The mind training and establishing of samadhi is not achieved by the force of will, but by putting the right conditions into place for the mind to stabilize in a state of ease and calm by itself. The same way that we cannot will ourselves to fall asleep (have you tried? and how did it work?!), we cannot will ourselves to a state of samadhi. We can only put the right conditions in place, with right attention, ease, kindness to ourselves, gentle yet persistent effort (atapi), and the mind will naturally settle into a state of calm, just as a child who is fed and rocked gently will fall asleep in her mother’s arms.
Nikki Mirghafori, PhD
Residential Retreat Teacher
Nikki Mirghafori, PhD, is a Buddhist teacher and Artificial Intelligence (AI) scientist. She is a lineage holder in the Theravada tradition, empowered by the living Burmese meditation master Venerable Pa Auk Sayadaw, with whom she practiced the jhanas and detailed analytical (Abhidhamma-style) vipassana. She also received empowerment from the Spirit Rock Meditation Center, Insight Meditation Society, Insight Meditation Center, and is a Stanford-trained compassion cultivation instructor.
At Spirit Rock Meditation Center, Nikki serves as a Stewarding Teacher as well as on the Board of Directors. She also teaches at the Insight Meditation Center in Redwood City, CA. Nikki’s teaching style combines clarity and warmth, and she delights in exploring deep Dharma topics with practitioners as well as mindfulness in daily life. Mindfulness of death, in particular, is one of the areas of her interest and expertise.
Additionally, Nikki has been a researcher and inventor in AI, holds multiple patents and author of scientific research articles. She has directed international research programs as the Principal Investigator, mentored postdocs and PhD students, taught graduate courses at UC Berkeley, and been a scientific advisor to Silicon Valley technology startups.
As an Iranian-American, Nikki has taught contemplative practices internationally and aspires to serve as a champion for wisdom and compassion in our world, as well as ethical AI in our zeitgeist.
Nikki Mirghafori's Upcoming Programs
Training | Online | Dharma Institute
February - June, 2024 | 7 Saturday Sessions
Mindful Leadership Training
This certificate training program is open to and designed for leaders and aspiring leaders in both the nonprofit and for-profit sectors. We will cultivate mindful and compassionate leadership skills and practices to embody our care for ourselves and others, with a mindset of service to community and the world. Through lectures, group discussion, guided meditations, readings, reflections, experiential exercises, and personal meditation practice, we will cultivate skills and behaviors that can be applied directly to our personal and professional lives.
Retreat | On-Land
September 2 - September 5, 2024 | Monday - Thursday | 3 nights
Coming Home to Ourselves
Come home to yourself with the simple and direct practice of being present for your experience. Insight Meditation allows the restless heart to settle through the gentle practice of repeatedly connecting with and returning to the here and now. It is here in the present moment where we discover the peace and well-being we yearn for. This retreat is suitable for beginners as well as experienced practitioners and is silent except for practice instructions, teacher-led Q&A, and practice discussions.
Retreat | On-Land
October 27 - November 2, 2024 | Sunday - Saturday | 6 nights
Befriending Mortality: Living An Awakened Life Through Mindfulness of Death
18 CE Credits. We all “know” we will die, yet we tend to ignore it and put our collective heads in the sand. Rather than running away from our inevitable mortality, we can harness its power to stay aligned with our deepest values and to live and love more fully. Fully embracing life’s impermanence can engender a deep freedom and letting go. Through mindfulness of death (maraṇasati), we become more present for this miraculous, passing show called life with gladness and gratitude.
Retreat | On-Land
December 8 - December 18, 2024 | Sunday - Wednesday | 10 nights
Meeting the Three Characteristics through Cultivating Stability, Well-being, and Confidence
In this retreat, we tend to the three qualities of stability, well-being, and confidence, all of which support insight into the three characteristics of existence. Then we explore and befriend these characteristics—namely, aniccā (impermanence, inconstancy), dukkha (stress, unsatisfactoriness, suffering) and anattā (not-self, impersonality, ungovernability)—in our own lived experience. When we understand and make peace with these characteristics, we have more ease, compassion, and freedom in our lives, and we can be of more benefit to ourselves, others, and the world.
Dharma Library
Can't join us live online or on the land? Study and practice at your convenience with Nikki Mirghafori through our new library of recordings, articles, and self-paced online courses.
