Shirley Jayanta Johannesen has been a member of Sakyadhita since its inception in 1987. As the founder and president of Stretch-Awareness in Canada, she teaches yoga and guides meditation retreats nationally and internationally. She is a founding member of the Calgary Theravadan Meditation Society, the Light of the Dhamma, the Canadian International Buddhist Foundation, the Yoga Association of Alberta, and the Canadian Iyengar Yoga Association. She has studied and practiced extensively in the Theravada Forest meditation tradition, and is a graduate of the Community of Abhayagiri Lay Ministers (CALM). She produced a yoga video titled Stretch Breathe Relax and audio tapes: Relaxation Circle and Meditation Circle.