Lama Tsomo

Lama Tsomo (Lama Sangak Yeshe Tsomo) brings her unique perspective to Why Is the Dalai Lama Always Smiling? Born into a Midwestern Jewish household, she followed a path of spiritual inquiry that ultimately led to her ordination as one of the few American female lamas teaching Tibetan Buddhist practices.

She now speaks Tibetan fluently and has done extensive spiritual retreat both in the U.S. and abroad, deepening her understanding and mastery of Tibetan Buddhism under the tutelage of Tulku Sangak (sometimes spelled "Sang-Ngag") Rinpoche, a primary holder of the Namchak lineage of Tibetan Buddhism and spiritual head of the Namchak Foundation. Rinpoche has asked Lama Tsomo to oversee the planning and construction of the Namchak Retreat Ranch, and she does so through her service on the board of the Namchak Foundation, an educational resource for a national learning community.

Lama Tsomo offers in-person workshops and retreats, as well as a host of online resources, to help students start or deepen their practice. Her teaching has inspired American and international students, who appreciate her warm intelligence and her informal, often humorous style.

Lama Tsomo is both the mother of three grown children, and a grandmother. She shares her mountain home with her two dogs.

Learn more about Lama Tsomo and Namchak at: Namchak.org