Tara Brach

Meditation: RAIN on Self-Blame (2019-04-17) - One of the greatest roots of suffering is being at war with ourselves. This meditation, based on the acronym RAIN (recognize-allow-investigate-nurture), guides us in releasing the armoring of blame, and relating to our inner life with greater understanding and compassion. For more resources on RAIN: www.tarabrach.com/rain/.

Compassion Towards All: Moving toward a Plant Based Diet (2019-05-15) - For most of human history it’s been “normal” to eat non-human animals. This is now changing. We are awakening to the massive suffering of the billions of animals killed each day for food, the horrors of the animal-food industry, and the impact it has on climate change (second only to fossil fuels.) In this short talk Tara shares her personal story of transitioning to a vegan diet, and invites listeners to investigate, without judgment, their own choices in this domain. (note: given at a special class on "Loving Life with a Plant-Based Diet." Tara was joined by guest speakers, Mark Tercek and Brenda Sanders, and hosted by Jonathan Foust. Full video available at Tara's Facebook page and soon at IMCW.org.)

Meditation: Choosing Living Presence - A meditation on being present with our living, breathing life (includes chanting the Om’s in community – a favorite from Tara’s Wednesday night archives). Free download of Tara's 10 min meditation: "Mindful Breathing: Finding Calm and Ease" when you join her email list.

Conscious Prayer – Finding Refuge in Loving Awareness (retreat talk) - Prayer is a communing with our enlarged being. This talk examines less conscious forms of prayer, and how we can evolve the power of our prayers by opening into the depth of our longing, and reaching toward our true belonging (given at the 2016 IMCW Spring Retreat). How I yearn to belong to something, to be contained in an all-embracing mind that sees me as a single thing. And I yearn to be held in the great hands of your heart. Oh let them take me now. Into your hands I place these fragments, my life, and you my God spend them however you want. ~ Rainer Maria Rilke

Meditation: Loving This Life – Happiness - a Metta Practice - This meditation turns us toward naturally arising happiness with the image of a smile, welcoming the aliveness and presence of each moment with the spirit of “yes” and then closes with a brief lovingkindness practice. NOTE: a favorite retreat meditation from the archives. Lama Gendun Rinpoche writes, “Happiness cannot be found through great effort and willpower, but it is already there, in relaxation and letting go.” Free download of Tara's 10 min meditation: "Mindful Breathing: Finding Calm and Ease" when you join her email list.

Forgiveness: Releasing Ourselves and Others from Aversive Blame – Part 2 (2019-05-01) - Rumi invites us to find the barriers we’ve erected against love, and a universal one is blame. These three talks are an invitation to relax those barriers, and to open our hearts to our inner life and to all beings. Part I focuses on chronic self-judgment; Part II on the places of deep self-condemnation, and Part III on where we have locked into anger, blame or hatred of others. Each includes guided reflections that can support us in directly awakening beyond the confining thoughts and feelings of blame. Your support enables us to continue to offer these talks and meditations freely. If you value them, I hope you will consider offering a donation at this time at www.tarabrach.com/donation/. With gratitude and love, Tara

Meditation: Being Here (2019-05-01) - This practice sets the atmosphere of loving presence with a smile-down and waking up all the senses. We relax into open awareness, receptive to the breath or whatever waves of experience are calling for attention. The invitation is to rest in Hereness, fully awake in presence. The meditation ends with a short offering of blessings. Your support enables us to continue to offer these talks and meditations freely. If you value them, I hope you will consider offering a donation at this time at www.tarabrach.com/donation/. With gratitude and love, Tara

This podcast explores the concept of equanimity and how it allows us to respond to the world with an open and steady heart. It highlights the importance of regaining presence when caught up in reactive behavior, and shares stories of acceptance, mindfulness, and embracing connection. The speaker guides listeners to come into stillness and trust the waves of the moment.

Meditation: Awakening Our Energy Body - This meditation scans the body and directly invites the awakening of key energy centers (chakras) in our body. We then rest in the openhearted awareness that includes this ever changing creative flow of aliveness (a special meditation from the archives). Your support enables us to continue to offer these talks and meditations freely. If you value them, I hope you will consider offering a donation at this time at www.tarabrach.com/donation/. With gratitude and love, Tara

Part 1 - Forgiveness: Releasing Ourselves and Others from Aversive Blame (2019-04-17) - Rumi invites us to find the barriers we’ve erected against love, and a universal one is blame. These three talks are an invitation to relax those barriers, and to open our hearts to our inner life and to all beings. Part I focuses on chronic self-judgment; Part II on the places of deep self-condemnation, and Part III on where we have locked into anger, blame or hatred of others. Each includes guided reflections that can support us in directly awakening beyond the confining thoughts and feelings of blame. Your support enables us to continue to offer these talks and meditations freely. If you value them, I hope you will consider offering a donation at this time at www.tarabrach.com/donation/. With gratitude and love, Tara