risingfalling.co is the dharma teaching team of Megan Cowan & Chris McKenna. Their style emphasizes the absolute uniqueness of each individual on the path of de-conditioning - of seeing through and transmuting the patterns, fixations and wounds that obscure the full expression of true nature. Megan & Chris both got obsessed with meditation & the dharma as young people. They would go on to spend many years practicing in retreat, on park benches and pretty much anywhere else they found themselves. They would spend many more years integrating & trying to make sense of how the development of unconditioned awareness interfaces with this human life. Their teaching focuses on the repeated recognition and embodiment of presence-awareness in all states and situations, the necessary interplay of psychological and spiritual development, a strong focus on inquiry & the development of the intuitive capacity, a somatic/biophysical approach to meditation, and a balance between the importance of transcendent awakening and the reality that our actions and relationships are the ultimate testing ground for the development of wisdom. They also both share a deep interest in how the embodiment of presence-awareness impacts how we are with children. Both contributed significantly to the movement to integrate mindfulness into education and youth mental health settings, and they continue to have an interest in working with people who share this passion. They currently live in the Gulf Islands of British Columbia where they host folks for both self-retreat and small, intimate group retreats.