Ongoing, San Francisco | Meditation & Culture experience

Zen Tea 禅茶: Cultivating Stillness, Beauty and Intimacy

We will dive deep into the wisdom of Chan (Zen) Tea and cultivate a practice that can be embedded into your daily life.

Tea has a 5,000 year history in China and was cultivated by the Taoists to help them meditate. Zen monk Mudeng combs China looking for unpolluted, old and wild tea tree forests to make teas that help people go deeper into wisdom and love. To date, she has found very limited quantities, so we drink it in ceremony. I have been training with Mudeng in the systemic Chan approach to drinking tea as a tool to transform posture, breathe, and subtle awareness and as a portal to the Tao. We will taste each of the teas brought back from her temple in China and experience for ourselves, the mysteries of life, that drinking a cup of tea opens to us. Capacity is limited to 4 people for the deepest experience.

You can contact me to schedule a private sit.

A story from my first tea tasting.

A poem on tea.

san francisco | workshop

Tide Turners Workshop: Having Difficult Conversations

Imagine a life where every difficult conversation was rewarding and meaningful. Imagine living in a world where your work and business deepen your relationship with yourself and others.

Welcome to Tide Turners, our introductory two-day workshop that provides the context and tools of VIEW. This workshop allows you to practice with other individuals who are committed to bringing more freedom and connection into their everyday lives. From business to personal relationships, we will explore beyond communication techniques, into states of mind that lead to personal revelation and discovery. We will use the principles of VIEW to cultivate clarity and epiphany around your circumstances. Bring deeper connection (with yourself and those you are in relationship with) and confidence with each conflict you approach.

Facilitators: Joe Hudson, Tara Howley, Mina Lee

may 24-27 2019, scotland | facilitator training

Music Medicine Facilitator Training with world expert Christine Stevens

Join us for a 4 day music medicine facilitation training. Music Medicine is rooted in both the modern science of music therapy and the ancient wisdom of indigenous practices that honor nature, the elements, and spirit. It is the embodiment of body, mind, heart and spirit in a musical practice of rhythm, silence, melody and harmony, of the inner soul and the outer expression. I have yet to find another musical practice that is as comprehensive, systematic and holistic. Leave being able to facilitate musical and sound experiences for your friends, family, and colleagues that increase connection, play, and presence. Learn a tool of communication that goes beyond the verbal - to the heart, body, mind, and spirit that resides in between the spaces.

Facilitators: Christine Stevens & John Paul Dear. Teaching Assistant: Mina Lee

August 18-25 2018, Bay area ca | Expedition

USA - China Consciousness Bridge

Gathering of Movement Leaders between China and the USA

Consciousness movement leaders across psychology, wellness, investing, and spiritual growth education from China visit the leaders in the USA for the first time not just as individuals, but as a community representing a sector. The purpose is to learn and build community and partnerships between China and the USA. Leaders will share industry, marketing, organizational and business model insights to jointly explore how to grow the consciousness movement as a whole. By invitation only.

English Itinerary | China Guest Bios ||| 中文邀请 | 中文细节行程 | 中文与会者

July 28-29 2018, San Francisco CA | Workshop

Tide Turners Workshop: Consciously Relating

Do you want to better navigate your closest and most important relationship - wether business or intimate? Is there an essential relationship in your life that could use more tools to expand your compassion, connection, trust, and flow with each other? Your parent, child, sibling, romantic partner, current or - even better - potential collaborator?

Join us for an experiential weekend workshop - learn and practice tools that you can immediately integrate in your relationship. Come with a partner and gain skills to navigate the journey of transforming through relationship. Facilitated by myself and one of my most inspirational teachers and friends, who specializes in navigating and leveraging difficult situations for breakthroughs: Joe Hudson.

Facilitators: Joe Hudson, Mina Lee, Tara Howley

June 15-17 2018, shenzhen China | conference speaker

Buddhism & Technology Conference by Woodenfish Foundation

Speaking Topic: Integrating personal and professional, business and spirit, structure and improv

This cutting-edge, cross-disciplinary conference convenes an international meeting of scholastic, philosophical, and practical minds to explore Buddhism & New Technology, Neuroscience, Biotechnology, and much more.

June 23-25 2017, occidental california | workshop

Music Medicine Retreat

Sound as the portal to deeper connection with Nature, Self and Others.

“The Great Spirit loved the drum so much, he gave everyone a heart beat.” - Navajo

You are invited on an experience to connect more deeply with yourself, others, and nature. For a dose of heart and spirit medicine. Expand and deepen your relationship to sound and through that, your relationship to yourself and the world around you. Experience sound and silence in the sanctuary of the giant redwood trees. Expand your edge, release whatever is holding you back from your fullest expression and allow music, nature, community, and beautiful food to be the vehicles for this soulful and reconnective journey.