Equanimity is the essential quality that can keep us from being overcome with anxiety, fear and other painful emotions. Equanimity is the culmination of a wise heart and purified mind. It is, in fact, the precursor to Enlightenment.
James Baraz
Residential Retreat Teacher
James Baraz is a founding teacher of Spirit Rock Meditation Center. James started the Community Dharma Leader program, the Kalyana Mitta Network, the Spirit Rock Family Program and helped create the Heavenly Messengers Training Program. James has been leading the online course "Awakening Joy" since 2003. He serves as a guiding teacher to One Earth Sangha, a Virtual EcoDharma Center devoted to Buddhist responses to Climate Change. He co-authored Awakening Joy and Awakening Joy for Kids.
James Baraz's Upcoming Programs
Training | Online | Dharma Institute
October 3 - June 5, 2027 | 9 Saturdays | 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Strength with Heart: The Path of Fierce Compassion for Modern Men
Open to all self-identified men
Strength with Heart is a 9-month program for men ready to live with backbone, openness, and purpose. Blending psychology, mindfulness, and somatic practice, it offers a clear, embodied path for modern men who want to lead, love, and show up with more depth and integrity. Guided by experienced teachers, this journey supports real growth—relational, emotional, and spiritual—through live sessions, daily practices, and grounded community. A path for men who won’t settle for half of themselves.
Short Program | On-Land
Sunday, December 13 | 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Intimacy with Life: Undoing the Habits That Armor the Heart
5 CE Credits. Join us for a day of meditation and inquiry devoted to loosening the habits that separate us from our inner life and from each other. As our hearts open, we may rediscover our capacity for joy, deepen our sense of kinship with all beings, and engage more actively in caring for our world.
Short Program | Online
Sunday, December 13 | 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Intimacy with Life: Undoing the Habits That Armor the Heart
5 CE Credits. Join us for a day of meditation and inquiry devoted to loosening the habits that separate us from our inner life and from each other. As our hearts open, we may rediscover our capacity for joy, deepen our sense of kinship with all beings, and engage more actively in caring for our world.
Retreat | On-Land
September 1 - September 6, 2027 | Wednesday - Monday | 5 nights
Labor Day Insight Meditation Retreat
Registration Open. 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. This retreat is for experienced as well as new students.
James Baraz
Howard Cohn
Dawn Mauricio
Terry Vandiver (Movement Teacher)
Eve Decker (Teacher in Training)
Dharma Library
Can't join us live online or on the land? Study and practice at your convenience with James Baraz through our new library of recordings, articles, and self-paced online courses.
