Vimalasara (also known as Valerie Mason-John) has worked as an international correspondent covering Australian Aboriginal deaths in custody, interviewing Irish political prisoners and former rebels from the Sierra Leone war. Their early work in the field of conflict transitioned into working with gangs and incarcerated persons. They have authored numerous books, including Detox Your Heart – Meditations for Emotional Trauma (2005), Eight Step Recovery Using the Buddha’s Teachings to Overcome Addiction (2014), I am Still Your Negro, A Homage to James Baldwin (2020), and most recently First Aid Kit for the Mind: Breaking the Cycle of Habitual Behaviors (2024). They also edited Afrikan Wisdom: New Voices Talk Black Liberation, Buddhism, and Beyond (2021). Vimalasara draws on many modalities: as a senior teacher in the Triratna Buddhist Community, a mindfulness trainer, a recovery advocate, a performance artist, and a founding facilitator of Dr. Gabor Maté’s Compassionate Inquiry. They have also trained in Internal Family Systems, Embodied Somatics, Breathworks, and Shamanism. Originally from the UK, Vimalasara now lives in Vancouver, where they are the Chair of Vancouver Buddhist Centre, and teaches internationally, including in India where they were ordained. Dr. Ambedkar has been a key inspiration to their Dharmalife.
Deepening Practice,
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