The Crew

“T” Maes is a Chicano and white man, born and raised in the East Bay. He has practiced Buddhist meditation since 2003, including long retreats and practicing in a forest monastery in Thailand. He is a teacher at Spirit Rock, East Bay Meditation Center, Freedom-Together, IMS, and Inward Bound Mindfulness Education, where he leads Mindfulness Teacher Training programs, mindful movement, and trauma-informed mindfulness. www.anthonymaes.com 

Day is a queer homie born to spunky, loving Vietnamese parents fleeing civil war.  Day dropped out of undergrad to become a monastic disciple and attendant of Zen Master Thích Nhất Hạnh and the Plum Village Community.  A decade later Day went forth (leaving their monastic robes behind) to pursue passions of trauma integration and Classical Chinese Medicine.  Before leaving Plum Village Day received the Lamp Transmission, recognizing their abiding commitment to building beloved communities.  When not studying acupuncture & herbalism, they can be found mentoring youth or facilitating one-on-one trauma work. 

Devon is a queer woman who cares deeply about the power of mindfulness practice as a tool to heal and liberate.  She has practiced meditation since 1997 and has been formally teaching mindfulness since 2010.  Devon is committed to making mindfulness accessible to all, specifically people who have a experienced trauma, are recovering from addiction, and historically marginalized populations, including people of color, trans and LGBQ folks, people of size and different body abilities.  She offers classes with the homie T Maes on trauma informed mindfulness. Devon is also passionate about using mindfulness to support white people in waking up to whiteness, power and privilege. She offers classes as well as individual support for white people who are interested in this work. You can find out more about Devon at www.devon-sangster-rath.com

Enrique Collazo he/him is a Mindfulness Meditation teacher rooted in the Vipassana tradition since 2005. Enrique offers that Buddhism is inherently engaged and that the cultivation of awareness, empathy, and compassion are the necessary skills for social change. Enrique has empowered individuals of all ages nationwide and internationally through classes, day-long, and multi-day retreats since 2009.

Born and raised in Los Angeles to a Peruvian mother and a Puerto Rican father from New York, Enrique has been living and teaching in the Bay Area since 2012. He is well-loved and respected for his inspirational work at Challenge Day, where he facilitates social and emotional learning workshops for thousands of young people nationwide. 

Enrique guides residential meditation retreats, live dharma classes, and online courses while offering individualized growth through dharma mentoring. His approach crafts a safe, playful space with clear boundaries, allowing for both introspective depth and interpersonal connection.

Harry has practiced meditation since 2009 and trained as a facilitator at UCLA’s Mindful Awareness Research Center in 2012 and under JoAnna Hardy in 2013. He has led groups for Meditation Coalition and Dhamma Dena Meditation Center, and has taught on retreat for Inward Bound Mindfulness Education and at Big Bear Retreat Center. Harry has been a guest speaker with Insight Meditation Community of Washington, San Francisco BIPOC Insight Sangha, and University of Southern California. He has been studying Korean Zen since 2022, and some of his writing can be found at Buddhadharma, Lion’s Roar, and Bodhi Leaves magazines. Harry is an LCSW, focusing on mental health for underprivileged communities.

Jessica Escobedo, first and foremost is a bad-ass.  Along with teaching meditation she is also a chef and entrepreneur who highly values integrating practice with daily life. Jessica's mindfulness training consists of 3 years serving as a Resident Volunteer at Insight Retreat Center, a 2 year Dharma Mentor Training, Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction training and Facilitator training with Joanna Hardy. Along with her love of the dharma she also loves, dance, yoga, non-violent communication and is all about creating radically inclusive spaces.  Jessica’s teachings integrate years of deep meditation practice with working class ethics and the mouth of a sailer.  

www.jessica-escobedo.com

Joe Clements has spent more than two decades applying the teachings of “Sit, Feel, Heal” to bring more awareness, compassion and presence into both his own life and that of his students’. Joe has dedicated himself to teaching mindfulness to the most at-risk populations because he believes that the simple, yet transformative practice can assist anyone in radically improving their lives. You can find out more about what Joe is up to at https://josephclements.com/

Sarwang Parikh was born into the Dharma within a devotional Hindu Indian lineage from an immigrant, working-class, caste-privileged family. They have been steeped in the contemplative practice and study of Vedic Yoga and Buddhism for over 20 years. Sarwang’s dedication to the Buddhadharma deepened within the Theravada Insight lineage at Spirit Rock where he has attended over 200 days of silent practice and completed the Dedicated Practitioners Program. Sarwang is also a community teacher at East Bay Meditation Center where they graduated from their first 2-year Spiritual Teacher Leadership cohort. He is grateful to work in right livelihood serving the dharma at Buddhist Peace Fellowship and mentoring teens at Inward Bound Mindfulness Education. Sarwang strives to weave ancient wisdom traditions with a decolonized approach to mental health as a psychotherapist primarily serving BIPOC folks.

Ofosu Jones-Quartey (Born I), a meditation teacher, author, and musician hailing from the Washington DC area brings over 17 years of experience in sharing mindfulness, meditation and self-compassion practices with the world. Holding a bachelor’s degree from American University and certified by the Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program, Ofosu is a graduate of the Teleos Coaching Institute and is the male voice on the Balance meditation app, reaching over 10 million subscribers. 

Ofosu leads meditation classes and retreats nationwide, having taught and led retreats at the Insight Meditation Community of Washington, The Insight Meditation Society, Spirit Rock, Brooklyn Zen Center, Cleveland Insight, Inward Bound Mindfulness and more. Ofosu has also worked with various organizations and schools, including co-writing a mindfulness-based suicide prevention curriculum for teenagers.   

Beyond music, Ofosu is an author, releasing his self-published children’s book “You Are Enough” in 2020 and “Love Your Amazing Self” via Storey Publishing in 2022. His holistic approach extends to workshops, integrating music and mindfulness for young audiences. With an upcoming double album based on “Love Your Amazing Self” and a Grammy Museum performance, Ofosu’s diverse creative outlets emphasize self-compassion and mindfulness.

Residing in Rockville, Maryland, with his wife and four children, Ofosu continues to use creativity to guide individuals towards presence, stress reduction, and cultivating love and compassion for themselves and the world. 

http://linktr.ee/bornimusic

http://instagram.com/bornimusic

bornimusic.com