Kirat is a student at Columbia University studying how psychology and contemplative practices can be used as instruments for individual and societal transformation. She is completing research at The Contemplative Sciences Center at the University of Virginia to identify and deconstruct the multilayered conditioning that prohibits human flourishing. Kirat aims to integrate Tibetan Buddhist philosophy into a traditional psychotherapeutic framework to support others on their path toward self-actualization.

Chris Kaplan received his M.A. in the social sciences from the University of Chicago, where he researched politically engaged Buddhism and the global justice movement. Since then, he has been involved in the field of contemplative research and education in a number of capacities, including as a visiting researcher at Brown University, a visiting scholar and research associate with the Mind & Life Institute, a mentor for Inward Bound Mindfulness Education, and various other ongoing collaborations. He locates his work at the intersection of embodied contemplative practice, social justice, and collective transformation through nature connection, communal healing, and cultural repair. 

Larry Yang teaches mindfulness and loving kindness retreats nationally and has a special interest in creating access to the dharma for diverse multicultural communities. Larry has practiced meditation for almost 30 years, with extensive time in Burma and Thailand, and a six-month period of ordination as a Buddhist monastic. Larry is on the Teachers Council of Spirit Rock Meditation Center, is one of the founding teachers of both East Bay Meditation Center (Oakland) and Insight Community of the Desert (Palm Springs). Larry was honored for his work in racial justice by being selected as the community’s choice for Grand Marshal in the 2016 San Francisco LGBTIQ Pride Parade, whose theme that year was “For Racial and Economic Justice.” He has been part of the coordinating team developing future diverse community meditation teachers in Spirit Rock’s Community Dharma Leadership Programs for 10 years. Larry is one of the core trainers for the current Spirit Rock Dharma Teacher Training Program to develop the participation from multicultural communities as fully empowered dharma teachers. His new book is “Awakening Together: the Spiritual Practice of Inclusivity and Community” (Wisdom Publications).

Alisa Dennis discovered meditation through her study of metaphysics and ancient Christian mystical traditions. She practiced within the S.N. Goenka tradition of Vipassana, then studied mindfulness through the Mindful Awareness Research Center at UCLA. She completed a multiyear, Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction training related to integrating contemplative practices into psychotherapy. Alisa also completed residential training in the Zen Soto tradition. Alisa values the unifying and integrating power of Insight practice and its capacity to reconnect us to our natural capacity to meet the moments of our lives with kindness, openness, and flexibility. Alisa is a licensed clinical psychologist in private practice in the Los Angeles area. She offers mindfulness and self-compassion trainings at corporations and community-based organizations. She is in the current Spirit Rock Teacher Training Program and both assists and leads residential retreats and daylong programs. Alisa has explored many other spiritual traditions. Her work with indigenous shamans has supported her development of a multidimensional consciousness and has deepened and broadened the matrices through which she understands the nature of human existence.