Tara Brach

The Power of Inquiry in Spiritual Awakening - Part 2

How can the simple act of asking a sincere question awaken us from the trance of our habitual thinking? In this talk, Tara Brach explores the transformative power of spiritual inquiry—a practice that guides us beyond our stories and into direct, embodied awareness of what is truly happening within us. Through reflection, teachings from Buddhist wisdom traditions, and guided inquiry, Tara invites us to investigate questions like "What is happening inside me right now?" and "What am I believing?" These questions help reveal the beliefs and emotional patterns that keep us stuck and open the doorway to greater freedom, compassion, and presence. You'll also learn how inquiry supports the RAIN practice (Recognize, Allow, Investigate, Nurture)—a powerful method for meeting fear, self-doubt, and emotional suffering with mindful awareness and kindness. By bringing curiosity to our inner life, we begin to loosen the grip of limiting beliefs and rediscover the spacious awareness that is our true nature. In this talk, Tara explores: • How spiritual inquiry helps awaken us from the "interpreted world" of thoughts • Questions that deepen mindfulness and self-awareness • Using inquiry within the RAIN meditation practice • How investigating beliefs can free us from fear and self-judgment • Opening to the mystery and aliveness of present-moment awareness Our introduction music is from "Opening" by Adrienne Torf, © 2025 ABT Music

Meditation: Embodied Awareness (18 min.)

This guided meditation includes a full body scan, and the recognition of the formless awareness that includes and is the source of all experience. By recognizing that awareness we discover the silence and stillness that is the ground of all experience. Our introduction music is from "Opening" by Adrienne Torf, © 2025 ABT Music

The Power of Inquiry in Spiritual Awakening - Part 1

Part I - In spiritual life, inquiry arises from our deep yearning to understand reality, and it involves bringing an interested, engaged attention to our immediate experience. These two talks explore how inquiry serves emotional healing by focusing on difficult "stuck" places, how inquiry enables us to become more intimate and understanding of others, and in the deepest way, how inquiry can reveal the deepest truth of what we are…our true nature. The talks include several guided reflections that can enrich your meditation practice and serve spiritual awakening. Our introduction music is from "Opening" by Adrienne Torf, © 2025 ABT Music

Meditation: Inhabiting Awake Awareness (21:49)

This meditation begins with collecting attention with the breath, and awakens us to the experience of aliveness and inner space by scanning the body. We then open to receive all the senses in awake awareness, and to inhabiting that boundless receptive awareness that is our home. Our introduction music is from "Opening" by Adrienne Torf, © 2025 ABT Music

Fear as a Pathway to Loving Presence - Night Travelers

Shifting our relationship with fear is central to the evolution of consciousness. Our suffering arises when our thoughts, feelings and sense of identity are shaped by fear. As we learn to attend to fear with mindfulness and care, we discover the vast tender presence that has room for the waves, and can fully cherish this life. Our introduction music is from "Opening" by Adrienne Torf, © 2025 ABT Music