Acharya Emily Bower began practicing with the Shambhala community 30 years ago. The Sakyong invited her to become an acharya in 2004. She leads retreats and weekend programs, with particular interests in dathun and weekthun;  contemplating kindness; and  practicing sanity in challenging situations.

She works as a book editor specializing in Buddhism, psychology, and yoga. She is a project manager and editor for the 84000 Project, a non-profit focused on translating the words of the Buddha into English. She is a staff reviewer and curator at Dharma Spring, the online Buddhist bookstore. 

She has a bachelor’s degree in Religious Studies from Brown University and studied writing and editing at UC Berkeley. She is married to the translator, screenwriter, and artist Peter Alan Roberts.