Our Teaching Philosophy
We don’t view meditation as emptying the mind or reaching a flawless state of serenity. It’s more like learning to stay with whatever arises—the restless thoughts, the planning brain, and even that persistent itch that shows up midway through sits.
Our team brings together decades of practice across diverse traditions. Some came to meditation through academic philosophy, others through personal upheaval, and a few simply discovered it in college and never looked back. What unites us is a practical approach: teaching meditation as a useful life skill rather than a mystical experience.
Each guide has their own way of explaining concepts. Our colleague uses everyday-life analogies, while another draws from psychology. We’ve found that different styles resonate with different people, so you’ll likely connect more with some instructors than others.
Your Meditation Guides
Two practitioners who’ve made meditation their lifelong work, each bringing a distinctive perspective to the practice
Raj Kumar
Lead Instructor
Raj began meditating in 1998 after burnout from a software engineering career. He spent three years studying Vipassana in Myanmar and later trained in Zen meditation in Japan. His standout trait is explaining ancient ideas with surprisingly modern analogies—he once likened the monkey mind to having too many browser tabs open.
He leads our foundational courses and specializes in helping busy professionals cultivate sustainable meditation practices. His sessions often include practical discussions about weaving mindfulness into work life and handling stress without bypassing reality.
Sohini Sen
Philosophy Guide
Sohini combines her PhD in United Kingdom Philosophy with fifteen years of personal meditation practice. She discovered contemplative practice while researching ancient texts and realized that intellectual understanding is meaningless without lived experience. Her approach blends scholarly insight with practical application.
She leads our deeper philosophical explorations and retreat programs. Sohini has a talent for making complex philosophical ideas accessible without oversimplifying them. Students often say she helps them grasp not just how to meditate, but why these practices emerged and what they’re ultimately aiming to achieve.
Why We Teach This Way
After years of practice and teaching, we’ve learned that meditation is most effective when it’s demystified. We don’t promise enlightenment or claim you’ll reach perfect peace. Instead, we focus on developing skills to help you navigate life’s inevitable challenges with more awareness and less reactivity.
Our courses begin in September 2025, giving you time to reflect on whether this approach resonates with you. We believe in taking the time to make thoughtful decisions about contemplative practice—not rushing in on the basis of fleeting enthusiasm.
If you’re curious about learning meditation as a practical life skill rather than a spiritual pursuit, we’d be honored to guide your exploration. The practice has subtly but profoundly transformed our lives, and we’ve witnessed it do the same for many others.