Naomi Gassler is a writer, long-time meditator, and teacher in the Rigpa organisation. She trained extensively with Sogyal Rinpoche. Naomi grew up in Innsbruck, Austria. She studied physics and mathematics and received her Ph.D. from Northeastern University, Boston, USA. In 1997 she moved to Lerab Ling, Rigpa’s retreat centre in southern France, and has since then worked to help with the translation and transmission of the ancient Buddhist wisdom to the western world. She is currently compiling Sogyal Rinpoche’s life story and is passionate about transmitting his special teaching, ‘Practical Wisdom’, on incorporating the activities of daily life into one’s own spiritual path. Naomi, a transgender woman, enjoys cooking and baking for her friends and family, as well as planning and constructing wooden chalets in Lerab Ling.