Paul Linn
Paul Linn began dharma studies and meditation in 1977. He has taught throughout the US mainland and Hawaiian islands since 1987 and co-founded the Gainesville Vipassana Society with Steve Bean in 1997. Paul's extensive study and practice of psychotherapy combined with dharma teachings help inform the nature of Awakening as inherent in living itself. With respect to the spiritual traditions that meditation resides within, he aims to bring a freshness and wonder forth that reminds the heart to rest in itself and realize what is unlimited.
John Orr
John received Theravada Buddhist ordination while living in Thailand and India as a monk for eight years. He has been teaching Vipassana Meditation and leading retreats, internationally, since 1980 and has also practiced in the Taoist, Tibetan Dzogchen, and Hindu Yoga traditions. John is one of the principle teachers at the Deep Spring Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan. You can learn more about John’s teaching and the programs he offers by visiting his website:
Michael Scardaville
Michael Scardaville has been practicing Vipassana or Insight Meditation for almost 30 years and has taught meditation for more than 15 years in a maximum-security state prison and the Buncombe County jail. He also has taught in several Asheville sanghas, where he led day-long and residential retreats, and in a number of addiction recovery facilities. He had the privilege of serving for 10 years on the Board of Directors of the Southern Dharma Retreat Center near Hot Springs, NC. Michael believes that meditation can be a transformational practice that can enable us to recognize our true nature and live from our hearts.
David McKay
David McKay entered a Zen Buddhist monastery at the age of twenty-nine and spent the next eighteen years training there in silence. Over time he became a skilled facilitator and counselor, offering retreats and workshops at the monastery and across the country. David left the monastery in the fall of 2014 to further explore life and practice back in the world. He currently resides in the mountains of North Carolina, where he offers and supports awareness practice in the form of online and in-person meditation and discussion groups, workshops, one-on-one guidance, and retreats.
Anne-Marie Polanski
Anne-Marie became a student of Buddhism in 2001. She began her journey with training in the Theravadan tradition and continues to follow the path of Tibetan Buddhism within the Kagyu and Nyingma traditions, predominately in Mahamudra and Dzogchen. Anne-Marie has been authorized as a meditation teacher by Lama Willa Baker. Past positions include meditation teacher in local sanghas and as a teacher and coordinator in a two-year international program developed by Lama Willa. Former and current teachers include Sharon Salzberg, Thrangu Rinpoche, Lama Willa Baker, Lama Liz Monson, Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche and others. Anne-Marie’s enthusiasm for spiritual practice is fueled by a sense of wonder and curiosity about the transformative nature of mind, and discovering how the body can be a tool for awakening. Her main focus is on helping individuals discover their own path through spiritual practice and developing a genuine commitment to ease suffering in the world. Anne-Marie moved to Western North Carolina in 2022 from Portland, Maine.
Omri Sitton
With over two decades of experience in the healing arts, Omri Sitton, D.C., Cert. ZB., is passionate about teaching self-care and how to take ownership of our healing potential. Omri's talks often focus on Polyvagal Theory, which emphasizes the role that the autonomic nervous system - especially the vagus nerve - plays in regulating how we respond to every day stressors, including trauma. He also promotes mindfulness practice and community building as ways to naturally stimulate our nervous system and foster connection, safety, and ease in life. Omri currently runs a private Network Chiropractic, Zero Balancing and Clinical Nutrition practice in Asheville.
https://www.omsourcewellness.com/