Your Guides
Who is The Spiritual Pilgrim?
We are committed practitioners of Tibetan Buddhism in the lineage of Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche through his sons, Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche & Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche. We also practice yoga in the Ashtanga & Jivamukti traditions. Together we have been sharing our love of the Nepal and the Dharma with interested folks since 2010. It’s a privilege to do this work and we’re excited about the possibility of sharing it with you!
Cory Bryant, Founder & Pilgrimage Leader
In 2009 after teaching a yoga class in Washington, DC a student approached and asked Cory if he would like to be the yoga teacher on a 10-day trip to Nepal. He accepted the offer on the spot and in 2010 went on his first Nepal adventure. It changed the course of his life.
Fast forward to 2019 and he has resigned from a “successful” career as a PhD Scientist/International Policy Expert at the FDA and moved to Nashville to open a yoga studio (Yoga Shala Nashville). In the interim years (between 2010 - 2017) he returned to Nepal four more times to co-lead this pilgrimage – each time taking on a bigger role. Then covid happened and travel plans were stalled. It was during that time that he was given the opportunity to take over, rebranding as The Spiritual Pilgrim. In 2022, after the covid hiatus, pilgrimages resumed and now TSP has expanded to offer multiple pilgrimages each year — including to India and Bhutan!
Cory is a highly experienced (20+ years) yoga teacher and meditator. He is honored to serve as the pilgrimage leader, meditation teacher (and sometimes yoga teacher) for TSP programs. He guides in the style of the Tergar tradition of Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche and is continually working to develop his own practice and teaching skills. He is a member of the 2024-5 class of the Tergar Meditation Teacher Program. If interested in learning more about Cory click here: https://yogashalanashville.com/teachers
James Hopkins, Guide
In 2004 James retired from his job as a stockbroker and checked into a Buddhist monastery near the Boudhanath stupa in Kathmandu, and has been living there ever since: Studying philosophy & language at the monastery, traveling around the world as a Tibetan lama's assistant, running a social project in an encampment of street beggars, teaching leadership & management skills to reincarnated lamas, leading international yoga tours, and trying to make sense of it all with a pen & paper.
Sarah McTee, Guide
Sarah currently lives in Honolulu, Hawaii where she splits her time between working as a part time consultant for nonprofits, teaching yoga, and enjoying adventures in the ocean. Sarah discovered Jivamukti Yoga in 2006 while living in Washington, D.C. After years of practicing under Jill Abelson and Cory Bryant she was inspired to attend Jivamukti Yoga teacher training in 2011, and has been teaching in that style ever since. Recently, Sarah has augmented her yoga practice and instruction with the study of massage therapy and Reiki. Having experienced the emotional and physical healing made possible through yoga, she hopes to create a space for others to live life fully and with an open heart.
Bidur Ghimire, Guide
A native Nepali, Bidur is our man on the ground. He’s like a living Buddha — one of the nicest, most loving people you’ll ever meet. We’ve been working together on these trips since 2010 and he’s there for us every step of the way!