Dominique Side encountered Tibetan Buddhism in the mid-seventies in London. She has studied with Sogyal Rinpoche and Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche in particular, and over the years held a number of leadership roles in Rigpa UK and in Lerab Ling, France.

She was authorized as a Senior Teacher in 2022. She has completed several strict retreats and also obtained a Ph.D. in Madhyamaka philosophy from Bristol University, UK. She taught Buddhism in London schools for eight years and has written textbooks on the subject.

Under the guidance of Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche she initiated the Milinda training programme for Dharma teachers in 2017 and she also served as vice-president of the European Buddhist Union for five years.
Her passion is making Buddhist thought and philosophy accessible to all. She writes a regular blog on Substack called ‘The Softer Gaze’ and manages the Windows into Buddhism website giving free access to resources for those who teach children. She is the author of Discovering Buddhism and A New Way of Seeing.