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 Dharma practitioners on retreat and in daily life practice. Trained and authorized by the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts, Tara serves as a Guiding Teacher and board member at Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Woodacre, California, and teaches nationally.
Tara's journey into Dharma practice began during her 20-year career as a criminal defense attorney. Tara’s teachings are rooted in the Mahasi Sayadaw lineage, enriched by influences from other Theravādan and Early Buddhist traditions.
Of South Asian heritage, Tara was initially drawn to Dharma practice by the Buddha’s teachings rejecting caste as a measure of worth and capacity for awakening. She believes that classical Buddhist practices—fostering compassion, non-greed, non-hatred, and non-delusion—are powerful tools for empowering marginalized communities. For more information, visit taramulay.com.
Tara Mulay's Upcoming Programs
Retreat | On-Land
August 17 - August 21, 2025 | Sunday - Thursday | 4 nights
Clarity, Connection, and Compassion: The Liberating Path of Mindfulness
Spaces Still Available! During this retreat, we will cultivate the capacity to connect intimately with the felt sense of the body, heart, and mind, developing a clarity of perception that unclouds our attention. As we let go of a mistaken sense of ownership of our passing experience, we open to a deeper understanding of the truth of the way things are. From here, we can begin to free ourselves from false notions of separateness and infuse our lives with greater joy and wisdom.
Retreat | On-Land
December 8 - December 12, 2025 | Monday - Friday | 4 nights
Disentangling the Heart: Clear Awareness and Insight
Spaces Still Available! The Buddha taught that we can disentangle ourselves from suffering by practicing wise mindfulness supported by non-harming conduct, intentions rooted in kindness and non-clinging, and other wholesome factors of mind. During this silent retreat, we will explore our innate capacity for liberating insight. We will cultivate a deeply restful, mindful attention to each moment’s experience that opens us to joy, ease, and a greater understanding of the truth of the way things are.
Retreat | On-Land
February 3 - March 28, 2026 | Tuesday - Saturday | 53 nights
2026 Insight Meditation 2-Month Retreat - Application
Application Open. 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
JD Doyle
James Baraz
Brian Lesage
Tara Mulay
Tempel Smith
Kristina Baré
Anushka Fernandopulle
Greg Scharf
Rasika Link
Retreat | On-Land
March 2 - March 28, 2026 | Monday - Saturday | 26 nights
2026 March Insight Meditation 1-Month Retreat - Application
Application Open. 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
Anushka Fernandopulle
Kristina Baré
Greg Scharf
Rasika Link
Retreat | On-Land
April 20 - April 29, 2026 | Monday - Wednesday | 9 nights
April Insight Meditation Retreat
Registration Opens - July 15, 2025. 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.
Upcoming Drop-Ins
Drop-in | Online
Monday, August 25 | 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM
Monday Night Meditation & Talk
For over 35 years, the Monday Night sitting group at Spirit Rock has been a welcoming refuge to gather, hear the teachings of the Buddha, and practice Insight Meditation together as a community. The program includes a 30-40 min guided meditation, a short break, and a Dharma talk.
Tara Mulay
Drop-in | On-Land
Monday, August 25 | 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM
Monday Night Meditation & Talk
For over 35 years, the Monday Night sitting group at Spirit Rock has been a welcoming refuge to gather, hear the teachings of the Buddha, and practice Insight Meditation together as a community. The program includes a 30-40 min guided meditation, a short break, and a Dharma talk.
Tara Mulay
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.