Thanissara

Thanissara (she/her), originally from London, started Buddhist practice in the Burmese school of U Ba Khin in 1975. She was inspired to ordain after meeting Ajahn Chah and spent 12 years as a Buddhist nun where she was a founding member of Chithurst Monastery and Amaravati Buddhist Monastery in the UK. She has facilitated meditation retreats internationally for the last 30 years and has an MA in Mindfulness-Based Psychotherapy Practice from Middlesex University & the Karuna Institute in the UK.

With Kittisaro, she co-founded Dharmagiri Sacred Mountain Retreat in 2000 in South Africa, and in 2017, they co-founded Sacred Mountain Sangha, a California-based Non-Profit supporting Dharma training, classes, events, and retreats. She has written several books, including two poetry books. Her most recent book is Time to Stand Up, An Engaged Buddhist Manifesto for Our Earth. Click here to learn more about Thanissara.