Rakhel Shapiro

Rakhel Shapiro has over a decade of dedicated mindfulness practice in the insight meditation and Unified Mindfulness traditions, including intensive silent retreat practice and work with a one-on-one mentor. She is co-founder and teacher at the Deep Mindfulness Collective.

Rakhel’s approach is based on fostering a complete practice, drawing from Shinzen Young’s "four quadrants" of practice: to appreciate self and world, transcend self and world, transform self and world, and express the benefits of practice in our thoughts, words, and actions. She balances an insight/liberation driven focus with cultivation of deep compassion, empowering students to transcend unnecessary suffering, and nourish authentic, connected, meaningful lives.

In everyday language, this is training in seeing clearly, caring deeply, and experiencing liberation.

Rakhel specializes in one-on-one Meditation Mentorship for emotional and relational intelligence, and deep insight practice, which she offers through Skype and FaceTime. She also offers in-person drop-in and corporate classes and half-day retreats in New York City.

Her work is informed by specialized training in attachment-informed mindfulness practices and Motivational Interviewing, and the perspective that it is through self acceptance that we change. She creates space for students to simultaneously accept all the parts of themselves exactly as they are and also to grow towards their ideals.

Rakhel is a certified Meditation Mentor through George Haas and JoAnna Harper's Mentor Training and Certification Program at Against the Stream Buddhist Meditation Society, and a teacher in Shinzen's Unified Mindfulness system. She holds a BA with Highest Honors from Vassar College. She is currently in a PhD program in clinical psychology where she trains as a student therapist and conducts research on mindfulness and attachment.