Our Team
David Viafora
David leads mindfulness retreats for educators, physicians, families, teens, children, young adults, and other groups in North America and Europe. He first ordained as a monk with Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh in 2005 and spent several years living in the Plum Village tradition monasteries before finding his nice in community lay life. David is now a lay ordained member of the Order of Interbeing, the core community of the Plum Village tradition. His new book, “Thriving Together: 9 Principles for Cocreating True Community” teaches how we can create the conditions for joy and solidity in any community. This book highlights David’s boundless joy, gratitude, and love for Sangha building. David identifies as a white-presenting Chinese-American cis man, and works as a licensed therapist for children, adults, and families.
Some of David’s favorite things to do are drinking tea in the woods with friends, Sangha game nights, sober dance parties, and sunset meditations.
Nick Neild
Nick has been practicing mindfulness since 2011 and ordained in the Order of Interbeing of the Plum Village tradition in April 2024. He has been facilitating, staffing and supporting meditation communities, tours and retreats in the U.S. and Europe. He is the author of the children's mindfulness book, "Just Bee!" which helps kids and parents learn how to practice with “distractions” while meditating. He has worked as a school teacher since 2015 and has taught students as well as staff how to practice mindfulness in and out of the classroom in addition to the normal curriculum. He is a Certified Anger Management Facilitator (CAMF-1), and has taught mindfulness to adults on parole through a substance abuse education course as well as to young adults in rehab. He moved to Charlotte, NC in August 2023 after having lived in Prague, Czech Republic for 5 years.