Meditation – Sunday through Friday
Sylvia Boorstein has been teaching Dharma and mindfulness meditation since 1985. She is a founding teacher of Spirit Rock Meditation Center, a psychotherapist, wife, mother, and grandmother. She is particularly interested in emphasizing daily life as mindfulness practice and including informed citizenship and social activism as integral to spiritual maturation. Her books include: It’s Easier Than You Think: The Buddhist Way to Happiness (1997); Don’t Just Do Something, Sit There: A Mindfulness Retreat (1996); That’s Funny, You Don’t Look Buddhist: On Being a Faithful Jew and a Passionate Buddhist (1998); Pay Attention for Goodness’s Sake: The Buddhist Path of Kindness (2003), and Happiness is an Inside Job: Practicing for a Joyful Life (2008). She has visited and taught at Rancho La Puerta since 1972.
Nancy Cetel, MD, is an engaging and passionate physician, author and professional speaker. Following her graduation from the New York University School of Medicine, she obtained her postgraduate training in Reproductive Endocrinology at the University of California, San Diego, and Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Southern California. Her pioneering research in hormonal issues led to numerous publications and awards. Dr. Cetel is often referenced in books and journals, and is a frequently invited lecturer nationally and internationally. Live appearances and interviews have brought her acclaim as an accomplished communicator and advocate for an informed public. She is the author of Double Menopause: What to Do When Both You and Your Mate Go through Hormonal Changes Together. Her passions include her family, vegetarian cooking, dancing, and the joys of being a grandparent.
Jennifer Berezan is a unique blend of singer/songwriter, producer, and activist. Over the course of ten albums, her music has been shaped by her lifelong involvement in environmental, women’s, and justice movements as well as Buddhist practice.
Dr. Randy Kamen is a psychologist, life coach, educator and author of her bestselling books, Behind the Therapy Door: Simple Strategies to Transform Your Life and The Gratitude Effect Positivity Journal: 90 Days to Rewire Your Brain. She pioneered new territory in mind-body medicine at Boston University’s School of Medicine and Harvard Medical School. Dr. Kamen leads global online programs, workshops and retreats for families, corporations, hospitals and academic institutions. She weaves together researched based skills and strategies for mind management, self-regulation, healthy relationships, personal leadership, and living your vision in her unique systematic and transformational approach.
Samara Bay is the author of 
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After spending a couple of decades doing biological research at Harvard (studying silkworms), Grace Dane Mazur became a novelist, essayist, and short story writer. She has been on the fiction faculty of the MFA Program for Writers at Warren Wilson College and has also taught the Masters Degree Fiction Workshop at Harvard Extension School. Her published books include the novels, The Garden Party and Trespass; the story collection, Silk; and a book of essays, Hinges: Meditations on the Portals of the Imagination. For more information, please see 
Hello, I’m Kendra Faye. Officially, I am a harpist, singer, and multi-instrumentalist, though my joy comes from seeing the transformative power of music. Music has taken me around the globe. To environments as varied as the Amazonian jungle and the hospital wards; it has taken me from teens struggling to overcome addiction to sharing the joy of new born baby; and finally, it has taken me to the bedside to help ease the fear of an illness or offering music to comfort the biggest of life’s transitions in my work with hospice. Sharing the power of music has been both ecstatic and humbling; being both performer and witness; being both minstrel and student; learning from the Universal language of song that crosses borders and blends appreciation with wonder. The ways we sing, play and praise in devotion awakens the heart to experience more fully the healing, the pleasure, the celebration, and utilize the lessons from pain or sadness. I am grateful that my lifelong love of music reminds me of the power and beauty that we all are and how sound can help remind us of our inner beauty. Song speaks our stories. There is something sacred about deep listening and expression of song that our soul thirsts for. It soothes us, comforts us, and inspires us as we dance with life’s mystery.
Keith Macpherson, a Canadian mindfulness coach, speaker, and author, has dedicated over two decades to empowering individuals through mindfulness practices. His transformative breakthroughs guide people toward their best lives. In 2018, he authored the bestselling book “
Elena Durán grew up in Oakland, California and has enjoyed an international career, appearing as soloist with more than 50 orchestras all over the world, playing on a number of occasions for the Queen of England, HM King Charles as well as the President of Mexico. She has recorded a hit single with Paul McCartney and has made two albums with jazz great Stephane Grappelli. At various stages of her career, she has taught at University and Conservatory level including at Stanford University, the London College of Music, the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and the Hartt School of Music. She has given masterclasses and courses all over the world and was the director of the Stratford International Flute Festival for twenty years and the Mexican Flute Festival at UNAM for five years in the nineties. She was named Mexico City’s Ambassador of Culture and Tourism, and with her personal outreach program FLAUTA SIN FRONTERAS, she has taken music to those who can’t attend concerts, especially those in prison and those who live along the US/Mexico Border. Elena is a passionate supporter of the Ranch’s Fundación La Puerta, bringing her programs to the local community.
Amos Nachoum, a professional wildlife photographer and explorer, has left an indelible mark on photography and wildlife conservation. Renowned for his close-up underwater photography of large marine animals such as whales, sharks, leopard seals, crocodiles, anacondas, and polar bears, Amos has received numerous awards and global recognition for his work. Beyond his photography, Amos is a passionate environmental activist, tirelessly raising awareness about the importance of conserving the world’s natural habitats and wildlife. His camera and expeditions are not just about capturing stunning images; they are a powerful tool to support science and conservation and to inspire awareness about endangered wildlife. Amos Nachoum, a man of unique experiences and achievements, arrived from Israel in the USA in 1977. Since 1978, he has embarked on daring explorations, venturing into every significant body of water from the North Pole to Antarctica. His photographs are not just about capturing wildlife; they strive to challenge misconceptions about “dangerous” wildlife and show the harmonious interactions between man and animal. He also leads wildlife photography expeditions with his company, Big Animals Global Expeditions. Amos’s recognitions include 1st place for animals in their environment, Sienna Award 2018 and 2022, 2021 Nature Photographer of the World, 2019 Sea Keepers Award, Person of the Year, two-time award winner of BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year for animal behavior. Amos has recently published “BIG,” a book of his photography of big animals worldwide. In November 2023, Amos was nominated for the NOGI award in the art—the highest award in the international diving industry. Amos has also been the subject of the documentary “The Picture of His Life,” which chronicles his epic quest to photograph polar bears underwater in their natural habitat. Notably, twelve people have landed on the moon, but only five have dived with polar bears.