Isa Gucciardi, Ph.D.

12/10/2026

Happy Indigenous Peoples' Day 💜

On Indigenous Peoples’ Day, we honor the wisdom, traditions, and living cultures of Indigenous peoples. May we continue to listen, learn, and deepen our respect for the people and traditions that have cared for the Earth across generations.

05/10/2026

In this talk for SF Dharma Collective, I explore wisdom, one of the six paramitas, and its place in Buddhist practice.
You can watch the full talk on the Sacred Stream blog.

28/09/2026

It was a privilege to welcome Venerable Ani Choyang to the Sacred Stream and hear her remarkable story of leaving Tibet, pursuing the Dharma, and dedicating herself to education and service. I’m very glad we can now share part of that conversation through Sacred Stream Radio, and I hope you’ll take some time to listen.

What begins as a teenager’s search for a more meaningful life becomes an extraordinary journey of study, service, and Buddhist practice.

In the new episode of Sacred Stream Radio, we share an excerpt from a recent talk with Venerable Ani Choyang, who reflects on leaving Tibet, her profound first meeting with His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and the path that eventually led her to become one of the first Tibetan women pursuing the Geshema degree in Buddhist philosophy.

Ani Choyang also shares her perspective on the expanding role of education for Tibetan Buddhist women and her own work bringing Buddhist philosophy into conversation with modern science.

🎙️ Episode 147: Venerable Ani Choyang: A Journey to the Dharma is available now on the Sacred Stream website and all major podcast platforms.

24/09/2026

We’re so glad to welcome Thupten Jinpa, Ph.D. once again Sunday.

📿 Happy to be supporting this program by our friends at Sacred Stream 📿

Esteemed Buddhist scholar Thupten Jinpa, Ph.D. returns to the Sacred Stream to explore how compassion, mindfulness, and the understanding of emptiness can transform the way we relate to difficult emotions and deepen our sense of wellbeing. Jinpa will examine how emotions arise in response to our perceptions of reality, and how mindful awareness can interrupt habitual patterns of anger, attachment, and fear.

Through practical teachings and contemplative insight, Jinpa will demonstrate how “holding” difficult emotions with curiosity and without judgment creates space for greater clarity, compassion, and emotional resilience. This talk will also explore the Buddhist understanding of interdependence and the nature of experience as an antidote to destructive emotional states. Emphasizing compassion as an active, embodied practice, Jinpa will offer ideas for cultivating emotional balance, inner strength, and a more purposeful and compassionate way of living in relationship with others and the world.

All proceeds from this talk go to Gaden Shartse Dokhang Khangston to support the building of a new dorm and prayer hall. Tibetans are invited to attend free of charge.

For more info + registration: https://ow.ly/rrwn50ZQNxT

17/09/2026

Such a wonderful meeting of mind and spirit! 💜

Dharma breakfast :)

Venerable Ani Choyang and Thupten Jinpa, Ph.D.

17/09/2026

Relationship and Karma explores how family systems, inherited patterns, and early experiences can shape the ways we relate to others.

Join Isa Gucciardi, Ph.D. for this online workshop beginning Saturday, September 26, and explore these dynamics through meditation and focused inquiry.

16/09/2026

Sacred Stream was honored to host this inspiring talk with Venerable Ani Choyang and to share in this auspicious meeting between Ani-la and Thupten Jinpa, Ph.D.. May wisdom and compassion flourish. ✨

14/09/2026

As summer begins to give way to fall, we’re looking forward to a full weekend of practice and community at Sacred Stream.

On September 19 & 20, Isa Gucciardi, Ph.D., leads The Shamanic Journey, a two-day introduction to the foundational practices of shamanic journeying.

Then, on Sunday, September 20, we’ll gather for our Fall Equinox Drum Circle, marking the seasonal transition through drumming and community.

11/09/2026

We are honored to host a talk with Venerable Ani Choyang this Saturday (Sept 12) online and in person at the Sacred Stream Center.

✨Ani Choyang is part of a small group of Tibetan Buddhist nuns breaking new ground as she is poised to become one of the first Geshemas (equivalent to a PhD in Buddhist Philosophy). She is also a scientist, having studied science at Emory University and participates in ongoing study and research in neuroscience, at Northwestern University. And she has accomplished all this after working in a factory in Tibet (now China) and escaping to India at age 18, where she first learned about her Tibetan culture, the Tibetan language, and that the Dalai Lama is incarnate and living on the planet.

Coming up this Saturday at the Sacred Stream.

Join us for Tibetan Women in Buddhism, a special conversation with Venerable Ani Choyang exploring the experiences and contributions of Tibetan women within the Buddhist tradition.

This gathering offers a rare opportunity to hear directly from Ani Choyang and learn from her perspective as a Tibetan Buddhist nun, teacher, and practitioner.

We hope you’ll join us this Saturday, September 12. 🙏