Judith Simmer-Brown, PhD, is Professor of Religious Studies at Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado. She has been a practicing Buddhist for over 40 years, and serves as an acharya (senior dharma teacher) in the lineage of Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche of Shambhala International. She lectures and writes on Tibetan Buddhism, American Buddhism, women and Buddhism, and inter-religious dialogue. Her books include: Benedict’s Dharma: Buddhists Comment on the Rule of St. Benedict (with Patrick Henry), Dakini’s Warm Breath: The Feminine Principle in Tibetan Buddhism and Meditation and the Classroom: Contemplative Pedagogy in the Religious Studies Classroom.