Autor/-in: Dean Sluyter

Dean Sluyter (pronounced "slighter") has taught meditation and insight at workshops and retreats throughout the United States since 1970. He's known for conveying genuine enlightenment wisdom in forms that are accessible, lively, and label-free. His five books include Natural Meditation: A Guide to Effortless Meditative Practice, Cinema Nirvana: Enlightenment Lessons from the Movies, and Fear Less: Living Beyond Fear, Anxiety, Anger, and Addiction. Dean has trained with Eastern and Western sages in several traditions, including Vajrayana (Tibetan) Buddhism, Dzogchen, Advaita Vedanta, Bhakti Yoga, Umbanda, and Transcendental Meditation, and has completed dozens of retreats and pilgrimages in India, Tibet, Nepal, and the West. He has been a featured speaker and workshop leader at venues including the Chautauqua Institution, Young Presidents' Association, Garrison Institute, Omega Institute, New York Open Center, Tibet House, The Nature Conservancy, and numerous mindfulness centers, yoga studios, colleges, and houses of worship. Dean taught for 33 years in the English department at The Pingry School, one of the top-ranked independent schools in the Northeast. There he developed the Literature of Enlightenment program, introducing future Ivy Leaguers to meditation and to wisdom texts from Plato to Salinger. He wrote film reviews for New Jersey newspapers and for Tricycle: The Buddhist Quarterly. He led community meditation groups, taught at addiction rehab centers, and founded Buddhist Studies groups at two maximum security prisons and a youth correctional facility; he continues to teach a group at Northern State Prison, in Newark, via video and frequent visits. Today Dean lives in Santa Monica and is married to documentary filmmaker Yaffa Lerea. In the Covid era his teaching has moved online, and includes regular meditation sessions and a Poetry of Enlightenment series, on Zoom and YouTube. He narrates audiobooks (favoring poetry and spiritual titles) and occasionally consults on spiritually oriented books and films. He and a co-host are scheduled to launch the podcast series The Filmosophers in fall 2020. Dean's media appearances have included National Public Radio, Oprah & Friends Radio with Dr. Oz, Coast to Coast AM, The New York Times, New York Magazine, USA Today, Prevention, InStyle, and O: The Oprah Magazine.