James has been a meditation teacher since 1978. He is creator and teacher of the Awakening Joy course (since 2003). He leads retreats, workshops and classes in U.S and abroad. His is also a co-founding teacher of Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Woodacre, CA, and co-author of Awakening Joy, the book based on the course (with Shoshana Alexander).

He is a Guiding Teacher for One Earth Sangha, a website devoted to expressing a Buddhist response to Climate Change. James lives in Berkeley, California with his wife, Jane.

Learn more about James Baraz: https://www.awakeningjoy.info/teacher.php#
Learn about the Awakening Joy course: https://www.awakeningjoy.info/

00:00:40 – A warm welcome to James Baraz
00:05:15 – Introduction from James
00:12:54 – Recognizing the key moment in your practice
00:16:39 – The puppy analogy
00:19:59 – Meditation practice led by James
00:39:10 – Question: How do you decide whether to front-end the meditation with instructions or to intersperse throughout?
00:52:00 – James talks about his introduction into mindfulness and his first encounter with Ram Dass and Joseph Goldstein
00:59:21 – Two pieces of advice James received from Joseph Goldstein in the early days of teaching
01:03:59 – Addressing the doubt, self-identification, and projections during the transition into becoming a mindfulness teacher
01:10:40 – Mindfully choosing our words to effectively communicate with those we are working with
01:15:52 – The underpinnings of ancient teachings that are sometimes left out in secular teachings
01:19:43 – Mindfulness is about more than just feeling good and reducing stress
01:26:30 – One Earth Sangha: A Dharma response to climate change and planetary destruction
01:32:04 – The principles of mindfulness that can help to shift the consciousness of this planet
01:35:01 – Change is possible: “If your intention to change is greater than your intention to stay the same, you’ll change.”
01:38:25 – Intention: The first of ten states that can be cultivated that lead to greater wellbeing
01:40:57 – Short guided meditation to reconnect with our intention and vision
01:50:50 – Note: Online retreat in Germany July 2020 with James Baraz
01:53:58 – James responds to a participant’s question about working with those who have autism and their caregivers
02:00:15 – Closing song on the guitar: “I Can See Clearly Now”
02:03:52 – Final remarks: Don’t forget about joy.