Judith Ragir is the Guiding Teacher at Clouds in Water Zen Center. She studied with Dainin Katagiri roshi for 17 years at the Minnesota Zen Meditation Center. Following his death in 1990, Byakuren was a founding teacher of Clouds in Water Zen Center. In December of 2007 she received Dharma Transmission—permission to teach independently and transmit the Soto Zen Lineage—from Joen Snyder O'Neal, a Katagiri-Roshi lineage holder. She has an eclectic teaching style, using various teachings from Zen, Vipassana, Tibetan Buddhism, and 12-Step Recovery. Byakuren has a background in bodywork and healing which includes having been a professional modern dancer and a doctor of Oriental Medicine. She has presented over 60 talks on Buddhism and Twelve Steps which can be found at www.judithragir.org.