Sarasvati — original painting by Shey Khandro
Peace Begins Within
Whatever life is bringing, you can learn to meet it with greater clarity, compassion, and steadiness.
You may have landed here through the retreat program or with a Pocket Pause card in your hand. Perhaps we have already practiced together—or perhaps you are deciding where to place your mat. Either way, welcome. I’m glad you are here.
It is a joy to return to the Kekoka Yoga Retreat, now in its 17th year, and to support the work of Camp Kekoka. Funds raised through this annual gathering help provide financial assistance for young people to attend camp. I’m grateful to share a small part of this weekend with you.
Come Practice with Me at Kekoka
Saturday · 9:30–10:30 AM
Meditation 101: Peace Begins Within
An accessible and welcoming introduction for new and returning meditators.
You do not need to sit a certain way, empty your mind, or arrive with any special experience. We’ll loosen a few common myths, explore what meditation asks of us—and what it does not—and experience the simple practice of returning.
Sunday · 8:00–8:15 AM
Morning Peace Meditation
Begin the day with a quiet fifteen-minute guided meditation—a little space to settle, listen, and meet the morning together.
Take the Practice Home
If you received one of my Pocket Pause cards, this is the practice it was created to accompany. If you found me through the retreat program, it is yours too.
Peace Begins Within: A Five-Minute Guided Meditation
You do not need to empty your mind or achieve a special state. Minds think—that is rather their specialty.
Find a place where you can be reasonably comfortable, press play, and let these few minutes be enough.
Return whenever you need a small pause in the midst of an ordinary day.
The Peace We Are Practicing
Peace is not permanent calm or a life without disturbance. It is the capacity to return when we have been shaken.
Through meditation, we learn to pause, settle, and meet ourselves and the moment with awareness rather than judgment or reactivity.
“Within” is where we begin practicing peace—not a boundary separating us from the world. What we cultivate within shapes how we listen, speak, choose, and care for one another.
Peace begins within—and it does not end there.
If You Would Like to Keep Practicing
Perhaps this pause is enough for today. Let it be enough.
If something here feels alive or familiar—and you would like to continue—these are a few ways we can practice together.
🌿 Mindful Meditation: Cultivating Presence
A live, multi-session online course
Created for both newer and experienced meditators, this experiential course offers time and support to move beyond simply learning about meditation and begin developing a practice that can live with you.
Each gathering weaves together clear teaching, guided meditation, personal reflection, conversation, and practical ways to continue between sessions. Over the course of our time together, you will explore the foundations of meditation while cultivating a more compassionate and attentive relationship with yourself—and with the life unfolding around you.
This is not about achieving a permanently calm mind. It is an invitation to practice returning: to the body, to the breath, to the present moment, and to the wisdom already alive within you.
Interested in the next course?
If you would like to learn more, ask a question, or be notified when the next live course opens, you are warmly invited to reach out.
Practice With Me Each Month
🌿 Second Sunday Mindful Meditation Gathering
Second Sunday is a free monthly gathering—a steady place to pause, practice, and connect in community.
On the second Sunday of each month, we gather online for guided meditation, reflection, and conversation. Whether you join us once or return month after month, you are warmly welcome.
RECEIVE 2ND SUNDAY INVITATIONS
Looking Ahead
December 5, 2026 — The God Box
A Live Online Workshop
A guided, experiential workshop exploring the God Box as a simple sacred practice of surrender, trust, and making room for guidance.
January 15–February 23, 2027 — Feast for the Soul
Feast for the Soul is a free 40-day global gathering featuring spiritual teachers and practices from around the world. During the 2027 Feast, I will offer a free meditation series spanning six Sundays. The January 24 practice will be woven into The Sacred Pause at Richmond Hill.
January 22–24, 2027 — The Sacred Pause
Valley and I will lead an intimate two-night, three-day winter retreat at Richmond Hill—a spiritual retreat center housed in a historic monastery in the heart of Richmond, Virginia.
Together, we will create a nourishing space for rest, reflection, deep listening, connection, and renewal.
A Quiet Way to Stay Connected
Mindful Living & Heartfelt Wisdom is my twice-monthly eNews—a place where I share reflections, simple practices, upcoming gatherings, and news of what is taking shape.
If you would enjoy receiving these notes, you are warmly welcome.
Hi, I’m Shey
Hi, I’m SheyI’m an artist, meditation teacher, spiritual mentor, and guide. My work is rooted in more than three decades of spiritual study and meditation practice, including fifteen years as an ordained Buddhist nun in the Tibetan tradition.
Today, I bring the depth of that experience into accessible meditation, teaching, retreats, and one-to-one work—creating spaces where people can pause, listen deeply, and hear their own wisdom beneath the noise.
I also work privately with people who are navigating change, seeking clarity, or wanting to live in closer relationship with what matters most.
EXPLORE 1:1 COACHING & MENTORSHIP
Thank you for practicing with me at Kekoka.
May what you have tended here travel with you—in each breath, each choice, and each small act of immeasurable benefit.
Peace & Blessings,Â
đź’ś Shey