ROB PREECE (BSc. Adv. Dip. Transpersonal Psychology UKCP reg.)

following a 4 year apprenticeship in electronics engineering Rob went to university to study psychology. It was a this time he met both the work of C.G. Jung and Buddhism. In 1973 after a period of travel he met met Lama Thubten Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche in Nepal. Since that time he has been a practicing Tibetan Buddhist.

After working as a social worker Rob was part of a small group that founded a Buddhist centre in the UK for his Tibetan teachers. For the next four years he studied the foundations of Tibetan practice in that Buddhist community. In 1980 he returned to India and was in retreat for much of the next five years. This gave him a chance to explore the practices of the Tantric tradition in some depth meditating under the guidance of Lama Yeshe, Zopa Rinpoche and Gen Jhampa Wangdu in particular. While in India he was fortunate enough to receive teachings on many of the important aspects of Tibetan Buddhism, in particular Tantric teachings, from Lamas such as H.H. Dalai Lama, Song Rinpoche and many others. It also gave him the opportunity to learn Tangkha (Tantric Icons) painting.

Returning to the west he at first lived as a Tangkha painter and then in 1985 he trained as a psychotherapist principally with the Center for Transpersonal Psychology. This began the process of bringing together the two worlds of Buddhist and Western psychology. He has been a practicing psychotherapist since 1988 gradually developing a style that is a synthesis of Buddhist and Jungian understanding.

Since 1985 he has been leading meditation retreats following the instruction and guidance of his teachers. Lama Yeshe was particularly influential is this, supporting his integration of a more Western approach. This has meant gradually guiding people through a kind of apprenticeship in the practice of Tantra. Increasingly Rob has become involved in what he now calls spiritual mentoring bringing together his experience of both Eastern and Western approaches. This has also led to writing The psychology of Buddhist Tantra; The Wisdom of Imperfection; The courage to Feel and Preparing for Tantra.

One of Rob's wishes has been to bring his Tantric practice into relationship with the land in which he lives. Arising from this wish, in 2007 he was intitiated as a 'weather-worker' or Granicero within the Nahua tradition of central Mexico and each year Rob and Anna return to Mexico to deepen this process. This ancient shamanic tradition leads those who are called to work in this way to restore a relationship to the elements of the weather partcularly within the environment in which they live. As a weather-worker this brings Rob's work directly into relationship with the land and weather of Dartmoor. Rob is increasingly integrating a relationship between his Tibetan Buddhist background and weather-work bringing a more shamanic element to his Tantric practice and teaching.

Rob leads many meditation retreats in the UK some of which incorporate a movement practice facilitated by Anna. Increasingly he is being asked to teach abroad in Europe and the US. As a father of two sons, an experienced Tangkha painter and a keen gardener he tries to ground Buddhist practice in a creative practical lifestyle.

ANNA MURRAY PREECE (R.S.Hom.)

has been working with movement and healing since the early 1980's. What she brings to this work in particular is a combination of her “Healing Movement’ work, her training in Plant Spirit Medicine and her many years of homeopathic practice.

Anna started her working life taking photographs of rock bands in the late 1970's and studied photography, film and tv at the London College of Printing. In 1982 she began studying Tai Chi which led her to want to work more with what is unseen, than what is seen. This led her to train at the School of Homeopathy and set up practice in 1987.

In 1996 she started teaching “Healing Movement” having trained to teach “Move Into Life’ with Sandra Reeve and studied extensively with Suprapto Suryodarmo and other teachers of movement. Since 1997 she and Rob have co-facilitated meditation and movement retreats in Vajrayana Buddhism. Between 2002 – 2004 she facilitated a movement group at Harmony Rehabilitation Centre for adults with addictions. 

In recent years Anna has trained as a 'Rhythmic Healer' with Ruth Noble. This has influenced her movement practice considerably taking it more into the realms of deep healing to support greater alignment between the physical, emotional, mental, energetic, and spiritual aspects of being. www.rhythmichealing.com

A wish to bring together the worlds of healing, movement and nature led Anna to study Plant Spirit Medicine www.plantspiritmedicine.org with Eliot Cowan. She completed this in 2005 and has practiced ever since. This connection has also taken her life in new directions. One of those being that in 2007 Anna was recognised as being called to, and initiated as a weatherworker in Nahua indigenous tradition of the central Mexican highlands. In Mexico it is well understood that the Weather Beings (clouds, wind, rain, sun, etc.) choose a person to become an emissary for their people, to present their requests and build relationship with them through devotion. Weather workers don't force, command or control these magnificent beings but work for them to bring needed water and mitigate violent weather through a special relationship.

In 2006 Anna was also initiated as a Firekeeper for the Sacred Fire Community. In this she is commited to hold a monthly Sacred Fire Circle as a resource for her community. www.sacredfirecommunity.org

Anna’s movement teaching is very much informed by her own process of healing, and the growth that this has, and does necessitate. Working with nature has always been a large part of this. Her practice of Buddhist meditation has been a support and source of nourishment for many years. She is mother to two lively and lovely sons which brings much joy and many challenges.

Our Patron

Venerable Zazep Tulku Rinpoche is a Tibetan lama who has lived in Canada for the past 22 years where he has established a number of centres. Originally from Kham in Eastern Tibet, Rinpoche is the 13th incarnation of the founding Abbot of Zuru monastery. His journey to the west has led him to India and then via Thailand to Australia and eventually to Canada. Zazep Rinpoche has an extensive background of both Sutra and Tantra teachings from some of the principle Lamas of the different schools of Tibetan Buddhism. His experience of the west and western students has enabled him to have a particularly good understanding of the need to translate the Dharma into a form that is accessible to westerners. His desire to bring together the understanding of the Dharma and western psychology makes him a valuable resource in relation to the principle behind Mudra and all our activities. We are deeply grateful for Rinpoche's support and patronage. For further information relating to Zazep Tulku Rinpoche and his activities visit:

www.community.palouse.net