Rion Pendergrass

I am a white person of central and northern European ancestry. I have been practicing in Buddhist traditions for more than 25 years. These practices have supported my personal healing journey and understanding myself as a transgender person. I believe in sharing these practices to support others on their spiritual path. I teach meditation and have also recently begun teaching ancestral healing practices to support white-identified individuals in working through the complexity of their colonizing lineages, to engage in healing within and to engage in repair externally in support of dismantling white supremacy. I am currently in ministerial school to become a Buddhist-centered chaplain through Starr King for the School of the Ministry. In February 2023 I will have completed my meditation teaching training through the East Bay Meditation Center (EBMC) Spiritual Teaching and Leadership Program. I also have completed a year-long program with the New York Zen Center for Contemplative care, as well as a Year of Engaged Buddhism through the Insight Meditation Center of Washington D.C.. I am currently in the Dharmapala Training with teachers Thanissara and Kittisaro for the next two years. The focus of my chaplaincy work will be to accompany and support individuals who are seeking support on their own spiritual journey as they identify their path to wholeness. I am also a trained scientist. I currently live in the Bay Area on Ohlone Land.