Meet Rebecca
A life of inquiry.
A practice of presence.
Rebecca Dawn Nie connects contemplative traditions with the questions and possibilities of contemporary life.
Meet Rebecca
A bridge between wisdom
and everyday life.
Seon master. Author. Translator. Artist. A fellow traveler on the path of peace.
Rebecca Dawn Nie brings spiritual practice, scholarship, and creative expression into conversation. Through yoga, meditation, and poetry, she invites others to explore a more grounded relationship with the body, mind, and whole world around us all.
From study to lived experience
Rebecca’s path weaves together Zen, yoga, scholarship, and the arts. Yoga became part of her life in 2002. In 2007, she began formal Zen training with Venerable Hwasun Yangil Sunim at Awakened Meditation Centre in Canada.
Her scientific studies at Stanford and the University of Toronto inform her curiosity about mind and body. Her teaching also draws on somatic and internal family systems training through the Bouverie Centre at La Trobe University.
While translating the voices of Daoist women for Yin Mountain, Rebecca explored Daoist bodywork and its relationship to embodied spirituality. Today, she brings that inquiry into teaching, translation, and creative practice.
Why practice with Rebecca?
A longstanding contemplative practice, interdisciplinary study, and a commitment to making teachings accessible shape Rebecca’s approach. There is room for movement and stillness, careful study and lived experience, tradition and a question of your own.
Connect with RebeccaA continuing path
Milestones in Practice & Service
- 2007
Formal Zen training
Began training with Venerable Hwasun Yangil Sunim in Canada.
- 2009
Stanford Zen Society
Co-founded a weekly meditation platform for the Stanford community.
- 2013
Zen lineage transmission
Received recognition and lineage transmission in the Korean Jogye tradition.
- 2019
Founding abbot
Appointed founding abbot of MahaVajra Seon with blessing through Awakened Meditation Centre.
- 2020
Chaplain’s Council
Invited to serve through Stanford’s Office for Religious and Spiritual Life.
- 2023
Tangmi teaching authorization
Received authorization in Tangmi Citta Yoga and associated practices at the Sixth Ancestor Monastery, China.
- 2025
Buddhist chaplaincy
Co-established the Maitreya Association for College Buddhist Chaplains as founding board vice president.
- 2026
Dharma Alive Incubator
Co-founded a new initiative for community and practice.
Begin where you are
Make room for practice.
Find a gathering, explore a new question, or simply take the first step.
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