David Nichtern is a senior teacher in the lineage of Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche. This tradition combines a contemporary, secular approach to meditation with the ancient practices and philosophies of Tibetan Buddhism.

David is also a four-time Emmy winner and two-time Grammy nominee, and a successful entrepreneur with over 40 years of experience integrating spiritual practice and everyday living.

He is the author of Awakening From The Daydream: Reimagining The Buddha’s Wheel of Life and Creativity Spirituality and Making A Buck on Wisdom Publications.

Dr. Sará King is a Mother, a neuroscientist, political and learning scientist, medical anthropologist, social entrepreneur, public speaker, and certified yoga and meditation instructor. She is an internationally recognized thought leader in the interdisciplinary field that examines the relationship between complementary alternative medicine, social justice, art, and mindfulness from the perspective of neuroscience.

She has been invited to give keynotes, offer scientific consulting, creative collaboration, and to create trauma healing circles and meditations based off of her research for Nike, the Jordan Brand, the Ford Foundation, the Museum of Modern Art, Google, The Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley, Oxford University, Columbia University, OHSU, UCLA, UCSF, and Harvard Medical School, among many others.

Her research and writing have been featured in Lion’s Roar, Yoga Journal, Yoga International, Voyage LA Magazine, Mindful Magazine, Sounds True, and the Journal for Contemplative Inquiry, and she speaks regularly at conferences merging science, spirituality, contemplative practices and well-being such as the Collective Trauma Summit, The Science and Non-Duality Conference, Wisdom 2.0 and the Well-Being Summit.

In 2021, she was named “One-To-Watch” by Mindful Magazine, as well as she made the November cover of Yoga Journal Magazine as a “Game Changer” for her work bridging science, social justice and contemplative practices.

Most recently, in 2022 she was also named one of the “Ten Most Powerful Women in Mindfulness” by Mindful Magazine.

Noel Coakley is an independently licensed mental health counselor (LMHC) with a Master's degree in Counseling from Lesley University and Special Education from UMass Boston.

He is also a certified yoga instructor, supporting a holistic, mind & body approach to wellness. His experience from years as a special education teacher benefits his ability to support differentiated learning styles and needs.

Noel has been practicing meditation since 1996, beginning initially with the Indo-Tibetan traditions and then the Yundrung Bön tradition since 2013. Over the years, Noel has been fortunate to learn from over 100 teachers, including HH the Dalai Lamaand HH the 34th Menri Trizin. 

Noel’s main practice lineage is currently the Yundgrung Bön tradition, with his root lama, Geshe Tenzin Gelek Rinpoche, studying Bonpo Dzogchen from the Zhangzhung Nyengyud. 

As the founder and director of the Boston Center for Contemplative Practice, Noel has created a welcoming space where individuals can explore their own paths to healing, recovery, development, and flourishing.

Beginning in 1971, Larry Mermelstein became a close student of the Venerable Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, Tibetan Buddhist meditation master and scholar. He has been a senior teacher in the Vajradhatu/Shambhala community for many years. He is a founding member and the executive director of the Nalanda Translation Committee for over forty years and is a long-time consulting editor for Shambhala Publications.