Francis Thien is originally from Malaysia, went to high school in Australia and now lives in Melbourne with his wife Natania and 3 children aged from 12 to 21. His journey in contemplative prayer and meditation started in his late teens, with the writings of Thomas Merton and Anthony De Mello, opening up for him the rich Christian and inter-spiritual mystical traditions. His current favourite teachers are James Finley and Rupert Spira, and his contemplative practice is to discover the extraordinariness of ordinary everyday life. He works as a respiratory physician in a university hospital in Melbourne, and enjoys being with his family, cooking, cycling and dancing.