Heather Shōren Iarusso currently lives at City Center and serves as the Branching Streams director, offering guidance and support to SFZC affiliate sanghas. Her path has included nine years of residence at Tassajara Zen Mountain Center, where she completed 17 cloistered 90-day practice periods along with 10 summers of work practice. During that time, she took on a wide range of responsibilities, including meditation hall supervisor (ino), head cook (tenzo), director, and tanto, the head of Zen practice. Her background reflects both deep training and hands-on leadership within a rigorous monastic setting.
Heather received the precepts in January 2003, was ordained as a Zen priest in October 2014, and received Dharma transmission in 2022. She also holds master’s degrees in communications, creative writing, and English literature. In addition to her formal Zen training, Heather shares her voice through writing and podcasting on her Spark Zen Substack, bringing together practice, reflection, and communication in her teaching life.