There can be joy in meeting our difficult experiences. Once we touch into our capacity to turn towards our difficult emotions, we can learn more about how they operate to keep us caught in suffering, and how we can let go. And we don't have to do the letting go—our mindfulness can do that for us, because our desire to be free is baked in.
Tara Mulay, JD
Residential Retreat Teacher
Tara Mulay teaches and mentors Insight Meditation Practitioners to refine their mindfulness practice, both on the meditation cushion and in daily life. She was trained and authorized to teach by Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts and is a Guiding Teacher at Spirit Rock Meditation Center. Tara began her intensive mindfulness practice while working as a criminal defense attorney for 20 years.
She was a leader of Mission Dharma in San Francisco, and in 2016 she co-founded the San Francisco Black, Indigenous, and People of Color Insight Sangha. Tara is of South Asian (Indian) heritage, and felt initially drawn to dharma practice when she encountered the Buddha’s teachings rejecting social caste as a measure of worth and of capacity for awakening. She believes classical Buddhist practices, designed to cultivate compassion, non-greed, non-hatred, and non-delusion, are uniquely potent vehicles for empowering people in marginalized communities.
Tara Mulay's Upcoming Programs
Retreat | On-Land
January 4 - January 10, 2025 | Saturday - Friday | 6 nights
Winter Insight Retreat
Join the waitlist. The Buddha’s teachings and meditation practices remind us of the ever-present possibility of waking up to a sense of well-being, presence, and true nature that does not depend on circumstances. This silent Insight Meditation (vipassanā) retreat welcomes new and experienced meditators and includes instructions in vipassanā meditation following the four foundations of mindfulness. The retreat will also include lovingkindness meditation, meetings with teachers, and evening talks highlighting the central teachings of the Buddha and their practical application to our lives.
Retreat | On-Land
January 26 - January 31, 2025 | Sunday - Friday | 5 nights
Cultivating the Beautiful Factors of Mind
Registration Open. The Buddha taught that whatever we incline our mind towards will arise more in the future. In this retreat, we will consider how we can develop beautiful factors of mind that support our access to mind states such as faith, courage, and mindfulness. Held in noble silence, our practice together will unfold through the sincere exploration of these mind states that influence the quality of our lives and lay the foundation for the arising of wisdom.
Retreat | On-Land
February 1 - March 29, 2025 | Saturday - Saturday | 56 nights
2025 Insight Meditation 2-Month Retreat - Application
Applications Still Being Accepted. An extended period of retreat offers the rare opportunity for sustained, dedicated practice. This retreat emphasizes quieting the mind, opening the heart, and developing profound clarity and depth of Insight practice. Instruction will follow the traditional four foundations of mindfulness combined with training in lovingkindness and compassion, and practice will be structured around a daily schedule of silent sitting, walking, Dharma talks, and practice meetings with teachers.
Dawn Scott
Vance Pryor
Tuere Sala
Brian Lesage
devon hase
JD Doyle
Tara Mulay
Tempel Smith
Devin Berry
Anushka Fernandopulle
Kristina Baré
Rasika Link
Retreat | On-Land
March 1 - March 29, 2025 | Saturday - Saturday | 28 nights
2025 March Insight Meditation 1-Month Retreat - Application
Applications Still Being Accepted. An extended period of retreat offers the rare opportunity for sustained, dedicated practice. This retreat emphasizes quieting the mind, opening the heart, and developing profound clarity and depth of Insight practice. Instruction will follow the traditional four foundations of mindfulness combined with training in lovingkindness and compassion, and practice will be structured around a daily schedule of silent sitting, walking, Dharma talks, and practice meetings with teachers.
Tara Mulay
Tempel Smith
Tuere Sala
Devin Berry
Anushka Fernandopulle
Kristina Baré
Rasika Link
Retreat | Online Non-Residential | Hybrid
April 21 - April 30, 2025 | Monday - Wednesday
April Insight Meditation Retreat
Registration Open. The emphasis during this retreat will be on the continuity of awareness in all activities, which stabilizes and balances the mind. Relaxed acceptance of our moment-to-moment experience will become the platform for investigation and wisdom. Particular attention will be paid to the attitudes in the mind that condition our understanding. This retreat is suitable for both beginner and experienced meditators, and we welcome people from all life experiences, backgrounds, and communities.
Retreat | On-Land
April 21 - April 30, 2025 | Monday - Wednesday | 9 nights
April Insight Meditation Retreat
Registration Open. The emphasis during this retreat will be on the continuity of awareness in all activities, which stabilizes and balances the mind. Relaxed acceptance of our moment-to-moment experience will become the platform for investigation and wisdom. Particular attention will be paid to the attitudes in the mind that condition our understanding. This retreat is suitable for both beginner and experienced meditators, and we welcome people from all life experiences, backgrounds, and communities.
Dharma Library
Can't join us live online or on the land? Study and practice at your convenience with Tara Mulay through our new library of recordings, articles, and self-paced online courses.