Meet Upasaka Upali

My name is Upali, and I’m a meditation and Dharma teacher rooted in a Buddhist lineage. I guide practitioners both online and in-person, including residential retreats across North America and Europe.

My approach supports students in "getting good at feeling good"—cultivating practical, transformative benefits that integrate into daily life.

The Buddha’s teaching points to Dukkha (stress, dissatisfaction) and the possibility of its cessation. The opposite is equally true: there is Sukkha (joy, well-being), and it can be cultivated and expanded. My Dharma is the Dharma of joy—and its proliferation.

I work with practitioners individually and collectively through one-on-one guidance, small group sessions, and residential meditation retreats. You’ll find these offerings here on my website, along with additional resources such as articles and guided meditations. You can also read more about my teaching background below.

Teaching Background & Training

  • Dharma lineage through Namgyal Rinpoche / Ananda Bodhi – a Kagyu, Nyingma, and Theravada-influenced lineage that blends traditional depth with pragmatic, modern application.

  • Upasaka (oo-PAH-sah-kah) Title – received in 2015 after formally taking the Five Precepts in an ordination ceremony. Upasaka is a lay person (non-monastic) title, and I also received the name “Upali” as part of the ceremony.

  • Formally trained in “The Mind Illuminated” – through a 3-year teacher training with Culadasa in the 10-stage TMI meditation model, integrating Buddhist psychology and cognitive science, and guiding students step-by-step from attention training to deep concentration and Insight.

  • NeuroSystemics – 3-year training in a modality of applied neuroscience, trauma sensitivity, and group facilitation tools for resilience in both individual and community practice.

  • Mental Health First Aid Training – that recognizes and responds to mental health crises, especially in the context of meditation.

  • Founding Member and former Executive Director of Open Dharma Foundation – a global scholarship program for broadening access to residential meditation retreats.

  • Co-Host, Teaching Meditation Podcast – producing in-depth conversations with teachers and students on Dharma and meditation practice

  • Founder & Board Chair, Center Space – a non-profit community meditation studio in my current hometown, Chattanooga, Tennessee

  • Fluent in Spanish - así puedo defenderme de mis suegros chilenos, with the additional benefit of being able to teach in Spanish too.

Jessi Hamilton

Coordinator and Administrative Support

jessi@upalimeditation.com

Jessi Hamilton, coordinator and support for Upali’s teaching practice, is an artist and art educator. She received her MFA in Studio Art from the University of Florida and has taught at several colleges throughout the Southeast.

Through a creative practice rooted in meditation, her work is an inquiry into the parallels of meditation and visual art, and is ultimately a means to cultivate awareness and ease in daily life. She now resides in Chattanooga, Tennessee, where she often meanders via bicycle, or forages for herbs by foot.