Caverly Morgan is a meditation teacher, nonprofit leader, and visionary. She is the Founder and Guiding Teacher of Presence Collective, dedicated to igniting personal transformation and collective awakening. She is also the Founder and Guiding Teacher of Peace in Schools — a nonprofit which created the nation’s first for-credit mindfulness class in public high schools. Peace in Schools is pioneering new depths in mindfulness education through teaching youth as well as training educators.
Caverly blends the original spirit of Zen with a modern nondual approach. Her practice began in 1995 and has included eight years of training in a silent Zen monastery. She has been teaching contemplative practice since 2001.
Prior to her pioneering efforts with Peace in Schools, Caverly formerly worked for nonprofits serving people with special needs. An artist and educator, she brings insight, passion, warmth, and humor to her transformative work with students of all ages and experience levels.
Caverly leads meditation retreats, workshops, and online classes internationally. She has been a visiting teacher at Open Circle, the Science and Nonduality Conference, Insight Meditation of Seattle and Charlottesville, Against the Stream in San Francisco, MNDFL, and the New York Zen Center of Contemplative Care.
Caverly also speaks publicly at conferences on topics including contemplative practice, social entrepreneurship, authentic leadership, and mindfulness education, and has been featured in publications such as Mindful Magazine and The New York Times.
She is dedicated to actualizing possibility, serving love, and embodying the truth of interconnection.
- Website: caverlymorgan.org
- Caverly’s presentation at the Science and Nonduality Conference
Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group.
Caverly in panel discussions on ethics and spiritual teaching.
Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.
YouTube Video Chapters:
- 00:00:00 – Introduction to Buddha at the Gas Pump
- 00:03:44 – A Conversation about Consciousness
- 00:06:51 – Discovering Zen Monastery Life
- 00:10:19 – Discovering the Path of Meditation
- 00:13:53 – An Identity Crisis at the Monastery
- 00:17:50 – Being with Your Experience
- 00:21:34 – Cultivating a Mentality of Spiritual Seeking
- 00:26:05 – The Journey to Enlightenment
- 00:30:25 – The Middle Way on the Spiritual Path
- 00:34:25 – Compassionate Concessions and Meeting Others Where They Are
- 00:38:51 – The Reconciliation of the Absolute and the Relative
- 00:43:27 – Seeking Enlightenment and Addressing Perceptions of Separation
- 00:47:13 – The Nature of Humor in Spiritual Practice
- 00:51:25 – The Contrast of Perceiving the World as Ramana Maharshi
- 00:55:55 – Recognizing Negative Self-Talk
- 01:00:06 – Moving towards greater happiness
- 01:03:51 – The Danger of Blending Morality and Practice
- 01:07:52 – Energetic Effects of Spiritual Practice and Neuroplasticity
- 01:11:20 – The Importance of Discernment and Truth
- 01:15:48 – Ongoing refinement in the journey of self-discovery in Zen monastic lineage and Amma’s influence
- 01:20:09 – Transformation in Teens
- 01:24:13 – Transformation and Connection in the Classroom
- 01:28:26 – Building a Supportive Community for Teenagers
- 01:32:18 – The Demand for the Program’s Expansion in Portland
- 01:36:08 – Flourishing and the Tools for Growth
- 01:40:13 – The Disappointment of Enlightenment
- 01:44:12 – Lack of attunement and suffering
- 01:48:33 – The Power of Collective Conditioning
- 01:52:32 – Shifting Consciousness and Collective Transformation
- 01:56:54 – The Marriage of Activism and Spirituality
- 02:01:00 – Availability of Teachings for All
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