Meditation Facilitators
Our meditation facilitators have trained in the Buddhist tradition. Each individual brings a genuine kindness and welcoming presence to our programs.
Beverly Feldt
Beverly Feldt has been studying Shambhala and Zen Buddhist teachings since the 1970s. She lived and practiced at a residential Zen Center for six years in the 1980s. Years later, in 2016 here in Rockland, Beverly reconnected to Shambhala Buddhism and immersed herself in the Shambhala community, teachings, and practices. Feeling deeply nourished by the concept of Basic Goodness, she shares her love of the teachings as a Shambhala Guide and Social Meditation facilitator. Beverly brings the meditative experience of Basic Goodness into the shared heart/mind space of a group and beyond. Beverly is a retired clinical social worker and loves life.
Cynthia Trone
Cynthia Trone earned her Master’s Degree in Mindfulness Studies from Lesley University in 2017. Her work focuses on the connection of ancient wisdom to modern crises. In 2016, Cynthia travelled to Tibet to better understand the oppression and culture of Tibetan Buddhism, and in 2017, she attended the Dalai Lama’s Kalachakra teachings in Bodhgaya, India. She currently develops and manages youth programs at Georges River Land Trust’s Langlais Sculpture Preserve in Cushing. Cynthia coordinated the Sacred Art Tour’s first visit to Maine in 2018 and looks forward to welcoming the monks from the Drepung Gomang Monastery in Mundgod, India back to midcoast Maine again in the future.
Kelly Richards
Kelly Richards’ fascination with Buddhism began in the 1970’s. Her experience of nature drawing echoed the Zen of Seeing: paying attention to twigs, seed pods, or vistas brought deep calm. As a school teacher, Kelly offered that same peace to her students, encouraging them to learn through their senses in a classroom filled with natural objects, artifacts, and good smells. Kelly has had a daily meditation practice since 2005. She is a certified Cognitively-Based Compassion Training instructor and has taught meditation to children since 2006. Kelly helped create “SEE Learning,” a K-12 curriculum for compassion-based ethics. She and her husband retired to Vinalhaven in 2014, where she teaches mindfulness to children and adults. Kelly feels deep gratitude for the natural beauty and the close bonds of the community.
Kendra Denny Arey
Kendra Arey is a painter, teacher, and Buddhist practitioner. In 2015, she founded the Rockland chapter of Recovery Dharma, and she has helped to bring the Buddhist recovery model to islands and other local communities around Penobscot Bay. In 2018, Kendra traveled to Dharamshala, India to study Tibetan thangka painting at the Center for Living Buddhist Art. She spent fourteen weeks working with master teachers Locho and his wife Sarika Singh, as well as their long-term student Lobsang Tsaten, to create pencil studies and a thangka painting of the Bodhisatva Manjushri. Kendra is currently pursuing a Masters in Art Therapy at Lesley University.
Rachel Nixon
Rachel Nixon has been exploring Buddhist teachings since 1999. Over the years, she has been inspired by Pema Chödrön's writings and has trained at Shambhala Buddhist Centers in the U.S. and Canada. Rachel attended the seven-week Yarne Retreat with Pema Chödrön at Gampo Abbey in 2019-2020. Rachel has also studied with the Mangala Shri Bhuti community, as well as at the Insight Meditation Society. She is currently inspired by the works of black dharma teachers, Sebene Selassie, angel kyodo williams, and Lama Rod Owens, among others. She has been trained as a Shambhala Path Meditation Instructor and a k-12 Mindful Schools Educator. Rachel loves to teach meditation and explore the Buddhist teachings with people of all ages. She also loves sailing, hiking, and swimming.
Sydney Hall
Sydney Hall has been practicing meditation since 2008. She has practiced and studied at Shambhala Buddhist meditation centers in Colorado, Vermont, New York City, and Brunswick. Sydney trained as a Shambhala Guide and has facilitated study groups and assisted at weekend retreats for the local sangha in Rockland. She and her family have lived in Hope for nearly 40 years. Sydney is a retired art teacher, and she and her husband have sailed extensively in Maine and the Caribbean.