Tara Brach

Meditation: Saying “Yes” to Life - We are conditioned to scan for “what’s wrong” and contract our body and mind in anticipation of danger. This meditation helps us undo these primal survival habits, and frees us to inhabit the full aliveness, creativity and love our natural being.

Explore profound themes of humility through a touching story of a prisoner befriending an ant, revealing how relationships thrive on presence. Delve into the essence of spiritual humility and the impact of ego on societal connections. Navigate the complexities of gender identity and the tension between self-expression and societal norms. Discover the transformative effects of mindfulness in breaking down feelings of superiority and inferiority. Join a woman's journey from self-doubt to self-compassion, emphasizing vulnerability and the recognition of inherent goodness.

Meditation: Dedicated to Maya Angelou - Being Home (2021-08-11) - This meditation cultivates a gentle, wakeful presence - arriving into our bodies and meeting the present moment with the image of a smile. When the mind drifts, we relax back to our senses…into the openhearted awareness that is our true home.

Taking ‘The Exquisite Risk’: An Undefended Heart - Poet Mark Nepo uses the phrase “exquisite risk” to describe our willingness to be fully alive, open, available, living true to our heart. This talk explores the challenges and blessings of taking the exquisite risk, both in becoming more intimate with our inner life, and in engaging with others from full authenticity (a favorite from the archives).

Meditation: Relaxing Back into Full Presence (2017-03-22) - This guided practice begins with a conscious breath that relaxes the body and mind, and then a body scan to awaken to the aliveness of the present moment. We then open into the natural awareness that includes the changing flow of sounds, feelings and sensations, and practice “relaxing back” when the mind gets lost in thought.

Writing and Haiku as Spiritual Practice (Tara Brach Interviews Natalie Goldberg) -

Meditation: The Space of Loving Awareness - This meditation begins by guiding us through a scan: opening to inner space and aliveness, then to outer space, and then continuous space, filled with the light of awareness. We explore how every experience belongs to this infinite awake space of our Being, and can be held with tenderness and love (remastered favorite from the archives).

The Power of Spiritual Hope (2021-07-21) - The openness to possibility is essential on a path of awakening and freedom. In this talk we explore what makes up mature or spiritual hope, and how two meditation practices of presence can nourish our hope.

Meditation: Nourishing Happiness with RAIN - While RAIN is regularly used for untangling suffering, it is also a powerful tool for deepening our access to positive states like happiness, gratitude, wonder and love. This meditation guides us in nourishing the goodness that is an intrinsic part of living and essential in realizing our full aliveness. The practice ends with a poem by Naomi Shahib Nye.

Michelle Maldonado, Founder and CEO of Lucentia, brings over 35 years of contemplative practice to her views on mindful leadership. She shares her transformative journey from corporate attorney to mindful leader, emphasizing the importance of authenticity and emotional intelligence. The discussion also delves into navigating conflict through self-awareness, cultivating hope in diversity, and balancing professional duty with compassion. Michelle highlights how individual well-being can impact communal health, inspiring change through conscious leadership and collective action.