Janet Jiryu Abels — Still Mind Zendo

Janet Jiryu Abels Sensei is the founder and co-resident teacher at Still Mind Zendo in Manhattan (W. 17th St.), part of the White Plum Asanga founded by the late Taizan Maezumi Roshi. Sensei received dharma transmission in 2000 from her teacher, Roshi Robert Jinsen Kennedy and is currently the vice-president of the White Plum Asanga Board of Directors.

Koshin Paley Ellison and Robert Chodo Campbell — New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care

Koshin Paley Ellison, MFA, LMSW, is the Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director of the New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care. He serves as the Director of Training for the Center’s Buddhist Contemplative Care Programs. He is a ACPE Chaplain Supervisory Resident. Koshin is an Adjunct Professor at the Institute of Buddhist Studies. He is a co-founder of the Buddhist Psychotherapy Collective. Koshin is currently a Jungian Analyst Candidate at the Jungian Psychoanalytic Association. He is the Co-Director of Contemplative Care Services for the Department of Integrative Medicine at Beth Israel Medical Center. Koshin began Zen practice over twenty years ago, and he is a Senior Soto Zen Buddhist Priest, at the Village Zendo. He gives plenary addresses, workshops and retreats on contemplative based approaches to leadership and care, and meditation in a variety of settings from corporations to national healthcare conferences.

Robert Chodo Campbell, HHC, is a Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director of the New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care. He serves on the Core Faculty for the Center’s Buddhist Chaplaincy Training Programs. Chodo is an Adjunct Professor at the Institute of Buddhist Studies. He is Co-Director of Contemplative Care Services for the Department of Integrative Medicine at Beth Israel Medical Center. Chodo brings his life experience and his Zen and psychoanalytic study to his teachings in the areas of: anxiety and depression, drug and alcohol abuse, and contemplative approaches to care. He began formal Zen training in 1994 and currently he is a Soto Zen Buddhist Priest, at Village Zendo. He gives plenary addresses, workshops and retreats in a variety of settings from corporations to national healthcare conferences.

Lawrence Grecco — Open Sky Sangha

Lawrence Grecco is a seminary student with the Zen Taego order through the Institute for Buddhist Studies.

As a life coach he works intimately with individuals and groups on a wide range of spiritual and emotional concerns. He has taught meditation to at-risk and incarcerated teenagers, volunteered at a hospice facility, and worked for many years as a counselor at the Long Island Crisis Center. Currently he volunteers with the Ali Forney Center which provides housing for homeless youth in the New York City area. In 1985 he founded and co-directed LIGALY (Long Island Gay & Lesbian Youth) which provided social, support and referral services to LGBT teenagers and their families.

He is the founder and Director of Open Sky Sangha, an organization that serves the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered community by offering Buddhist teachings and meditation practice in a safe and inclusive environment.

Om Jayadeva — Integral Yoga Institute Princeton

Jayadeva began meditating regularly in 1965 and teaching Yoga and Meditation in 1969. He was blessed with the opportunity to have studied and lived with Sri Swami Satchidananda, the founder of Integral Yoga, at Satchidananda Ashram-Yogaville. Jayadeva went on to serve as the manager of the Integral Yoga Institute in New York and is director of Integral Yoga Teacher Training. He brought Integral Yoga to the Princeton, New Jersey area over 10 years ago and now serves as the director and member of the board of trustees of Integral Yoga Princeton.

Samuel Kirschner — Author, teacher, body/mind therapist

Samuel J. Kirschner, teacher, counselor and group facilitator for 25 years, is the founder of Mindful Moving Meditation – Calming Your world - Living in the Present - In side the breath @ the center of your Being, which he teaches and demonstrates through classes, workshops & individual sessions. He is a staff member at Friends In Deed, the crisis center for life-threatening illness. Author of the book-CD’s “The Joy Of Being”, “Practice Confidance” and his new practice CD “BrEathING – Your Best Friend”.

Bhante Kondanna — New York Buddhist Vihara

Venerable Kondanna is a Sri Lankan Buddhist Monk. He received his novice ordination in 1968, his monastic training in Colombo, Sri Lanka, and a graduated from University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka. In 1985 he came to USA to participate and provide his skills and services at the New York Buddhist Vihara. At that time the Venerable Kondanna began to attend classes at CUNY and now holds a BS in Social Work. In 1997 he obtained a MSW from Fordham University, New York. 
 
Venerable Kondanna believes that human beings should grow up having a spiritual foundation.  He hopes that his contributions, experiences and knowledge enrich and enhance the lives of all people in New York, the US and wherever his life takes him.

Josh Korda — Dharma Punx

Josh Korda has been teaching meditation and the dhamma in the Theravadan lay tradition for six years, most frequently at his packed weekly New York Dharma Punx classes. He is a visiting teacher at the New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care Hospice program and a speaker for several years running at MeditateNYC; his podcasts on Dharmapunxnyc.podbean.com have a large and loyal following. Josh started his studies of the dhamma in the 80s, and has attended many study retreats with numerous teachers, including Ajahns Geoff, Amaro and Sucitto. Josh lives in Brooklyn, NY.

Michele Laporte — Shambhala Meditation Center of NY

Michele Laporte is a long time student of Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche and Senior teacher and meditation instructor of the Shambhala Meditation Center of New York.

Ven. Chung Lee — Won Buddhism of Manhattan

Ven. Chung Lee is the Founding Head Minister of the Manhattan Temple of Won Buddhism, the Representative of Won Buddhism to the United Nations, and Co-President of Religions for Peace International. She has been actively involved in interreligious understanding and cooperation globally since 1986. Rev. Lee received full ordination in 1981 in Korea. She earned her M.A and Ph.D from New York University.

Gina Sharpe — New York Insight Meditation Center

Gina Sharpe is a founding teacher of New York Insight Meditation Center. A retired lawyer, she discovered the Dharma many years ago and has studied and practiced in Asia and the United States. She was trained as a Retreat Teacher under the mentorship of Jack Kornfield.  She is also a graduate of the first Spirit Rock Community Dharma Leaders Program. She has been teaching since 1995.  She teaches at Retreat Centers and meditation communities around the United States, including at a maximum security prison for women.  She teaches meditation classes in Westchester County.

Dae Soeng Sunim — Bulkwang Zen Meditation Center

Dae Soeng Sunim is currently teaching at Bulkwang Zen Center inTappan, New York.  He studied at Dongguk Buddhist University and was ordained as a Buddhist monk in Korea in 1995. He practiced in traditional Korean and Kwan Um School meditation and served as the attendant to Zen Master Seung Sahn from 2002-2004.

Brother and Sisters from the Order of Interbeing

Brother Phap Tri is a senior monastic disciple of Thich Nhat Hanh. He resides at Blue Cliff Monastery in Pine Bush, New York where he enjoys practicing and teaching. He has traveled widely for many years offering Mindfulness Retreats.

Jeanne Anselmo, ordained in 1995 as a lay monastic in Thich Nhat Hanh’s Order of Interbeing, has been practicing holistic nursing arts for over thirty-three years. She cofounded the Contemplative Urban Law Program at City University School of Law in 2001, and teaches mindfulness and offers retreats for nurses, helping professionals, law students, lawyers, and those interested in inter-contemplative dialogue in both the U.S. and Ireland.