Guest Teacher
Nico Rhodes
Nico Rhodes is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, arranger and music director. His work includes conducting over 40 professional musicals accross Canada, arranging for symphony orchestra, big band, and choral ensembles, and composing hundreds of commissioned pieces. He is a strong believer that music is a necessity for stronger community and richer lives.
Carol Wilson
Carol first began practicing Vipassana or Insight meditation in 1971, with S.N. Goenka, in Bodh Gaya, India. Since then she has studied and practiced with a number of Theravada teachers, both Asian and Western. She has been particularly influenced by the teachings and practice styles of Sayadaw U Pandita, and in the past ten years, […]
Greg Scharf
Greg has practiced with both Asian and Western teachers in the Theravada tradition since 1992, including training as a monk in Burma at Panditarama and Chanmyay Yeiktha Meditation Centers. Greg has been teaching residential retreats in the USA and abroad since 2007, including the annual 3-month retreat at the Insight Meditation Society where he serves […]
Ralph Frank
Ralph is a retired psychotherapist who has been practicing Mindful Meditation since 2003. He has studied with renowned Buddhist monks and nuns at monasteries in Northern Thailand, as well as with numerous international teachers in Canada, the U.S., and Mexico. He began his practice of Tai Chi with a celebrated master, Raymond Chung, in 1972. […]
Kosma Busheikin
Born in the Czech Republic, Kosma has performed at venues around the island such as Hermann's jazz club, Frankie's jazz club, the Port theatre, Tofino Jazz festival, Hornby Island festival and more. He has studied with Ken Lister, Lee Ellefson, Pat Coleman, John Lee, Hans Verhoeven, and Ben Henriques.
Nick Peck
Nick is a British/Canadian Jazz pianist, B3 organist, composer, and arranger based in Vancouver, Canada. His output has included orchestral works, music for chamber ensembles, jazz orchestras, solo piano, and electronic media. He is known for his playing that draws from across the history of jazz, colored by experiences in contemporary classical, folk, and freely […]
Graham Villette
Graham is an active member of the music community as both a freelance musician and bandleader and has performed with some of the best musicians around including Cory Weeds, Joe Magnarelli, Akiko Tsuruga, Tony Genge, Ryan Oliver, John Lee, Rick Kilburn, Ashley Wey, and Kinga Hemming. He has been lucky enough to work in local […]
Gary Paterson
Gary Paterson is a Former Moderator of the United Church of Canada from 2012 to 2015. He was the first openly gay person to take the post since the church was formed in 1925 and the first in the world to lead a major Christian denomination. He earned two degrees in English literature and became […]
Ken Lister
Ken Lister is a professional jazz bassist and teacher for over 35 years, Ken Lister has played, recorded and toured with some of the top musicians in the jazz world, playing on two Juno Award-winning recordings; one with Hugh Fraser’s Quintet (Best Mainstream Jazz Album – 1997), and another with Phil Dwyer’s Orchestra (Contemporary Jazz […]
John Capon
John Capon started his career as a Bass Trombonist in Vancouver, BC in 1960. He played many shows on CBC Radio and TV, most notably Jazz Radio Canada. He also played in the Vancouver Opera Orchestra. In 1967 Capon moved to Toronto and immediately joined the Canadian Opera and the National Ballet Orchestras. He also […]
Brad Shipley
Brad Shipley makes his home on Gabriola Island when he’s not rehearsing and performing with a diverse makeup of musical projects on Vancouver Island. Sometimes a sideman playing guitar, mandolin, banjo, or lap steel, and sometimes a music director. He enjoys performing jazz, bluegrass, the blues, classical, and musical theatre. Brad is currently the music […]
“Voodoo” Dave McGrath
“Voodoo” Dave McGrath is well known in the drum circles and the performance community. Dave draws from the musical traditions of Africa, Cuba, and Latin America when sharing his passion for percussion. From the laid-back rhythms of Brazilian Samba to syncopated Afro-Cuban grooves or hard-driving West African Drum and Dance, Dave always seeks to find […]
Master Teresa Yeung
Master Teresa Yeung is a rare female generational Qi Gong master, as 99% are men, and has been teaching Qi Gong for 29 years. She is a three-time #1 International Bestselling Award-Winning Author, speaker, and trainer, as well as the founder of Pureland International Qi Gong, a Canadian registered private Qi Gong institution. In 2023, […]
Anushka Fernandopulle
Anushka Fernandopulle has trained for over 35 years in the Theravada Buddhist tradition in the U.S., India and Sri Lanka and teaches retreats and workshops around the globe. Her teaching is informed by nature, creative arts, political engagement and modern urban life. Anushka is a Core Teacher at Spirit Rock Meditation Center in California and […]
Shelly Graf
Shelly Graf (they/them) has been practicing in the Insight Meditation tradition since 2003. They are a graduate of Insight Meditation Society’s four-year teacher and teach retreats wherever they are invited. Shelly is currently rooted in Minneapolis, MN at Common Ground Meditation Center where they serve alongside Mark Nunberg as a Guiding Teacher. Shelly has an […]
Carol Matthews
Carol has worked as a social worker, community worker, and Dean of Human Services and Community Education at Malaspina University-College (now Vancouver Island University). In 2008, Carol was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Letters Degree from Vancouver Island University (VIU). In 2012, she was awarded the Order of B.C.; in 2013, she was awarded the […]
Stephanie Curran
Stephanie Curran is an acupuncturist, clinic owner, parent, and a long-time dedicated practitioner of meditation. She is a certified instructor of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, has completed a variety of training in trauma-informed facilitation, and has a special interest in working with people who have been touched by grief and loss. Stephanie has been leading mindfulness […]
Hans Verhoeven
Hans Verhoeven has worked with PJ Perry, Don Thompson, Phil Dwyer, Brad Turner, Brandi Disterheft, Dave Turner, Ross Taggart, Oliver Gannon, Neil Swainson, and a great many other luminaries of the Canadian and international music scene. Hans holds a BMus in jazz performance from McGill University and an MMus in classical performance from UVic. His […]
Mikeoula
As a self-taught musician, Mikeoula has been a healing sound practitioner for over thirty years. A strong believer in the healing power of sacred sound, she uses crystal singing bowls, keyboards, koshis, tongue drums, guitar, and voice in her practice. Mikeoula has shared music and sacred sound in a wide range of venues, from pre-schools […]
DaRa Williams
DaRa Williams has practiced Insight Meditation for more than 25 years. She completed the Spirit Rock/IMS/IRC Teacher Training, serves as a Spirit Rock Stewarding Teacher, and as an Associate Guiding Teacher at IMS. DaRa is a trainer and wellness coach and has been a clinician and administrator in the mental health field for over 25 […]
Eva Grodt
Eva Grodt has been practising Tai Chi for 26 years and has been teaching Tai Chi for the past 17 years. She started her own Tai Chi group 11 years ago, Parksville Shores Tai Chi. It is now a registered non-profit organization with over 100 members. Yes, it is located in Parksville.
Kat Millar
Kat Millar is a singer and multi-instrumentalist, deeply inspired by the sights and sounds of nature. Her greatest desire is to create a gift of frequency that instigates connection, peace, and alignment with one's divine path.
Karen Laine
Over the course of her life, Karen Laine’s healing work and purpose-driven work have woven together into what she now thinks of as teaching deep nature connection, and healing our sense of separation from “other,” in all the ways we define it. Karen brings a rich background in healthcare, having worked as a nurse, paramedic, […]
Trevor Potter
Trevor Potter has been on a lifelong journey exploring the rich interplay between science, ecology, spirituality, and the numinous, healing relationships of the natural world. This path has led him to a deep calling for the ecological and cultural healing of our planet. He finds delight in the sensuous, living world and the ways our […]
Laura Shakun, PsyD
Laura Shakun, PsyD is a clinical psychologist with over 30 years of experience in clinics, hospitals, and private practice settings. She regularly incorporates Buddhist psychology, mindfulness, and compassion-based practices into her clinical work. Dr. Shakun is a trained teacher in the Mindful Self-Compassion course through the Center for Mindful Self-Compassion. She is delighted to share […]
David Hykes
David Hykes is a composer, singer, teacher of contemplative music and meditation, visual artist, and conference presenter. Born in Taos, New Mexico, in 1953, he grew up in the Pacific Northwest, then attended Antioch College and Columbia University (MFA Arts). He founded the Harmonic Presence Foundation in New York on Sept. 11, 1981, to explore […]
Ajahn Pavaro
Ajahn Pavaro is a Canadian-born bhikkhu who brings with him a wealth of experience and wisdom from both his academic and monastic journeys. Before entering monastic life, he was a university lecturer in Calgary, Alberta, teaching comparative religion—a field that deeply reflects his lifelong interest in understanding the spiritual paths of humanity. Venerable Pavaro began […]
Rachel Dunstan Muller
Rachel Dunstan Muller is a multi-genre author and oral storyteller who has performed and shared her work at events and festivals on both coasts and both sides of the border. She is the author of four children’s novels (Orca Book Publishers) and over a hundred articles and stories for adults, as well as the producer […]
Brittany Murray
Brittany welcomes you warmly to Cha Dao Tea Ceremony, The Way of Tea. In this ceremony, we slow down together, settling into a quieter, more grounded place inside ourselves. This practice is held by ritual, seated on the floor in silent meditation. With the medicine of Tea as our guide, we embark on a journey […]
Lynne Carroll
With decades of practice and study, Lynne weaves Kundalini Yoga into her healing work, spiritual path, and professional life. She has taught seasonal series and community classes across Nanaimo, offering grounded spaces where students experience deep transformation. Her teachings strengthen the nervous system, balance the emotional body, and reconnect you with your innate wisdom. As […]
Maureen A. Wild, SC
Maureen Wild, a Sister of Charity (of Halifax), is deeply influenced by the teachings and wisdom of Thomas Berry and made her final vows (’90) in a forest setting. Her Master of Education focused on the epic story of our evolving universe and earth community and how this story informs and transforms humanity’s way of […]
Jeanne Corrigal
Jeanne Corrigal is the guiding teacher for the Saskatoon Insight Meditation Community and a member of the True North Guiding Teacher Council. She is a graduate of the 2017–2021 IMS teacher training program. Her training is primarily in the Burmese lineage of Mahasi Sayadaw, with a deep appreciation for the Thai Forest Tradition of Ajahn […]
Mary Ann Moore
Mary Ann Moore (she/her) is a poet, writer and writing mentor who lives on the traditional lands of the Snuneymuxw First Nation in Nanaimo. She has been leading writing circles since 1997. It has been said that circles with Mary Ann are places where unsuspecting poets are born. Her poetry, essays, and book reviews have appeared […]
Dr. Cheryl Fraser
Dr Cheryl Fraser has been studying Buddha-Dharma for 20 years and teaches in the Namgyal lineage tradition. Her root teachers are the Venerable Kyabje Namgyal Rinpoche and Lama Mark Webber. She also studied with Lho Ontul Rinpoche and Phillip Moffit, former Esquire magazine editor-in-chief and C.E.O., a Buddhist teacher at Spirit Rock Meditation Centre. As a registered […]
Island Dharma: Insight, Awareness and Bodhicitta (includes meals),
Victoria Pawlowski M.Ed., R.C.C.
Victoria Pawlowski is a Psychotherapist and Certified Mindful Self-Compassion Teacher who has been practicing and teaching Mindful Self-Compassion at Bethlehem Centre since 2014. She is grateful for her co-teachers, mentors and all the participants who have shared this path of learning to turn towards our difficult experiences with the balm of self-compassion. Victoria is passionate […]
Dr. Kristy Williams MD
Kristy is a teacher of mindful self-compassion family physician and parent who is continually humbled by the breadth of being human in these times. She is passionate about learning and sharing in community and finds MSC skills essential for her personal well being. She offers one on one care as a physician and has offered […]
Rabbi Laura Duhan-Kaplan
Rabbi Laura Duhan-Kaplan, spiritual director and award-winning teacher, is Director of Inter-Religious Studies at Vancouver School of Theology. Her recent books include The Infinity Inside, a guide to spiritual practice, and Mouth of the Donkey: Re-imagining Biblical Animals, an exploration of Biblical ecology. Laura lives in Vancouver on Coast Salish territory with her husband Charles, who is a musician, chant […]
Dr. Mark Sherman
Dr. Mark Sherman is a parent, family physician and mindfulness meditation teacher who lives in Victoria, BC. Mark is a founder of the BC Association for Living Mindfully (BCALM) and has been instrumental in developing programs on mindfulness-based stress management, mindfulness in medicine, mindfulness in education, workplace wellness and mindful parenting. He has facilitated over 150 […]
Rachel Lewis
Rachel Lewis began practicing insight meditation in 2003, while completing her physics PhD at Yale. Since 2011, she has taught dharma and meditation classes and retreats in British Columbia and beyond. She completed the IMS/IRC 4-year teacher training in 2021, and is a guiding teacher of the British Columbia Insight Meditation Society. Her dharma teaching […]
Gen Kelsang Zopa
Gen Kelsang Zopa is the Resident Teacher at Kadampa Meditation Centre Victoria (Bodhichitta Buddhist Centre). He is a Canadian Buddhist monk who has been presenting the profound and practical teachings of the Buddhist path for over 25 years. He teaches introductory classes, Foundation Program, Teacher Training Program and conducts retreats on Vancouver Island. Renowned for the clarity and depth […]
Adrianne Ross
Adrianne Ross is a retired family physician who has been involved in meditation and healing since 1976. She has been practicing Buddhist meditation since 1984 and began teaching in 1995. She is influenced by both Thai and Burmese streams of the Theravadan tradition, as well as Tibetan (Mahamudra and Dzogchen) practices. She teaches classes, weekend […]
Holly Carnegie Letcher
Holly Carnegie Letcher (BSc.OT), Veriditas Certified Labyrinth Facilitator. Holly is a retired Occupational Therapist with 30 years of experience in mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual health and well-being. Her training in Neuroscience and trauma recovery supports safety and connection through co-regulation, alongside many tools that support nervous system health and build resilience. As the sole […]
Pearl Gervais
Pearl Gervais is an educator, writer, and speaker, who facilitates retreats and workshops that help us embrace the potential and challenge of being fully human. In her elucidation of the Enneagram typology of spirituality and human personality, Pearl co-operated as an associate in ministry for many years with the Bishop Remi De Roo, and is […]
Joanne Sales
Joanne Sales is a certified Dances of Universal Peace (DUP) dance leader and has been leading DUP gatherings on Vancouver Island almost every month since 2003, with her husband Richard providing live music as support. Joanne and Richard are also called upon to lead larger regional retreats in the Pacific Northwest. They are lifelong spiritual […]
Richard Sales
Richard Sales has been a performing musician since the '60s and a music producer since the early 80s, producing award-winning music for Universal Music (US and Canada), NPR, PBS, ESPN, Nike, The Grateful Dead, Lightning Rod Records, a multitude of holy teachers including Shree Maa, Bhagavad Das, Saadi, Shiva Rudra Bala Yogi. Richard was invited […]
Lama Mark Webber (Lama Yongdu Chokyi Gyaltsen)
Lama Mark Webber (Lama Yongdu Chokyi Gyaltsen) has been studying, meditating, and teaching Buddha-dharma for almost fifty years. For thirty years, his main root teacher was the great Ven. Dorje Namgyal Rinpoche who taught all three cycles of the Buddha’s teachings, including Abhidhamma, Vipassana in the lineage of Mahāsi Sayādaw, generation and completion stage practices […]
Island Dharma: Insight, Awareness and Bodhicitta (includes meals),
Kristina Baré
Kristina Baré is an insight meditation teacher, therapist, and Somatic Experiencing practitioner. She has trained primarily in the Burmese lineages of Ven. Mahasi Sayadaw and Ven. Pa Auk Sayadaw. She enjoys supporting students in deepening samadhi and insight. Opening the door to an expansion of the heart and to liberating wisdom. In support of the […]
Tempel Smith
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 Governing Teachers Council, organizes the Dedicated Practitioners Program (DPP), Concentration, and Month Long retreats for Spirit […]
Jay Suttonbrown
Founder and Director Manipura Yoga College Senses of the Soul Facilitator Teacher, Trainer, Coach BA, B.Ed, ERYT-500, RPYT, YACEP Jay Suttonbrown has been a teacher of transformation for the last 25 years. Founder and Director of Manipura Yoga College, she uses her decades of Teaching, Training and Coaching to guide others to embrace contentment, connection and clarity. Her […]
Jays' Drop in Tuesdays Kundalini Yoga, 10 Bodies of Kundalini Yoga: A Contemporary Study of Subtle and Physical Intelligence, Embers and Expansion: A Fall Kundalini Retreat, 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training,
Pandit Tejomaya
Tejomaya is a Pandit, or priest, in the 5,000-year-old lineage of spiritual yogis from the cave monasteries of the Himalayas. In 2017 he took the formal vows of a forest dweller or hermit known as Vanaprastha and lives a life of full-time spiritual practice on Lasqueti Island. Under the ever-watchful guidance of his Guru, Tejomaya […]
Seemi Ghazi
Seemi Bushra Ghazi is a lecturer in Classical Arabic at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. She has a special interest in Islamic literature, culture, and spirituality, as well as Islam and Gender. She is working on a Feminist interpretation of the Qur’anic narrative of Bilqis (The Queen of Sheba). Seemi follows the […]
Charles Kaplan
Charles has been passionate about music for 65 years! These days, he plans Jewish musical events and plays classical and flamenco guitar, solo and with two ensembles. He’s also a prayer leader, with or without an instrument in his hands, and his happiest moments are when co-leading with his beloved, Laura.
Allannah Dow
Allannah has been playing the cello since she abandoned the idea of becoming a dancer at age 14. She emerged from classical training to play in the classical world and then at midlife found her voice accompanying singer song-writers, subsequently becoming a singer song-writer herself. She particularly enjoys playing chants!
Tina Jones
Tina Jones has found her true voice! Her nearly 30 year music journey, exploring classical and jazz to disco and JUNO-nominated kids' music, has finally resulted in an earthy and expressive dive into the world of Canadian folk music. The result is a unique blend of jazz and folk, played on the banjo in the […]
David Bodaly
David Bodaly is a Snuneymuxw Knowledge Keeper and Elder, photographer, harvester, tour guide, genealogist and weaver, exclusively making Coast Salish-style hats and teaching our strong spiritual connection to the cedar. He also offers programs for youth who access services through Katimavik as well as many schools and VIU.
Sayadaw U Jagara
Sayadaw U Jagara has 43 years of experience as a Buddhist monk, living in Southeast Asia, dedicated to the practice, study, and teaching of Dhamma. He has trained and taught in the U Ba Khin (S.N. Goenka) and in the Pa Auk traditions of Myanmar as well as being familiar with other Buddhist approaches. With […]
Deborah van der Goes
Deborah has always known music as a way to connect with the Divine. An Anglican priest for 40+ years, Deborah has taught Taize chants in various parts of Canada. For the past thirteen years, Deborah has been one of the musical leaders for the Nanaimo Taize-style prayer services using both voice and instruments. Introduction: It […]
Linda Moore
Linda experiences universal chanting and singing, mystical poetry and whirling, as a bridge to Oneness.
Raqib Brian Burke
Lovers don’t finally meet somewhere, they’re in each other all along…” — Rumi Words like these of Rumi inspired a wonderful Turkish Shaykh, Süleyman Dede to visit Vancouver, of all places, in 1976, to teach a small group of naive young seekers the iconic moving meditation of the Whirling Dervishes. Nothing has been the same since. […]
Rafi Wright
Rafi Wright is a lover of music and song, a modest performer on the oud, guitar, and other stringed instruments, in various groupings and flavors—from Turkish folk hymns to Grateful Dead covers—and a bewildered traveler on the Sufi way. He lives with his forever sweetheart in Bellingham, Washington.
Tuere Sala
Tuere Sala is a Guiding Teacher at Seattle Insight Meditation Society and Spirit Rock Retreat Center. She is a retired prosecuting attorney who has practiced Vipassana meditation for over 30 years. Tuere is committed to lay practice and inspired by bringing the Dharma to nontraditional places. She is a strong advocate for practitioners living with high […]
Reverend Patricia Lewis Matthews
The Reverend Patricia Lewis Matthews is an Episcopal Priest living and working in Arkansas. Patricia has a deep love of interfaith dialogue and has integrated it into her 26 years of ministry in the Episcopal Church. She is currently serving as the executive director of The Interfaith Center of Arkansas. She believes that the peacemaking […]
Marcia Burton, RCC and Hakomi Trainer
Marcia Burton is a Senior Hakomi Trainer. She has been studying and practicing Hakomi since 1997, and is grateful to Ron Kurtz, its creator, for his support and kindness, and for believing in her. During the last several years of Ron’s life, Marcia worked closely with Ron as his student, and later as an assistant […]
The Awakeneers
Awakeneers’ music centres around honest vocals sweetened with multi-part harmonies and supported by rich acoustic instrumentation. The nomadic band of multi-instrumentalist songwriters — most of whom are siblings — segues seamlessly from a foot-stomping fiddle tune to a hip-hop guide to mindfulness; from hilarious satire to heart-wrenching and conscience-raising eco-ballads; to soaring inspirational harmonies of […]