Ana Perez-Chisti is a spiritual teacher (Murshida), and national representative in the Sufi Movement International of the USA. She has directed and taught programs in the world religions for three decades and has ordained hundreds of ministers and chaplains who serve in hospitals, hospice, prisons and charitable programs. Her initial inspiration in spiritual matters began with her association with Martha Graham and Ruth St. Denis while studying as a student in modern dance. Later, as a martial artist, she was influenced by the Zen master, Reverend Sui Shin Kan and Sensai Richard Kim. After receiving her undergraduate degree in music from Mills College in Oakland, she went on to study herbal medicine at Dominion College in British Columbia, Canada. She later received her master's degree in psychology from Holy Names College in Oakland and completed her PhD in religion and philosophy at the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco. She is an international lecturer and writer and has taught numerous programs at the University of San Bernardino, UC Berkeley, Stanford University, the California Institute of Integral Studies, and The University of Creation Spirituality. She is presently functioning as a core faculty member in the Global PhD Program at the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology in Palo Alto, California, and continues to be a faculty member at Naropa University.
Ana Perez-Chisti, PhD