About

Hèlen A. Vink
In 2006 Hèlen A. Vink took part in the first Miksang workshop ‘Opening the Good Eye’, in Cologne, Germany,  with Michael Wood and Julie DuBose. This encounter created for her the opportunity to combine her photographic experience and meditation experience, and she immediately understood the freshness of this unique artistic discipline. The freshness of pure seeing and the freshness of expressing this experience directly and precisely with the camera. The path of Miksang has revived and flourished her photography and understanding of contemporary arts.

Hèlen Vink completed the Miksang course of study, and has taken several workshops more than once. Since 2008 she is a Certified Miksang instructor of The Miksang Institute for Contemplative Photography.

Hèlen Vink and Hiltrud Enders from Düsseldorf-Germany, are the coordinators for Miksang Europe.

Biography
After a semi-professional career, in speed-skating until her 20th year, Hèlen Vink (1968) studied photography and sculpturing at the Utrecht School of Arts (HKU) in Utrecht, the Netherlands. After two years at this school, she continued as an artist (self-taught) and worked on 3-dimensional installations, photo works and a variety of projects.

Over the following years she became increasingly discontented concerning her development within the contemporary arts, while her interest and curiosity about giving meaning to life also grew. Auspicious circumstances led to a visit at the Shambhala Center, and with a conversation about arts in the context of Shambhala - a new chapter began.

Shambhala
In 1997 Hèlen Vink began studying the teachings on Dharma Art of Chögyam Trungpa with Herb Elsky at the Shambhala Centre in Leiden and at Dechen Chöling, France. At the same time she began her studies and practice of Shambhala Buddhism. In 2000 she met her dharma teacher Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche. Somewhat more than a week later a traffic accident caused a major change of life.

Her recovery involved a serious deepening into meditation and Shambhala Buddhism, and the introduction into a variety of contemplative arts.
She started studying Bugaku with Dessie Howard and Arawana Hayashi.
Hèlen Vink lived and worked in Shambhala Buddhist centres in France and the USA.
She is also a meditation instructor.

For a complete C.V. click here.

Sakyong Jamgön Mipham Rinpoche
Khenpo Tsültrim Gyamtso Rinpoche
Shambhala International
Shambhala Europe
Shambhala Nederland

Private thanks
In addition to everyone mentioned above much gratitude as well to my family, my parents, sisters, beloved ones, friends, fellow Miksang students, colleagues, acquaintances, passer-bys and the many teachers for the ongoing exchange and support.

Hèlen A. Vink