Ajahn Sundara was born in France. In her early thirties, after working for a few years as a dancer and teacher of contemporary dance, she she had the opportunity to attend a talk and, later, a retreat led by Ajahn Sumedho. His teachings and his way of life as a Buddhist monk resonated deeply. Before long, she visited Chithurst Monastery in England and asked to join the monastic community as one of the first four women novices. In 1983 she was given the Going Forth as a Siladhara (ten precept nun) and shortly after she went to live at Amaravati Monastery where she participated in the establishment of the nuns’ community and training. In the mid-nineties she spent over two years in Thailand practicing in forest monasteries. For the past fifteen years she has taught and led meditation retreats in Europe and North America. Currently she is living at Amaravati (www.amaravati.org).