Mary Stancavage has practiced meditation, yoga, and cultivated a spiritual practice for over 35 years and in 2009 was empowered to teach Buddhadharma. Mary is based in the Los Angeles area and teaches classes, retreats and does individual mentoring both locally and internationally. She has taught mindfulness at recovery centers, has co-facilitated Year-to-Live groups since 2008, and has had a weekly dharma class for over a decade. Her Morning Meditation group has met daily at 7am PT since March 2020. Mary is part of the Guiding Teachers Council at Insight Community of the Desert and a founding teacher at Meditation Coalition. Mary completed the Buddhist Chaplaincy Program at the Sati Center and served as volunteer chaplain at Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center. She also served as Executive Director of the Mind Body Awareness Project from 2016 to 2018. In taking the practice off the cushion, Mary is honored to serve on the board of CLUE: Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice. Along with teaching, she continues to investigate what it means to live with an undefended heart. Fun fact: Mary has a Masters Degree from UCLA and worked as an archaeologist in Syria.
More info can be found at her website, marystancavage.org
Events with Mary Stancavage
Mindfulness for EveryoneOctober 23 - 26, 2025
This retreat will be held in noble silence and is suitable for all – both beginners and experienced practitioners are welcome. Registration for this retreat closes on October 9th, 2025 at 11:59pm Pacific Time. If looking to join after this date, please inquire at guestservices@bigbearretreatcenter.org This meditation retreat will foster a meaningful engagement with ourselves and this world. There will be a chance to experience an extended period of meditation that can become a vital part of our practice. It will be grounded in Buddhist teachings and understanding found in therapeutic inquiry. The invitation is for each of us to…