Join Dr. Michael Gawrysiak, Marcy Vaughn, and co-hosts Geshe Tenzin Wangyal and Alejandro Chaoul for an illuminating exploration of compassion from both scientific and meditative perspectives. In this free online broadcast, participants will gain insights into the latest scientific findings on compassion and learn practical meditation techniques to cultivate this essential quality in their lives.
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This event is one of a series of eight “Kathmandu Dialogues” offered by Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche in conjunction with a February 2025 celebratory event for His Eminence Yongdzin Tenzin Namdak Rinpoche, the foremost living teacher and protector of the Yungdrung Bön tradition of Tibet. Learn more
About the Presenters
Michael Gawrysiak, PhD, is an associate professor at West Chester University of Pennsylvania, Department of Psychology; and assistant professor at the University of Pennsylvania. He coordinates research focusing on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance use disorders and uses functional brain imaging to understand how the underlying neural substrates of these phenomena change in response to mindfulness-based interventions. A licensed clinical psychologist, in his practice Michael draws from evidenced-based approaches and psychodynamic theory to treat various psychiatric disorders. He also teaches mindfulness in group and individual formats to those with PTSD and depression, as well as those who are in recovery from addiction.
Marcy Vaughn has practiced Tibetan Buddhism for more than 40 years. Marcy earned her master’s degree in contemplative psychotherapy from Naropa University, where she also taught and performed in a dance ensemble. She has a private therapy practice in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, and is co-founder with Gabriel Rocco of Contemplative Arts Studio. A senior student of Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, Marcy works in close collaboration with Rinpoche and has edited his books Tibetan Sound Healing, Awakening the Sacred Body, and Awakening the Luminous Mind. She is a senior teacher in The 3 Doors Academy, and teaches throughout the United States, Mexico, and Europe on behalf of Ligmincha International.
Geshe Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche (co-host) was born in India in 1961, following his parents’ journey from Tibet to India in 1959. At age 11 he began formal studies as a monk at Menri Monastery near Dolanji, India, where he completed an 11-year course of traditional studies at the Bön Dialectic School. He was awarded his geshe degree in 1986. He now lives as a householder, and has been living and teaching in the West for more than 30 years. An accomplished scholar in all aspects of sutra, tantra and dzogchen, Rinpoche is an acclaimed author and a respected teacher of students worldwide. As the founder and spiritual director of Ligmincha International, he has established numerous centers and institutes of learning in the United States, Mexico, South America, Europe and India. Fluent in English, Rinpoche regularly offers online teachings in the form of live webcasts, online workshops and YouTube videos. He is renowned for his depth of wisdom; his clear, engaging teaching style; and his dedication to making the ancient Tibetan teachings highly accessible and relevant to the lives of Westerners.
More about Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche
Alejandro Chaoul-Reich, Ph.D. (co-host) serves as director of research for Ligmincha International. He has studied in the Tibetan traditions since 1989, and for nearly 30 years in the Bön Tradition with Yongdzin Tenzin Namdak Rinpoche, His Holiness Lungtok Tenpai Nyima Rinpoche, and Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche. He holds a Ph.D. in Tibetan religions from Rice University and is scholar and founding director of the Mind Body Spirit Institute at the Jung Center of Houston. For the last 20 years he has been teaching and researching the benefits of Tibetan mind-body practices for people touched by cancer. He is a Contemplative Fellow at the Mind & Life Institute, and is the author of Chöd Practice in the Bön Tradition (Snow Lion, 2009), Tibetan Yoga for Health & Well-Being (Hay House, 2018), and Tibetan Yoga: Magical Movements of Body, Breath, and Mind (Wisdom Publications, 2021).