Cecilie considers herself to be a Buddhist practitioner rooted in North American culture. Since the mid 1960’s when she met her first Buddhist teacher – then known as the Venerable Ananda Bodhi, later recognised by the late Holiness, the 16th Gyalwa Karmapa and given the name Venerable Namgyal Rinpoché – Cecilie has also had the good fortune of receiving teachings from many excellent teachers from the three main schools of Sakyamuni Buddha’s lineage – most notably H.H. the Dalai Lama, H.H. the 16th Karmapa, H.H. Sakya Trinzin and H.H. Penor Rinpoché. Cecilie has also studied Soto Zen Buddhism, spending nine months in Japan sitting in a Soto temple under the guidance of Ven. Uchiyana Roshi. As well, she spent 21 months in Thailand doing practice and studying the Theravadin path. For this rare and precious gift of Dharma she is most grateful.