Each month, we invite the teachers at WITHIN to offer wisdom and inspiration around a particular topic. In October, we’re talking about focusing attention: why it can be such a challenge to direct your attention where you want it to go, why it’s important to practice, and how meditation can help you do it.
On October 12th, three of our teachers will get together for an informal conversation on Zoom exploring this month’s theme: Herky Chopra, Tessa Jonson and Ranga Jayawardena. Whether you join them live 10-11am PDT / 1-2pm EDT, or listen to the recording afterwards, you’re sure to get a variety of perspectives and ideas to nourish your meditation practice.
Anyone can submit a question ahead of time for the teachers - just fill out this quick form. We also welcome your questions live! Please note, during the conversation we will record both the questions submitted and the responses from the teachers. If you’d prefer that we not mention your name, be sure to indicate that on the form or when you type your question in the Zoom chat.
This conversation will be held online via Zoom; the link will be provided to you via email when you register. Registration is $15.
If you’re a WITHIN Member, this is included in your membership - email us for the promo code!
Herky Chopra
Herky had a deep meditative upbringing growing up in India with exposure to wisdom teachings, and the guidance of an enlightened master. She immigrated to the US at the age of 20 and even though Herky held a successful corporate career as a Project Manager, her deepest passion is in practicing and teaching meditation. She is also a life coach for women and helps them find well-being by creating an inward shift & tap into higher levels of self-compassion, self-worth, joy, and inner peace. She uses a variety of techniques in her practice but her core message is that we all have accessibility & must learn to tap into the inner dimensions of calm and presence amidst all the chaos we often experience in our outside world.
For the past 12 years, Herky has deep-dived in various modalities and practical applications in personal development, positive psychology, career and life coaching, mindfulness, and spirituality integrating east-west wisdom teachings.
In her own personal journey raising three children as a single mom and a full-time career, Herky has found meditation to be her constant companion to not only get grounded and overcome the stresses of modern living but also find meaning, joy, and beauty in her daily life.
Tessa Jonson
Tessa is a yoga and meditation teacher, specializing in Yoga Nidra ("yogic sleep meditation"). A Wisconsin, USA native turned global nomad, she wandered for years, avoiding the status quo and instead searching for a meaningful life. In 2012 she finally tried yoga - and subsequently meditation - and immediately knew that she'd found what she'd been looking for. The practice has since transformed her life completely, both inside and out.
Now, Tessa finds the greatest pleasure and deepest fulfilment in holding space for and connecting with people to gently help them find their own way back to themselves. She also loves fluffy kitties, the Grateful Dead, wandering in nature, and homemade tamales.
Ranga Jayawardena
Ranga sees meditation as playing with perception. We can learn how to adjust perception, and therefore experience, towards more enjoyment, strength and freedom.
He began his training with formal meditation practice at age 10, and has been on a journey of discovery ever since. After years of climbing the corporate ladder and later co-founding startups, he has shifted his career towards sharing his enthusiastic approach to meditation practice.
Ranga's teaching style entails bringing the ancient wisdom of the Buddha to the modern ear, through personal stories and contemporary similes. Rather than offering a singular, rigid view, he believes that we each hold the authority to find our authentic path in life and to deeply free ourselves up from worrying, anger, doubt, dullness and a sense of lacking. As such, he approaches his role as a teacher with an open heart; open to all the particularities, experiences and uniqueness of each student.
He draws on over 20 years of meditation practice and a lifetime of learning from Buddhist (and a few Daoist) meditation masters to guide friends on their personal journeys towards what they yearn for.