Melissa McKay
Teacher
Melissa McKay is a meditation teacher and Executive Director of InsightLA. She began practicing in 1998 in Oakland, California, with Barbara Janus, who introduced her to the teachings of Sayadaw U Pandita of Burma. Her first retreat with Sayadaw U Pandita marked a turning point, and the changes she saw in herself became the foundation of a lifelong dedication to the practice. She practiced with Sayadaw and his monks in the United States and Burma, and with her main teacher Sayadaw U Khippa Pano.
She has practiced vipassana and metta meditation for three decades and completed over two years of cumulative intensive retreat. Her teaching is rooted in classical Theravada practice and offered in a way that is practical, clear, and usable in ordinary life. She began teaching in 2003 in New York City and has since taught at centers across the United States, including InsightLA, New York Insight, MNDFL, Big Bear Retreat Center, Won Dharma Center, Bozeman Dharma Center, and Wanderlust.
As Executive Director of InsightLA, she is committed to making meditation and Buddhist teachings widely accessible through community programs, retreats, and donation-based offerings.
Jack Kornfield has said of her, “Melissa is one of the most experienced practitioners of the new generation of teachers.” Lodro Rinzler has said, “Melissa has a skillfulness in making esoteric teachings relatable to modern day living.”
She is completing a book on meditation and Buddhist practice, which will be published in fall 2026. All proceeds will be dedicated to InsightLA. Free teachings and guided meditations are available on her YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@melissamckaymeditation
She lives in Los Angeles.
For more information, visit www.melissamckay.net.
