About
Lama Tsomo is an American lama in the Namchak lineage of Tibetan Buddhism and co-founder of the Namchak Foundation. She studied with Tulku Sangak Rinpoche and learned Tibetan to pursue advanced study in her tradition. She holds an M.A. in Counseling Psychology and is the author of Why Is the Dalai Lama Always Smiling? An Introduction and Guide to Tibetan Buddhist Practice. She teaches Namchak lineage practices in the US and internationally.
Teaching focus
Lama Tsomo's teaching focus, drawn from the source profile, sits in the Tibetan and Vajrayana traditions. Several threads come up: direct inquiry into how clinging and aversion arise; dharma applied to social and collective suffering;. On talks, the style is closer to thinking-along than presenting. Lama Tsomo works with whatever shows up in the room rather than reading from notes, which is part of why these talks land as conversational instead of scripted. Short pauses, longer sits, and questions that come back to direct experience are usual. Listed specialties on the source profile include teens. The bigger move Lama Tsomo keeps making is back toward attention itself: what's happening, how it's being held, and what gets in the way. That keeps the teaching close to practice rather than drifting into commentary about practice. For talks, schedules, and longer essays, the affiliated organization's page is where the live material lives. Lama Tsomo's sessions tend to keep returning to the body, to breath, and to the felt quality of attention as the steady ground that the rest rests on. Lama Tsomo's sessions tend to keep returning to the body, to breath, and to the felt quality of attention as the steady ground that the rest rests on.
Background
Lama Tsomo teaches in the Tibetan and Vajrayana traditions. The teaching home is East Bay Meditation Center. From the teacher's own profile: Lama Tsomo is an American lama, author, and co-founder of the Namchak Foundation. She followed a path of spiritual inquiry and study that ultimately led to her ordination as one of the few American lamas in Tibetan Buddhism. Lama Tsomo learned Tibetan to study with her teacher Tulku Sangak Rinpoche, and now shares the teachings of the Namchak lineage in the US and abroad. Lama Tsomo holds an M.A. in Counseling Psychology and is the author of the award winning Why Is the Dalai Lama Always Smiling? An Introduction and Guide to Tibetan Buddhist Practice. She is committed to reaching young people and supporting those working for positive social change. In the Tibetan stream, Lama Tsomo's teaching draws on analytical reflection and stabilizing meditation, with attention to bodhicitta, the relationship with a teacher, and the slow integration of insight across daily life. Lama Tsomo's page on OMP collects the publicly available bio, the listed affiliations, and any talks tracked through the source archive, and is meant as a directory entry rather than an authorized biography. Lama Tsomo's page on OMP collects the publicly available bio, the listed affiliations, and any talks tracked through the source archive, and is meant as a directory entry rather than an authorized biography. Lama Tsomo's page on OMP collects the publicly available bio, the listed affiliations, and any talks tracked through the source archive, and is meant as a directory entry rather than an authorized biography. Lama Tsomo's page on OMP collects the publicly available bio, the listed affiliations, and any talks tracked through the source archive, and is meant as a directory entry rather than an authorized biography. Lama Tsomo's page on OMP collects the publicly available bio, the listed affiliations, and any talks tracked through the source archive, and is meant as a directory entry rather than an authorized biography. Lama Tsomo's page on OMP collects the publicly available bio, the listed affiliations, and any talks tracked through the source archive, and is meant as a directory entry rather than an authorized biography. Lama Tsomo's page on OMP collects the publicly available bio, the listed affiliations, and any talks tracked through the source archive, and is meant as a directory entry rather than an authorized biography. Lama Tsomo's page on OMP collects the publicly available bio, the listed affiliations, and any talks tracked through the source archive, and is meant as a directory entry rather than an authorized biography.
Lineage
Lama Tsomo teaches as a monastic teacher in the Tibetan and Vajrayana traditions. The institutional home, per the source listing, is East Bay Meditation Center, and that's where most of the public teaching schedule and any retreat offerings will be posted. Tibetan teaching authority depends on the named root teacher and the school (Nyingma, Kagyu, Sakya, Gelug). The source listing is where any specific authorization or empowerment information will be stated.
What to expect
On a class or retreat with Lama Tsomo, the basic shape is short instruction, longer sittings, and some Q&A. Retreats are part of the offering, usually a few days to a week, mostly silent. The container is shaped by East Bay Meditation Center, so format details, fees, and access policies follow that organization's norms. Expect plenty of silence, less talking-at-you than you might think, and an emphasis on letting the practice do its work rather than chasing experiences. For exact dates, registration, and any sliding-scale or scholarship information, There's usually a short Q&A window and, on retreats, optional teacher interviews where students can bring specific questions about their practice.
