My name is Ma Tara Palmo and I am the creatress of Dakini Dance - Awakening The Goddess Within.
My spiritual journey began more than 30 years ago with the discovery of trance dance. The altered states of consciousness I experienced awakened a profound existential inquiry within me: Who am I?
Feeling deeply dissatisfied with societal structures and unable to find my place within them, I travelled to India in 1997 to explore new cultures, spiritual traditions, and ways of living. A few years later, I was introduced to Tibetan Buddhism and meditation practices. In 2000, I took Refuge in the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, as well as the Bodhisattva Vows, with the revered teacher Ringu Tulku Rinpoche.
During a meeting with Rinpoche, I expressed my wish to become a nun. I longed to dedicate myself fully to the search for ultimate truth and felt disheartened by the limitations I perceived in the world around me. Rather than recommending the monastic path, Rinpoche encouraged me to remain engaged with life. He advised me to continue my spiritual practice while choosing a profession through which I could serve others. Following this guidance, I completed a Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Edith Cowan University in Perth, Australia.
During this time, a deep interest in yoga and tantra began to emerge, opening an entirely new dimension of my spiritual path. Rather than seeing the world as something to withdraw from, I came to experience it as a sacred playground for awakening and realizing my true nature.
Over the years, I became a certified Tantra Yoga Teacher and received transmissions to teach Kriya Yoga. I was introduced to Hridaya Yoga and attended numerous meditation retreats, including solitary retreats focused on the ancient practice of self-inquiry, Who am I?—a direct path to the revelation of the Spiritual Heart.
In India, I was initiated by Guruji Rajkumar Baswar, with whom I explored tantric meditation, ritual, and pilgrimage to sacred tantric temples throughout India.
I am also a certified Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga instructor through Sampoorna Yoga and served as a teacher within the school's teacher training program in Goa.
For more than fifteen years, I have immersed myself in the study and embodiment of Sacred Intimacy, feminine spirituality, and psycho-spiritual practices. These teachings have supported me in embracing the profound gift of being a woman on the path of awakening and have deepened my understanding of healing, embodiment, and conscious relationship.
Alongside these explorations, I remain a devoted student of Tibetan Buddhism. I feel immense gratitude for being connected to this ancient lineage and for receiving teachings, transmissions, and empowerments from accomplished masters such as H.E. Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche and H.H. Tai Situ Rinpoche, my root gurus and from many other revered teachers whose guidance continues to deepen my understanding and practice.
Through ongoing study and practice, I continue to deepen my understanding of the true nature of mind and reality. May these efforts serve the awakening and wellbeing of all sentient beings.
From the womb of the Great Mother, I have felt a profound calling: to help restore the love, wisdom, and sacred power of the Divine Feminine within our world. It is my deepest honour to walk alongside women on this path, creating spaces for remembrance, healing, awakening, and embodied wisdom.
With love,
Ma Tara
