2015-01-07 - Meditation: Living Open Presence

2014-12-30 - Retreat Talk - Landlocked in Fur - Three Domains of Formless Presence - While we have evolved to experience a defining sense of separate self, our potential is to awaken to the formless dimension - the pure awareness is our shared source. This talk explores how we can undo the identification with thoughts, emotions and feelings that keeps us landlocked and unable to trust and live from our naturally loving and radiant essence. (given at the 2014 IMCW New Year's Retreat in Reisterstown, MD) Poem at start of talk: "Landlocked in Fur" - by Tukaram. From: Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;} “Love Poems From God: Twelve Sacred Voices from the East and West” (Ladinksy, 2002)

2014-12-30 Meditation - The Luminous Space of Awareness (given at the 2014 IMCW New Year's retreat in Reisterstown, MD) - This meditation shifts attention from form to the formless source of all Being. Discover and rest in continuous space, filled with the light of awareness.

2014-08-02 - (retreat talk) Embodying Loving Presence - This talk looks at the evolutionary fear-patterning that creates separation in our relationships, and at the practices that open us to giving and receiving love.

2014-12-17 - Part 2: Intimacy with Life - This season is one of celebrating the light and love that is our unifying source. And yet at these times our society is being forced to face its deep patterning of racial oppression, amongst other expressions of violence. These two talks investigate the process of turning against ourselves and others, and how intentional and deep presence can heal the suffering of separation.

2014-12-17 - Meditation: Light of Awareness

2014-12-10 - Part 1: Intimacy with Life - This season is one of celebrating the light and love that is our unifying source. And yet at these times our society is being forced to face its deep patterning of racial oppression, amongst other expressions of violence. These two talks investigate the process of turning against ourselves and others, and how intentional and deep presence can heal the suffering of separation.

2014-12-10 - Meditation: Intimacy with the Flow of Life

2014-10-30 - Removing the Barriers to Love - In our daily trance of feeling separate, we spend many moments wanting others to be different so we can feel better. This talk explores the heart awakening that unfolds when we deepen our commitment to seeing what is happening inside us. Only then can we see another with clear eyes, and realize the love that arises from our inherent Oneness.

2014-11-26 - A Generous Heart - Our deep potential is to live from an awake, loving heart. This talk looks at how, with a kind and mindful attention, we can decondition habitual tendencies toward grasping and self-centeredness, and nourish the sense of connectedness and care that gives rise to generosity. As we bring these heart practices alive in our most immediate relationships, they have the power to evolve consciousness in widening circles across the world.

2014-11-26 - Guided Meditation - The Space of Awareness

2014-11-19 - Awakening Through Change and Loss - Our capacity to live and love fully is entirely related to how we open to the truth of impermanence. This talk examines how our ways of trying to control life solidify our perception of being separate and threatened. We then look at the wings of mindful presence and compassion that open us to loss and grief, and reveal the loving awareness that is beyond birth and death.

2014-11-19 - Meditation - Opening to Life's Flow

2014-11-12 The Sacred Art of Listening - Our capacity to live and love fully is entirely related to how we open to the truth of impermanence. This talk examines how our ways of trying to control life solidify our perception of being separate and threatened. We then look at the wings of mindful presence and compassion that open us to loss and grief, and reveal the loving awareness that is beyond birth and death.

2014-11-12 Meditation - Listening to Life

2014-11-05 Radical Self-Honesty - The Joy of Getting Real - Our suffering arises from the unseen, unfelt, resisted parts of our psyche. This talk explores ways we can deepen self-honesty and reconnect to a wholeness of being that enables us to live with spontaneity, confidence, wisdom and love. Quote from Elizabeth Lesser: "My prayer to god every day: Remove the veils so I might see what is really happening here and not be intoxicated by my stories and my fears." 

Meditation - Relaxing into Living Presence (2014-11-05) - This meditation guides us to awaken to sensation using the image of a smile and scanning through the body. We then open to sound and to the entire changing flow of experience. When we connect with the changing flow of sensations, feelings and sounds, we also discover the formless awareness that is our Source… and home. We end with a prayer that includes our own being and all beings.

2014-10-26 - Retreat Talk - Sacred fertilizer - The Portal of Fear - Bringing presence to the contraction of fear is a universal part of spiritual awakening. This talk explores two interrelated pathways of opening to and transforming fear. 

2014-10-22-Part 2 - Happiness - The Buddha said that he would not teach about happiness if it were not possible to realize this experience of peace and deep well-being. In this three part series, we explore two kinds of happiness - that which arises out of particular causes and the experience of “happy for no reason.” The talks examine the attachments that block happiness, ways to “gladden the mind,” and the liberating presence that naturally expresses as pure happiness.

2014-10-22-Meditation - Opening to Full Aliveness

2014-10-15 - Part 1 - Happiness - The Buddha said that he would not teach about happiness if it were not possible to realize this experience of peace and deep well-being. In this three part series, we explore two kinds of happiness - that which arises out of particular causes and the experience of “happy for no reason.” The talks examine the attachments that block happiness, ways to “gladden the mind,” and the liberating presence that naturally expresses as pure happiness.

2014-10-15 Meditation - Coming Back to Your Senses

2014-10-01 - Part 2 - Unconditional Love  - These two talks explore key elements in manifesting our innate capacity for unconditional love. Both talks include teachings and meditative strategies for recognizing our blocks to loving, and, through courageous, embodied presence, discovering who we are when not confined by the limiting beliefs and feelings of an egoic self. The first focuses on accepting and embracing our inner life, and the second, on the awakening of a loving presence that includes the whole of this living world.

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";} 2014-10-08 - Meditation - Loving Kindness - embracing ourselves and all beings with a full and tender loving presence.

2014-10-01 - Part 1 - Unconditional Love - These two talks explore key elements in manifesting our innate capacity for unconditional love. Both talks include teachings and meditative strategies for recognizing our blocks to loving, and, through courageous, embodied presence, discovering who we are when not confined by the limiting beliefs and feelings of an egoic self. The first focuses on accepting and embracing our inner life, and the second, on the awakening of a loving presence that includes the whole of this living world.

2014-10-01 - Guided Meditation - Listening to and Feeling Our Life

Awakening from the Landlocked Self - The Buddha taught that our suffering arises from forgetting who we are. This talk explores the trance of identifying as Somebody, and the compassionate witnessing that allows us to discover the freedom of our natural being.

2014-09-24 Meditation - Befriending and Opening to Life

2014-09-18 - Earth’s Crisis - On the Edge of the Roof - This talk views the ecological dis-ease of our planet through the lens of our evolutionary unfolding. We explore the egoic trance that has precipitated the destruction of our environment, and the inner practices of presence that enable us to respond from love and wisdom.

2014-09-17 Guided Meditation: Opening to Aliveness

2013-10-14 - Satsang - Peace is this Moment - Evening of question/response with Tara after a meditation on Dorothy Hunt's poem, "Peace is Moment Without Judgment."

2011-12-31 - Guided Meditation - Awakening Compassion - Tonglen - Our deepest wisdom and purest actions arise out of open-hearted presence. This meditation, "Awakening Compassion," is drawn from the Tibetan tradition and carries us home to the vastness of loving presence.

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";} A Special Evening Satsang – question and response with Tara from 2013-05-13. Many of the questions that evening were about R.A.I.N. NOTE: Satsang means exploring and realizing truth in the gathering of spiritual friends. The word comes from Sanskrit – sat means truth - and sangha is community or company of spiritual friends.

2011-04-13-Metta Meditation - Happiness - 17 minutes - Tara was away this week, so posting a long-time and well-played favorite from her website at www.tarabrach.com.

2014-08-27 - Loving Truth - The Power of Investigation - A key element in spiritual awakening is wise and compassionate investigation. This talk explores how investigation and inquiry (the use of questions) serves emotional healing, intimacy with others and the deepest realization of who we are.

2014-08-27 - Guided Meditation - Space and Aliveness

2014-08-20 Bringing Awareness to Doing - One of the core domains of egoic trance is addictive doing - chronic activity driven by fear and wanting that keeps us from realizing a wholeness of Being. This talk looks at how addictive doing keeps us in the map of time, identified as a separate self, always on our way somewhere else. We then explore ways we undo this conditioning by pausing and opening to the liberating dimension of Being.

2014-08-20 Guided Meditation - Emptiness Dancing

2014-08-13 - Listening to the Song - Tara was away this week, so asked for this favorite talk to be posted. Listening with our full heart and attention is the gateway to understanding and love. This talk explores the challenges to deep listening, and offers ways of paying attention that awaken a healing listening presence.

2014-08-13-Guided Meditation - Coming Home to Being - Tara was vacationing this weekend, so she offers a favorite from the archives.

Nuestra verdadera naturaleza - (Meditaciones de la colección de dos CD llamada  - La aceptación radical: Meditaciones guiadas) (Realizing Our True Nature: Self-Inquiry)  

Regresando a la presencia natural - (Meditaciones de la colección de dos CD llamada  - La aceptación radical: Meditaciones guiadas) (Coming Home to Natural Presence)  

Invocando una presencia apacible - (Meditaciones de la colección de dos CD llamada  - La aceptación radical: Meditaciones guiadas) (Invoking Loving Presence in the Face of Difficulty - a version of tonglen)  

Cultivando un corazon dispuesto a perdonar - (Meditaciones de la colección de dos CD llamada  - La aceptación radical: Meditaciones guiadas)  

Tonglen - (Meditaciones de la colección de dos CD llamada  - La aceptación radical: Meditaciones guiadas) (Tonglen - Transforming Suffering into Compassion)  

Aceptación radical del dolor - (Meditaciones de la colección de dos CD llamada  - La aceptación radical: Meditaciones guiadas)  

Afrontar la vida con una sonrisa - (Meditaciones de la colección de dos CD llamada  - La aceptación radical: Meditaciones guiadas)