How does one come to be fully alive and lead a meaningful life?
Jin Lian-Hua (Golden Lotus) is a dharma name given to me by Yuan Miao upon returning from a trip to India. A dharma name is meant to guide and remind us of our true purpose in this life. A lotus symbolizes our infinite human potential and though born out of mud, always rises above it. Only by embracing the “mud” can we grow and celebrate life fully. My path began in 2001, fatigued from a career in fashion and having just completed my MFA in photography at CalArts, I embarked on a longterm solo journey to India, Tibet and Nepal. India shifted my DNA entirely. I naively took the Bodhisattva Vow with H.H. the Dalai Lama in Dharamsala, not realizing it would follow me for the rest of my life. Upon returning, I seriously entertained the idea of burning all my belongings and wondered, “What is my purpose now post-India?” Enter Ana Forrest and Jill Miller, my first yoga teachers. I completed my first teacher training with Ana in 2001, played and explored with Jill and thus, began my inquiry i
