In 1975, Agness Au became a student of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, the renowned and brilliant meditation master and Tibetan Buddhist teacher. As an artist and designer, she was initially moved by his interest in the arts and the Buddhist science of perception, but gradually began to see how perceiving and the artistic journey were deeply intertwined with meditation and post meditation practices. In 1985, Rinpoche bestowed upon her, the title of Sangyum, empowering her as a holder of the feminine lineage.

A senior Shambhala Buddhist teacher and Warrior Assembly director, Agness teaches internationally on “The Inseparable Union of the Feminine and Masculine Principles”, the Drala principle and Enriching Presence. She is a long-time teacher in the Sogetsu School of Ikebana and a devoted student of improvisational movement and performance.

In New York City, Agness had a 25-year career as a fashion director and business owner. After 10 years, she has retired as the creative director for The Synergy Company, in Boulder, CO. She is happily married and the loving mother of two young men. Agness is truly committed to the vision and possibility of a wakeful, sane and kind society, a sustainable living earth and the importance of community building.