Pema Khandro is a Tibetan Buddhist teacher, humanitarian and scholar specializing in the philosophy and practice of Tibet’s Buddhist Yogis.
Her mission is to make in-depth Buddhist education accessible, to open the doorway to the great treasures of philosophy, meditation, medicine and art contained in Tibetan Buddhism.
Pema Khandro is the spiritual leader of the Community of Buddhist Yogis in North America, she is the founder of Ngakpa International, the Yogic Medicine Institute, the MahaSiddha Center in BerkeleyCalifornia and Ngakpa House, a charity which supports the education of children and elders in the Himalayas.
Pema Khandro is an authorized Lama and lineage holder of the Nyingma and Kagyu lineages and one of few westerners recognized and enthroned as a tulku. She is a teacher of Dzogchen and Vajrayana Buddhism, teachings that emphasize cultivating awareness and presence as the goal of the path.
Pema Khandro specializes in the teachings of Dzogchen, Chod and the Six Yogas; esoteric Buddhist practices for lay people and householders which focus on direct access to cultivating intrinsic wisdom.
She was ordained in the Nyingma tradition and was authorized to pass this non-monastic lineage of ordained Buddhist Yogis, also known as naljorpas and ngakpas on to her students, a task which she has been dedicated to since 1999.
Pema Khandro’s teachings and activities emphasize the importance of the body-mind connection, natural health and nutrition. She is certified as Tibetan Naturopath and has led dozens of courses in nutrition, yoga teacher trainings, yoga therapy trainings, meditation trainings and courses in natural medicine for health practitioners from every field.
Her work is also academic. She spends her days studying Tibetan Buddhist history and researching the philosophical tradition, stories, culture and medical practices of the Buddhist Yogis. She holds a master’s degree specializing in the study of Tibetan Buddhism and is currently completing a Phd specializing in Tibetan studies. She speaks English, Tibetan, Chinese and Spanish languages.
Pema Khandro has been featured in Yoga Journal as one of the “young teachers not to miss,” on TV, on numerous radio interviews, and her writing is also featured in the February 2015 issue of Buddhadharma quarterly.
Today, Pema Khandro continues to be an advocate of the relevance of traditions of Tibet’s Buddhist Yogis as Buddhism takes shape in North America. She runs a residential center, leads a thriving community, runs a clinic and non-profit organization. She teaches courses regularly, pursues research projects and continues to cultivate a close relationship with her students and friends who work together in Ngakpa Intl and the North American Community of Buddhist Yogis.
For full bio and website, visit: PemaKhandro.org
Pema Khandro’s Extended Biography
Events with Pema Khandro
Open Teaching WebcastApril 24, 2019
A 30 minute guided meditation and online teaching with Pema Khandro. Free and open to the public. This is a monthly class to support your meditation practice and meet the challenge of integrating meditation into a full, dynamic life. This class will include meditation instruction, Buddhist teachings, and remedies for navigating through challenges to practice. To help support busy Buddhist Yogis in keeping a regular practice, Open Program Meditation Class is held with Pema Khandro every fourth Wednesday of the month at 6pm-6:30pm PT / 9pm-9:30pm ET. A link for the class will be sent to your email box 24…
Skillful MeansApril 27, 2019
An Online Intensive Training ~ Closed Training Saturday, April 27th, 9am – 2pm PT & Wednesday, May 8th (after Dzogchen Day webcast), 6:45pm – 7:45pm PT Based on the Buddhist idea that “wisdom without skillful means is useless,” this course is takes a look at the most crucial life-skills from a Buddhist perspective. Bring your Buddhist wisdom to your interpersonal relationships. Skillful Means is a Buddhist term to describe wisdom in action on the most practical level. The course is based on Pema Khandro’s popular course, Practitioner Training, a series of lessons in the pragmatic techniques needed to live a sane,…
Dzogchen Day WebcastMay 8, 2019
Guided meditation and discussion with Pema Khandro. This 30 minute online class is free and open to Buddhist Yogis Sangha Members only. Click Here to become a Member Join online for this monthly class to practice meditation and discuss esoteric Buddhism with Pema Khandro. This class is a joyful opportunity to connect with the Buddhist Yogis worldwide sangha and raise your questions directly to Pema Khandro Rinpoche. What is Dzogchen Day? Dzogchen is an esoteric Tibetan Buddhist teaching that focuses on waking up to the goodness and wisdom within every human being. In the tradition of Buddhist Yogis, we prioritize the…
Open Teaching WebcastMay 22, 2019
A 30 minute guided meditation and online teaching with Pema Khandro. Free and open to the public. This is a monthly class to support your meditation practice and meet the challenge of integrating meditation into a full, dynamic life. This class will include meditation instruction, Buddhist teachings, and remedies for navigating through challenges to practice. To help support busy Buddhist Yogis in keeping a regular practice, Open Program Meditation Class is held with Pema Khandro every fourth Wednesday of the month at 6pm-6:30pm PT / 9pm-9:30pm ET. A link for the class will be sent to your email box 24…
Invoking the 100,000 DakinisJune 7, 2019
Dakini Mountain Retreat ~ Join Pema Khandro and the Community of Buddhist Yogis at Dakini Mountain for this auspicious occasion! Dakini wisdom is intrinsic wisdom, beyond concepts, beyond fear and beyond neurosis. It is the wisdom that speaks to us through nature and expresses itself as the sacred energy of the five elements. This retreat will offer the extraordinary opportunity to chant and study Invoking the 100,000 Dakinis, an inspiring Tibetan Buddhist prayer from the Dakini’s Heart Essence Cycle and the Rinchen Trengwa. Invoking the 100,000 Dakinis is a practice to raise radical courage and vivid presence. It invites protection,…
Dakini Mountain, Grand Opening CelebrationJune 9, 2019
Join Pema Khandro and the Community of Buddhist Yogis at Dakini Mountain for this auspicious occasion! Sunday June 9th, Grand Opening Celebration
Dzogchen Day WebcastJune 12, 2019
Guided meditation and discussion with Pema Khandro. This 30 minute online class is free and open to Buddhist Yogis Sangha Members only. Click Here to become a Member Join online for this monthly class to practice meditation and discuss esoteric Buddhism with Pema Khandro. This class is a joyful opportunity to connect with the Buddhist Yogis worldwide sangha and raise your questions directly to Pema Khandro Rinpoche. What is Dzogchen Day? Dzogchen is an esoteric Tibetan Buddhist teaching that focuses on waking up to the goodness and wisdom within every human being. In the tradition of Buddhist Yogis, we prioritize the…
Open Teaching WebcastJune 26, 2019
A 30 minute guided meditation and online teaching with Pema Khandro. Free and open to the public. This is a monthly class to support your meditation practice and meet the challenge of integrating meditation into a full, dynamic life. This class will include meditation instruction, Buddhist teachings, and remedies for navigating through challenges to practice. To help support busy Buddhist Yogis in keeping a regular practice, Open Program Meditation Class is held with Pema Khandro every fourth Wednesday of the month at 6pm-6:30pm PT / 9pm-9:30pm ET. A link for the class will be sent to your email box 24…
Dzogchen Day WebcastJuly 10, 2019
Guided meditation and discussion with Pema Khandro. This 30 minute online class is free and open to Buddhist Yogis Sangha Members only. Click Here to become a Member Join online for this monthly class to practice meditation and discuss esoteric Buddhism with Pema Khandro. This class is a joyful opportunity to connect with the Buddhist Yogis worldwide sangha and raise your questions directly to Pema Khandro Rinpoche. What is Dzogchen Day? Dzogchen is an esoteric Tibetan Buddhist teaching that focuses on waking up to the goodness and wisdom within every human being. In the tradition of Buddhist Yogis, we prioritize the…
Open Teaching WebcastJuly 24, 2019
A 30 minute guided meditation and online teaching with Pema Khandro. Free and open to the public. This is a monthly class to support your meditation practice and meet the challenge of integrating meditation into a full, dynamic life. This class will include meditation instruction, Buddhist teachings, and remedies for navigating through challenges to practice. To help support busy Buddhist Yogis in keeping a regular practice, Open Program Meditation Class is held with Pema Khandro every fourth Wednesday of the month at 6pm-6:30pm PT / 9pm-9:30pm ET. A link for the class will be sent to your email box 24…
Dzogchen Day WebcastAugust 14, 2019
Guided meditation and discussion with Pema Khandro. This 30 minute online class is free and open to Buddhist Yogis Sangha Members only. Click Here to become a Member Join online for this monthly class to practice meditation and discuss esoteric Buddhism with Pema Khandro. This class is a joyful opportunity to connect with the Buddhist Yogis worldwide sangha and raise your questions directly to Pema Khandro Rinpoche. What is Dzogchen Day? Dzogchen is an esoteric Tibetan Buddhist teaching that focuses on waking up to the goodness and wisdom within every human being. In the tradition of Buddhist Yogis, we prioritize the…
The Innermost Heart of Freedom: Dzogchen Meditation RetreatAugust 21, 2019
Confidence, creativity, clarity and a life well-lived all depend on time for contemplation. If we don’t let go, clear our mind and empty our hearts, we become too cluttered and distracted for contentment to dawn. The Dzogchen retreat is an opportunity to quiet down, open up and bring the mind back to its own spacious ground. This is a meditation retreat for the wired and weary to settle into focused calm, to rest into the nature of mind and tap into profound depths. This is the fourth Annual Dzogchen Retreat, five days of Buddhist meditation practices that will surprise you…
Open Teaching WebcastAugust 28, 2019
A 30 minute guided meditation and online teaching with Pema Khandro. Free and open to the public. This is a monthly class to support your meditation practice and meet the challenge of integrating meditation into a full, dynamic life. This class will include meditation instruction, Buddhist teachings, and remedies for navigating through challenges to practice. To help support busy Buddhist Yogis in keeping a regular practice, Open Program Meditation Class is held with Pema Khandro every fourth Wednesday of the month at 6pm-6:30pm PT / 9pm-9:30pm ET. A link for the class will be sent to your email box 24…
Dzogchen Day WebcastSeptember 11, 2019
Guided meditation and discussion with Pema Khandro. This 30 minute online class is free and open to Buddhist Yogis Sangha Members only. Click Here to become a Member Join online for this monthly class to practice meditation and discuss esoteric Buddhism with Pema Khandro. This class is a joyful opportunity to connect with the Buddhist Yogis worldwide sangha and raise your questions directly to Pema Khandro Rinpoche. What is Dzogchen Day? Dzogchen is an esoteric Tibetan Buddhist teaching that focuses on waking up to the goodness and wisdom within every human being. In the tradition of Buddhist Yogis, we prioritize the…
Meditation Instructor TrainingSeptember 14, 2019
Get Certified as a Meditation Instructor The Meditation Instructor Training supplies the fundamental knowledge and experience necessary to lead meditation classes and one-day meditation intensives. Sixty Hours of Training 21 Hours Video Lessons 21 Hours of daily practice and journaling 3 Group Workshops Online 3 Hour Meditation Practicum in an underserved community 3 Hour Final Transmission and Graduation Click Here for Curriculum Details
Open Teaching WebcastSeptember 25, 2019
A 30 minute guided meditation and online teaching with Pema Khandro. Free and open to the public. This is a monthly class to support your meditation practice and meet the challenge of integrating meditation into a full, dynamic life. This class will include meditation instruction, Buddhist teachings, and remedies for navigating through challenges to practice. To help support busy Buddhist Yogis in keeping a regular practice, Open Program Meditation Class is held with Pema Khandro every fourth Wednesday of the month at 6pm-6:30pm PT / 9pm-9:30pm ET. A link for the class will be sent to your email box 24…
Laughter of the Dakinis - Chod RetreatOctober 4, 2019
This meditation intensive focuses on Buddhism’s esoteric practice for transforming the most difficult experiences into opportunities for awakening. It is a method which harnesses the heroic energy of enlightened intent to change neurotic mind patterns and heal from traumas. It is a practice for opening to intrinsic wholeness, loving compassion, and natural resilience. The intensive will offer training and immersion in the method known as “Cutting Through” or Chod. Chod is a practice cherished by every lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. It is a dynamic meditation which incorporates, vision, mantra, prayer, music, and ritual to cultivate open-hearted presence in the face…
Dzogchen Day WebcastOctober 9, 2019
Guided meditation and discussion with Pema Khandro. This 30 minute online class is free and open to Buddhist Yogis Sangha Members only. Click Here to become a Member Join online for this monthly class to practice meditation and discuss esoteric Buddhism with Pema Khandro. This class is a joyful opportunity to connect with the Buddhist Yogis worldwide sangha and raise your questions directly to Pema Khandro Rinpoche. What is Dzogchen Day? Dzogchen is an esoteric Tibetan Buddhist teaching that focuses on waking up to the goodness and wisdom within every human being. In the tradition of Buddhist Yogis, we prioritize the…
Vajra Sangha RetreatOctober 10, 2019
Closed Retreat ~ The annual Vajra Sangha retreat is a private weekend retreat full of deep practice of meditation and study of Dzogchen, Buddhism’s esoteric philosophy. It is a celebratory reunion of the Vajra Sangha from all over the world. The retreat is led by Pema Khandro Rinpoche at her headquarters in Virginia, Khandro Ling. Vajra Sangha Participants must be able to attend from beginning to end. Vajra Sangha are the long-term personal students of Pema Khandro who are eligible for private teachings and advanced training. The Vajra Sangha functions in a warm, closely connected community, based on long-term friendships, mutual respect,…
Group Leader TrainingOctober 15, 2019
The Group Leader Training Program serves the need for training leaders who will serve their local communities, to connect them with the tools for meditation practices and for studying fundamental Buddhist views. Such group leaders will require a firm grounding in the methods of daily meditation practice a clear curriculum for studying foundational Buddhist perspectives and ongoing mentorship with Pema Khandro Therefore this training sets out an authorized curriculum which covers the key meditations for regular practice as well as three sets of extended discussion group formats. The training offered will be focused on Group Leaders who understand Buddhist practice…
Open Teaching WebcastOctober 23, 2019
A 30 minute guided meditation and online teaching with Pema Khandro. Free and open to the public. This is a monthly class to support your meditation practice and meet the challenge of integrating meditation into a full, dynamic life. This class will include meditation instruction, Buddhist teachings, and remedies for navigating through challenges to practice. To help support busy Buddhist Yogis in keeping a regular practice, Open Program Meditation Class is held with Pema Khandro every fourth Wednesday of the month at 6pm-6:30pm PT / 9pm-9:30pm ET. A link for the class will be sent to your email box 24…
Dzogchen Day WebcastNovember 13, 2019
Guided meditation and discussion with Pema Khandro. This 30 minute online class is free and open to Buddhist Yogis Sangha Members only. Click Here to become a Member Join online for this monthly class to practice meditation and discuss esoteric Buddhism with Pema Khandro. This class is a joyful opportunity to connect with the Buddhist Yogis worldwide sangha and raise your questions directly to Pema Khandro Rinpoche. What is Dzogchen Day? Dzogchen is an esoteric Tibetan Buddhist teaching that focuses on waking up to the goodness and wisdom within every human being. In the tradition of Buddhist Yogis, we prioritize the…
Open Teaching WebcastNovember 27, 2019
A 30 minute guided meditation and online teaching with Pema Khandro. Free and open to the public. This is a monthly class to support your meditation practice and meet the challenge of integrating meditation into a full, dynamic life. This class will include meditation instruction, Buddhist teachings, and remedies for navigating through challenges to practice. To help support busy Buddhist Yogis in keeping a regular practice, Open Program Meditation Class is held with Pema Khandro every fourth Wednesday of the month at 6pm-6:30pm PT / 9pm-9:30pm ET. A link for the class will be sent to your email box 24…
Dzogchen Day WebcastDecember 11, 2019
Guided meditation and discussion with Pema Khandro. This 30 minute online class is free and open to Buddhist Yogis Sangha Members only. Click Here to become a Member Join online for this monthly class to practice meditation and discuss esoteric Buddhism with Pema Khandro. This class is a joyful opportunity to connect with the Buddhist Yogis worldwide sangha and raise your questions directly to Pema Khandro Rinpoche. What is Dzogchen Day? Dzogchen is an esoteric Tibetan Buddhist teaching that focuses on waking up to the goodness and wisdom within every human being. In the tradition of Buddhist Yogis, we prioritize the…