Ramona Lisa Ortiz-Smith, MBA, (she/ella), brings over 25 years of meditation practice and spiritual studies to her livelihood as a Spiritual Teacher and Leader. She is a dedicated lay practitioner of the Dharma and has spent the last six  years undertaking contemporary Upasika vows and living as a lay renunciate. She enjoys scholarly programs and has completed East Bay Meditation Center’s Commit to Dharma Program (C2D3), Spirit Rock Meditation Center’s (SRMC) Dedicated Practitioners Program (DPP6), East Bay Meditation Center’s two-year Spiritual Teacher and Leadership training and certification through the Mindfulness Training Institute. Ramona Lisa is honored to be in the 2025-2028 cohort of the Insight Meditation Society/Spirit Rock Teacher Training Program. Ramona Lisa is a 2023 Dharma Relief 2 Fellow and a certified Indigenous Focusing Oriented Therapy (IFOT) Practitioner.

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​Ramona Lisa is a Free Spirit who creatively weaves together real life experiences into her Dharma interpretation using Earth based practices, authenticity, kindness, humor, music and joy! When not teaching, she is likely meditating, sitting in long, silent retreat practice or enjoying time with her adult daughter, family, friends and Dharma Buddies!

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Ramona Lisa offers classes, retreats and mentoring with multiple organizations through her business FREE SPIRIT. She is a Resident Teacher with Assaya Sangha; a Visiting Teacher with East Bay Meditation Center; Guest Resident Teacher with  Dhamma Dena Retreat Center. She serves as a Lead Facilitator with Peace At Any Pace-Deep Time Liberation. Sheis often invited to be a Guest Teacher with Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley, Marin Sangha, Buddhist Meditation Group and Spirit Rock Meditation Center-BIPOC Sundays.