Teachers

Mal Huxter

Mal Huxter
Malcolm Huxter is an Australian clinical psychologist and teacher of Buddhist meditation.   He has been teaching mindfulness and related practices such as loving kindness and compassion to clinical populations, clinicians and the general pubic for nearly 30 years    Mal originally learnt these practices as a Buddhist monk in Thailand in the late 1970’s.
Mal has written several mindfulness-based workbooks, published in psychology journals and magazines and had a book called “Healing the heart and mind with mindfulness.  Ancient path, present moment” released in 2016.  He works in private practice and regularly teaches on courses, workshops and retreats.  He is a loving partner, proud dad of three adult sons and a doting granddad.  He currently lives and practices in Lismore on the north coast of NSW, Australia.

Emma Pittaway

Emma Pittaway

Emma’s practice and teaching emphasises the emergence of insight (vipassanā) through “natural awareness.”

Emma is a long time student of Patrick Kearney. She has trained in the Burmese Mahasi and Tibetan Vajrayana traditions and in the ‘natural awareness’ approach taught by Sayadaw U Tejaniya. She has undertaken her study and practice of Buddhism in Burma, Thailand, India, Nepal and Malaysia, as well as here in Australia.

Emma is passionate about creating opportunities for people to practice the dharma and in 2019 she began to teach at the Kuan Yin Meditation Centre in Lismore, where she now teaches regularly.

Emma is particularly interested in insight-led practice and the development of flexibility and independence in meditation. She is inspired by the example set by the Buddha and his followers, who lived and meditated in the forest, and draws on the natural world to support the development of wisdom.

Jen Ireland

Jen Ireland

Jen has a strong commitment to the Dharma, both in her own studies and supporting others to deepen their understanding of the Dharma through retreats and being part of the Sangha.

Jen started studying the Dharma and attending retreats over 40 years ago, firstly with the Sydney Zen Group, Goenkaji and other teachers, but mainly sitting with Insight Meditation Teachers and in particular, a student of Christopher Titmuss.  Jen has visited India four times, attending the International Dharma Gatherings in Sarnath.  She has also studied the Dharma Facilitators Program and has a Graduate Diploma in Buddhist Psychotherapy and Counselling.

Jen is very involved with the Forest Meditation Centre at The Channon.  She has lived on Dharmananda Community for 28 years.

In particular, Jen believes there is immeasurable benefit in applying the Dharma to everyday life.