Tara Brach

Listening is more than a communications skill, it is a capacity that awakens our awareness. And given our current times, this capacity is essential if we are to navigate the great divides that separate us from our inner life and others. As we learn to listen inwardly, we begin to understand and care for the fears and vulnerability that ask for our attention.   And as we listen to others, that same intimacy emerges. In this two-part series we examine the blocks to listening and the practices that cultivate this essential domain of human potential. Our focus is both on the transformational power of listening in our personal lives, and also the necessity for deep listening if we are to bring healing to our wider society.    In this talk, Tara explores: *              how listening softens distance between hearts and invites deeper connection. *              “listening to the song” as a way to honor the essence beyond our roles and stories. *               common obstacles to presence—distraction, fear, and agendas that block true listening. *              how deep listening can help heal old wounds, allowing love and aliveness to flow more freely. *             listening with an undefended heart, willing to be changed by what we hear.

This meditation begins with listening to sounds as a portal to spacious awareness. In addition to guiding attention to naturally occurring sounds, Tara plays chimes and gongs to deepen the experience of receptivity and openness. The meditation progresses to include all experience - sounds, sensations, thoughts, feelings - in the vast, transparent, timeless space of awareness.

What if a key to personal and collective transformation lies in reclaiming our deep capacities for presence and imagination? In this two-part series, we’ll explore how mindfulness awakens us from the trance of fear and separation, reconnecting us with our innate clarity and compassion. And we’ll discover how imagination, when grounded in presence, becomes a superpower—allowing us to envision new possibilities for our lives, our relationships, and our world. These talks include reflections that activate imagination in ways that can heal our hearts, deepen connection with others and help bring forth a more loving, just and awakened world. In this week’s talk (Part 2), Tara explores: * How shifting our perceptions through imagination can free us from habitual fear and separation.  * The power of storytelling to awaken compassion and soften rigid patterns of reactivity.  * How imagination helps us reconnect with our inner wholeness and sense of possibility.  * The practice of mindful presence as a gateway to creative and loving awareness.  * How we can reimagine our identity, releasing limiting beliefs and touching into our true belonging.

“Peace is this moment without judgment,” writes poet Dorothy Hunt, “this moment in the heart-space where everything that is, is welcome.” This meditation is a guide to opening to the truth of what’s here, and meeting it with a gentle, allowing presence. As we do, we can touch the inner peace of non-judging awareness, and source our actions in that balance and wisdom.

This two-talk series explore s how spiritual imagination can awaken us to our deepest potential for healing and transformation. In times of fear and division, our imagination often contracts, fueling separation and suffering, yet through mindful presence we can reconnect with our basic goodness and the goodness in others. Through inquiry and story, w e can imagine what’s possible—personally and collectively—when we trust in our shared capacity for change, belonging, and wise hope.