Heather Shoren Iarusso

In June 2008, Heather quit her comfy 9-to-5 routine and entered a life of monastic rigor at Tassajara Zen Mountain Center. Back then, she’d intended to stay for six months; however, the months turned into years, and her spiritual sabbatical morphed into a way of life. In total, she resided amid the peace and beauty of the monastic valley for a dozen years and completed 17 cloistered, 90-day practice periods. Heather has held numerous roles at Tassajara, including being the head cook (tenzo), the director, and the tanto (head of Zen practice).

Heather first received the precepts in January 2003 and was ordained as a Zen priest in October 2014. She received Dharma transmission in 2022. Heather holds master’s degrees in communications, creative writing, and English literature. She writes and podcasts on her Spark Zen Substack.