Ramona Lisa Ortiz-Smith, MBA, (she/ella), brings over 25 years of meditation practice and spiritual studies to her livelihood as a Spiritual Teacher and Leader. She is a dedicated lay practitioner of the Dharma and has spent the last five years undertaking contemporary Upasika vows and living as a lay renunciate. She enjoys scholarly programs and has completed East Bay Meditation Center’s (EBMC) Commit to Dharma Program (C2D3), Spirit Rock Meditation Center’s (SRMC) Dedicated Practitioners Program (DPP6), EBMC’s two-year Spiritual Teacher and Leadership training and certification through the Mindfulness Training Institute.

Ramona Lisa is honored to be in the 2025-2028 cohort of the Insight Meditation Society/Spirit Rock Teacher Training Program. She is a 2023 Dharma Relief 2 Fellow and a certified Indigenous Focusing Oriented Therapy (IFOT) Practitioner. She is a Free Spirit who creatively weaves together real life experiences into her Dharma interpretation, using Earth based practices, authenticity, kindness, humor, music and joy! When not teaching, she is likely meditating, sitting in long, silent retreat practice, or enjoying time with her adult daughter, family, friends and Dharma Buddies!