For over three decades, meditation, dharma study, and being in the natural world have been the compass heading of my life. I began practicing Insight Meditation in college as a means of reducing confusion, stress, and struggle that I was experiencing. And attended retreats throughout this time in the U.S., India and Nepal. I began sharing  the meditation tools  in the Salida  community in 2010 and am on the Board of the Salida Insight Meditation Community.  

The gifts of practice led me to begin offering meditation and yoga to those incarcerated at our local jail which subsequently blossomed into the rich and heartfelt Mindfulness in the Jail Program, of which I am the Coordinator.

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I am  currently in my last year of a four-year Insight Meditation teacher training, under the guidance of Spirit Rock Meditation Center teachers, Susie Harrington and Brian Lesage, including training with Guy Armstrong, Gil Fronsdal, and Mark Coleman.  In 2024, I  completed a 2-year Nature Dharma teacher training aimed at expanding Buddhist retreats in nature. 

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My background as a yoga teacher, body worker, and environmental scientist deeply informs my focus on nature and embodied practice. I teach meditation in schools, jails, non-profit organizations, businesses, and on the trail.  Denise is boundlessly grateful to all her dharma teachers who have guided her on this path of freedom.