WHAT IS THE TATTOOED BUDDHA?

The Tattooed Buddha is a team of writers and readers, looking to make a small ding in the universe.

Beginning in January of 2015 as just a small, independent, online publication, The Tattooed Buddha has grown to be inclusive of many different views and voices. The goal is to foster an open dialogue for evolved approaches for dealing with life on a day to day basis, building community, encouraging mindful relationships and parenting, and always thinking outside the box.

The writing shared is thought provoking, moving, funny, and even at times sad as we tackle the true issues that every human being will encounter.

We invite you to join us on this journey; to set down the fixed notion of labels, and join hand in hand with us as we share and experience life together.

Meet The Team

Dana Gornall

Dana Gornall

Founder & Director

Dana Gornall is the founder of The Tattooed Buddha.

She started writing as soon as she could form sentences and has always known there was more to life than meets the eye. Becoming a mother was the first step on the winding, sometimes rocky, path of transformation and she has never looked back.

A writer, editor, sign language interpreter and lover of language, she finds bits of enlightenment in all of those connections. When not working or writing, you can find her lying outside in the dark night gazing up at the millions of stars, watching bad reality television, and holding onto every shred of time spent with her kids that are growing way too quickly.

You can also see her writing on The Tattooed Buddha, Elephant Journal, Be You Media and Yoga International.

Michelleanne Bradley

Michelleanne Bradley

Director/Content Creator

Michelleanne Bradley is a columnist, and always the behind the scenes cheerleader for Tattooed Buddha (think Little Bunny Foo Foo with pom poms). She was ordained into the Order of InterBeing by Thich Nhat Hanh in 2013, and also trained in the Vipassana Tradition. Michelleanne firmly believes that Grace bats last. She is a practicing Pagan and Buddhist in the San Diego area, where she lives with a menagerie of rescued companion animals, always questioning who rescued who. Michelleanne’s focus has been on the role of women in Buddhism (really everywhere). She has done extensive work on recovery, and grief, as parts of practice. Michelleanne is a feminist, writer, founder and CEO of a consulting company, and she says fuck a lot.

David Jones

David Jones

Columnist and Tattooed Buddha Board Member

David Jones is a retiree after an enjoyable 35-year career with the American government. Diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, he works through things by sitting with the breath and other meditation techniques. David writes about mental health and enjoys exploring the intersection of Abrahamic religion and Buddhist teachings. Scary movies, reading, writing and helping folks as they walk along their paths are among his most favorite things. He dearly loves his wife, their five children, and all their grandchildren. And yes, he’s aware that he’s weird.

Kellie Schorr

Kellie Schorr

Columnist and Tattooed Buddha Board Member

Kellie Schorr works as a novelist who writes mystery genre novels. Her published credentials also include: journal articles, short stories, and a two-year stint writing for a web-comic.  Kellie’s debut literary novel, The Space Between Breaths, will be published by Brother Mockingbird in early 2025.  Practicing in the Nyingma Lineage of Tibetan Buddhism, Kellie is a personal student of Dr. Pema Khandro Rinpoche and member of the Vajra Sangha of the Buddhist Studies Institute. She lives and works in rural Virginia with her partner, Cathy, and their beagles. Her favorite word is chiaroscuro. You can contact or find more about her at Kellieschorr.com 

John Lee Pendall

John Lee Pendall

Editor, Columnist and Tattooed Buddha Board Member

John Lee is a poet, essayist, and satirist from Ottawa, Illinois. He’s gone through many transformations, pseudonyms and ideologies over the years, but he’s still technically a Zen teacher in the Oxhead Lineage. He’s been called an optimistic realist, and most of his writing focuses on finding hope and beauty in an often dark, despairing world. John’s also highly involved with Autistic and neurodivergent culture. When he isn’t stocking shelves at Malwart, you’ll usually find him living a hermit life, reading and writing at home or in some random patch of trees.

 

Amy Cushing

Amy Cushing

Editor

Amy Cushing is a part-time yoga teacher, quarter-time writer, and full-time mom. As the Domestic CEO, she also specializes in finder of all things lost. She holds a B.S. in Political Science and an M.A. in English. She was an editor at Elephant Journal and has also had her writing featured in Elephant Journal and Be You Media Group. 

Amy has been teaching yoga and meditation in the Phoenix-area since 2005, after earning her 200-hour Yoga Teaching certification from Martin and Jordan Kirk. She is currently working toward an Iyengar-focused certification in Yoga Therapy from Scottsdale Community College. She hopes to take her expertise to clinical settings, offering yoga and meditation to people during pre-op, post-op, and post-injury to help them on their way to healing. 

Amy lives in Phoenix, Arizona with her husband, two kids, and cute-but-a-little-bit-crazy pup. 

Gary Sanders

Gary Sanders

Meditation Content Contributor and Tattooed Buddha Team Member

Gary Sanders is a seasoned Buddhist meditation teacher, dhamma mentor, and sober coach based in Los Angeles, CA. As the founder of SCV Mindfulness and helping found Refuge Recovery, a Buddhist-based recovery program for all addictions that has spread worldwide, Gary has dedicated himself to sharing the transformative power of Buddhist practices with diverse communities across North America and internationally via his video teachings. Empowered to lead Buddhist meditation and dharma groups at Against the Stream Buddhist Meditation Society, Gary’s teaching journey expanded when he joined the staff at Portland Insight Meditation Community. There, he was honored to be empowered by founder and guiding teacher Robert Beatty to teach in the lineage of the revered Ruth Denison. Gary’s approach is deeply rooted in the heart-based Brahma Vihara practices of the Buddha, which he explores and shares through daylong retreats, workshops, class series, and online or in-person sessions. His current practice focuses on Tranquil Wisdom Insight Meditation, which he has skillfully integrated into a unique blend of mindfulness techniques. As a frequent contributor to The Tattooed Buddha community, Gary creates meditation videos that make Buddhist practices and teachings accessible and relevant to contemporary practitioners. His jovial yet compassionate guidance and accessible teaching methods have touched the lives of students across the world, helping them cultivate mindfulness, emotional sobriety, wisdom, and inner peace. For more information on Gary’s teachings and upcoming events, visit: www.portlandinsight.org or: https://boundlessheartdharma.com/media/

Support Team

Deb Avery

Deb Avery

Featured Writer & Social Media Promotion

Deb Avery lives in the Southern United States with her animals, surrounded by mighty oaks and woodlands. All of Nature is her friend and teacher. She is an avid gardener, reader of books, lover of all beings and also has been referred to as a “bit of a weird one,” which she takes as a compliment. Having lived in many diverse places, including several years abroad, she has learned first hand that deep inside we are all one and the same. She enjoys long walks with her dog Sam, yoga and meditation.