Shaila has been practicing meditation since 1980 and has accumulated more than nine years of silent retreat experience.
Shaila studied with several Asian masters in India, Thailand, and Nepal, including H. W. L. Poonja, Nyoshul Khen Rinpoche, and Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, in addition to the founders of several western meditation centers including Christopher Titmuss and Joseph Goldstein.
Shaila practiced under the guidance of Venerable Pa-Auk Sayadaw from 2006-2015 and completed a one-year intensive meditation retreat with the focus on concentration and jhana.
Shaila is the founder of Insight Meditation South Bay and the online meditation classroom Bodhi courses, as well as the author of "Focused and Fearless: A Meditator’s Guide to States of Deep Joy, Calm, and Clarity" and "Wisdom Wide and Deep: A Practical Handbook for Mastering Jhana and Vipassana."