Tara Brach

The teachings of Tara Brach

Born in 1953, Tara Brach is an advocate of the healing nature of certain aspects of Buddhism, specifically focussing on the in the Vipassana meditation tradition. This form of meditative Buddhism centres on prajñā, something that approximately translates as achieving insight into the true nature of reality. In addition to her work as a teacher and advocate of this form of healing and mental well-being, Tara Brach is a PhD level psychologist. She gained her qualification in clinical psychology from the Fielding Institute years after attending Clark University, in Massachusetts, where she gained bachelors degrees in psychology and political science. As such, she is one of the growing number of Buddhists in the West who combine their understanding of Eastern traditions, such as mindfulness, with their knowledge of psychology and science in their work, writing and teaching.

Tara Brach resides in the US state of Virginia. She lives close to Bethesda, Maryland, a suburb of Washington DC, where she teaches a regular class to her students of Vipassana meditation. She is married to Johnathon Foust, a teacher of meditation and yoga.

According to Tara Brach's many lectures, teaching videos and books, concentrated forms of meditation – like those associated with the Vipassana Buddhist tradition – are able to bring about mental well-being in those who follow it. Advocates for the scientific basis for following things like mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) techniques will often quote from the work of Brach and others in her school. In short, she claims that meditation and other activities, such as yoga, have the power to help people overcome trauma and mental anguish. Consequently, she claims, they are a part of the toolkit that psychologists all over the world should be using.

Tara Brach's first widely received book was called, “Radical Acceptance: Embracing Your Life with the Heart of a Buddha”, first published in 2003. She followed this up nine years later with, “Mindful Presence: A Foundation for Compassion and Wisdom, in Wisdom and Compassion in Psychotherapy: Deepening Mindfulness in Clinical Practice” and, “True Refuge: Finding Peace and Freedom in Your Own Awakened Heart” in 2013. Tara Brach went on to add to her published works with, “Healing Traumatic Fear: The Wings of Mindfulness and Love” in 2014.

After she gained her degrees, Tara Brach decided to spend some time in an ashram along with other members of a spiritual community. In the end, she spent a decade there, learning and teaching techniques in yoga and concentrative meditation. Later, she attended a Buddhist Insight Meditation retreat where her ideas in psychology found a spiritual home. The retreat was run by Joseph Goldstein, one of the first teachers of the Vipassana tradition anywhere in North America.