Tara Brach

This talk examines how the trance of thinking imprisons us, veiling our full aliveness, love, and spiritual essence. Through contemplative reflections and short guided practices, we’ll explore pathways to awaken from this trance and open to the light, awareness, and wholeness of who we truly are.

Mindfulness means paying attention on purpose to our moment-to-moment experience. This meditation invites us to collect our attention with the breath and use the breath as a home base for mindful presence. We then include whatever is predominant, recognizing and allowing the changing flow. The blessing of this practice is simple and beautiful: We are learning to be here for our life.

Whether you are new to meditation or an experienced practitioner, the foundational teachings of mindfulness—heart presence—offer a timeless medicine for navigating these challenging times. This fresh introductory series invites you to bring alive ancient practices in ways that are directly relevant to the emotions and reactivity arising in today’s world. You’ll be guided to discover an inner refuge—a way to meet your personal life and our collective world with greater presence and wisdom, courage and love. In this session, we explore how mindfulness and heartfulness can transform our relationship with emotions, revealing them as gateways to the full aliveness, tenderness, and clarity of awake awareness.

This meditation guides us to awaken to our senses through scanning through the body and then listening to sounds. When distracted by thoughts we relax open again and again, learning to rest in the formless awareness that includes sounds, sensations and all passing experience.

NOTE - Tara offers a meditation you can use as a practice during this introduction series: Mindfulness Meditation—Intimacy with our Inner Life. Whether you are new to meditation or an experienced practitioner, the foundational teachings of mindfulness—heart presence—offer a timeless medicine for navigating these challenging times. This fresh introductory series invites you to bring alive ancient practices in ways that are directly relevant to the emotions and reactivity arising in today’s world. You’ll be guided to discover an inner refuge—a way to meet your personal life and our collective world with greater presence and wisdom, courage and love. In this session, we explore how to awaken mindful awareness of sensations—the first foundation of mindfulness and the ground of all experience. Everything we cherish—love, wisdom, wonder, creativity—arises from embodied presence. To truly receive the gifts of the path, we need to be here: awake, present, and intimate with the living currents of sensation.

This meditation begins with a period of relaxing and collecting our attention with intentional long deep breathing. We then deepen embodied presence, and widen to the awareness that includes sounds, sensations, feelings, breath, and all experience. When the mind drifts from this open, awake awareness, we gently return, re-relaxing and resting in an easeful, alert presence. Recorded at Tara’s Wednesday night class, the meditation includes chanting of OM’s and ends with a sense of melting into community.

NOTE - Tara offers a meditation you can use as a practice during this introduction series: Mindfulness Meditation—Intimacy with our Inner Life. Whether you are new to meditation or an experienced practitioner, the foundational teachings of mindfulness—heart presence—offer a timeless medicine for navigating these challenging times. This fresh introductory series invites you to bring alive ancient practices in ways that are directly relevant to the emotions and reactivity arising in today’s world. You’ll be guided to discover an inner refuge—a way to meet your personal life and our collective world with greater presence and wisdom, courage and love. In this first session, we explore what makes mindfulness truly transformational: the flow of effective training, the power of aspiration, how to use the breath as a home base, and the attitudes that support a steady, strong, and liberating practice. As poet W. S. Merwin writes, “Little breath, breathe me gently, row me gently, for I am a river I am learning to cro

NOTE: Tara invites you to use this 15-minute meditation to help nurture a steady and strong practice during her upcoming Introduction to Mindfulness series. Mindfulness Meditation, also known as Vipassana or insight meditation, is a practice of cultivating non-judging attention to our moment-to-moment experience. We begin by gently relaxing through the body and resting attention on the breath—or another sensory anchor—allowing the mind to settle. From this grounded presence, we open to whatever arises: sensations, emotions, sounds, or thoughts, meeting each with clarity and kindness. The intention is to wake up from the trance of thinking and return, again and again, to the aliveness of immediate experience. Over time, this practice helps us develop a steady heart amidst change and brings deep insight into the nature of reality.

In this two-part series, we reflect on the power of devotion as a gateway to awakening that reconnects us with what we love most deeply. Together, we’ll look at how prayer and heartfelt longing can open us to  the intrinsic experience of belonging we yearn for. Especially in these times of fear and division, cultivating our natural devotion helps us soften, remember our true nature, and realign with love.   In Part 2, Tara explores: Devotion as a living expression of our deep longing to belong—to love, to truth, to something larger than the small self. The power of prayer as a sacred bridge between our vulnerability and the grace of an awakened heart. The importance of conscious prayer—rooted in presence, sincerity, and a willingness to listen for the wisdom that guides us home. How the practices of longing, expressing, and receiving open us to grace, healing, and connection with all of life. How prayer becomes a devotional path—awakening our hearts, deepening compassion, and inspiring courageous action in t

In this guided meditation, we are invited to rest in the aliveness of the present moment. Beginning with a reflection on intention, the practice guides attention through the body—softening, sensing, and allowing life to flow just as it is. With mindful awareness of breath, sound, and sensation, we reconnect with the heart and release into presence. A closing chant and a poem by Rumi deepen the invitation to surrender and come home to the wholeness of being.

In this two-part series, we reflect on the power of devotion as a gateway to awakening that reconnects us with what we love most deeply. Together, we’ll look at how prayer and heartfelt longing can open us to  the intrinsic experience of belonging we yearn for. Especially in these times of fear and division, cultivating our natural devotion helps us soften, remember our true nature, and realign with love.   In this talk, Tara explores:   The essence of devotional practice as a gateway to belonging and spiritual awakening. How longing and sincere intention can guide us back to our true nature. Prayer as the bridge between longing and belonging The difference between substitutes for love and true aspirations that arise from presence. Tracing desire inward as a practice to reconnect with the source of love and aliveness.  

This guided practice helps us come into our senses through a body scan. We then rest in the awareness that is listening to and feeling the changing flow of experience. When the mind drifts, the return is a relaxing back to our senses, and to the sea of awareness that includes and experiences the waves of life.

Buddhist psychology and the Western oriented field of positive psychology agree: How we pay attention determines whether we live primarily in fear and judgment, or happiness and peace. This two-part series explores the teachings, practices and attitudes that enable us to live a meaningful life with a heart that is “happy for no reason.”   In this talk, Tara explores:  how cultivating a grateful, devoted heart opens us to presence, peace, and joy beyond circumstance. the "infinite field of possibility"—our capacity to incline the mind toward hope, love, and inner freedom. how mindfulness and compassionate action form a virtuous cycle that nurtures deep well-being and belonging. ways that serving others and savoring beauty reconnect us with the sacredness of life and the fullness of who we are. awakening from the trance of unworthiness through practices like metta, gratitude, and receiving love with an open heart.  

This guided meditation, grounded in the practice of Metta, invites us to awaken the heart by softening the body and quieting the mind. We begin with the simple image of a smile—opening to warmth, ease, and presence. With a tender attention, we rest with breath, sensations, and sound—gently returning when the mind drifts. As we offer loving phrases like “May I feel happy” and “May I be free,” we nourish a deep sense of well-being and connection, embracing this life with compassion and an open heart.

Buddhist psychology and the Western oriented field of positive psychology agree: How we pay attention determines whether we live primarily in fear and judgment, or happiness and peace. This two part series explores the teachings, practices and attitudes that enable us to live a meaningful life with a heart that is “happy for no reason.”   In this talk, Tara explores: the essential role of happiness in times of crisis—how choosing joy becomes a radical act of resilience and healing. the trance of negativity and how mindfulness helps awaken our innate capacity for presence, gratitude, and inner freedom. how positive psychology and Buddhist teachings together point us toward “happiness for no reason”—a deep sense of belonging and well-being. the power of intention—how consciously choosing to flourish shifts us from survival mode into love, connection, and aliveness. daily practices like gratitude and loving-kindness as pathways to true well-being and a heart ready for anything.

Taking in the Goodness: Rumi said, “Whenever some kindness comes to you, turn that way – toward the source of kindness.” This meditation guides us to look for the source of loving and to turn in that direction. It begins with a lovingkindness practice that spreads the image of a smile into the body, then continues with a practice of seeing the goodness of ourselves and others.

Fear is a universal human experience, but when it dominates our inner world, it can trap us in a sense of separation and suffering. In this profound talk, Tara Brach introduces how the transformative power of the RAIN meditation can help us face fear with courage and compassion. By bringing mindfulness and loving awareness to fear, we can move beyond its grip and reconnect with the boundless freedom of our true nature.   What You’ll Learn: Understanding Fear: How fear arises and creates a sense of separation. The Power of RAIN: A step-by-step guide to using RAIN meditation to work with fear. Awakening Awareness: Discovering the boundless love and presence that holds all emotions, including fear.   Highlights: Gain tools to transform fear into a gateway for healing and spiritual awakening. Explore the compassionate practices that lead to a fearless heart. Learn how to navigate fear with mindfulness and loving awareness.

This meditation begins with a body scan, and then we practice opening to and relaxing with our changing experience. The sitting closes with a beautiful poem by Danna Faulds, "Just for Now."

Fear is a universal human experience, but when it dominates our inner world, it can trap us in a sense of separation and suffering. In this profound talk, Tara Brach introduces how the transformative power of the RAIN meditation can help us face fear with courage and compassion. By bringing mindfulness and loving awareness to fear, we can move beyond its grip and reconnect with the boundless freedom of our true nature.   What You’ll Learn: Understanding Fear: How fear arises and creates a sense of separation. The Power of RAIN: A step-by-step guide to using RAIN meditation to work with fear. Awakening Awareness: Discovering the boundless love and presence that holds all emotions, including fear.   Highlights: Gain tools to transform fear into a gateway for healing and spiritual awakening. Explore the compassionate practices that lead to a fearless heart. Learn how to navigate fear with mindfulness and loving awareness.   Why Listen? This talk is an invitation to step out of fear’s grip and into the freedo

This meditation establishes a kind attention by bringing the imagery and felt sense of a smile into the body scan and then, with the breath as a home base, opens the attention to changing experience. We end with a brief loving kindness reflection.