Ronya Banks (she/her) is the founding teacher of the Asheville Insight Meditation center in Asheville, NC, in the USA.  In addition to having lived as a Theravada Buddhist nun, Ronya’s teaching is informed by over 35 years of intensive Vipassana meditation practice, studying with more than 30 different Buddhist teachers, spending more than one year cumulatively on numerous silent meditation retreats, and her participation in the Spirit Rock Community Dharma Leader training program.

Ronya Banks has been teaching for over a decade.  She leads residential meditation retreats and has worked in person and online with people from all over the world.  She is also passionate about working with people in addiction recovery.  She has supplemented her passion for Buddhism with over 25 years of business management and entrepreneurial experience.  Her teaching style is characterized by her love for the traditional Buddhist teachings, as well as her authentic, down-to-earth personality.

Born originally in Kuwait and of Palestinian descent, Ronya values diversity, inclusiveness, and respect for all human beings.