Michael Wood
Miksang Instructor - Canada/Europe


After receiving a traditional education in photography from Sheridan College School of Visual Arts in Canada, Michael worked as an award winning commercial photographer in Toronto for 18 years. In 1979, while becoming increasingly frustrated with the manipulation of perception involved in conventional photography, Michael began to combine his photographic training, meditation experience and the Dharma Art Teachings of Chögyam Trungpa.

For the next three years he synthesized these into what for him was a new way of looking and seeing and a fresh body of work. These exercises and assignments formed the basis for this contemplative approach, which shows us how to synchronize our eye and mind, so that perception is free from pre-conceived ideas, therefore direct and unfabricated. From 1982 until 1990, Michael worked closely with the Vajra Regent Ösel Tendzin, the Dharma Heir of Trungpa Rinpoche developing the Miksang teachings. In 1982 Michael was given the Buddhist Refuge Name, Chökyi Miksang (Good Eye of Dharma) by Ösel Tendzin.

In 1983 Michael developed a series of assignments and visual exercises based on the dharma art teachings and his own exploration, which became the first Level One Miksang Course. The next year Michael began working with John McQuade to develop Level Two and Three Courses. In 1986, Michael and John edited 'Looking and Seeing: A Contemplative Photography Sourcebook.
(A course manual, not a published book - no longer available)
John McQuade is the Miksang Director in Toronto.

Michael moved to Halifax Nova Scotia in 1989, he has continued developing and teaching Miksang Courses in Canada and Europe, and for ten years was the Audio Visual Producer for Parks Canada, producing and directing documentary films. In 2004 two documentaries were made about Miksang and Michael's Journey with contemplative photography: 'CBC Sunday', and a segment of 'Quiet Mind: Meditation for Real Life". These films can be seen frequently on Vision TV in Canada, and Wisdom TV in the United States.