Tara Brach
Born 1953 · Age 72
American clinical psychologist, bestselling author, and prominent Western Buddhist meditation teacher; founder and senior teacher of the Insight Meditation Community of Washington (IMCW).
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Life & Career Timeline
Born in East Orange, New Jersey
Born to Nancy (advertising professional) and Bill Brach (civil rights attorney); raised Unitarian Universalist; oldest of four siblings.
Graduated Clark University (BA dual majors)
Earned bachelor's degrees in psychology and political science from Clark University (year estimated based on birth year / typical graduation age).
Joined 3HO and moved into an ashram
After college joined 3HO (Sikh Dharma–associated organization) and lived in an ashram outside Boston where she practiced and taught yoga and concentrative meditation.
Began practicing meditation
Began a regular meditation practice (sources note she has practiced meditation since 1975).
Entered arranged marriage in the ashram
The ashram leader (Yogi Bhajan) arranged her first marriage to a man she barely knew while living in the ashram.
Began teaching meditation (first teachings)
Began teaching meditation (sources note she had been teaching for over 15 years by 1995 — so teaching started circa 1980).
Left the ashram
After about ten years in the ashram she left with her husband, having recognized troubling sexism and patriarchal norms in the community.
Birth of son (Narayan)
Gave birth to her son soon after leaving the ashram (son named Narayan appears in biographical materials).
Attended first Insight/Vipassana retreat (Joseph Goldstein)
After leaving the ashram she attended a Vipassana/Insight Meditation retreat led by Joseph Goldstein, a turning point that led her toward Buddhist practice.
Became a Buddhist lay priest
Ordained/recognized as a Buddhist lay priest (date given in biographies).
Started psychotherapy practice
Began a private psychotherapy practice after completion of doctoral training, integrating mindfulness and meditation into clinical work (approximate timing after PhD).
Earned Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology (Fielding Institute)
Awarded a doctorate in clinical psychology from the Fielding Institute; dissertation examined meditation's effectiveness in treating eating disorders. (Year estimated; Fielding Institute degree date not explicitly stated in sources.)
Divorced first husband
Divorce from her first (arranged) marriage occurred about five years after leaving the ashram.
Completed five-year teacher training at Spirit Rock
Completed a five-year Buddhist teacher training program under Jack Kornfield at Spirit Rock Meditation Center (year estimated; program completion known but date not always specified).
Started Vipassana meditation group in Bethesda
Launched a Vipassana (insight) meditation group in Bethesda, Maryland; by 2002 the group had grown substantially.
Founded Insight Meditation Community of Washington (IMCW)
Established IMCW, serving as founder and senior teacher; IMCW became one of the largest non-residential meditation centers in the U.S.
Numerous audio publications released (compilation event)
During the 2000s Tara released multiple audio publications of guided meditations and courses (examples: 2005, 2007, 2009; collected here as ongoing publishing activity).
Helped found Washington Buddhist Peace Fellowship
Participated in founding/early leadership of the Washington Buddhist Peace Fellowship, aligning meditation practice with engaged social concerns.
IMCW/Bethesda group grew to ~200 attendees
By 2002 roughly 200 people were attending the weekly Bethesda Vipassana sessions.
Published Radical Acceptance (book)
Released Radical Acceptance: Embracing Your Life with the Heart of a Buddha (Bantam). Book describes her personal struggles and application of Buddhist practice to emotional healing.
Met partner Jonathan Foust
Met Jonathan Foust (yoga & meditation teacher, former Kripalu Center president) shortly after her 50th birthday; they later married and reside in Northern Virginia.
Released Radical Self-Acceptance (audio)
Audio publication Radical Self-Acceptance: A Buddhist Guide to Freeing Yourself from Shame (audio release).
Published guided meditations audio
Released Radical Acceptance: Guided Meditations (audio).
Published Meditations for Emotional Healing (audio)
Released Meditations for Emotional Healing (audio collection).
Began offering guided talks & downloadable content widely
Expanded IMCW/DharmaSeed/Sounds True distribution of hundreds of recorded talks and guided meditations online, broadening reach internationally.
Launched Tara Brach podcast
Started the Tara Brach podcast (eponymous), distributing guided meditations and dharma talks online.
Published 'Meditation and Psychotherapy' (professional training)
Contributed/produced Meditation and Psychotherapy: A Professional Training Course for Integrating Mindfulness into Clinical Practice (2011 audio/publication listed in bibliography).
Co-founded (with Jack Kornfield) Banyan / Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Training Program
With Jack Kornfield co-founded the Banyan and Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Training Program serving participants globally (site lists this collaboration; date estimated early 2010s).
Published Mindfulness Meditations (audio)
Released Mindfulness Meditations: Nine Guided Practices to Awaken Presence and Open Your Heart (audio).
Published True Refuge (book) — Washington Post bestseller
True Refuge: Finding Peace and Freedom in Your Own Awakened Heart debuted on The Washington Post best-seller list the week it was released (Feb 2013).
Published blog essay 'The Mystery of Who We Are'
Posted a dharma talk / blog adapted from Radical Acceptance exploring the spiritual question 'Who am I?'.
Public profiles and mainstream press interviews
Featured in profiles and interviews (e.g., Publishers Weekly, Washingtonian, Psychology Today, APA Monitor), increasing public recognition and reach.
Guest teacher and retreat leader internationally
Regularly led residential retreats and workshops across North America and Europe, including extended residencies at IMCW and other centers.
Guest on The Tim Ferriss Show (podcast interview)
Long-form interview (Tim Ferriss Show #94) discussing meditation, RAIN technique, and overcoming FOMO; significant public-speaking/podcast exposure.
Published influential articles and essays
Contributed articles to periodicals and magazines on mindfulness, RAIN method, and social engagement (examples: Mindful Magazine, Lion's Roar).
Published Radical Compassion (book)
Released Radical Compassion: Learning to Love Yourself and Your World with the Practice of RAIN (Viking, 2019).
Podcast monthly downloads milestone (2.5M/month)
By 2021 Tara Brach's podcast was being downloaded approximately 2.5 million times each month (widely reported milestone).
Published Trusting the Gold (book)
Released Trusting the Gold: Uncovering Your Natural Goodness (Sounds True, 2021).
20th-anniversary edition of Radical Acceptance
Published Radical Acceptance: 20th-anniversary edition (Bantam, 2023).
Ongoing senior teacher roles at major retreat centers
Has taught regularly at Spirit Rock, Kripalu Center, and Omega Institute (ongoing role spanning decades; start dates vary).
Trained over 7,000 meditation teachers (cumulative)
By 2024 Tara Brach had trained over 7,000 people to be meditation teachers through IMCW and related teacher-training programs.
Profile and biographical updates continue
As of mid-2025 multiple profiles, updated IMCW pages, and press continue to list her ongoing teaching activities and reach.
Key Achievement Ages
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