James Baraz -Teaching Schedule
DATE/TIME
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LOCATION AND EVENT |
| San Francisco Standard Time is UTC-8. (California practices Daylight Savings Time, during which San Francisco is UTC-7) | |
| James' Weekly Meditation Group - Online | |
Every Thursday 7:30 - 9:00 PM
19:30 - 21:00
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Weekly Meditation Session with Dharma talk and discussion, Insight Berkeley, Berkeley, California |
| Annual Awakening Joy Course - Online starting Each Year in January | |
Starting Every Other Tuesday 6:00 - 8:00 PM |
2026 Awakening Joy Course runs for 5 months, January 27 - June 2 |
Registration for the 2026 Awakening Joy Course
Ten themes are presented and practiced. Recordings of online sessions + practice letters are available through the end of 2026. Join a s small practice group- they form all over the world. New enrollees may join after the course has started. If interested in the accompanying Teacher Training, you can find more information and the application here. |
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| JANUARY 2026 | |
January 11 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM |
LIve, 90 minute online session, Sangha Live |
| Once posted, this link will take you to Information and Registration at Sangha Live. | |
January 23 - 25 See Daily Schedule here |
In-person, long weekend with James, Esalen Institute “Being Present for Your Life” |
In this workshop, you’ll be introduced to this meditation practice and the principles on which it is based. There will be periods of silent sitting and walking meditation as well as discussions to help provide a foundation for your own mindfulness practice in your everyday life Register at the Esalen Instistute: |
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January 27 6:00 - 8:00 PM |
First Live Zoom session for the Awakening Joy Course |
Registration for the 2026 Awakening Joy Course Registrations are accepted after the course begins. It's easy to catch up. |
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| FEBRUARY 2026 | |
Feb. 3 - Mar. 2
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February monthlong silent retreat
, Spirit Rock Meditation Center, Woodacre CA Prerequisites for February One-Month Retreat (27 nights): BEFORE applying you must have already completed at least 14 nights of silent residential retreat time. This retreat time must include a minimum of two (2) silent residential retreats with each of these six (6) nights or longer. |
| MARCH 2026 | |
March 15 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM California Time |
Daylong (onland and online), Spirit Rock Meditation Center, Woodacre, CA The Power of Letting Go: Cultivating Well-Being, Joy and Freedom |
Spring is a natural time to reflect on what we are holding on to and what may be ready to be released. Just what does the phrase “let go” mean? Letting go is often misunderstood as sacrifice—something we should do because it’s “good for us.” But letting go supports genuine contentment and well-being when it's rooted in seeing more clearly what leads to suffering and what leads to freedom. During this daylong program, which includes periods of guided silent sitting and walking meditation, participants will explore how habitual grasping—to thoughts, personal stories, possessions, roles, and a sense of control—shapes inner experience and contributes to stress. Drawing from contemplative teachings and incorporating perspectives from psychology on attachment and habitual mental patterns, reflections and practices will focus on meeting these patterns with awareness and kindness, loosening unhelpful self-stories, softening the impulse to control, and cultivating generosity. This program welcomes both new and experienced practitioners. |
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| APRIL 2026 | |
April 18 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM California Time |
Daylong (onland-only), Spiriti Rock Meditation Center, Woodacre, CA Earth Day: The Power of Love |
At this moment, the Earth and many living species are threatened by humanity’s unawareness. It’s natural to feel frustration or anger when you care deeply about our planet and its more-than-human inhabitants. Yet the most powerful force for healing arises from wise stewardship and love. Join us as we celebrate the natural world and reconnect with our love for this beautiful home through meditation, music, presentations, and experiential practices outdoors on the land (weather permitting). |
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April 22 6:30 to 8:30 PM California Time
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4-Week Meditation Series, co-sponsored by Insight Berkeley and Assaya Sangha Introduction to Insight Meditation |
Many people appreciate mindfulness and even practice it, but haven't been exposed to the rich Buddhist perspective of life that supports one's development both on and off the cushion. This series is for people who would like to establish a mindfulness practice rooted in classical Buddhist teachings. Each class will explore an aspect of basic Buddhist philosophy and will include instructions, meditation, a talk and Q&A. We will share topics such as "The Four Noble Truths", "The Five Hindrances" and The Four Heart Practices" and how they can be applied to everyday life. |
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| MAY 2026 | |
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| JUNE 2026 | |
June 7 California Time
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Online-Only 3-hour Workshop, Spiriti Rock Meditation Center, Woodacre, CA Strength with Heart: Cultivating Awareness, Courage & Connection in Men |
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In a culture that often confuses strength with hardness, men are being invited into a new kind of power—one rooted in awareness, courage, and heart. This three-hour experiential workshop explores three core guideposts from the new book Strength with Heart. Through embodied practice, reflective dialogue, and grounded teaching, participants will discover what real courage feels like in the body, and cultivate the stability of true center. Led by James Baraz, Keith Martin-Smith (Zen teacher and martial artist), and Daniel Ellenberg (psychologist, men’s group leader, and former head of the APA’s Division on Men and Masculinities).
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| JULY 2026 | |
Jujy 12 - 19 Starts with dinner Fri. 6:00 PM Ends with Lunch Fri.
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Weeklong silent retreat, Arbor Seminaire, Rahden, Germany Awakening our True Nature |
The focus of this English language silent retreat is on cultivating various states of well-being ( kusala in Pali). It is designed for practitioners who wish to strengthen their heart connection to their goodness, well-being, and joy. The retreat includes periods of sitting meditation, walking meditation, instruction, daily talks, and practice discussions with the teachers. These practices are derived directly from the Buddha's teachings and can be found in James's "Awakening Joy" program. They form the basis for this intensive period of practice.
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July 31 - Aug. 6 Fri. Arrive Thur. Depart |
Weeklong silent retreat, sponsored by Nirodha at Kreivila Center, Finland |
The retreat program consists of silent sitting and walking meditation, meditation instructions, discussions with teachers, and educational talks. |
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| AUGUST 2026 | |
Aug. 1 - 6 |
See retreat, above, starting July 31 |
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| SEPTEMBER 2026 | |
Sept 2 - 7 Wed. Arrive |
5-night silent retreat, sponsored by Spirit Rock Meditation Center, Woodacre, California Traditional Labor Day Retreat |
This retreat emphasizes quieting the mind, opening the heart, and developing clarity and depth of practice. Traditional instructions will be combined with a spirit of lovingkindness, and our time together will include a schedule of silent sitting and walking periods, guided Yoga/movement sessions, as well as practice meetings with teachers and daily Dharma talks. |
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September 20 - 27
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6-week silent retreat, Insight Meditation Society (IMS) , Barre, MA Awakening Well-Being: Cultivating Wholesome States in Difficult Times with James Baraz, Carol Wilson, Gullu Singh, Jeanne Corrigal, Alexa Redner |
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This silent retreat will focus on cultivating various states of well-being (kusala in Pali) and will include periods of sitting, walking, instructions, daily talks and meetings with the teachers. Both new and experienced meditators are welcome.
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Sept. 29 - Oct. 26
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First Month of 2-Month Silent Retreat, Insight Meditation Society (IMS) , Barre, MA with James Baraz, Andrea Fella, Greg Scharf, Matthew Hepburn, Eowyn Ahlstrom |
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This four-week partial of the two-month course is a special time for practice. Because of its extended length and ongoing guidance, it is an opportunity for students to deepen the powers of concentration, wisdom, and compassion. This silent retreat will encourage a balanced attitude of relaxation and alertness, and the continuity of practice based on the Buddha’s Four Foundations of Mindfulness.
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| OCTOBER 2026 | |
Oct. 1 - 26 |
See month-long Retreat, above, starting Sept. 29. |
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| NOVEMBER 2026 | |
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| DECEMBER 2026 | |
Dec. 13
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Daylong (onland and online), Spirit Rock Meditation Center, Woodacre, CA with James Baraz |
Information and registration can be found, once posted, on the Spirit Rock calendar. |
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