Pema Khandro is the founder and spiritual director of Ngakpa Intl. She is a Tibetan Buddhist teacher, humanitarian and scholar specializing in the philosophy and practice of Tibet’s Buddhist Yogis.

Pema Khandro is the spiritual leader of the Buddhist Yogis in North America, the founder of the Yogic Medicine Institute, three residential centers and Ngakpa House, a charity which supports the education of children and elders in the Himalayas. Her mission is to make in-depth Buddhist education accessible to students, teachers and leaders.

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.

In her academic work, she specializes in the Dzogchen philosophical tradition and narratives 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.

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

About Pema Khandro’s Recognition

About Pema Khandro – the Ngakpa Tradition

You will find answers to frequently asked questions about Pema Khandro here.