About Us
At the Way Of Compassion Foundation, we are dedicated to making all of our programs accessible and available to all. We try to offer all of our programs on a free-will donation basis. When there is a fee, it is only to cover our costs when using an outside facility we use. The actual trainings are always offered on a donation basis. In this way, we do our best to ensure everyone can participate and benefit from our programs regardless of their financial situation. We are a nonprofit organization and do accept donations. The donations we receive allow us to meet our limited overhead and continue to offer programs throughout the country. We have found that those with resources contribute enough to provide for us to carry on our work.
Staff
John Bruna, Founder – John is an author, educator, mindfulness, and dharma teacher. In 1984 John had an experience that transformed his life and motivated him to live a life of service. John has had careers in counseling, primarily as a substance abuse counselor, and in education as a teacher in a low-income, urban high school. In 2001 John found his spiritual teacher, Venerable Geshe Tsultim Gyeltsen, and, in 2005, traveled to Gaden Shartse Monastery in India to be ordained as a Buddhist monk in the Tibetan Geluk tradition. After more than six years of monastic life, John has returned to life as a layperson. Drawing upon his education, training, and diverse life experience (not to mention his humor), John has dedicated his life to helping others overcome their personal obstacles and challenges. He facilitates a variety of workshops and public talks in the United States and abroad.
Rachel Currier, Program Coordinator: Rachel is deeply grateful to be a part of the Way of Compassion Foundation. She shares that it brings her great joy to help connect people to resources and communities that improve the quality of their lives. Having overcome many challenges in life, in 2012 she began a personal journey of inner development and helping others. She is certified as a yoga teacher, a Mindful Life Program teacher, and a Mindfulness in Recovery facilitator. Rachel lives in Syracuse, NY with her family, where she enjoys hiking, riding bikes, being of service, and raising her young son, Jesse.
Aaron Taylor, Media Director: Aaron grew up enjoying the outdoors and many sports. His strong interest in outdoor recreation brought him to the mountains of Colorado to pursue a life devoted to environmental protection and education. He worked at the Aspen Center for Environmental studies leading kids and adults into a deeper connection with the natural world. In 2014, Aaron was fortunate to encounter the Mindful Life Program and the theme of inner sustainability began to take root and become the dominant focus of his daily practice. Aaron is passionate about creating opportunities to make a positive difference in the world and aspires to embody the compassion that the Way of Compassion teaches. Aaron has extensive training in meditation, mindfulness, and the application of compassion. He has completed many retreats and is a certified Mindful Life Program teacher. Aaron joined the Way of Compassion Foundation as the director at the end of 2017.
Board of Directors
President: Jessica Sylvanson, L.Ac., M.Ac.O.M. is the owner and practitioner at Here and Now Acupuncture and Asian Medicine located in the Here and Now Center in Gunnison Colorado. She practices using acupuncture, massage, herbal medicine, and other tools from traditional Asian medicine systems. She is also a Kundalini yoga instructor and integrates mindfulness and meditation techniques in her daily life.
Secretary: Dawn Reeder – Dawn lives in Crawford, Colorado, and is a biologist working in land conservation all around the state. She has been participating in Way of Compassion retreats and activities since 2020 and is grateful for the opportunity to help support the vision of an organization that has enabled her and so many others to cultivate so much well-being.
Treasurer: Sam Ruffino – Originally from New York, Sam has lived across the United States and now calls New Castle, Colorado home. He brings a diverse professional background, having worked as a restaurant owner, in construction, and in property management. Sam has been actively involved with the Way of Compassion Foundation since 2016. He is a certified Mindful Life Program (MLP) mindfulness instructor, a Mindfulness in Recovery (MIR) facilitator, and regularly teaches and guides meditation. Deeply committed to supporting others on their path to healing, Sam also works in various roles in the recovery community and serves at a men’s rehabilitation facility in Carbondale, Colorado.