Valerie Mason-John is a playwright and author of eight books. She works as a consultant in conflict transformation, restorative justice, leadership, and anti-bullying. She lives in British Columbia, and is chairperson of Vancouver Buddhist Centre, where she leads a weekly meditation class for people in recovery from addiction.
Vance Pryor, PsyD, began insight meditation in 1998. He has been deeply influenced by the teachings of Sayadaw U Pandita and Sayadaw U Tejaniya. His training to become a teacher has been supported by the mentorship of Steve Armstrong and Kamala Masters. He is currently participating in IMS’s 2017-2021 Teacher Training Program.
Victoria Cary is a Dhamma teacher and leader who co-founded the San Francisco Black Indigenous People of Color Insight Sangha and continues as one of its core teachers. She loves the Dhamma and is interested in supporting people in their practice by focusing on integrating Dhamma into everyday life. Her identity as a queer, bi-racial black woman informs her approach to teaching the Dhamma; she seeks to support a kind internal and external investigation of our complex human experience. She has been practicing and studying Insight meditation since 2006, most recently sitting numerous retreats in the Mahasi/U Pandita lineage with Venerable Sayalay Daw Bhaddamanika, and Venerable Sayadaw U Vivekananda, including 3-month silent retreats at Insight Meditation Society and in Nepal. Her practice has also been informed by volunteering for 3 years with Zen Hospice and exploring how developing a relationship with impermanence and death can bring us more fully alive. She completed Community Dharma Leader training in 2016 and was authorized to teach in 2020 from Spirit Rock and currently teaches retreats, groups and mentor’s students.
Vinny Ferraro has been practicing meditation since 1993. He has studied with several renowned spiritual teachers including Ajahn Sumedho and the Dalai Lama. In 1998, he spent a year sitting bedside with the dying through the San Francisco Zen Center Hospice Program, as well as experiencing "A Year to Live" practice (based on the book by Stephen Levine). He has taught meditation to incarcerated youth and adults and is currently the head trainer for MBA, The Mind Body Awareness Project. Vinny also leads workshops for youth in schools internationally for a non-profit organization called Challenge Day. He is a Spirit Rock Community Dharma Leader and has been teaching the weekly Friday night insight meditation group Urban Dharma in San Francisco since 2004.
Walt Opie was first introduced to insight meditation in 1993 and began sitting retreats in 2005. Currently, his most influential teachers include Bhikkhu Analayo, Joseph Goldstein, Sayadaw U Tejaniya, and Gil Fronsdal. Walt is a graduate of the 2017-2021 IMS Teacher Training Program, as well as Spirit Rock’s Community Dharma Leaders program. He has led sitting groups for people in recovery and served as a volunteer teacher in several California prisons.
Wes Nisker is a dharma teacher, author, radio commentator and performer. He is the founder and co-editor of Inquiring Mind and a member of the Spirit Rock Teachers Council. His latest book is Crazy Wisdom Saves the World Again!
