Mathias Pongracz

Mathias Pongrácz is currently spiritual director of Stiftung Felsentor on mount Rigi, Switzerland, a Zen retreat place in the lineage of  the late Kobun Chino Roshi, with whom he practiced for many years.

Mathias started his path of dharma with the meditation master Trungpa Rinpoche, with whom he studied from 1983 until his death in 1987. After that  he became a student of Kobun chino Roshi and Sakyong Rinpoche, serving as acharya (senior teacher) for 15 years in Shambhala, an international network of meditation centers under the guidance of Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche.

He trained in the MBSR approach with Jon Kabat Zinn in the US in 2004 and with his encouragement started teaching this method in France, before it became widely known. He has been leading silent retreats for many  years  in Austria, Belgium, Czechia, France and now in Switzerland.