Senior Faculty
Dennis Warren – SIM’s Founding Teacher
DENNIS WARREN is SIM’s Founding Teacher and has been teaching mindfulness, meditation and contemplative practices since 1998. He recently completed his 11th year as a Volunteer Clinical Professor in Mindfulness in the Division of Pain Medicine at the UC Davis School of Medicine and Medical Center. He is certified as a Mindfulness Teacher, Professional Level (CMT-P), by the International Mindfulness Teachers Association. He is a graduate of the professional trainings in Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction and Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression. He also is a graduate of the Spirit Rock Medication Center’s Dharma leaders training program. You can learn more about Dennis’ background and activities at https://www.denniswarren.net/ .
Dennis has been participating in residential meditation retreats, and has maintained a daily meditation practice, in the Theravadan Buddhist tradition for over 30 years. 2018 was his 20th year of teaching Insight Meditation and mindfulness practices in residential, retreat, educational, medical, corporate and community settings. In 2007 and 2014, Dennis led month long pilgrimages and moving retreats in Thailand, India and Nepal. A third is being planned for late 2021.
To listen to some of Dennis’ previously recorded talks, visit SIM’s audio dharma library: click here.
Diane Wilde
DIANE WILDE has studied meditation in various traditions since 1990. In 2001 she was a founding member of Sacramento Insight Meditation. She founded Buddhist Pathways Prison Project (aka Boundless Freedom Project) in 2010 and has been a prison chaplain for 21 years. Along with teaching in prisons, she also teaches at retreats for “returning citizens.” She is a graduate of Sati Center’s Buddhist Chaplaincy program, Spirit Rock Meditation Center’s Community Dharma Leadership Training Program and in 2015 was lay-ordained as a Buddhist minister by her teacher, Gil Fronsdal. Gil gave her the Pali name “Vimuttipala”, which means “Defender of Freedom.” She is a board member of Sati Center for Buddhist Studies located in Redwood City.
To listen to some of Diane’s previously recorded talks, visit SIM’s audio dharma library: click here.
Rich Howard
RICH HOWARD has been an active practitioner and volunteer at SIM since 2004. His area of interest is bringing meditative awareness into everyday life. He participated in SIM’s 2007 India Pilgrimage and is a graduate of SIM’s second Practice Development and Leadership (PDL) program. He served on the Board from 2010 until 2015, the last two years as president. He was one of the SIM representatives to the Inter-Sangha Coordinating Committee, predecessor to the Sacramento Dharma Center Board, which now runs our shared space for Buddhist sanghas in Sacramento. He served as a Peace Corps volunteer in southern Africa in the 1970s and is fluent in Spanish. His teachers are Dennis Warren, Tony Bernhard, and Steve Armstrong. Rich completed online courses with Steve on the Abhidhamma (the Buddhist psychology) and the Manual of Insight. He took Gil Fronsdal’s online course on the Majjhima Nikaya (Middle-length Discourses of the Buddha). His interest in the environment led him to the One Small Planet training with Kerry Nelson and the Ecosattva training with One Earth Sangha. In 2018, he completed a 10-month Dhamma Awareness Training with Steve Armstrong and Kamala Masters called Touching the Earth. In 2019, he completed Meg Gawler’s 8-month course Preparing the Ground for Samadhi.
To listen to some of Rich’s previously recorded talks, visit SIM’s audio dharma library: click here.
Diana Clark
DIANA CLARK, PhD, teaches at a number of meditation centers in the San Francisco Bay Area, but primarily at the Insight Meditation Center in Redwood City, CA. She has spent years participating in meditation retreats, largely at Spirit Rock, IMS, and the Insight Retreat Center. She was trained to be a retreat teacher by Gil Fronsdal and Andrea Fella.
Inspired by the Buddha’s teachings on peace and freedom, she teaches with an emphasis on both the beautiful and the practical, with a commitment to creating the conditions for the unfolding of both wisdom and compassion. In addition, in both dharma communities and academic settings, Diana leads explorations of the Buddha’s discourses with an emphasis on making these powerful ancient teachings relevant today. She has a PhD in biochemistry and is the President of the Sati Center for Buddhist Studies.
To listen to some of Diana’s previously recorded talks, click here.
Vance Pryor
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 a graduate of IMS’s 2017-2021 Teacher Training Program.
To listen to some of Vance’s previously recorded talks, click here.
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Walt Opie
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. Visit https://www.waltopie.com/ for more information.
To listen to some of Walt’s previously recorded talks, click here.
Visiting Teachers
ANDREA CASTILLO has practiced Insight Meditation since 1998 under the guidance of Gil Fronsdal and Andrea Fella. She has taught Dharma at the Insight Meditation Center (IMC) since 2011; she has specialized, although not exclusively, in teaching in Spanish for the Hispanic community. Andrea was trained as a teacher at IMC by Gil Fronsdal, and graduated from the Insight Meditation Society (IMS) teacher training, led by Joseph Goldstein. She offers Insight residential retreats in English and Spanish in the US, Latin America, and Spain. In her teaching she is most interested in exploring the intersection between the Pali canon, our direct experience, and our capacity for creativity. Before dedicating herself to the practice and teaching Dharma, Andrea worked in academia researching and teaching musicology.
To listen to some of Andrea’s previously recorded talks, click here.
GREG SCHARF, an Insight Meditation Society guiding teacher, has practiced with Western and Asian teachers in the Theravada tradition since 1992. He has been teaching residential retreats since 2007, including the annual Three-Month Retreat at IMS. Greg’s love of nature and the outdoors deeply informs both his practice and teaching.
To listen to some of Greg’s previously recorded talks, click here.
GULWINDER “GULLU” SINGH is a corporate real estate attorney who regularly teaches both secular and Buddhist classes, groups and retreats at InsightLA and at Spirit Rock Meditation Center, including Mindful-Based Stress Reduction. Gullu is deeply inspired to share meditation as an antidote to stress, a way to cope more effectively with the challenges of work and life and to inject more sanity, compassion and wisdom into this world. He is a graduate of the four-year Spirit Rock Meditation Center Teacher Training and qualified to teach Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction. You can learn more about Gullu here: https://gullusingh.com/about-gullu/.
To listen to some of Gullu’s previously recorded talks, click here.
HEATHER SUNDBERG has taught insight meditation since 1999 and completed the Spirit Rock/IMS Teacher Training program under Jack Kornfield and Joseph Goldstein. She has been a regular visiting teacher for SIM since 2011 and is currently a member of the Spirit Rock Teacher’s Council.
Beginning her own meditation practice in her late teens, for the last three decades Heather has studied with senior teachers in the Insight Meditation (Vipassana) and Tibetan (Vajrayana) traditions. She has completed 3 years of accumulated retreat time. Her retreat training includes Insight Meditation, Pure Awareness (MahaSati), Concentration (Jhana), the Heart Practices (Brahma Viharas), and Body-Based Energy Practices – upon which she bases the main themes of her teaching. To augment her retreat practice, she has spent time studying the suttas and Buddhist philosophy. Heather teaches retreats (mainly online) in all of the above topics both nationally and to communities in Canada and Europe.
Heather has a deep connection with the essence of the Thai forest lineage, through her early teacher Ajahn Jumnien, who trained her in MahaSati Pure Awareness practice for a number of years. Understanding that the essence of the MahaSati is accessing the wisdom of Pure Awareness in all aspects of life, she began offering in-depth ongoing Trainings in MahaSati in 2016. Heather’s other connections in the Thai forest tradition include her long-term association with Abhayagiri Monastery in California through Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Amaro. Ajahn Amaro was a main mentor during her Senior Teacher Training. She has sat retreats with Ajahn Sumedho and Ajahn Sucitto, and has connections with many of the Bhikkhuni’s who originally trained in the Thai forest tradition.
To better facilitate students in daily life exploration, Heather completed two years of training in Somatic Experiencing. In addition, she completed Professional Hakomi training, which is in mindfulness-based somatic therapy. She offers meditation support sessions to students individually worldwide.
As a teacher, Heather’s style is warm and practical. She emphasizes embodiment, and including strong heartfulness in practice. She carries an interesting combination of supporting a ‘less is more’ easeful style of practice, plus a passionate ‘no holds barred’ attitude about awakening. www.heathersundberg.com or www.mahasati.info
JD DOYLE serves as a Core Teacher at the East Bay Meditation Center in Oakland, CA, has completed 8 years of training at Spirit Rock Meditation Center.. JD has practiced Buddhism since 1995 in the U.S., Thailand, and Burma. For over twenty years, they worked as a public school teacher. JD holds a BS in Environmental Studies from Cornell University and a Masters in Language and Literacy and Sociocultural Studies from the University of New Mexico. JD identifies as genderqueer. They are committed to celebrating diversity, addressing racial injustice, expanding concepts of gender, and honoring the sacredness of the Earth. For more information visit www.heartmindteaching.com.
To listen to some of JD’s previously recorded talks, click here.
NEESHA PATEL, PhD is deeply grateful for the liberative teachings of the Buddha. She has been fortunate to have practiced in both Asia and the US. Her practice has been influenced by the guidance of many wonderful teachers including Sayadaw U Tejaniya and Thai Forest Tradition teachers. She teaches mindfulness meditation at UC Davis and is a participant in the 2017-2021 Insight Meditation Society Teacher Training Program.
To listen to some of Neesha’s previously recorded talks, click here.
SETH CASTLEMAN is a teacher, writer, and storyteller with over twenty years experience teaching mindfulness and spiritual practice. Castleman is trained in both the Jewish and Buddhist traditions. After 20 years of meditation practice and two years of silent retreat as a lay-person in the US, India, and Nepal and as a monk in Burma, Seth was trained as a teacher by Jack Kornfield at Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Woodacre, CA. He was authorized as a meditation/dharma teacher in 2008. Following eight years of rabbinical studies in the US and Israel/Palestine, Castleman was ordained in 2011 as a rabbi by one Orthodox, one Conservative, and one Reform rabbi. Castleman has published in two dozen newspapers, periodicals, and anthologies on the intersection of contemplative practice and social justice and the transformational power of brokenness. As a storyteller, Seth has performed in theaters, on radio and television, and at countless kitchen tables. Seth uses myth, storytelling, and humor as central tools in his teaching and counseling work. Seth Castleman is married to Reverend Elizabeth Griswold, making them, quite possibly, the only rabbi—Christian minister married couple in the US. Seth and Elizabeth live in Davis, CA with their three children.
To listen to some of Seth’s previously recorded talks, click here.
TONY BERNHARD is a Buddhist chaplain and teacher. He hosts study groups in Davis and has been teaching regularly for dharma groups around the bay area and central valley for over 25 years. Until the pandemic, he worked as a mental health counselor and chaplain for inmates at Folsom Prison and spent over 20 years with the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies coordinating continuing education programs for graduates of Spirit Rock’s Community Dharma Leaders programs. He recently retired from the board of the Sati Center for Buddhist Studies in Redwood City where he served for over 20 years. His practice is non-traditional, guided by his chaplaincy work in prison, his teaching and by his study of the early Pali scriptures.
To listen to some of Tony’s previously recorded talks, click here.
Monastic Presenters
AYYA ANANDABODHI was born and raised at the foot of the sacred Preseli Mountains in Wales, UK. She first encountered the Buddha’s teaching in her early teens while reading a book on Buddhism. Reading the Four Noble Truths was life-changing and from that moment she experienced a deep confidence in the Buddha’s insight, and a wish to understand his teachings more deeply. At the age of 24, Ayya Anandabodhi began monastic training at Amaravati Buddhist Monastery in England.
Seventeen years later, in 2009, she moved to the USA with a wish to create more opportunities for women monastics. In 2011 she took full Bhikkhuni Ordination, joining the worldwide revival of the Theravada Bhikkhuni Order. Ayya Anandabodhi’s practice and teaching are guided by early Buddhist scriptures, living in community, and through nature’s pure and immediate Dhamma.
To listen to some of Ayya Anandabodhi’s previously recorded talks, click here.
AYYA SANTACITTA was born in Austria and has a multifaceted background in hotel management, ethnology and avant-garde dance theater. Her first teacher was Ajahn Buddhadasa, who sparked her interest in Buddhist monastic life. She has practiced meditation for 30 years and trained as a nun in both the East and West since 1993, primarily in the lineage of Ajahn Chah. Since 2002 she has also received teachings in the lineage of Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche. Ayya Santacitta is co-founder of Aloka Vihara Forest Monastery, where she has resided since 2009 and took Bhikkhuni Ordination in 2011. She is particularly interested in creating sanctuary close to nature, practicing in community, and bringing wisdom traditions to the environmental movement.
To listen to some of Ayya Santacitta’s previously recorded talks, click here.
Community Presenters
JEFF HARDIN has been practicing Insight Meditation over 20 years. His practice matured during his time at SIM (2005-2014). He was a Community Mentor at SIM and underwent several teacher trainings: Practice Dharma Leadership, Community Dharma Leadership (Spirit Rock), and Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction. In this day job, he is a practicing physician.
To listen to some of Jeff’s previously recorded talks, click here.
MATT RUSSELL, PhD, is a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) teacher and a Marriage and Family Therapist. He is a graduate of the Sati Center for Buddhist Studies’ Chaplaincy Training Program, and has been a member of the SIM community since 2010.
To listen to some of Matt’s previously recorded talks, click here.
RICK MADDOCK, MD, is a professor of psychiatry who teaches and conducts neuroscience research at the UC Davis School of Medicine. A long-time dharma practitioner with a focus on the teachings of early Indian Buddhism, Rick has completed Spirit Rock’s training programs for senior students and teaches dharma in the Sacramento area and Sierra foothills. His teachings explore the convergence between contemporary scientific insights about the human brain and the wisdom traditions and practices of Buddhism.
To listen to some of Rick’s previously recorded talks, click here.
RYAN BANDY has been practicing meditation for 24 years and has 14 years practicing within the Insight tradition. Ryan’s Dharma interests include integrating practice into daily life and exploring the freedom of choiceless awareness. He has sat numerous silent retreats including many with Sacramento Insight Meditation. He also trained as a monastic studying non-dual practices for eight years. A certified hatha yoga teacher, he continues to meet annually with Gil Fronsdal to discuss all things Dharma. In his day job he is a higher education research analyst.
SARA DENZLER participated in SIM’s 2014 Pilgrimage to India and is starting her sixth year of ongoing study and practice with Teacher Heather Sundberg, focusing on teachings from the Thai Forest tradition. She is particularly interested in integrating practice into daily life including work, relationships and personal health. She has served as Treasurer on the SIM Board of Directors from 2017 – 2023 and assists with SIM’s Beginning Meditation Class.