Meditation Guide
Ann Shawhan
Ann Shawhan has been on a spiritual path for as long as she can remember. As a child, she searched the New Testament for a deeper understanding of compassion. In her late teens and twenties she was drawn to yoga, practicing in the traditions of Richard Hittleman and B.K.S. Iyengar. Over time her path widened to take in the study of psychology and several forms of Buddhist practice.
In 2008 she began practicing Tranquil Mind meditation, training closely with senior teachers in the tradition. The practice brought a peace and clarity she hadn’t known before, and it has been at the center of her life ever since.
Her enthusiasm for the practice led her to ordain temporarily as a samaneri, or novice nun, in 2022, spending two weeks in robes under the mentorship of a fully ordained Buddhist nun and teacher. She went on to complete her teacher training and now helps those who are walking down the Buddha’s path.
Ann is the mother of two daughters and a retired family nurse practitioner (FNP-C). When she isn’t meditating, she can usually be found in the garden at the family home in Blacksburg, Virginia.