Teacher Bios
A Study and Practice of The Four Immeasurables (Brahmaviharas): Loving-kindness, Compassion, Empathetic Joy, Equanimity
Christie Bates (Passatininna)
Deep South Dharma
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Rev. Christie Bates was ordained "Acharya Passatininna" in the Embracing Simplicity Contemplative Order of Venerable Pannavati and Venerable Pannadipa in October 2016. She is co-founder and facilitator of Deep South Dharma, a contemplative community based in Oxford, MS that has reached far beyond. Having supported the flowering of mindful recovery circles in Nashville during the late 2000s, she developed and implemented Contemplative Programming at a premier trauma treatment center from 2013-2018 for both clients and staff. She also founded and taught the Embracing Simplicity Nashville meditation group from 2014-2019. In Spring 2019, Christie relocated to Oxford MS to be closer to family, and soon after, Deep South Dharma was born.
Having practiced a dedicated contemplative path since 1985, Christie is also a licensed professional counselor in TN and MS. She is most interested in the application of Early Buddhist Teachings and often utilizes a targeted mindfulness process called Brainspotting both in her practice of therapy and in meditation. She offers Dharma instruction via groups, the Deep South Dharma podcast, Insight Timer, and by writing a Medium.com publication called The Fifth Posture. She is the author of Accepting Your Resurrection (Booklocker, 2008) which is rooted in the contemplative Christian language she spoke at that time. The working title of her next book, based in Early Buddhist Teachings, is The Beautiful Human: Contemplative practices to move beyond diet culture to create a life of true and lasting beauty.
Kristie Grasis
Mississippi Insight Meditation
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Kristie Grasis is a Buddhist Chaplain who has been practicing Vipassana from the Theravada Buddhist tradition for over a decade. Her most considerable influence has been Gil Fronsdal from Insight Meditation Center in Redwood City, California.
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Kristie has extensively studied Meditation with Ruby Grad, the Eightfold Path with Bruni Davila, the Paramis with Chris Clifford
Beth Herzig
Flowering Lotus Meditation
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Beth Herzig has been an active board member and volunteer for Flowering Lotus Meditation since 2017. Since sitting dozens of retreat with FLM she has undergone Meditation Instructor Training with Susan Piver. She has completed courses with Peace in Schools and Mindful Schools. Beth is currently enrolled in a dharma teacher training program with Lisa Ernst. Beth lives near Jackson, MS, leads meditations there and online. As a mom of two daughters and small business owner she is busy but remains to stay dedicated to the practice of meditation.
Rebecca Kronlage
Treehouse Yoga
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Rebecca Kronlage has been a long time practitioner of mindfulness, Insight Meditation and yoga. Her teaching is deeply rooted in Buddhism and the Kripalu Yoga Center tradition where she lived as a resident and senior teacher of yoga teacher training, bodywork training and energy balancing programs. As a 17 year ovarian cancer survivor, she brings a deep sense of awe, love and respect for yoga and mindfulness as a healing practice that has saved her life. For over 10 years, she was on staff as the yoga teacher at Spirit Rock Center for 7 day Insight Retreats; has assisted, beloved Buddhist teacher, Mary Grace Orr, for over 10 years; leads Self Care Programs for women as well as women’s international travel adventures to France, Italy and Greece in 2023. She now happily resides on the Gulf Coast in Mississippi where she co-founded Treehouse Yoga Studio and teaches weekly classes including Beach Yoga.
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Jason Lee
Heart Space Holistic
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Jason Lee is a Mississippi native with a background in nursing, social services, and social justice non-profit management. He has practiced in long term/memory care, rehabilitation, pediatric home health, and school nursing. Jason has been practicing multiple integrative and complimentary health modalities since graduating from the Mississippi School of Therapeutic Massage in 2000.
His passion for bridging eastern and western philosophies to healing and health led him to found Heart Space Holistic, LLC. The goal of Heart Space Holistic is to provide accessible and inclusive services and learning opportunities to those of all ages and abilities using yoga, sound therapy, breath work, and various other healing arts.
Jason is a Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT200) registered with the Yoga Alliance, a certified meditation teacher, and is currently studying to become a yoga therapist. His favorite therapeutic tool is facilitating sound baths in private and group settings. He has a firm belief that sound therapy and sound baths in general are a hidden gem and deserve much more recognition in the areas of stress, anxiety, and pain management.