring courses and retreats, both in-person and online.
Barry Schieber
Barry graduated from the University of California, Berkeley. He began his professional life working in investment banking before becoming a student of Tarthang Tulku in the early 1970’s. From 1988-1993 he was Dean of the Nyingma Institute in Berkeley, California. In 2002 he founded Silent Moon Books a publishing company to relate stories for children and adults about Moritz, his therapy dog. He has taught Kum Nye (Tibetan relaxation yoga) throughout the world for over…
Baxter Bell
Baxter Bell, MD, has been actively deepening his understanding of the power of yoga since making the stress-reducing move from a career as a busy family doctor to that of a yoga teacher and medical acupuncturist. Baxter is a graduate of the Piedmont Yoga Studio’s 18-month Advanced Studies Program, and served as Director of PYS’s Deep Yoga Program for many years, teaching the Experiential Anatomy, Yoga Technique, and Yoga Methodology portions of that training. Baxter…
Beate Sophia
Beate Sophia is a Yoga alliance certified Yoga teacher who studied with well-respected international teachers: Cheri Rae Russell, Annie Carpenter, Swami Harish Chandra, Sheela & Sreedevi Bringi, Govind Das founder of Bhakti Yoga Shala & Tracee Stanley as well as a team of dedicated teachers at Core Power Yoga and master teachers at the Himalayan Yoga Association in Rishikesh, India. Beate has received 200 hours certifications from Annie Carpenter (Smart flow) Govind Das (Bhakti Yoga)…
Bex Urban
Bex leads classes with enthusiasm, warmth, and a gentle sense of humor. Her students attest to her authentic ability to bring them into the moment, and guide them to a place of focus and greater self-acceptance. She weaves sequences that are safe, creative, challenging and filled with reverence. Bex invites students to set their own intentions, making the practice uniquely their own. She brings spirit, love, and openness to her teaching with the ultimate goal…
Bob Dozor, MD
Dr. Bob Dozor is the founder of the Integrative Medical Clinic and has practiced Family Medicine for over thirty years in Napa and Sonoma counties. Even before attending medical school, he has held a consistent vision of building a healthy life style as the core of our best health, and applies this in both his professional practice and personal life. With his wife Ellen Barnett they have three children and three granddaughters.
Calista Ocean
Calista is a writer, yoga teacher, and adventure-seeker. She’s passionate about inviting others to journey through the beauty of their inner landscape by practicing yoga and self-reflection. Her classes and workshops combine postures, breathwork, dynamic movement, and visualization to support students who long to reconnect with their body and remember their own wisdom. Calista started teaching yoga in 2002 after receiving her first 200-hour teaching certification from Integrative Yoga Therapy. She continued to study with…
Chelsea Rappel
Chelsea Rappel is Yoga Therapist and Somatic Counselor in private practice in the San Francisco Bay Area. Chelsea specializes in weaving together the ancient wisdom practices of yoga and meditation with the latest in modern neuroscience research to provide profound healing to those who struggle with anxiety, depression, substance-use disorder, and traumatic stress. She is the founder of Awakened Recovery, offering sliding-scale, holistic care to individuals, treatment centers, and groups around the country. Chelsea lived,…
Christie Pitko
Christie Pitko began practicing yoga in 2001. Since then, she has found that yoga has healed her spirit and ignited her creativity. She teaches an alignment-based flow in both the 200-Hour and 300-Hour Yoga teacher Training programs at Yoga Garden San Francisco. She also teaches yoga and meditation at Salesforce Headquarters in San Francisco. Christie received her 200-hour teaching certification in 2011, and 300-hour advanced training in 2015 at Barefoot Movement in Oakland. Inspired by…
Christine DeCristofaro
Christine is a former resident volunteer and co-creator of many of Ratna Ling’s signature programs. Christine is a passionate listener, truth seeker, fearless warrior against guilt and shame. She feels blessed to live a life where she helps others touch the infinite wisdom that lives inside each of us. Christine believes heath and wellness are achieved with awareness of our full potential and taking steps to integrate it: mind, body and spirit. She loves supporting others along…
Colee Garr
Colee Garr is co-owner of Hilo Yoga Shala & Bodywork on the Big Island of Hawai’i. She is a dedicated yoga practitioner and teacher of 25 years. She teaches in the traditional Mysore Style – Ashtanga Yoga with a focus on developing a tailored practice based on each student’s needs and intentions. She gives individualized attention to alignment, encouraging and challenging each student to grow and deepen their personal yoga practice through the series of…
Damian Quinn
Damian Quinn (she/they/he) has received 500 hours of yoga teacher training through Shivakali in the CA redwoods, on the shores of Hawaii, & amongst sacred water temples in Bali. They have taught yoga in Honduras, Hong Kong, New York & Austin. She is a Queer activist, filmmaker & comedian, committed to finding joy beyond our pain. http://www.damianjosephquinn.com/
Dana Sweeney
Dana Sweeney is a 500-hour Registered Yoga Teacher based in Portland, Oregon. Her teaching style is modern, uplifting and fun, while rooted in yogic history. Her background in dance and massage therapy informs a deeper understanding of movement and anatomy in her classes while a lifetime of music appreciation informs her curated and eclectic playlists. With carefully crafted sequencing and diverse musical soundtracks, classes are accessible, transformative, and fun! She is a womxn in recovery,…
David Cho
From an early age, David had a fascination in the human body. After a successful dance career in Broadway shows and the Metropolitan Opera, he now shares his passion of movement and mindfulness with others through yoga & meditation. David is passionate about guiding his students to uncover their own potentials – physical and otherwise. With over 15 years of teaching dance, yoga and mat Pilates, he creatively combines his knowledge of all 3 disciplines…
Denelle Numis
Denelle Jarro Numis is an advanced yoga teacher (E-RYT 500) and meditation teacher. With a decade of experience, Denelle offers an authentic and intentional perspective to your experience both on the yoga mat and on the meditation cushion. Since movement is her biggest passion, she guides students through an intelligent and exploratory yoga asana sequence while incorporating mindfulness and real-life lessons into the practice. In addition to her yoga studies, she has a B.S., an MBA,…
Donna Morton
Donna Morton, PT, NC, a physical therapist, holistic nutritional consultant, and health educator, first encountered Nyingma teachings in 1997. In 2001, she completed a 6-month Human Development Training Program at Nyingma Institute. Since that time she has taught here primarily in the field of Kum Nye, a gentle form of Tibetan Yoga developed for Westerners by Head Lama Tarthang Tulku. Her whole-person therapeutic approach draws from and integrates a variety of healing modalities including whole-foods…
Dr. Elon Goldstein
Elon Goldstein is a Lecturer in Buddhist Studies at Harvard University’s Divinity School where he has taught since 2017. Previously he was Assistant Professor of Buddhism, Comparative Religion, and Psychology at the University of South Carolina. He holds a Ph.D. from Harvard University in Buddhism and South Asian Religions with training in reading Sanskrit and Tibetan texts. Additionally, he has an M.T.S. from Harvard Divinity School, an M.A. in Education from Claremont Graduate University, and a…
Dr. Laurie Hopman
Dr. Laurie Hopman trains residents in hospice care and has been engaging Nyingma teachings for many years. She brings a medically-informed perspective to death and dying, hospice, and compassionate care.
Dr. Richard Kingsland
Education: Graduated from Stanford University in 1971 (became a TNMC student at Webster Street then Padma Ling starting in 1970). Went to graduate school in Psychology at UC Davis beginning in 1971. Received Master’s in 1974, PhD in 1981 in Social Psychology. Subsequently went to medical school at University of Illinois, Chicago, in 1985, received MD with honors in 1989. Went to Univ of Calif San Diego for residency in Emergency Medicine in1990, completed in…
Dr. Richard Kingsland
Richard Kingsland (associate instructor), holds a B.A. from Stanford University, an M.A. and Ph.D. in social psychology from the University of California, Davis, and an M.D. with honors from the University of Illinois, Chicago. He completed a residency in Emergency Medicine from the University of California, San Diego, and served as an emergency physician in San Diego County for many years. He has traveled frequently to India and Nepal and has been a student of…
Dr. Ron Purser
Ron Purser, Ph.D. (Associate Instructor) is a Professor of Management at San Francisco State University. Author of eight books, including McMindfulness: How Mindfulness Became the New Capitalist Spirituality (Penguin Random House/Repeater Books), the Handbook of the Ethical Foundations of Mindfulness and the Handbook of Mindfulness: Culture, Context and Social Engagement (Springer). He writes for such media outlets as Tricycle, The Guardian, Salon, Alternet, Tikkun, Pando Daily and Transformation. He began studying Time, Space and Knowledge…
Ellen Barnett, MD. PhD
Dr. Ellen Barnett is a family doctor who has been practicing in Santa Rosa, CA for over thirty years. A major emphasis of her practice is working with individuals to clarify and support their health goals. She is on the clinical faculty at the Sutter Santa Rosa Family Medicine Residency and developed the Imagine YOU program of the Integrative Medical Clinic Foundation.
Elske van de Hulst
Elske van de Hulst worked in the theatre as an actress, director and author, between 1969 and 1995. She taught at the Amsterdamse Hogeschool voor de Kunsten and for many years was a member of the Dutch Arts Council. In 1998 she started studying the theatre of the mind, guided by Tarthang Tulku’s books, and has not stopped since. She is now a co-dean at the Amsterdam Nyingma Centrum and teaches Meditation, Knowledge of Freedom,…
Erica Martzen
Erica Martzen was a former volunteer at Ratna Ling. She is a Yoga Teacher, Health & Wellness Coach, and founder of Bija Wellness currently residing in Phoenix, Arizona. An advocate for authenticity, Erica partners with others to uncover their truest self and how to live in alignment with that core being through weekly yoga classes, private coaching, group programs, and wellness retreats. Erica has experienced Yoga to be a place that resides within each of…
Felicia Evans
Felicia is a Body Mind Coach and 200-hour Certified Yoga Teacher. She guides her students and clients to embrace their own unique individuality, inner wisdom, and strength within. Felicia encourages everyone she works with to embrace who they truly are and step away from the fears of not fitting in. She believes that life is too short to spend it judging ourselves, and instead we should use this human experience to be who we are…
Fiji McAlpine
Fiji McAlpine is an ERYT 500 yoga instructor and teacher trainer who has been teaching for over 20 years, and is one of the founding yoga teachers featured on DoYogaWithMe.com. Fiji’s personal practice and classes focus on vinyasa flow, infused with power, strength and precision. Having trained extensively in California, Costa Rica, and Canada, her classes are often described as a strong practice that allows students to face challenges with support and guidance, inspiring them…
Genevieve Cipes
Genevieve is a KRI certified Kundalini Yoga Teacher and has an integrative healing practice. She offers services as a mentor, teacher, coach, Reiki practitioner, intuitive and ceremonialist. She is a lover of people and life and is intent on helping others in every needed way. Her mission is to support and engender the power of each human being to impact their own lives in positive and affirming ways. Genevieve has studied with indigenous teachers since…
George Wiegand
George Wiegand has been a student of our Founder Tarthang Tulku and a full-time volunteer in Nyingma organizations for more than 30 years, as a chef, baker, kitchen manager, temple builder, book binder, and pressman. He has a Master’s of Education in Counseling and has worked as an educator and counselor in several high school systems. His hobbies include bread baking, basketball, and choir singing.
Gloria Baraquio
Born and raised in Hawaii, Gloria has been teaching vinyasa since 2006, studying Tibetan Buddhism since 2004, and singing devotional music since she was a child. She earned her 200-hour certificate from Yoga Hawaii and her 300-hour training with Raghunath Cappo and Radhanath Swami in India. Gloria has practiced with spiritual, indigenous, and ancient traditions of Hawaii, Catholicism, Christianity, Baha’i, Agape, Vaishnavism, Hinduism, Zen, and Tibetan Buddhism. Her aim is to help each individual cultivate…
Gretchen Donovan
Gretchen has been teaching yoga for 20 years. After extensive experimentation and study in the traditions of Ashtanga Yoga, Iyengar Yoga and Prajna Yoga, her teaching cultivates a broad range of techniques. She carefully weaves the subtle energies and precision of these disciplines into her teaching, creating a unique style. Her enthusiasm and commitment to helping others access growth and self awareness (beyond asana) is both accessible and infectious. She is a Certified Feeding Your Demons Facilitator and…
Heldine Aguiluz
As a Los Angeles native, Heldine has been practicing yoga since 2010 and teaching since 2016. She earned 500 hours of yoga certification with Shivakali Yoga, studying alignment-based vinyasa and elemental tantra. She started taking pole, twerk, and aerial dance classes in January 2017. Heldine sees yoga and dance as meditative ways to deepen awareness about one’s body and thoughts and hopes to give others the tools they need to find deeper self-love.
Helena Gold
Helena Gold has worked for the Nyingma organization in Brasil since 1986. In 2008 she moved to USA to work for Dharma Publishing at the Center for Skillful Means Programs. Helena is currently Director of Nyingma Centers International. As an Odiyan long term resident, Helena is one of the Instructors of the Classes & Books team.
Hugh Joswick, Ph.D.
Hugh Joswick, Ph.D., has been studying and practicing at Nyingma Institute under Tarthang Tulku’s senior students since the mid-1990’s. He has also co-edited several books under the close direction of Tarthang Tulku, including Caring and the Lotus Trilogy books. He holds a Ph.D. from Yale University, and a B.A. and M.A. from Oxford University, where he was a Rhodes Scholar. He has taught philosophy at the university level and is currently the Managing Editor of Mangalam Press, the publishing…
Jack Petranker
Jack Petranker holds degrees from Stanford, Yale Law School, and the University of California at Berkeley. He has been a student of Tibetan teacher Tarthang Tulku for more than 40 years, and has worked for the Nyingma organizations as an editor, writer, and teacher. A past Dean of the Nyingma Institute in Berkeley, he is Director of the Mangalam Buddhist Research Center and the Center for Creative Inquiry, and has taught mindfulness for decades.
Janet Smith
Janet has a Bachelors degree in Education and a graduate certification in Special Education. She has been a student of Tarthang Tulku’s teachings for 40 years and has lived within the Nyingma community since 2006. Janet is currently studying and teaching the Caring courses and retreats. She is a resident of the Odiyan community where she is a member of the Sacred Art sewing team.
Jason Bowman
Jason Bowman leads teacher trainings, retreats, and guest lecture series both around the US and internationally and is strongly influenced by years of Ashtanga Yoga and Vipassana Meditation practice. www.jasonbowmanyoga.com
Jen Lo
Jen loves to teach. From painting to yogasana, she brings her devotion and sensitivity to all she offers. She believes that every person is creative and her mission is to be a torchbearer for artists—Yoga as artistic meditation. She seeks to inspire clients by being their muse, a playful conduit that aligns with the spontaneous nature of creation. Jen is a graduate of the Bhakti Nova School, her dear teachers include Nubia Teixeira, Toni Cupal,…
Jenn Russo
Jennifer Russo, M. S., Certified Yoga Teacher, Massage Therapist and Health Coordinator, began her yoga studies in San Francisco in 1997. Having a background in Kinesiology, Anatomy and Massage therapy, teaching yoga came very natural to her. She immediately fell in love with the flow of the practice and the strong connection to her ‘center’. Jenn has studied with many teachers and in many traditions of yoga. She finds a strong connection to Vinyasa Yoga,…
Joao Pereira
João Paulo Pereira is the founder of the BASA Yoga Method and has been teaching yoga since 2001. The belief that intense disciplined practice is best balanced with play and his unique fusion of breath, awareness, strength, and alignment (BASA) have offered his students a dynamic experience to connect to the living tradition of yoga. João began his training in Brazil at Universidade de Yôga and in India with Kaivalyadhama Yoga Institute. He has trained…
Jonah Willihnganz
Jonah Willihnganz is the Bruce Braden Lecturer of Narrative Studies at Stanford University and director of the Stanford Storytelling Project, an arts program that explores how narrative craft and practices can deepen natural human capacities such as courage, empathy, and gratitude. He has published fiction, essays, and literary criticism, and has taught literature and creative writing for more than 25 years. As co-director of the LifeWorks Program for Integrative Learning, he also teaches courses that…
Judith Caldwell
Judith is a long-term friend of Ratna Ling and has offered many workshops and classes on meditation in Napa county and is a gifted teacher and facilitator. We are excited to have her join us!
Karin Meyers, PhD
Karin received a Ph.D. with distinction from The University of Chicago Divinity School in 2010, and since then has taught Buddhist Studies at several colleges and universities in the US and abroad, including Kathmandu University and Rangjung Yeshe Institute’s Centre for Buddhist Studies in Nepal, where she directed the master’s program in Buddhist Studies until returning to the US in 2017. Karin’s scholarly work focuses on bringing Buddhist perspectives to bear on cross-cultural and interdisciplinary…
Kat Shotz
Kat is a Marriage and Family Therapist and a 500-hour Certified Yoga Teacher. As a teacher, she offers an integrated class to cultivate strength, balance and flexibility. She believes that practice brings deeper sense of knowing and listening to our authentic self. As a therapist, she encourages you to find stillness and peace within so that you can experience more happiness and less stress. As a human being on this life path, she offers love…
Kayleen Asbo
Kayleen Asbo, Ph.D is a cultural historian and spiritual director who has taught on the faculties of Dominican University, Sonoma State University, the Osher Lifelong learning Institute at UC Berkeley the Mythological Studies faculty of the Pacifica Graduate Institute in Santa Barbara in the fields of women’s studies, mysticism and the arts. The Director of the Mythica Foundation, Dr. Asbo leads retreats, pilgrimages and workshops on the contemplative traditions throughout the world. www.kayleenasbo.com
Ken McKeon
Ken McKeon, M.A., a student of Tarthang Tulku since the 1970’s, is a highly regarded poet and a devoted High School teacher. His love of both the English language and the possibilities for human growth inherent in explorations of meaning, led him early on to become first a student, and then a teacher of the Time, Space, and Knowledge vision. Ken brings a sense of wonder and delight to his classes at the Institute, as…
Kimberly Millard
Kimberly Millard is an esteemed Yoga Therapist, Ayurvedic Health Counselor and Yoga Teacher Trainer. She received her 500hr Yoga Teacher Training certification through Shivakali Yoga, International Association of Yoga Therapists Certification through Loyola Marymount University, and 750 hour Ayurveda Health Counselor certification through Joyful Belly. Kim’s classes weave together extensive training in sanskrit, vinyasa, hatha, ayurveda, yoga nidra, restorative, pranayama, meditation and yoga philosophy based on sacred texts such as The Yoga Sutras, Upanishads, and…
Lama Palzang
Lama Palzang is a Nyingma lama who was born in the Gyarong region of Tibet, where from a very young age, he was trained in the dharma under Jigme Tenpa Dargye Rinpoche. He was formally educated at Minyak Lhagang Monastery in Kham and trained in the Longchen Nyingtik tradition under his root teachers, Khenchen Chodrak Rinpoche and Kyabje Chatral Rinpoche. He completed a traditional three year retreat under Kyabje Chatral Rinpoche in Beyul Yolmo, Nepal. …
Leigh Deering
Leigh has been a student of Tarthang Rinpoche’s teachings for almost 20 years. She has worked with people from around the world as volunteer coordinator for TNMC centers in Berkeley, and at the country centers of Ratna Ling and Odiyan in Sonoma County, CA. Currently she lives and works at Odiyan at volunteer recruiting and coordination, studying and teaching the Caring program, gardening and sublimation sacred art and text production.
Lesley Desaulniers
Lesley Desaulniers is known for her energizing, soulful and inspiring classes. Her gift for storytelling and passionate connection to music and art make each class a dynamic journey of sound, spirit and soul. She was trained in yoga under the expert guidance of Sharon Gannon and David Life of Jivamukti Yoga, and is one of Northern California’s most in demand teachers. Lesley has been studying yoga and meditation since 1996, taking her practice to New…
Linda Copenhagen
Linda Copenhagen holds a degree in accounting from San Francisco State University and is a Certified Public Accountant. She has studied Tibetan Buddhism in the Nyingma lineage since 1996. For the past several years she has been a CFO and financial consultant in the non-profit sector. Formerly, she has held roles as Director of Corporate Accounting at Art.com, Inc, Senior Director at Leapfrog Enterprises and Controller/Director of Finance in several technology startups. Linda now brings both her Buddhist studies…
Loren Altura
With over 1900 hours of training hours, Loren has been teaching yoga for over a decade and practicing for over two decades. Teaching a blend of the “ha” (sun) and “tha” (moon) practices, Loren teaches an alignment based yoga practice which often includes pranayama techniques, mantra, music and yoga philosophy. By focusing on precision, Loren creates a container where freedom can be found through focus. Loren teaches public yoga classes in Marin/S.F. as well as…
Lydia Hwang
Lydia Hwang is a Sound and Color vibrational healer using different sacred instruments, color essences, silks and her voice. She channels divine energies in her private sessions and has a dedicated practice in Woodside, CA at the Spirit House. Her journey began when she was searching for her own healing, and this led to intensive training with Sound master Fabien Maman, color teacher Patricia Janusz and ordained Druid priestess Nicole Bertolucci in South of France and…
Mairin McCracken
Mairin was drawn to yoga back in 2011 because it seemed to align with her dance background and helped her overcome an injury. She stayed because it soothed her nervous system, helped her through life’s challenges, and increased her capacity for loving herself (and others). Mairin began teaching yoga in late 2016 and has been teaching Vinyasa and Sculpt Yoga (Vinyasa-style classes that infuse strength training and plyometrics) ever since. Mairin grounds her classes in…
Maria Helena Kubrusly
Maria Helena Kubrusly is a founding member of the Nyingma center in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. An Odiyan resident since 1999, Maria Helena works regularly with Tarthang Tulku Rinpoche on administrative and community matters. Maria Helena has offered retreats and courses in the US, Brazil, and Europe, online and in person. She has a masters degree in Applied Linguistics from Lancaster University, UK.
Mark Henderson
Mark Henderson, J.D., LL.M., currently works full-time on sacred art projects with the Nyingma Mandala of organizations as a project manager and has helped create over one hundred thousand prayer wheels. He first encountered several great masters of the Nyingma lineage in the mid-1970s and is an avid student of Buddhism, with great appreciation for its vast and rich collection of texts. In his professional career, Mark was a practicing attorney, recognized by the California…
Melina Meza
Melina Meza is a pioneer in the field of yoga, nutrition, and Ayurvedic Health, sharing her knowledge with yogis around the world for more than 25 years. She is the creator of Seasonal Vinyasa Yoga, a holistic practice that features lifestyle, diet, and yoga practices tailored to the rhythms of the four seasons to help people stay healthy as they age. Her passion for Nature, the five elements, beauty, and humor forge the foundation of…
Natalie Colvin
Natalie has been teaching yoga and sharing the dharma for almost 15 years. She is a certified Shivakali yoga teacher and spiritual counselor, as well a meditation guide and energy worker. Her background in environmental management has deeply shaped her teachings as she considers Mother Earth her first spiritual teacher. Natalie relies on her Buddhist teachings to support individuals in connecting with their best selves. She deeply believes in the power of play and joy as a means…
Nikki Estrada
Nikki has more than 20 years teaching experience and has been leading 200 and 300-hour teaching trainings for more than 17 years. She is YA500hr E-RYT and was Director of Trainer Development for YogaWorks for more than 7 years where she supported and mentored teacher trainers. She leads intensives, immersions and workshop series in the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond. She contributes to Yoga International where you can find her articles and videos. She also…
Olivia Hurd
Olivia Hurd, B.F.A, is a textile artist and retired children’s publisher. She was a co-founder of the Peaceable Kingdom Press, a children’s publisher featuring art from children’s books, which she ran for many years. She is a long-time meditation practitioner and has been a student at the Nyingma Institute since 1997. Olivia says, “In my years studying at Nyingma Institute, my life has taken a wonderful turn. I’ve increased awareness of whatever activity is at…
Patricia Becker
Patricia Becker is a Yoga, Breath and Diet Coach with 30 years experience of study, practical experience and coaching. Certified Yoga Alliance RYT® E-RYT®. Patricia has a Yoga TV Show, YouTube Channel, Live Online Programs. She was a Yoga Instructor for Stanford’s Health Improvement Program for 11 years. Learn More at https://yourhealthandjoy.com/
Pauline Yu
Pauline Yu is a full-time work-study volunteer and staff member at Nyingma Institute. She graduated from UC Berkeley with a major in Art History, minoring in Philosophy, encountered meditation in 2006, and has worked full-time in the Nyingma Mandala community since 2007 on graphic design, film projects, and as a jack-of-all-trades. She has also been studying and practicing under Tarthang Tulku’s senior students since 2007 and completed Nyingma Institute’s 1,200 hour Path and Practices of…
Pema Gellek
Pema Gellek, M.A., is a disciple of her father, Tarthang Tulku, and Chadral Rinpoche, and studied Tibetan Buddhism at the Rangjung Yeshe Institute in Nepal. Working within her father’s mandala of organizations, she serves as a bridge between dharma in the East and West and has helped carry out Tarthang Tulku’s dharma activities in Asia for the past 20 years. Pema is also a filmmaker and director of Guna Foundation and has been a faculty member of Dharma College. She is…
Ralph McFall
Ralph McFall has worked for the Nyingma organizations for 40 years. A past Dean of Nyingma Institute, he is currently Director of Dharma Publishing, in addition to printing books for Yeshe De projects. As an Odiyan long term resident, Ralph is one of the Instructors of the Classes & Books team.
Renate Marx
Renate Marx joined the Nyingma community in 2010 after a four months retreat at the Nyingma Institute in Berkeley, leaving behind a career in international arts and education management. A passionate home baker, she professionalized her skills when asked to develop a Cafe for Nyingma Zentrum in Cologne/Germany. This became Cafe ÖM, a hub of the local community and neighborhood, offering daily vegan and vegetarian bread, cakes, and snacks. Cafe ÖM also served as an…
Richard Dixey
Richard Dixey holds a Ph.D in Biophysics from London University, an M.A. with distinction in the history and philosophy of science from London University, and a B.A in Cell Biology from Oxford. In 1979, he was appointed the Director of the Bioelectronic Research Unit at St Bartholomew’s hospital in London, a position he held for fourteen years before founding and becoming the Chief Executive of Phytopharm PLC, a biotechnology company that listed on the London…
Richard Kingsland
Richard Kingsland (associate instructor), holds a B.A. from Stanford University, an M.A. and Ph.D. in social psychology from the University of California, Davis, and an M.D. with honors from the University of Illinois, Chicago. He completed a residency in Emergency Medicine from the University of California, San Diego, and served as an emergency physician in San Diego County for many years. He has traveled frequently to India and Nepal and has been a student of…
Robin Caton
Robin holds a J.D. from the University of Michigan and an MFA in creative writing from Saint Mary’s College of California. She is an attorney, poet and teacher who has studied Buddhism for many years, both at the Nyingma Institute and under the direction of Founding Head Lama Tarthang Tulku. Her published works include a volume of poetry, The Color of Dusk. Robin was the Director of Dharma College from 2010 to 2017.
Robin O'Brien
Robin O’Brien, musician and sound healer, has recorded six albums of music, leads contemplative chanting circles in Sonoma County and accompanies labyrinth walks at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco.
Santosh Philip
Santosh Philip, M.A, an architect and entrepreneur, has studied Nyingma teachings since 1995. His primary teaching area is Kum Nye, where he conveys his considerable love and respect for Tibetan Yoga self-massage and movement practices to his students, both at the advanced and introductory levels. Nearly every Sunday throughout the year, Santosh and fellow Kum Nye instructors alternate teaching a drop-in Kum Nye morning class from ten to Noon; Santosh also teaches Nyingma Practices classes,…
Sierra Vandervort
Sierra is a writer, modern mystic & community builder. She’s been practicing yoga for nearly a decade & got certified to teach in 2018. She teaches all about connection: connection to the body, to nature & to the universal love that holds us all together. She also loves blending witchy practices like moon magic & the wheel of the year into her classes. Sierra’s global community network – The Mystic Members Club – helps women deepen their…
Sprout Sera Sagrada
Sprout Sera Sagrada (They/Goddess) Their name is an embodiment of who they are-Sacred Being. Born and raised in California, Yoga found them at age 18, and 10 years later began teaching mindful hatha. The lineages that resonate deeply with Sera are Bhakti Yoga, Tibetan and Zen Buddhism. Following this path led them to their re-indigenization to their Mayan roots (Guatemala, Nicaragua y México). They facilitate Cacao Gatherings as an offering to their ancestors and to…
Sriya Bhattacharyya
Sriya Bhattacharyya, PhD, is a Bengali-Indian American psychologist working at the intersection of social transformation + creative healing. With a background in community development, yoga, and art therapy, she teaches, researches, designs programs, and provides individual services to dismantle systems of oppression, uplift community voices, and liberate all beings. Her facilitation style is compassionate, curious, and playful. Sriya was introduced to yoga and meditation through her family, a mix of Hindu priests and Freedom Fighters who…
Sue Ellen Parkinson
Sue Ellen Parkinson, artist and ritual specialist, was a long time practitioner of Buddhism before she began painting icons of Mary Magdalene in 2010. See her vast portfolio of images of the Sacred Feminine at https://www.sueellenparkinson.com.
Tara Ristau
Tara is a resident of Ratna Ling’s sister center, Odiyan, where she works and studies under the guidance of Tibetan Buddhist master Tarthang Tulku Rinpoche. A volunteer for the Tibetan Nyingma Meditation Centers since 2007, she has worked in a wide variety of capacities to serve the mission of preserving Tibetan Buddhist culture and transmitting its sacred wisdom to the West. She is an avid seeker of truth with a deep passion for Dharma practice…
Teri Beckman
Teri Beckman leads HIGOL, a boutique coaching and consulting company that works with mission-driven leaders to help them increase their community impact and revenue within their organizations by aligning their human, technical, financial resources with their vision. She has studied and practiced Skillful Means and Buddhist psychology as presented by Tarthang Tulku for thirty years. She has a Master’s Degree in City and Regional Planning from the University of Chapel Hill and is a graduate…
Tetske Hoitsma
Tetske Hoitsma has worked for more than 40 years as a physiotherapist and haptotherapist in various rehabilitation centers. In addition, she has followed years of training in energy work. Guiding people who suffer from the loss of their health and need to find a new balance in their lives has always had her heart. Tetske has been involved with Nyingma Centrum Nederland since 1998 and teaches Kum Nye. She was the main coordinator of the…
Tracey Graves
Tracey is a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer, having served in Zambia in 2018. It was there, leading her first yoga session to a group of village girls that she realized how universal the language of Yoga is, and how it was her duty to share it with as many souls as possible. She holds a degree in Sociology. She’s Reiki 2 certified and a registered Yoga 200-hr teacher. She promotes breaking free of how we…
Tracey Noseworthy
Tracey Noseworthy is an ERYT 500 yoga instructor and teacher trainer who has been teaching for over 20 years and is passionately dedicated to the teaching of yoga. Tracey leads from her heart – stirring emotion, infusing joy and honouring inner strength. She is a graduate of McMaster University and has been an active health and wellness teacher for over 30 years. She is known for creatively-sequenced workshops, teacher trainings, on-line classes and graduate mentorships. Tracey is often complimented on her…
Tsering Palmo Gellek
Tsering Palmo Gellek was appointed by her father Tarthang Rinpoche to build and direct the Sarnath International Nyingma Institute. She believes in the power of small, focused groups to do good, and enjoys when people are working towards their highest potential. Tsering was born in Berkeley, California in 1973. Raised in a multicultural family and community, her early childhood was spent traveling between the East and the West and enjoying nature in Sonoma County. She completed…
Uli Koehne
Uli developed a love for Yoga through her biggest life passions: Running and Hiking. First as a means to cross train but as her practice evolved, the tremendous physical and mental benefits motivated her to dive deeper. Uli has hiked extensively in Southern Marin and trekked in Peru, Patagonia, Nepal, along the PCT and John Muir trails in the High Sierras and climbed Mount Shasta. Over the past few years Uli also led several hiking…
Wangmo Dixey
Wangmo Dixey, born in Berkeley, California, in 1969, is the eldest daughter of Venerable Tarthang Tulku. In addition to her role to as Director of the College, she is Executive Director of the Light of Buddhadharma Foundation International and President of the International Buddhist Association of America. She has been awarded many international accolades for her work in Asia. She holds a BA in International Relations from UCLA and an MA in International Development from…
Yvonne Kingsley
Yvonne Kingsley, E-RYT500, is deeply committed to living wholeheartedly and sharing the timeless teachings of yoga. She approaches the practice from a holistic perspective – weaving together mindful movement, breathwork, meditation and philosophy – and encourages each person to discover their own path to clarity, steadiness and ease. Based in San Francisco, Yvonne offers public and private classes, meditation courses, teacher trainings and retreats. www.yvonnekingsley.com
Rosalyn White
Rosalyn White was the Director of Ratna Ling for 7 years. She has studied meditation and Tibetan art under the guidance of the Tibetan Buddhist teacher, Tarthang Tulku, for over forty years. She holds a BFA in Fine Arts from the California College of Art and a teaching credential from UC Berkeley. She has been teaching classes in meditation and sacred art for over 25 years. The depth and breadth of the Tibetan teachings have…