Joan Halifax

Joan Jiko Halifax is an American Buddhist teacher, Zen priest, and anthropologist. She is the founder and abbess of Upaya Zen Center, a Zen Buddhist community in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Halifax is known for integrating contemplative practice with engaged work in areas such as end-of-life care, ethics, and social action. She has taught widely on compassion, mindfulness, and the application of Buddhist principles in contemporary life. Through Upaya and related training programs, she has helped develop approaches that bring meditation and spiritual care into healthcare and other service settings. Halifax is also the author of books exploring Buddhism, compassion, and dying.