Kali Ma Troma Rigtsal Khandro, simply called "Ma," or "Rinpoche" by her students, is a spiritual teacher, inspiration and mentor to thousands of people around the world. She teaches the path of awakening in the tradition of the unorthodox, Yogic style of the MahaSiddhas which she inherited. Her work is joyful and radically committed to the essence of the path: sane, natural, awake way of being.  Above all, her teaching is how all of life can be transformed into the path to realization, including relationship, work, family and formal spiritual practice.

Rinpoche has dedicated her life to the spiritual awakening of humanity. She shares advanced teachings in the most experiential, direct and essential way, making them accessible to people in all walks of life. She specializes in training people how to sustain and nourish the state of being in love, an education that is sorely lacking in modern society. Her sophisticated yet profoundly straight-forward teachings also emphasize living according to the principles Ayurvedic Wisdom, the natural medicine of the Himalayas. These Ayurvedic principles bring great light to how mind and emotions can be cleared, how to dissolve the root causes of disease, and how to live a life in harmony with the elements of nature.

A Westerner, at a young age Rinpoche was recognized as a Siddha, and has been transforming lives ever since.  Rinpoche is the spiritual leader of MahaSiddha Buddhism, also called MahaSiddha Dharma and is Founder and Director of its non-profit public charity since 1999, which she founded with her husband, Derrick Pawo.  Ordained as a Yogini in the gö kar chang-lo’i dé, the white-skirt, long-haired, non-celibate lineage of the Nyingma tradition, she sustains an esoteric school for students including beginning levels and advanced. She has also founded five communities, which include the Trigug Retreat in Santa Cruz, the MahaSiddha Center in Berkeley, a community in Grass Valley and over twelve other different residential practice communities throughout the last decade, as well as co-founded two Ayurveda & Panchakarma clinics. She has created four intensive training courses in Meditation and Hatha Yoga and tours regularly throughout California, Nepal and India giving teachings, guiding groups in meditation, yogic practices and natural healing.  She is the author of two books; Doorways to Enlightenment, Peacock in the Garden of Poisons; and over 20 audio-teachings.

For her extended biography click here.