Cultivating Calm: An Introduction To Mindfulness Practice - by Tara Bass

COURSE

Cultivating Calm: An Introduction To Mindfulness Practice

With Tara Bass

Week 1 introduces the concept of mindfulness, offering definitions and exploring how and why one might choose to cultivate it. The session highlights the benefits of mindfulness not only for personal well-being but also for our relationships and the broader world around us. Week 2 focuses on mindfulness of breath and body. It covers the sense of self or ego, introduces practices for being present with the breath and body, and explores how mindfulness can help in addressing physical pain. Week 3 delves into mindfulness of thoughts and emotions. This week dispels the myth that mindfulness means eliminating thoughts, and instead examines the relationship between thoughts and emotions. Participants learn to observe their thoughts and work with emotions skillfully, with suggested practices to try on their own. Week 4 explores mindfulness of the heart through the lens of lovingkindness. It provides an overview of the Four Immeasurables or Perfect Virtues: lovingkindness (metta), compassion, sympathetic joy (mudita), and equanimity. The week dives deeper into what metta truly is and how to begin cultivating it. Week 5 brings the practice into everyday life. This final session reviews informal mindfulness practices, offers guidance on mindful speech, and provides practical tips for establishing and sustaining a formal meditation practice.

AcceptanceGroundedPresenceSecular MindfulnessMindfulness MeditationHealth & HappinessSecularMindfulness

Meet your Teacher

Tara Bass
Boulder, CO, USA

Tara has been practicing mindfulness meditation for 16+ years. She has completed a 2-year Certified Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Training program with Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield in the Insight Meditation tradition and is a meditation instructor through the Shambhala Buddhist lineage. She has been an administrator and lived at a meditation retreat center, and has completed multiple week and month-long meditation retreats. Tara is also a mental health professional and former educator. She has real-life experience and knowledge to guide you through mindfulness meditation practices and teachings with care and compassion.

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6 Days

45 students

5.0 stars

30 min / day

Acceptance

English

Lesson 1

Introduction To Mindfulness

In this introductory lesson on mindfulness, we’ll explore what mindfulness is, bringing present moment awareness to our thoughts, feelings, and experiences with curiosity and without judgment. We’ll discuss why cultivating mindfulness matters, including how it helps us navigate stress, increase emotional resilience, and live with greater intention. You’ll learn how mindfulness supports healthier relationships by increasing compassion and reducing reactivity, and how it encourages more compassionate, grounded engagement with the world around us. This lesson lays the foundation for a personal and relational mindfulness practice that promotes well-being, connection, and clarity.

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Lesson 2

Mindfulness Of The Breath And Body

In this lesson on Breath and Body, we’ll explore how mindfulness helps us gently observe the relationship between breath, body, and our sense of self. We’ll examine the concept of ego as a constructed identity and how mindfulness can soften its grip by grounding us in present-moment awareness. Through guided practices, you’ll learn to anchor attention in the breath, bring compassionate awareness to bodily sensations, and skillfully approach physical discomfort without resistance. This lesson supports a deeper connection to the body as a source of wisdom, offering tools to navigate pain and presence with greater clarity and ease.

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Lesson 3

Mindfulness Of Thoughts And Emotions

In this lesson on Thoughts and Emotions, we’ll explore the common myth that mindfulness is about eliminating thoughts, and instead explore how mindful awareness allows us to observe them without judgment. You’ll learn how thoughts and emotions are interconnected, and how bringing curiosity to both can create space for clarity and choice. Through guided practices, we’ll develop skills for noticing habitual thought patterns, identifying emotional responses, and responding with greater compassion and stability. This lesson offers practical tools to take with you, supporting emotional regulation and a more spacious, accepting relationship with your inner experience.

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Lesson 4

Mindfulness Of The Heart: Loving Kindness (Metta)

In this lesson, we’ll explore the Four Immeasurables, also known as the Four Perfect Virtues that form the heart of many contemplative practices: Loving-Kindness (Metta), Compassion, Sympathetic Joy (Mudita), and Equanimity. These qualities support emotional balance, resilience, and a deep connection to others. We’ll begin by focusing on Metta, the intentional cultivation of friendliness and unconditional kindness, both toward ourselves and others. You’ll learn what Metta is, why it matters, and how to cultivate it.

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Lesson 5

Bringing Your Practice Into The World

In this lesson, we’ll explore how to bring mindfulness off the cushion and into daily life. We’ll review informal practices and how they support presence throughout your day. We’ll also learn practical tips for establishing and sustaining a formal meditation practice. Finally, we’ll reflect on what we have learned throughout the course, helping you build a practice that feels supportive, realistic, and grounded.

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Lesson 6

Bonus Practice: RAIN

This lesson introduces the RAIN practice—Recognize, Allow, Investigate, and Nurture—as a compassionate framework for meeting difficult emotions with mindfulness and care. You’ll learn to recognize what’s present in your emotional landscape, allow the experience to be there without judgment or resistance, investigate with curiosity and kindness to uncover the deeper layers of your experience, and nurture yourself with gentle attention and wise support. RAIN helps transform reactivity into resilience by creating space between stimulus and response. This practice empowers you to meet emotions with clarity and compassion, strengthening your ability to stay present and grounded, even during emotional storms.

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