Ying Chen is a first generation Chinese immigrant. She took refuge to become a buddhist with Venerable Ji Ru in 1995. She was exposed to Chinese Mahayana Buddhism after coming to US first. Later she was drawn to the Theravada tradition. Since 2005 she has been practicing primarily in Insight Meditation Center (IMC), under the guidance of Gil Fronsdal. She also studied suttas with Shaila Catherine. Starting from 2020, Ying practiced the Nine Bodies Insight under the guidance of Phillip Moffitt, Dana DePalma, and Tuere Sala. Ying found the integration of Insight and Nine bodies practice to be opening and transformative. Ying is a graduate of the Sati Center Chaplaincy program, the Local Dharma Leader program from Insight Meditation Center, and the four-year IRC retreat Teacher Training Program. Ying is also being mentored by Dana DePalma to teach Nine bodies Insight. Ying facilitates the Insight Meditation Center support group for people living with health challenges and co-leads Asian Dharma Circle with Lilu Chen and teaches classes on the Suttas and Nine Bodies Insight. Through Dharma Ground, Ying teaches Nine Bodies Insight courses incorporating explorations of the Pali Canon suttas.
Yong is a Dharma Council teacher at the Durango Dharma Center and a core teacher for Sacred Mountain Sangha, and is also a visiting teacher for other community centers across North America. He teaches retreats at the Insight Meditation Society, Spirit Rock Meditation Center, Big Bear Retreat Center, and Vallecitos Mountain Retreat Center. He is a graduate of the 4-year Insight Meditation Society Retreat Teacher Training program, Spirit Rock Meditation Center’s 2-year Community Dharma Leaders program, and the Sacred Mountain Sangha 2-year Dharmapala training, taught by his primary teachers Kittisaro and Thanissara. Yong is also a retired acupuncturist, is passionate about Nature and Dharma, and has particular interests in devotional expression, supporting caregivers, and offering teachings to communities of color in the Dharma.
Yuka Nakamura has practiced Buddhist meditation since 1993 in the Theravada, Dzogchen and Zen traditions, and has been trained as a teacher by Fred von Allmen. Living in Switzerland, she teaches meditation and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction.
Yvonne Weier is from Switzerland and has studied and practised Eastern spirituality, particularly Vipassana meditation since the early 80's. and She has been facilitating meditation retreats in Europe and India for many years. Since 1994 she has been residing in India where she is serving her teacher Sri Sarath Babuji as an attendant.
Zohar has been practicing meditation in different traditions since 1995. This journey has taken her from the meditation cushion into exploring further ways of expressing truth and love and in 2004 she co-founded SanghaSeva. She now spends most of her time facilitating retreats that offer service as a spiritual path around the world. Since 2006 she has been teaching on silent retreats and Dharma gatherings in India, Europe and Israel.
