Maechee Aree Kieatthubthew

Thailand

Maechee Aree is 50 years old. She holds a B.A. in Humanities and was an American Friends Service exchange student to the USA. Before ordaining she worked in business and even had her own small company.

As a young girl she was given away by her parents to another family. When her foster mother became older she worked very hard to support her, yet one day her foster mother left to go to live with her son in the USA. Alone and questioning, she decided to ordain herself and shaved her head and donned white robes to practice as a

Buddhist maechee. Eventually, she ordained formally and then for 12 years wandered and studied Dhamma and meditation in the north and northeast of Thailand seeking solitude.

Now, Maechee Aree lives in the northeast of Thailand on a mountain along with other women practitioners. She teaches samadhi meditation - anapanasati (awareness of breath). Unique in her approach is a body-centered focus of meditation which includes yoga. Her positive approach to life, as well as her excellence in teaching meditation and yoga have brought her an international reputation.

Maechee Aree teaches across Thailand wherever invited and particularly at Suan Mokh International Retreat Center in southern Thailand. She has also taught at the Bhavana Society, USA, and received invitations from Thais living in the USA to teach in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. She has taught westerners in New Jersey, North Carolina and Georgia, USA. In addition, Maechee Aree has taught meditation and yoga in Penang, Malaysia.

Maechee Aree is grateful to have been born a human being, meet Buddhism, practice Dhamma, and be peaceful and calm in order to benefit herself and other human beings.