Talks: Reflections on the Path
“The intimacy that arises in listening and speaking truth is only possible if we can open to the vulnerability of our own hearts. Breathing in, contacting the life that is right here, is our first step. Once we have held ourselves with kindness, we can touch others in a vital and healing way.”
The Honesty Challenge – Getting More Truthful with Ourselves and Our World
Most of us value honesty yet are not aware of how regularly we avoid facing what’s difficult inside us, and how we are less than truthful with others. This talk explores the practice of radical self-honesty as the grounds of being more honest with others, and bringing more love...
The Gift of Self-Compassion: A Conversation with Tara Brach & Kristin Neff, PhD
This conversation includes what turned Tara toward a path of compassion in her early life, the evolution of the RAIN practice to include nurturing/compassion, the spiritual dimensions of self-compassion, and the role of compassion in these current times. This was initially...
Becoming Bodhisattvas in a Troubled World
Thich Nhat Hanh said “no mud, no lotus.” How might anger, hatred and delusion—the mud of these times-- give rise to a growing compassion and wisdom in our world? In this talk, we look directly at the angst surrounding the US elections and explore several...
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Cultivating a Courageous Heart – Part 2
In the face of violence, hatred and loss, how do we handle the reactivity we feel? Our own anger, hatred and fear? These two talks offer guidance and practice in letting our own vulnerability be a portal to responding—to ourselves, each other and our world-- with courageous,...
Cultivating a Courageous Heart – Part 1
In the face of violence, hatred and loss, how do we handle the reactivity we feel? Our own anger, hatred and fear? These two talks offer guidance and practice in letting our own vulnerability be a portal to responding - to ourselves, each other and our world - with courageous,...
Freedom Beyond the Trance of Self
The gift of meditation is awakening to the vast, radiant ever-creative beingness that is beyond the confines of a constricting self-sense. This talk explores how awake awareness can directly meet the clench of selfing - the thoughts, emotional tensions and core self-sense. When...
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Timeless Heart Wisdom for our Times – Tara Brach and Dan Harris
How do we meet the violence and suffering in our world with a quality of openheartedness and wisdom? In this interview Dan and Tara look at the teachings from the Bodhisattva path (path of awakening beings), Tara’s early draw to this path, and the perspectives and practices...
The Courage to Say Yes – A Conversation with Tara and poet, Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer
I ran across acclaimed poet, Rosemerry Trommer, several years ago in a volume where she shares about the loss of her son, Finn, who took his life at age 16. I had never read anything on grieving that touched me so deeply, that held so much wisdom, such a deep affirmation of...
The Sacred Work of Bridging Divides – Teachings from Roshi Joan Halifax and Tara Brach
There is no more relevant exploration than how we awaken to our connection as family, as belonging to this precious web of life. In their talks, Tara and Roshi Joan look at the cause of divides and their healing through wise contemplation, courageous engagement and the power of...
Waking up from Bias: A Conversation with Tara and Anurag (Anu) Gupta
Given how our biases create separation and unfold into violence and suffering, this is a crucial domain for each of us to explore. In this interview, author and teacher Anurag Gupta offers his wise perspectives and invites Tara to share some of what she has learned in...
Inner and Outer Democracy: The Practice of True Inclusion
Happiness and freedom arise as we include all parts of our being in a loving awareness. In this talk we explore how this inner work of inclusion is the grounds of democracy, and how it enables us to participate in our relationships and society in a way that fosters...
What is Love Asking from Us? A Conversation between Tara Brach & Gabor Maté
In this conversation, Tara Brach and Gabor Maté come together to explore the heart-wrenching situation in Gaza through the lens of the Bodhisattva path. Drawing from the Bodhisattva path - the commitment to alleviate suffering for all beings - they explore the importance of...
Trusting Your Basic Goodness: Part 2
This talk continues the exploration of what causes our distrust of ourselves, others and life, and the pathways to realizing and trusting who we are. We explore the steps of awakening from limiting beliefs, dissolving the resistance to direct embodied presence, and discovering...
Basic Trust – Part 1
One of the expressions of an awakened heart-mind is a basic trust in reality. These talks explore the severed belonging that gives rise to mistrust, and two primary pathways to realizing and trusting the indivisible field of loving awareness that is our source (a favorite from...
Desire and Addiction (Part 2): Voices of Longing Calling You Home
Desire is intrinsic to all living forms - the urge to exist and flourish. It turns to suffering when, due to unmet needs, it contracts, intensifies and separates us from our full aliveness and awareness. These two talks guide us in awakening from this trance, and discovering...
Desire and Addiction (Part 1): Voices of Longing Calling You Home
Desire is intrinsic to all living forms - the urge to exist and flourish. It turns to suffering when, due to unmet needs, it contracts, intensifies and separates us from our full aliveness and awareness. These two talks guide us in awakening from this trance, and discovering...
Love is Always Here
One expression of suffering is forgetting that we are intrinsically lovable and worthy. This talk looks at the pathway to trusting our belonging, and focuses on the healing that comes from letting in love and mirroring others goodness. Painting: Rembrandt's "Return of the...
From Ego to Eco-Identity – Homecoming to Sacred Relationship
Our human loneliness and suffering arise from getting identified in a mental ego, and separating ourselves from the living web of our natural world. This talk explores the pathway back to sacred relationship, and offers reflections and practices that awaken intimacy with the...
From Head to Heart
If we are suffering, we are believing an interpretation of reality that is limiting and untrue. At these times we are imprisoned in a painful looping of fear-driven thoughts and feelings. This talk explores the ways our practices of mindfulness, compassion and loving presence...
Embodied Presence (Part 2) – Planting Our Roots in the Universe – Working with Pain
In describing our human predicament and dis-ease, D.H. Lawrence says we are like a great tree with our roots in the air. We need to replant ourselves—in our bodies, hearts and spirit - to live from embodied presence. These two talks are guides to replanting ourselves. In Part...