Dechen Chöling
Legally known as “Association Shambhala Europe”, French non-profit organization with charitable status (“intérêt général”)
Council Members, July 2024
Since June 2018 when other governance structures in Shambhala changed, Dechen Chöling activities have been overseen by a Council who meet regularly to discuss and approve key decisions.
Based on the existing statutes members of the Council are invited to join by the existing Council, and names are approved by the Annual General meeting (Assemblée Générale). Shambhala Europe gGmBH (a German non-profit organisation) has standing representation on the Council as it is the legal owner of the land and buildings of Dechen Chöling.
To reach us as a group please write to: [email protected]
Ivan Tröscher
Ivan is currently the Director of Shambhala Europe.
He emigrated to Germany from the United States in 2002, where he began his involvement in the Shambhala community. He has worked intensively with the International Shambhala Process Team since its inception. Currently he is active on the Cologne Center Council, the Dechen Chöling Council and since 2018 he has been a teacher in the Shambhala community.
He is married, has two children and also serves in the volunteer fire department in his hometown of Bad Honnef in Germany.
Adrienne Chang
Adrienne Chang has studied in the tradition of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche for fifteen years, helping lead Buddhist study and meditation retreats and courses in Europe, North America, Asia, and online. Adrienne is currently a member of the Milinda program, a ten-year shedra-styled Buddhist teacher training program under the guidance of Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche.
Adrienne is currently researching and writing on Buddhist philosophy and history, previously teaching and publishing in the fields of gerontology, meditation, and aging and spirituality with an American university program in Luxembourg, where she currently resides.
Originally from the United States, Adrienne was a management consultant for US and international government agencies, specializing in organizational design and business transformation.
Laura Puts
Director of Dechen Chöling since the spring of 2024, Laura grew up in a Shambhala Buddhist household in Germany and was familiarized with meditation practice and the Shambhala world from an early age. She graduated from the Shambhala School in Halifax and went on to study languages and international humanitarian action. Her career has included work in (post-) disaster and conflict zones such as Haiti, Iraq and Ukraine for 15 years, specialising in project management and coordination.
Dominique Pagès
French national, 77 years, mother of 3 daughters, lives in the South of France near Uzès.
Spanish studies and MBA – long career in the corporate world as a consultant in finance, management, occupational training, and executive in industry and training corps.
Involved in the Paris Shambhala centre since 1987, both as staff and teaching Shambhala programs, attended Seminary in 1994 and almost completed the Shambhala curriculum.
Spent 15 years in Auroville, South India, fully engaged in a community life and spiritual search. Came back to France alone in 2020, reconnected with Shambhala and Dechen Chöling, and joined the DCL Council.
Dominique was invited to join the DCL Council 2 years ago, and is inspired to work for its revival and development as an opportunity to manifest the vision of our legacy rooted into ground realities.
Birgit Krause
David Hope
David Hope has been a student of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche and Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche for the past 40 years. He helped establish the London Shambhala Center in the early 1980’s where he was Shambhala Training director for many years.