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For Immediate Release: Mon., Aug. 29
Contact: Joe Reed | Director of Marketing and Communications
412-622-6915, ext. 3801 |jreed@phipps.conservatory.org

Phipps Conservatory Presents Meditative Program Led by Personal Physician to the 14th Dalai Lama
American Physician and Buddhist Monk Barry Kerzin Leads Guided Meditation and Discussion Focused on Healing Our Relationship with Self and Nature

Pittsburgh, PA – On Mon., Sept. 12, guests are invited to Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens to participate in a guided meditation led by American physician and Buddhist monk Barry Kerzin, followed by a discussion with Phipps President and CEO Richard Piacentini on “Compassion and the Natural Mind” which will explore the link between a “natural mind” and the will to care for living beings and their environments. The discussion and meditation can be attended either virtually or in person.
 
Barry Kerzin is an American physician and Buddhist monk. He has lived in Dharamshala since 1988, and serves as a personal physician to the 14th Dalai Lama, along with treating people in the local community. Following his ordination as a monk by Dalai Lama in January 2003, he has travelled, teaching and offering workshops in which he blends Buddhist teaching and his medical training. He has served as a research participant in neuroscience research into the effects of meditation on the brain.
 
Kerzin is an adjunct professor (from 7/2020) at the University of Pittsburgh, an adjunct professor (2021/22) at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) and a former Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Washington. He is founder and president of the Altruism in Medicine Institute (AIMI), which is relocating to Pittsburgh, and founder and chairman of the Human Values Institute (HVI) in Japan.
 
The program takes place on Mon., Sept. 12 from 9:30 a.m. – noon at Phipps Conservatory. It will include guided meditations led by Dr Kerzin and a discussion with Phipps President and CEO Richard Piacentini, followed by a question-and-answer session. Guests are encouraged to contribute a suggested donation of $20 to attend in person and $10 to attend remotely.  All proceeds will go to the Altruism in Medicine Institute, which is relocating to Pittsburgh and aims to transform medical education to incorporate curricula of self-compassion, compassion for others, mindfulness and resilience as essential as anatomy, physiology and pharmacology. All in-person attendees must wear a mask at all times during the program.
 
For more information and to register, visit phipps.conservatory.org.

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About Phipps: Founded in 1893, Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens in Pittsburgh, PA is a globally recognized green leader with a mission to inspire and educate all with the beauty and importance of plants; to advance sustainability and promote human and environmental well-being through action and research; and to celebrate its historic glasshouse. Encompassing 15 acres including a historic 14-room glasshouse, 23 distinct indoor and outdoor gardens and industry-leading sustainable architecture and operations, Phipps attracts more than half a million visitors annually from around the world. Learn more at phipps.conservatory.org.
 
Watch TEDx: What We Can Learn From an Old Glasshouse: A look at the evolving way we connect people to nature at Phipps, demonstrate how human and environmental health are inextricably connected, and show that to age gracefully, we must continually reinvent ourselves to evolve with the rest of the world.