In my experience, most people who get into meditation are either deeply neurotic or slightly insane, and I was definitely no exception. I first stumbled onto it as a teenager growing up in New York at one of the lowest points of my life, struggling with debilitating anxiety and grasping for something, anything, that might help. In that search I came across this book, which cracked open a wellspring of Buddhist literature, and for the first time I felt there were words for what I was going through, and a path walked by others before me to navigate this new terrain.

When I moved to Melbourne in 2001, I began investigating this path more seriously and eventually found my way to Traleg Rinpoche at the E-Vam Institute. Through the teachings there I was introduced to the Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism, where I immediately felt at home, seeing my own struggles reflected in the rich characters, stories and practices of this tradition. I was also drawn to the understanding that spiritual life does not have to be kept apart from worldly life, but can be lived right alongside it. (The amazing art and illustration didn't hurt either).

Over time I sampled a number of different teachers and traditions but always returned to the Kagyu teachers. First in the lineage of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, and later with Mingyur Rinpoche and Wangdrak Rinpoche, both of whom I continue to study with today.

What struck me most about these teachings was the view that at the deepest level our true nature is already whole and complete. There is nothing broken that needs fixing. Practice is not about straining to become someone different, but about recognising what is already there and learning to rest in it. That gradual and ongoing shift has transformed not only how I experience and live my own life, but how I relate to others (or at least try to…)

Encouraged by the notion that the best way to learn something is to teach it, I enrolled in several formal training programs. These included the 100-hour Dharma Moon Meditation Teacher Training, the Cultivating Emotional Balance (CEB) program, and most recently, the year-long Tergar International Meditation Teacher Program, which qualified me as a Tergar Certified Anywhere Anytime Meditation Teacher (TCAAMT).

Alongside this study, I’ve been fortunate to help establish new spaces for Dharma in Australia. In 2016 I was part of the group that founded The Contemplary, a not-for-profit venture in Melbourne dedicated to secular and traditional contemplative practices. In 2020 I started the Tergar Melbourne practice group, which has since evolved into Tergar Australia, a registered charity and the national arm of Mingyur Rinpoche’s international meditation community.

In the business world, I founded The Jacky Winter Group in 2007, a creative agency representing visual artists with offices in Australia, the US and UK. When I'm not doing that or Dharma stuff, you'll find me at the ice hockey rink, on the golf course, or at home with my family in the Dandenong Ranges fumbling through piano lessons.

For most of my life I kept my Dharma practice and my professional work separate. This website and the activities listed within it are my attempt to bring those two worlds together, where I can hopefully connect people with authentic wisdom traditions that have resonated so deeply with me. The name, Stonwarm Studios, is an anagram of my surname, Wortsman, and a nod to this integration.

In my work at Jacky Winter, my greatest joy has been making connections: finding artists I love and am excited about, then sharing them with the world and creating opportunities for them to flourish commercially. Similarly, inspired by the example and generosity of my own teachers and mentors, I now want to use my skills and experience to share these transformative and authentic wisdom teachings back to the creative community that has supported me so much.

While the Dharma gives my life its deepest sense of meaning and purpose, the journey hasn't been straightforward, with constant ups and downs along the way. There was a lot of resistance and many false starts as I tried to find my footing, but slowly over the years my practice took root, sustained by the kindness and wisdom of fellow practitioners I encountered.

This experience taught me that the path isn’t meant to be walked in isolation; it thrives when we practice alongside others in community. I am still first and foremost a student, but if I can help create that sense of connection for even one person who finds their way here, and offer the kind of shortcut I wish I’d had when I was searching all those years ago, then I think that’s pretty good.

To that end, I invite you to check out at the upcoming events to see what’s on offer. If you’d prefer to just dip your toes in, I also have a page of other resources (books, podcasts, movies, other groups and so on) that might be of interest.

If you have any questions, drop me a line anytime at jeremy@stonwarm.com