Noel McLellan is a school teacher and a meditation instructor. He is an acharya, or "honoured teacher," in the Shambhala tradition. He began practicing meditation when he was 12, and has trained in a variety of contemplative arts including Japanese archery, flower arranging, and calligraphy. Noel teaches middle and high school English and History and has served as Head Teacher as well as Dean of Mindfulness and Contemplative Learning. He has two children, Gabriel and Esmé, and lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia.