"Whatever you frequently think about or ponder upon will become the inclination of your heart."
— The Buddha (Majjhima Nikaya 19)

ABOUT MELISSA

Melissa McKay is a meditation teacher and Executive Director of Insight LA. She has been practicing meditation since the mid-90s. She has trained in vipassana (insight, mindfulness) meditation and metta meditation in Burma with the great Burmese master Sayadaw U Pandita and in the U.S. with another great master from Vietnam, Sayadaw U Khippa Pano.

The rigorous form of training she undertook helped her gain insight into understanding the human mind, the causes of suffering and stress, and the potential to eradicate it. She has spent over 2 years cumulatively in intensive retreat practice and has over 10,000 hours of meditation training.

She began teaching in New York City in 2003 in her yoga studio in Brooklyn. She has taught with InsightLA, MNDFL, New York Insight, Bozeman Dharma Center, Big Bear Retreat Center, Won Dharma Center, Kula Yoga, Wanderlust, and the Wanderlust festivals. She was featured on the podcasts of comedians Sam Tripoli and Duncan Trussell, among others.

She is currently writing a book to be released in Spring 2026 on meditation and Buddhist practice and has a YouTube channel to offer free teachings and guided meditations: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCswmFzxiYPUXlEkbhz5Qr3A