Teacher & Director of Programs

Alex Haley, PhD, is a full-time Teacher & Director of Programs at Dharma Ground. Alex completed Spirit Rock's Community Dharma Leader program in 2012 and graduated from the SRMC/IMS/IRC four-year teacher training in 2016. Beginning in his high school calculus class, Alex has studied and practiced meditation for more than 25 years, including many multi-month retreats of intensive practice. Alex’s personal practice and teaching focus on the transformative potential of the Nine Bodies Insight practice method, which he learned under the guidance of Phillip Moffitt, Dana DePalma and Tuere Sala.

Alex was previously the mindfulness faculty lead at the University of Minnesota's Earl E. Bakken Center for Spirituality & Healing. He has researched mindfulness, interoceptive awareness as well as pain and wellbeing behaviors through his work on clinical trials with the Integrative Health and Wellbeing Research Program. He is also a member of the Interactive Visualization Lab at the University of Minnesota, which focuses on data visualization, computer graphics, and human-computer interaction through XR.

Alex holds a PhD in Cognitive Science, and is also a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner, trained Co-Active coach, and certified Myers-Briggs practitioner. He also previously worked in legal and business roles both domestically and internationally. Alex is a parent of a rambunctious elementary school kid and loves to play (and practice meditation) outside in the heart of frigid Minnesota winters. Alex is passionate about community-based healing and technology for wellbeing.