Basha (Barbara) Hirschfeld has been a student of Pema Chödrön — and through her, the Vidyadhara Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, who founded Shambhala in the West, since 2001.

She lived in Asia for nine years and taught Health to middle-schoolers at the Jakarta International School while her husband explored for geothermal energy. She and her husband brought back many treasures from Asia, and started a store in Santa Rosa upon their return from the tropics. They closed the store in 2012, and many of the antiques, stone statuary, and Southeast Asian architectural elements are now featured in the Meditation Hall and placed throughout the 8-acre property that is part of Open Sky. The lush gardens are decorated with stone statuary and carved teak panels, and the interior of the Meditation Hall features intricately carved doors and mandala-shaped light fixtures.

As a member of the Northern California Shambhala organizations, Basha volunteered to cook for Pema and thus a student-teacher relationship was born.

“Pema has helped guide me to appreciate the importance of meditation and retreat. When I saw this space, I saw how it could be a place where people could retreat, connect with themselves and with open space, and heal themselves, both alone and in a group. People need a place to come together to practice meditation. We can help each other that way.”

Basha has served the Shambhala community, first as a coordinator of Shambhala Trainings for Sonoma and Santa Rosa, then on the council of Santa Rosa in many capacities. After stepping down from Directing her local Shambhala Center in 2012, she began to develop Open Sky Retreat Space for both Shambhala practitioners and many other groups who find inspiration in the lovely West County setting.

She currently assists in teaching courses in Meditation with the Sonoma Shambhala Center, Tamalpais Shambhala, and Berkeley Shambhala Center. 

Basha is most happy to have found a way to share the beautiful land of the West County with its meditative atmosphere with others.

Photo: Basha at Karma Choling, VT.