Teachers

Alice and Richard Haspray

Alice and Richard Haspray began practicing meditation in 1968 with the beloved Zen master Shunryu Suzuki Roshi (author of Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind). After Roshi’s death in 1971, they continued with Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche as close students until his passing in 1987. They were early leaders and teachers at Rocky Mountain Dharma Center (now SMC) from 1974 to 1977. In a true display of the great switcheroo, Trungpa Rinpoche sent them to the Big Apple in 1978—straight from the mountains of RMDC with no indoor plumbing—appointing Richard as one of the first Vajradhatu Ambassadors and Alice as a senior teacher. Continuing with the great…

Brian Callahan

Brian began studying Buddhism in 1972 while also studying for ordination as a Catholic priest. Ordained in 1981, Brian resigned from ministry in 1985 when he became a Buddhist. He joined the Shambhala community in 1986, received transmission from the Vajra Regent in 1988, and received Vajrayogini Abhisheka from Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche in 1994. Brian completed the Söpa Choling 3-year retreat in 2003. Pema Chodron and the monastic council invited him to stay on at Gampo Abbey and serve as the Abbey’s executive director. Brian held that post until March of 2005. Since then he has taught Vajrayana and Shambhala…

Catherine Neill

Catherine Neill became the Executive Director of Dorje Denma Ling in February 2019. She has served in the Shambhala mandela in a variety of roles, including as Operations Commander for the Dorje Kasung, as Drala Regional Commander, and as a Resident Director of Shambhala Training. Catherine has been a member of the Shambhala community since 1981 and was a student of Chogyam Trungpa, Rinpoche. She is also a student of his son, Sakyong Mipham, Rinpoche.

Christie Cashman

Christie first encountered the dharma as a young girl. During a long stay in Japan, she made daily visits to Buddhist and Shinto temples and began to feel a deep connection with the penetrating quietude of these environments. It was years later in 1968, while studying at the University of California in Berkeley, that Christie learned to meditate under the guidance of Suzuki Roshi. A few years later Christie picked up Trungpa Rrinpoche’s Meditation in Action. Learning of Rinpoche’s “resonant and outrageous” lifestyle, she sold her belongings, packed a little bag and moved to Boulder, Colorado to become his student. That…

Christine Guest

Christine has been involved with the Shambhala community since the 1980’s as a student, teacher, and in various administrative roles at the Montreal Shambhala Centre. Originally from Vancouver Island, she moved to Montreal in 1978 where she had a short career as an ESL teacher and a much longer one as a professional photographer. Recently retired from her job as staff photographer the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, she now spends her time between Montreal and an old farm house in Tatamagouche, Nova Scotia with her dog, Suki. Christine has been teaching Shambhala Training for more than 20 years, and…

Christine Heming

Christine Heming, a senior teacher in Shambhala, has been a meditation instructor and teacher of the buddhadharma for over 40 years. She has been a student of the Vidyadhara Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, the Venerable Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche, and Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche. She has completed a three-year retreat in the Kagyu Buddhist tradition. She lives in Port Royal, Nova Scotia.

Crane Stookey

Crane started meditating in the 80’s and heard Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche teach only 3 times, but he has always regarded him as his root guru. He has been a student of Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche and has also studied with Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche. Crane was a dathun junkie, sitting 5 dathuns before attending Vajradhatu Seminary. He has been a meditation instructor since 1991, and is delighted to be part of another dathun, and especially pleased at the chance to practice oryoki again. Crane has also for many years been staff at Shambhala Sun Summer Camp, and led the Rites of Warriorship…

Donna MacKenzie

Donna began studying with Dr. Eva Wong in 2010 and was authorized to teach Qigong Levels 1 and 2 in 2022. She is a Zen Buddhist practitioner, taught yoga for 14 years, currently works as an ecologist and a cook, plays music, and spends her time between Southern Ontario and Nova Scotia.

Elizabeth Callahan

(Joining Via Zoom) Elizabeth Callahan began her contemplative training and Tibetan studies in 1977, and completed two three-year retreats at Kagyu Thubten Chöling, New York, under the direction of Kalu Rinpoche. She is a student of Khenpo Tsültrim Gyamtso Rinpoche, and has translated key texts of the Karma Kagyu tradition, including Mahamudra: Ocean of Definitive Meaning, Profound Inner Principles, and, most recently, Moonbeams of Mahamudra. She has been a Tsadra Foundation Fellow since 2002 and is the director of the Tsadra Foundation Studies Scholarship Program. Because of the current Covid situation in New York, Elizabeth Callahan won’t be travelling this…

Eve Rosenthal

Eve Rosenthal has been a senior teacher in Shambhala for many years, leading programs for the public as well as advanced practitioners. She led several Warrior Assemblies in North America, Europe and South America, the first of which was the inaugural program at Dorje Denma Ling in 1993. Eve has also been a practitioner of tai chi and qi gong for several decades. She learned from the students of Cheng Man-Ching, a grand master of the Yang style of tai chi, and continues her study of qi gong and tai chi with Dr. Wu, an accomplished practitioner of martial arts…

Gaylon Ferguson

GF has led month-long mindfulness-awareness meditation retreats since 1976. He taught Religious Studies at Naropa University for fifteen years. He is the author of two books, Natural Wakefulness (on the four foundations of mindfulness as taught by Trungpa RInpoche) and Natural Bravery.

Hope Martin

Hope Martin has taught the Alexander Technique for 35 years, trained Alexander teachers for over two decades at the American Center for the Alexander Technique, and operates Hope Martin Studio in New York City. She is a Meditation Instructor, a Focusing trainer and has been a close student of Pema Chodron for 30 years. Her particular passion is in helping her students discover how easeful, upright posture is an expression of their human dignity, confidence, and innate wakefulness. To learn more about Hope’s work, visit hopemartinstudio.com

John McQuade

John McQuade is the founder of Nalanda Miksang Photography, and has established Nalanda Miksang teachers in North America, Europe and Australia. He is also co-author of two books in his field: Looking and Seeing, and Heart of Photography. He is currently on the faculty of the Halliburton School of Art and Design and is completing a PhD on the classic photographer, Edward Weston. John is also a practising Buddhist, having studied with Chogyam Trungpa from 1979 until Rinpoche’s death in 1987. Besides being an accomplished meditation master, Trungpa Rinpoche was also an artist, a poet and a photographer. Nalanda Miksang contemplative photography is based on the…

John Rockwell

John Rockwell has been on the path of dharma for 45 years. He met Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche in 1975 and studied and practiced the Buddhist and Shambhala teachings for 12 years with him, and in particular worked with him on translating Tibetan texts into English. For ten years, he studied and taught at Naropa University in the Buddhist Studies department. For many years, he served as an acharya or senior teacher for Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche, and also studied intensively with Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso Rinpoche. John’s inspiration is to share the profound and practical teachings that he has received. Explore John’s…

Kristine McCutcheon

Kristine McCutcheon is a student of the dharma in all its myriad forms. Madhyamika to Kyudo, ritual music to singing and dancing, solitary and group retreats. She is also a student of Chöd practice — just scratching the surface of the profound Mahayana teachings. Taking her teachers’ examples to heart, Kristine is a householder and lives with her partner in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, between the mountain and the ocean.

Liz Richardson

A graduate of the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts, Liz is a lifelong actor and playwright, working on stage and in film primarily in England and Canada. She is a student of Trungpa Rinpoche and Sakyong Mipham, and has completed the three-year meditation retreat at Gampo Abbey. Liz has developed contemplative workshops combining the Five Wisdoms and performance training, and has taught and performed in North America, Chile, New Zealand and Mexico.

Mark Nowakowski

Mark Nowakowski met the Vidyadhara Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche in 1972 and has been his student ever since. He currently studies with other Kagyü and Nyingma masters. Mark is a senior member of the Nalanda Translation Committee and a senior teacher in the Shambhala mandala. He did his first Fire Offering in 1985, and his second that same year with the Vidyadhara, and with Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche the following year. Since then he has led many Amending and Four Karma Fire Offerings. In 2006, he requested the Sakyong’s blessing and permission to do weekend rite-of-aid fire offerings to benefit our mandala…

Nancy Huszagh

Nancy became a student of the Vidyadhara Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche in 1979. In 2010, she completed the three-year-retreat at Söpa Chöling under the direction of Thrangu Rinpoche and subsequently assumed the role of Druppon (retreat master) for the latest retreat which ended in 2017. She has studied with a number of teachers over the years, including attending Scorpion Seal retreats with Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche. Nancy attended the first dathun in 1981 when oryoki was first introduced, and more recently co-taught 2 mahamudra dathuns at DDL and served as meditation instructor at 2 CTR-style dathuns at Lerab Ling in France.

Richard John

An early student of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, Richard served as acharya for Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche for 20 years. He completed the first three-year retreat at Gampo Abbey, and now teaches Shambhala Buddhist meditation courses full time. Richard and his wife Liz reside in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Robert Gailey

Robert Gailey has been a student of the Shambhala Lineage since 1974 and has served and trained with the Druk Sakyong Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche and Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche in Boulder, Colorado, Shambhala Mountain Center, New York City, Karme Chöling, and Halifax. He enjoys sharing the contours and challenges of this path and culture of practice through studying the teachings of lineage holders and applying that wisdom through contemplative retreats and everyday life. Bob has been living in Halifax since 1992, has two grown children, and served for many years as an information technology architect for large organizations in Canada and…

Sam West, 'Somo' of Kozan Kyudojo

Sam began kyudo in Boulder in 1980 with Sendai, Shibata Kanjuro Sensei XX, who had been invited by Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche to teach kyudo in Colorado. In 1984 Sam became responsible (Somo) for Toko Kyudojo in Manhattan. He traveled to kyudo programs with Sendai during the 80’s and, in 1987, became responsible for Kozan Kyudojo in Nova Scotia. Sendai sent Sam to help foster kyudo and develop dojos in Europe and the US. In 1999 Sendai requested Sam to organize and develop all the kyudojos within Zenko International from Boulder. There, Sam lived with Sendai, cared for him, studied kyudo,…

Scott Perkins

Scott Perkins is a certified Recovery Coach, Recovery Coach Trainer, and Meditation Teacher. He began practicing Buddhism in 1988 and completed a Master’s degree in Buddhist Studies from Naropa University in 1992. Scott has been teaching on Buddhism and Meditation for over 25 years. Scott began his own path of recovery on Christmas Day, 2005 and has been exploring the intersection of recovery and meditation since that time. In his role as a Recovery Coach, Scott helps others craft personal paths/programs that supports their recovery from addictions and strengthens their ability to experience life with sanity, courage, and compassion. In 2006, Scott founded and continues to lead the Washington DC…

Scott Wellenbach

Scott Wellenbach has been a member of the Nalanda Translation Committee for over 30 years. He was an early student of Trungpa Rinpoche and is now a member of Ponlop Rinpoche’s Nithartha faculty. Scott is known for his learned and accessible teaching style, with particular emphasis on Mahamudra instructions.

Shastri Steve Gleich

Shastri Steve Gleich feels very fortunate to have received teachings from Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche and Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche and their senior students and to have been in the Shambhala Buddhist world since 1982. He is now retired from 30+ years career in psychology and mental health and 10+ years career as woodworker. He has been married to Lilly for 38 years, and they are now living in Tatamagouche, Nova Scotia. He continues to volunteer with Dorje Denma Ling, Tatamagouche Shambhala Meditation Group, Dorje Kasung Land Group, and the local food bank.

Tom Bell, Senior Teacher

Tom Bell became a student of the Vidyadhara in 1972, and has been active since then in direct service to both of the Sakyongs and also to the current Sakyong Wangmo. He was on the staff of RMDC (Shambhala Mountain Centre) in the mid-70s, was the director of Karme Choling from 2000-2003, and has been an active Shambhala teacher since 1976. He has worked to support his family through a career in business and economic development in Colorado and Nova Scotia. His immediate family now numbers fifteen, including his wife, three children, their spouses, and seven grandchildren.