Susan Shannon, the Buddhist Chaplin practicing on Death Row in San Quentin State Prison, joins us to share stories of devotion and dedication from her long-time students and Sangha on death row. We will be learning practices for energetic protection, becoming aware of intergenerational trauma, and practicing boundaries while still meeting individual and collective needs. We are honored to witness and be in conversation with Susan!
Susan Shannon, M. Div., BCC is a seeker, teacher, earth and animal steward, devotee of the heart. She has worked in the fields of Emotional Literacy and Restorative Justice for over 20 years, incorporating over 45 years of Buddhist practice and study from the Tibetan tradition, having been blessed to have studied under many of Tibet’s greatest scholars of these times. She’s worked with various diverse populations all her life including inmates, Tibetan refugees, the homeless, the differently-abled, at-risk youth, and most recently, Buddhist Chaplain to the men in San Quentin State Prison and Death Row. She currently teaches about spiritual care and chaplaincy through the Pacific Institute, as well as classes on Tibetan Buddhism through Sukhasiddhi Foundation, The Chaplaincy Institute of Interfaith Studies and various other Dharma Centers. Susan is the founder of the Buddhist Prison Ministry, providing correspondence classes to prison populations across the US. She resides in the San Juan Islands where she writes, provides spiritual coaching and cares for the sacred ground she shares with many sentient beings!
Your host Blaire Embrey (RYT 500) is the Communications Manager for Prison Yoga Project and the producer of Prison Yoga Project Podcast. She is a student of Tibetan Buddhism, Post-Lineage Yoga, and Peruvian Mountain Shamanism; she is pulled towards the profound mystery of existence, cultivating compassion for all beings, and holding space.