When any of the hindrances arise, there might be this inclination to slam on the brakes and say “No, I don’t like this. This doesn’t belong in my practice.” As we slam on the brakes we spin out and lose control. We lose the plot in our practice. The invitation is to bring a sense of tenderness—some nourishment, some kindness when we see these arise in our experience. To begin to bring some gentleness, some compassion. We’re falling into the flow to see how we can move with this, how we can allow it to be a portal of wisdom.
Leslie Booker
Residential Retreat Teacher, Movement Teacher
Booker is a heart-centered, spirit-driven activist and meditation teacher committed to creating a culture of belonging through her teaching and writing. She trained at Spirit Rock Meditation Center in their Mindful Yoga and Meditation (2012), Community Dharma Leaders (2017), and Retreat Teacher training programs (2020). Outside of her formal training, she shared the practices of yoga and mindfulness with New York City’s most vulnerable populations for over a decade, and served as the Director of Trainings for Lineage Project for 10 years.
She spent many years sharing her expertise nationally as a guest lecturer at conferences such as Mind & Life Institute’s International Symposium, Wisdom 2.0, and Mindfulness in Education—expanding our vision around culturally responsive teaching, and changing the paradigm of self and community care. Booker has been a featured speaker and facilitator at the Fetzer Institute, Vassar, and Pitzer Colleges, and at the Contemplative Sciences Center at the University of Virginia. She’s especially passionate about supporting the sustainability of folks on the front lines including activists, organizers, and educators, and has trained future teachers through the Peace Corps’ Jaffe Fellows and Teaching Residents at Columbia University's Teacher’s College
Booker collaborated with long time friends and co-conspirators to create the trauma-informed anthology Practicing Liberation: Transformative Strategies for Collective Healing & Systems Change, and its accompanying workbook for folks working towards social justice. Booker has also co-authored and contributed to several publications including Best Practices for Yoga in a Criminal Justice Setting, Georgetown Law's Center on Poverty and Inequality's report on Gender & Trauma: Somatic Interventions for Girls in Juvenile Justice, and Dr. Rima Vesely-Flad’s book Black Buddhists and the Black Radical Tradition. She is a co-founder of the Yoga Service Council at Omega Institute and the Meditation Working Group of Occupy Wall Street. In 2020 she was invited to be a Sojourner Truth Leadership Fellow through Auburn Seminary and was voted by her peers as one of the 12 Powerful Women in the Mindfulness Movement.
Booker moved to Philadelphia in August of 2020 to vote in a swing state, and currently serves as the Guiding Teacher of New York Insight.
Leslie Booker's Upcoming Programs
Class Series | Online
October 10 - November 14, 2025 | 5 Fridays | 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Remembering Each Other Always: The Precepts as Daily Practice
Every moment offers an opportunity to move beyond fear, and return to our shared humanity. Practicing the Five Precepts encourages us to see others as extension of ourselves. This perspective asks us to protect life, practice true generosity, examine power dynamics and consent, speak with integrity, and recognize anything that disconnects us as an intoxicant. In this 5-week series, through reflection, dialogue, and daily practice, you’ll be both challenged and changed by remembering how deeply our lives are intertwined.
Leslie Booker
Short Program | On-Land
Sunday, November 30 | 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Don’t Get Metta? This One is For You!
If mettā (lovingkindness) has ever felt awkward, unreachable, or just not for you—you’re not alone. Whether you’ve struggled with the phrases, felt blocked or disconnected, or simply seen mettā as a technique rather than a deep companion on the path, this day of practice is for you. With humor and honesty, we’ll explore what mettā really is, how we may have misunderstood it, and fresh ways to connect through meditation, reflection, Dharma, and supportive community. All are welcome.
Leslie Booker
Short Program | Online
Sunday, November 30 | 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Don’t Get Metta? This One is For You!
If mettā (lovingkindness) has ever felt awkward, unreachable, or just not for you—you’re not alone. Whether you’ve struggled with the phrases, felt blocked or disconnected, or simply seen mettā as a technique rather than a deep companion on the path, this day of practice is for you. With humor and honesty, we’ll explore what mettā really is, how we may have misunderstood it, and fresh ways to connect through meditation, reflection, Dharma, and supportive community. All are welcome.
Leslie Booker
Retreat | On-Land
December 1 - December 7, 2025 | Monday - Sunday | 6 nights
In the Presence of Love: A Mettā Retreat
Full - waitlist. Commuter spaces available! This silent retreat will focus on cultivating the quality of lovingkindness (mettā in Pāli), infusing our hearts, minds, and bodies with a strong, caring wisdom. Lovingkindness practices open the heart and connect us intimately with all of life, while awareness—as developed through mindfulness practice—leads to clarity, insight, and understanding. The fusion of these qualities helps us to respond more compassionately to the challenges we encounter in ourselves and in the world.
Retreat | On-Land
January 27 - February 2, 2026 | Tuesday - Monday | 6 nights
Rooted in Connection: Embodying the Ten Pāramīs
Registration Open. The Ten Perfections of the Heart, or pāramīs, offer a practical framework for living with compassion, resilience, and purpose. These teachings—generosity, ethics, renunciation, wisdom, energy, patience, truthfulness, resolve, loving-kindness, and equanimity—were cultivated by the Buddha over many lifetimes in preparation for awakening. In this residential retreat, we’ll explore and practice the pāramīs both on and off the cushion, focusing on how to embody them in daily life within a community dedicated to belonging and collective liberation.
Dharma Library
Can't join us live online or on the land? Study and practice at your convenience with Leslie Booker through our new library of recordings, articles, and self-paced online courses.