Peter Watts
Peter is the Co-director of SomaChi, a meditation instructor, YA certified SomaChi yoga instructor and a philosophy teacher for the SomaChi Teacher Training with over 30 years of experience.
Peter began his study of yoga in 1991 with ISKCON, studying Sanskrit, Bhagavad Gita, Srimad Bhagavatam, Mantra and Bhakti Yoga. With this strong interest, he began learning different styles of Hatha Yoga, including Classical Hatha, Iyengar and Vinyasa Flow. His interest further led to studying Patanjali’s 8 Limbs and the Yoga Sutras.
It was around 1994 that Peter completed his first mindful retreat, a combination of Vipassana and Zen sitting and walking meditation, that a strong interest in Buddhism emerged. After completing one of Goenka’s ten-day Vipassana meditation retreats, he developed a daily sitting meditation practice. He began learning the foundations of Buddhist philosophy, including the 4 Noble Truths and the 8 Fold Path Satipatthana.
In 2002, his wife, Lianne, introduced Peter to the teachings of Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche. Inspired by Rinpoche’s book, ‘How Not to be a Buddhist’, the Four Seals of Buddhism, he began studying with Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche.
Peter’s studies include the following:
- He has completed over twenty Vipassana in the Theravadin tradition and the Shamatha/ Vipashyana Mahayana tradition.
- Shambhala warrior series of meditation with the Melbourne Shambala group
- Ten-year Dharma Gar program, with the equivalence of a three-year Meditation retreat (7500 hours of meditation), under the guidance of Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche.
- Diploma of religious studies, majoring in Eastern religion and philosophy, and in Buddhism.
Peter and Lianne developed a foundations program workbook introducing new students to Buddhist meditation. Together, with the support from Jakob Leschly and Siddhartha’s Intent Australia, they host the foundational program.