About Us
True Peace Toronto practices meditation and mindfulness in the tradition of Buddhist Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh and the Plum Village spiritual community which he leads.
We practice engaged Buddhism, which seeks to apply Buddhist ethics and insights gained from mindfulness practice to our daily life as well as to issues of social, political and environmental suffering and injustice.
Our main activities are the conduct of mindfulness practice sessions, courses on Buddhist teachings, days of mindfulness, and retreats.
Our practice extends into our daily lives through daily sitting meditation, walking meditation, mindfulness in all activities, and the practice of the Five Mindfulness Trainings.
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Founder
Ghan Chee (she, her)
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Ghan Chee started True Peace Sangha in 2002 when asked by a student gardening group to facilitate meditation sessions. She initially facilitated weekly meetings at the U of T International Students' Centre, and when she moved to land near Peterborough in 2007, she mentored facilitators who continue to support the sangha today.
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Ghan was born in 1953 in Guangzhou, China. Her family escaped persecution by fleeing, first to Guyana and then Canada. She studied zoology at the University of Manitoba and at the University of Toronto before undertaking a career in real estate. She and her husband David were given a book by Thich Nhat Hanh for their wedding present in 1993, and this stimulated an appreciation of the Plum Village school of Buddhist mindfulness practice. Ghan attended numerous retreats with Thich Nhat Hanh in France, the United States, Canada and Vietnam.
When she met student gardeners from U of T who were looking for spiritual guidance, she decided to start a practice group on campus to serve students. Ghan loved gardening and was a skilled facilitator and counsellor. She helped and guided many students during her long involvement with True Peace Sangha at U of T. She passed away on October 17, 2023. She continues to inspire many, both in the practice of mindfulness, and in her permaculture and Chinese medicinal projects in Cavan, Ontario.
Student Executives
Our inclusive group encompasses a ​student club at the University of Toronto, which includes both graduate and undergraduate students. We always seek to support the wellbeing and belonging of U of T students and faculty.
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Their executive members are involved in event planning, group facilitation, and student engagement.​ This team cultivates a supportive student community for mindfulness practice.​​​​
Kaden McKeen (he/him)
President
Kaden is a PhD candidate researching artificial intelligence for medical applications. Initially drawn to meditation as part of a healing journey, he then discovered the profound significance of awakened living. Kaden advocates for looking deeply into our condition as a means to cultivate happiness and alleviate suffering. He finds joy in nature, meaningful connection, physical activity, and artistic expression through poetry and dance.
Elsie Zhan
Creative Director
Elsie is a first year MPS student studying psychotherapy and Buddhist & interfaith spiritual care at Emmanuel College. Before moving to Toronto and joining True Peace, she practiced with Plum Village sanghas in the Greater Boston Area. She explores skillfully integrating teachings into her life as a way of seeing, relating to one another, and being in the world. She is interested in Buddhist psychology and trauma-informed mindfulness practices.
Alex Shenouda (he/him)
Director of Communication
Alex is a fourth-year Psychology student at the University of Toronto who gained more consistency in practice by joining True Peace. He enjoys supporting other students on campus in finding this quiet space to relax and decompress after all the hard work that they put in.
Cathlyn Chen (she/her)
Director of Finance
Cathlyn graduated from the University of Toronto with a degree in Computer Science and Cognitive Science and is now pursuing her Master’s in medical research. After graduation, she embarked on a soul-searching journey traveling to Thailand and Vietnam, where she deepened her meditation practice through the Zen traditions and the guidance of remarkable teachers. Upon returning to full-time studies this year, she discovered the True Peace community, where she found a sense of peace and belonging. Cathlyn finds joy in fostering meaningful connections, exploring the human condition, and contributing to the well-being of others, as well as appreciating the small, simple beauties of life. In her free time, she enjoys volleyball, rock climbing, hiking and watching sunset, and journaling.
Facilitators
All of our facilitators have taken the Fourteen Mindfulness Trainings, which represent a commitment to living in mindfulness and bringing the values of compassion and understanding into their daily lives. We hope you will come and join us, so you can experience the peace and joy of practicing mindfulness together!
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Ann Dugan (she, her)
Ann began sitting with True Peace over ten years ago. She came to mindfulness via yoga, which she has practiced regularly for more than 30 years. Ann started a personal meditation practice but after moving to Toronto in 2009, she discovered True Peace and the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh. She connected immediately with the depth and lightness of the practice and the combination of solemnity and joy that marked every session. The sangha has been like a second home ever since. Ann started facilitating mindfulness practice sessions at the University of Toronto in 2017. She enjoys practicing yoga, gardening, and cooking.
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Yishin Khoo (she, her)
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Yishin has been practicing with True Peace Sangha since 2008 when she was studying at the University of Toronto as an undergraduate. She currently facilitates True Peace online mindfulness sessions and works with other facilitators to provide opportunities for young people and adults to practice mindfulness in nature, as a way of living. Outside of True Peace, Yishin teaches part-time and helps supervise graduate students at Trent University and the University of Windsor. She received her Ph.D. degree in Curriculum Studies and Teacher Education from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto, her Master’s degree in International Educational Development from Teachers College, Columbia University, and an Honours Bachelor’s degree in International Development Studies and Anthropology from the University of Toronto at Scarborough. Yishin enjoys building intercultural bridges and regenerative communities and practicing qigong, mindful gardening, and mindful cooking.
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Alana Rodger Jacobson (she, her)
Alana is a nature lover at heart and a landscape designer by trade. She first found herself in Thich Nhat Hanh’s (Thay’s) presence while still in the womb and again on retreat when she was 12. In 2016, she found her Sangha, True Peace Toronto, and she felt at home immediately. Under the mentorship of Ghan Chee, the founder of True Peace, she began facilitating in 2019 and received the Fourteen Mindfulness Trainings in 2024. One of her favorite mindfulness practices is walking meditation. She connects deeply with the engaged aspect of Thay’s teaching and finds cultivating mindfulness in motion a powerful practice. When not meditating or gardening, Alana finds connection with herself and others through music and movement.
David Frank (he, him)
David has been practicing mindfulness with True Peace Sangha at the University of Toronto since its inception in 2002. Along with his Buddhist studies, he enjoys learning about regenerative gardening, non-violent communication, and mindful music. David appreciates the sangha as a place where life's essential questions can be explored and where the art of mindful living can be practiced as a community.
Kobi Rivlin (he, him)
Kobi loves practicing with True Peace sangha and caring for it. He also loves playing music – mainly sax and flute – and you may occasionally hear him playing music in sangha sessions and retreats. Kobi feels music can be a powerful tool, bypassing our intellect; healing and connecting us with one another in joy and compassion.
He enjoys exploring how to bring engaged mindfulness practices to every aspect of life, and he practices with a variety of communities around the world.
What he loves most about True Peace is the emphasis on kindness, tenderness, and ease in every practice, and the invitation to listen and be compassionate to our body, mind, and feelings, and make ourselves and those around us feel loved, seen, heard, included and accepted.
