We all need ways to guide our attention that allow us to find wisdom, love and freedom in the midst of our lives. This talk reviews three archetypal gateways—Buddha/awareness, Dharma/truth, and Sangha/loving community. Through teachings, guided meditations and a traditional refuge ritual, we engage together in bringing alive these pathways to healing and peace.

In this video, Tara explores:

• Spiritual practice as a journey of remembering our inherent goodness and reconnecting to what truly matters.
• The Three Refuges—Buddha (awareness), Dharma (truth), and Sangha (community)—as pathways to peace and belonging.
• The difference between false refuges, like seeking approval or blame, and true refuge found in presence and self-compassion.
• How the RAIN practice (Recognize, Allow, Investigate, Nurture) transforms challenging emotions into spacious awareness.
• The power of widening our circles of belonging through vulnerability, active listening, and embracing shared humanity.

This guided meditation helps us find ease and wakefulness in our body and mind. With the breath as our home base, we offer a gentle and full attention to the changing waves. We close with a beautiful poem, “Walk Slowly,” by Danna Faulds.

Our habitual ways of avoiding pain keep us from experiencing intimacy with our inner life and with each other. This short talk and guided meditation offers instruction in saying “yes” to the life we encounter. As we release resistance, we discover the creativity, wisdom and love that express our truest nature (a reflection from the archives).

Listen to the full talk: Saying “Yes” – Meeting Your Edge and Softening.