Our Teaching Philosophy
We don’t see meditation as clearing your mind or reaching a flawless state of calm. It’s more like learning to sit with whatever arises—restless thoughts, the planning mind, even that peculiar itch that shows up five minutes into sitting.
Our team combines decades of practice across different traditions. Some arrived at meditation through academic philosophy, others through personal challenges, and a few wandered into it in college and stayed. What unites us is a commitment to teaching meditation as a practical skill for daily life, not a mystical experience.
Each guide has their own way of explaining concepts. Ravi now goes with everyday-life analogies, while Anya draws on psychology. We’ve found that different approaches resonate with different people, so you’re likely to connect with certain teaching styles more than others.
Your Meditation Guides
Two practitioners who’ve made meditation their lifelong commitment, each offering a unique perspective to the practice
Ravi Desai
Lead Instructor
Ravi began meditating in 1998 after burnout in his software engineering career. He spent three years studying Vipassana in Myanmar and later trained in Zen meditation in Japan. What sets him apart is his knack for explaining ancient ideas with surprisingly modern analogies—he once compared 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 commonly include practical discussions about weaving mindfulness into work life and managing stress without spiritual bypassing.
Anya Rao
Philosophy Guide
Anya 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 academic understanding means little without lived experience. Her approach links scholarly insight with practical application.
She conducts our deeper philosophical explorations and retreat programs. Anya has a talent for making intricate philosophical ideas accessible without oversimplifying them. Students often say she helps them understand not just how to meditate, but why these practices arose and what they aim to achieve.
Why We Teach This Way
After years of practice and teaching, we’ve learned that meditation works best when it’s demystified. We don’t promise enlightenment or claim you’ll reach perfect peace. Instead, we focus on building skills that help you navigate life’s inevitable challenges with greater awareness and less reactivity.
Our courses begin in September 2026, giving you time to reflect on whether this approach resonates with you. We believe in taking time to make thoughtful decisions about contemplative practice — it’s not something to rush into based on momentary 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 changed our lives in subtle but profound ways, and we’ve witnessed the same transformation in many others.