Stephen Snyder      Stephen began practicing Buddhist meditation in 1976 at the age of 19, and has had a daily meditation practice from that time on. He practiced for 20 years with several Western Zen masters.  He participated in more than 50 retreats, receiving several ordinations. His primary practices over the years have been Zen, the Tibetan Dzogchen Rigpa practice, and the Theravadan Jhanas.  He has been a practicing lawyer for more than 20 years, also serving as an advisor to a number of Buddhist and spiritual teachers.        Stephen attended the two-month retreat with Ven. Pa Auk Sayadaw in 2005. He attained the eight jhanas (as well as other practices) in the span of the retreat, becoming the first American male to complete this attainment. Stephen is the co-author of the book, Jhanas Advice from Two Spiritual Friends, to be released by Shambhala Publications in 2009. Stephen has been authorized to teach by Ven. Pa Auk Sayadaw, and now works as a spiritual mentor, professional coach, and lawyer. You can reach him at enohoe@yahoo.com, or 415-453-4470.

Tina Rasmussen      Tina learned to meditate in 1976, at the age of 13. She has meditated daily since 1993. In 2003, she completed a year-long solo retreat, spending 8 to 12 hours every day engaged in spiritual practice. Her practices include the Jhanas, Vipassana, the Bramaviharas, Tibetan Dzogchen Rigpa, Qi Gong, and Yoga.      Tina has worked as an organizational development consultant for more than 25 years. She completed her Ph.D in 1995. At the age of 30, her first business book was published by McGraw-Hill. Her second book was published in 2006.      In 2005, Tina attended the 2-month jhana retreat with Ven. Pa Auk Sayadaw, who ordained her as a Theravada Buddhist nun. During the retreat, Tina became the first American and the first Western woman to complete the eight jhanas (as well as other practices) in the lineage of Ven. Pa Auk Sayadaw. Tina is the co-author of the book, Jhanas Advice from Two Spiritual Friends, to be released by Shambhala Publications in 2009. Tina has been authorized to teach by Ven. Pa Auk Sayadaw, and now works as a spiritual mentor, professional coach, and OD consultant.  You can reach her at RasmussenT@aol.com, or 415-457-4580.