• 445-292-6235
  • info@mindfulpa.org
  • 2783 Egypt Road, Norristown, PA 19403

 PENNSYLVANIA

MEDITATION

  COMMUNITY

"Be your own refuge."

Our Teachers

Meet our instructors

Guided by dedicated teachers rooted in the Theravada tradition, offering practice, wisdom, and a welcoming path for all.

Resident Monk

Bhante Chandrawansa

Buddhism & Meditation

Bhante Chandrawansa is our resident and chief incumbent monk. Ordained at the age of 14 under the Theravadan tradition, he has dedicated his life to learning and practicing the dhamma.

Background

Bhante began his training at the Sri Sudhammananda Samanera Bhikkhu Training Centre in Halloluwa, Kandy, Sri Lanka in 2002, receiving higher ordination as a Buddhist monk in 2008. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Kelaniya in Sri Lanka.

He practiced at forest monasteries and under prominent teachers in Sri Lanka, then was invited to the Ottawa Buddhist Vihara in Canada, where he taught Buddhist philosophy and yoga to local lay people, before being invited to serve as head monk at the Pennsylvania Meditation Center in Crystal Spring, PA.

Since moving to the United States, Bhante has studied under well-known teachers from Vietnam and Burma, learning several techniques including the Mahasi, Pa-Auk, and Goenka methods.

His hope is to share meditation and mindfulness with all those who have experienced the burden of suffering — with all those who are seeking a refuge, willing to listen with an open heart.

Teaching Focus

Bhante's main focus is Vipassana and mindfulness on mind. He also emphasizes Lovingkindness, Samatha practice, and daily mindfulness — offering a clear and direct path for practitioners of all levels.

Mindfulness Teacher

Beth Kedra

Meditation & Mindfulness

Beth Kedra is a wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend, teacher, and meditator — bringing mindfulness into classrooms, libraries, and communities across Pennsylvania.

Her Journey

Beth grew up in Philadelphia, attending 13 years of Catholic school. When she lost her father at the age of 13, it profoundly shaped her relationship with her mind and the world. Without mental tools to process those emotions, she carried seeds of resentment, grief, and loneliness into young adulthood.

She attended Temple University, graduating with honors in Elementary Education and Special Education. Always drawn to emotions and mental qualities, her true passion became social and emotional learning. In November 2020, she discovered meditation through Bhante Chandrawansa — a meeting that would beautifully capsize her life.

Through the practice, she learned to take a mental inventory, love and care for herself again, and find stability, compassion, and tolerance in daily life.

When you choose to take on this practice, the knotty inner mess slowly unravels each day, one mindful moment at a time.

Teaching Focus

After experiencing the positive effects of mindfulness firsthand, Beth established a weekly meditation and discussion at her local library and brings mindfulness into her classroom as a Pre-K teacher. Her hope is to help both children and adults free themselves from their tangled inner world and live from the peaceful place buried in their heart.