Shôken Michael Stone

照見 Shôken Michael Stone (MA)

Michael Stone leads Toronto Centre of Gravity Buddhist Association. He is a psychotherapist, yoga teacher, Buddhist teacher, author and activist, committed to the integration of traditional teachings with contemporary psychological and philosophical understanding. The components of his practice include Yoga postures, breathing techniques, meditation and textual study. Over the years, his goal has been to cultivate long-term relationships with people who want to deepen their understanding of Yoga and Buddhist teachings and practice while bringing these practices into conversation with medicine, economics, ecology and mainstream media. He maintains a dedicated workshop and retreat schedule in communities internationally, and is a Guiding Teacher for True North Insight, a Vipassana Centre.

His research and teaching explore the intersection of committed spiritual practice and social action.

Michael teaches courses and workshops to clinicians (doctors, nurses, psychiatrists, palliative care workers, psychotherapists) that integrate Buddhist teachings and meditation practices with contemporary approaches to clinical work. He ran the well-respected Leading Edge Mindfulness for Clinicians Course in Toronto, as well as training retreats. Michael's academic background includes studies in psychology, psychoanalysis, philosophy and comparative religion. His primary teachers are Richard Freeman, Norman Feldman and Roshi Pat Enkyo O’Hara. He lives in Toronto with his son.

His yoga teaching method is to slow down the traditional Ashtanga Vinyasa Krama sequences in order to bring deeper awareness to the subtle aspects of postures, balancing attention to alignment with meditative awareness. His meditation teachings integrate traditional Vipassana and Zen forms with insights from Yoga and Mahayana Buddhism, without losing the integrity of each tradition.

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