Meet Richie

Richie Essenburg is a Buddhist Meditation Instructor based in Marietta, GA. He has been trained to facilitate meditation groups through Wild Heart Meditation Center. His training, led by Andrew Chapman, LCSW and Rev. Mikey Noechel, MS., enables him to provide meditation instructions in both secular and Buddhist settings.

Contact Me

Bio

Richie is the facilitator for Mindful Marietta, a meditation group located in Marietta, GA. He has co-facilitated a local Kalyana Mitta group, and he has been a guest speaker at Roswell Insight Meditation Community and at Wild Heat Meditation Center. He has spent the last several years developing trainings and instructional talks related to the intersection of Western and Buddhist psychology for those new to meditation and experienced meditators.

Richie’s meditation practice and his formal training are based in the Insight/early Buddhist tradition. While his training is rooted in early Buddhism, Richie offers instructions and talks that are inclusive for everyone interested in mindfulness, meditation, and to living a meaningful life free from suffering.

Richie has a passion for sharing mindfulness as a way to better work with stress, anxiety, depression, and the ups and downs of life. Richie’s approach to facilitation and instruction is laid-back, personal, accessible, and compassionate. He hopes all that attend feel a sense of belonging.

Richie is available for group meditation instruction, instructional talks, and half-day retreats.

Formal Training

Buddhist Study Series

Year 1

An interactive, educational, and experiential study of Buddhist theory and practices. The course curriculum focused on themes related to the Four Noble Truths, the Eightfold Path, the Four Foundations of Mindfulness, and the Four Brahmaviharas. There were educational lectures and assignments, as well as guided practices related to mindfulness, heart practice, and relational mindfulness.

Living the Dharma

Year 2

A year-long program and dedicated practitioners group centered around engaging with a variety of different Buddhist teachings. Consisted of group meetings where instructions were offered as well as assignments on the specific practices of: the Five Rememberances, renunciation, samatha and vipassana meditation, generosity and more.

Facilitator Training

Year 3

A year-long program that focused on develop of meditation facilitation, education and competence with guiding meditation, instructional talks, and public speaking. The training also covered the tenets of starting and sustaining a meditation group. All above listed programs were prerequisites and residential retreat time required as well.