Bonnie Duran.
Based in Seattle, Duran has practiced the dharma for thirty-five years. She became a certified dharma teacher in 2016 after completing a four-year training program through Insight Meditation Society and Spirit Rock.
Duran says she was surprised to receive the invitation to join the council. “I’ll get to see the behind the curtains of one of the biggest Western Theravada centers, and maybe I’ll have some influence on how it runs,” Duran told NW Dharma News.
While Spirit Rock offers scholarships, Duran understands that retreats are often only available to practitioners who can afford them — she hopes to make them more accessible for people of all economic backgrounds.
“Spirit Rock is deeply grateful to have Bonnie Duran joining our Teachers Council,” a spokesperson from Spirit Rock told NW Dharma News. “Bonnie’s training and wisdom as a dharma teacher in the Insight tradition, as a professor at the University of Washington, and as a Native American and self-identified person of mixed race, brings a distinct and valued new perspective to our teachers council group.”
Duran is also the first teachers council member from the Northwest, allowing Spirit Rock to deepen its connection with the communities in that part of the U.S.
As a public health researcher, Duran focuses on improving the health and wellbeing of Indigenous communities through community-based participatory research. By welcoming Indigenous peoples to lead and co-direct the research process, Duran collects data on their culture-based strengths and resilience practices. She often travels to reservations around the United States, bringing meditation and mindfulness practices to Indigenous communities.
Read more about Duran in the “Bodhisattvas” section of the forthcoming June 2018 issue of Lion’s Roar.
