Most uniquely, Rinpoche’s teachings weave together his own personal experiences with modern scientific research, relating both to the practice of meditation.

Born in 1975 in the Himalayan border regions between Tibet and Nepal, Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche is a much-loved and accomplished meditation master. From a young age, Rinpoche was drawn to a life of contemplation. He spent many years of his childhood in strict retreat. At the age of seventeen, he was invited to be a teacher at his monastery’s three-year retreat center, a position rarely held by such a young lama. He also completed the traditional Buddhist training in philosophy and psychology, before founding a monastic college at his home monastery in north India.

In addition to extensive training in the meditative and philosophical traditions of Tibetan Buddhism, Mingyur Rinpoche has also had a lifelong interest in Western science and psychology. At an early age, he began a series of informal discussions with the famed neuroscientist Francisco Varela, who came to Nepal to learn meditation from his father, Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche. Many years later, in 2002, Mingyur Rinpoche and a handful of other long-term meditators were invited to the Waisman Laboratory for Brain Imaging and Behavior at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where Richard Davidson, Antoine Lutz, and other scientists examined the effects of meditation on the brains of advanced meditators. The results of this groundbreaking research were reported in many of the world’s most widely read publications, including National Geographic and Time.

Mingyur Rinpoche teaches throughout the world, with centers on five continents. His candid, often humorous accounts of his own personal difficulties have endeared him to thousands of students around the world. His best-selling book, The Joy of Living: Unlocking the Secret and Science of Happiness, debuted on the New York Times bestseller list and has been translated into over twenty languages. Rinpoche’s most recent books are Turning Confusion into Clarity: A Guide to the Foundation Practices of Tibetan Buddhism, Joyful Wisdom: Embracing Change and Finding Freedom, and an illustrated children’s book entitled Ziji: The Puppy that Learned to Meditate.

In early June, 2011, Mingyur Rinpoche walked out of his monastery in Bodhgaya, India and began a “wandering retreat” through the Himalayas and the plains of India that lasted four and a half years. When not attending to the monasteries under his care in India and Nepal, Rinpoche spends time each year traveling and teaching worldwide.

Reza Gunawan is a holistic health practitioner that started his career in healing since 2003, by founding True Nature Holistic Healing. His elaborate healing studies encompasses a wide variety of approaches in healing, including Japanese acupuncture and moxibustion, Zen counselling, Tapas Acupressure Technique, Bach Flower Remedies, and has created the wellknown Self Healing workshop series, a practical training for mastering simple and natural skills to care of one's own holistic wellbeing. This training has been taught to thousands of participants, both to public and corporate clients. Reza also is an active speaker for many forums related to health, productivity, mindfulness and spirituality.

Dewi Lestari, known mostly in her pen name as Dee Lestari, is one of Indonesia's best selling author. Beginning her career as a singer and member of the popular female vocal trio Rida Sita Dewi in the 90's, Dee is mostly known now as an author, since her first debut in 2001, publishing the Supernova: the Knight, the Princess and the Falling Star, that instantly became a bestseller. Apart from the Supernova hexalogy, Dee had also published 6 other titles, including Coffee Philosophy, Paper Boat, Rectoverso, Madre, Supernova Quotes, and the latest one, Aroma Karsa, which was released in March 2018. Many of her work, has been adapted into big production movies. Apart from writing, Dee channels her musical gifts by composing hit songs for Indonesian pop vocalists.

Reza and Dewi has been blessed with a son and daughter, Keenan Avalokita Kirana (13) and Atisha Prajna Tiara (8). This couple has also been instrumental to the gentle birth movement in Indonesia, an understanding of pregnancy and birth based on conscious conception, minimizing trauma and nurturing love. Their direct experience in building a family based in healthy communication, conscious living and the love of art, has been inspirational to many others, and shared in different occasions.

Living well in family, while working in this modern era, can be a challenge for personal spiritual development. In this event, Reza and Dewi will share their ideas and experiences in applying the principles of meditation in the daily life, both as husband and wife, parents and as professionals.