Our instructors

Paul Haddon

A smiling man wearing black sunglasses and a black shirt taking a selfie on the beach with houses and palm trees in the background.

Paul has practiced Buddhism for over 30 years, training in the Sakya and Karma-Kagyu traditions of Tibetan Buddhism under his principal teacher Lama Jampa Thaye. He has also received teachings from other eminent masters such as HH Sakya Trichen, HH Karmapa, and Karma Thinley Rinpoche.

Paul works in the software and financial services industry. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Roz, their daughter Clio and dog Duke.

Rosalind Haddon

A smiling woman with long blonde hair outdoors, with trees and planters in the background.

Roz is the daughter of Lama Jampa Thaye. She is a practitioner of the Sakya tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. Her principal teacher is Lama Jampa. Thaye.

Originally from London, Roz now live in Los Angeles with her husband and daughter.

Miranda Harwood

A woman with long hair smiling and resting her hand on her cheek, sitting outdoors at a restaurant or cafe during evening.

Miranda has been interested in Buddhism since she was a teenager. In her early twenties, she traveled through India and Kashmir and met different meditation teachers, but it wasn't until she met Lama Jampa Thaye that she formed a connection to the authentic Sakya Buddhist teachings. Through his guidance and encouragement, she has consistently practiced meditation for the last fifteen years.

She lives in Santa Monica and works at a family clinic as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker.

Kaloyan and Petya Hristov

A man and woman sitting outdoors, smiling. The man has a gray beard and is wearing a checkered shirt, while the woman has glasses and is wearing a patterned blouse. In the background, there are other people and colorful flags, suggesting a festive outdoor gathering.

Kaloyan and Petya have been dedicated students of Lama Jampa Thaye and practitioners of the Sakya tradition of Tibetan Buddhism for over twenty-five years. Originally from Bulgaria, they have made Los Angeles their home for more than a decade, where they continue to study and practice the dharma.

Ariadna (Ari) Martinez

A woman with long dark hair and glasses smiling outdoors with autumn trees in the background. She is wearing a gray T-shirt with red text.

Ariadna(Ari) has been practicing Buddhism for over 10 years as a student of Lama Jampa Thaye. In addition to Lama Jampa Thaye, Ari has also received teachings from HH Sakya Trichen and other Sakya Buddhist masters.

Ari is bilingual in English and Spanish, is originally from Mexico City, and is currently learning classical Tibetan. Ari currently lives in Los Angeles with her family. 

A woman with short gray hair smiling in front of a wooden fence with some green trees and a blue sky in the background.

Vicky McDowell

Vicky is a Southern California native who began her study of Buddhism in 2019 under the guidance of Lama Jampa. Since that time she has steadily deepened her practice within the Sakya tradition, drawing inspiration from both the teachings and the sangha.

Vicky works in public education and is committed to serving her community in ways that reflect the values of kindness and compassion. She lives in Santa Monica with her family.

Adrian O’Sullivan

A man with glasses smiling outdoors, holding a jacket over his shoulder, with autumn trees in the background.

Adrian has been practicing Buddhism for over 30 years as a student of Lama Jampa Thaye. He has received a traditional Buddhist education and training and completed a number of retreats.

He has translated and published numerous Tibetan texts, including works by the great Buddhist masters Nagarjuna and Shantideva, and many prayers and ritual practices in use by practitioners across our community.