Passaddhi's Teacher 

Marjó Oosterhoff lives and works at Passaddhi. She organises all retreats, and teaches some of these. She offers meditation instruction to whoever is interested. She started to practise vipassana meditation more than 20 years ago and has trained and practised in Western meditation centres as well as in Asian monasteries and nunneries. She ordained as a temporary nun on three occasions for the traditional rains retreats in a monastery in Burma. Temporary ordination for both men and women is quite normal in the Theravada Buddhist tradition of Thailand and Burma. For Marjó it is a time of renunciation and reflection, connecting with the long tradition of the Buddha's followers who have practised and taught his teachings for more than 2.500 years. Of course one doesn't need to ordain to practise meditation, or even to be a Buddhist, but for Marjó it helps her in her commitment to waking up, feeling the inspiration of all the monastices who have gone before her, and of those who are still practising today. It is about letting go of the small self, and being part of a bigger lineage, a bigger community.

Inspired by metta teachings from Burmese and western teachers, Marjó is now also offering instruction in metta or lovingkindness meditation in an intensive retreat setting. She will give guidelines on how to integrate meditation practice in daily life.

Over the past few years Marjó goes to Burma on retreat on a yearly basis, to reconnect with intensive meditation practice in deeper ways, and for spiritual nourishment from Burmese teachers and practitioners.

Marjó also works as a translator of Buddhist books for Asoka, a small Dutch publishing company. For details on Asoka and for recommended reading click Links. 
She has also trained with the Karuna Institute of Devon, England, in Core-process psychotherapeutic skills. Core-process psychotherapy offers a contemplative approach to psychotherapy, based on a Buddhist psychological understanding of the body-mind process we call 'a person'. Awareness of both the therapist's and the client's physical, mental and emotional processes, and presence in interactive situations are some of the skills a Core-process therapist will have developed.