Rev. Heather Shōren Iarusso is the current tanto "head of practice" of Tassajara, where she’s spent eight years residing amid the trees, creeks and mountains that continuously expound the Buddha-dharma. Heather was ordained as a Zen Priest in October 2014 and received Dharma transmission from Teah Strozer, who served as the guiding teacher for Brooklyn Zen Center (BZC) for many years. She’s participated in meditation intensives with Pema Chodron, Tenshin Reb Anderson Roshi, Shohaku Okumura Roshi, and Shodo Harada Roshi. Heather holds master’s degrees in communications, creative writing, and English literature.