Sharon Salzberg

Sharon Salzberg is an iconic leader in the world of mindfulness and meditation. An internationally known teacher and author, she has dedicated her life to helping people develop inner peace and awaken compassionate minds. She is the co-founder of the Insight Meditation Society, which is affiliated with the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies. In addition to her extensive teachings, Salzberg is the author of several books, including Lovingkindness: the Revolutionary Art of Happiness, Real Happiness: The Power of Meditation, and The Force of Kindness: Change Your Life with Love and Compassion.

At the heart of Sharon Salzberg’s teaching and writing is her commitment to developing lovingkindness, an emotive aspect of meditative practice which directs kindness, compassion and acceptance towards oneself and others. Salzberg emphasizes that this practice has the potential to transform both the individual and the global community. She writes in her book, Lovingkindness: the Revolutionary Art of Happiness, “...the more genuine lovingkindness we cultivate, the greater the possibility for global peace and transformation.”

Sharon Salzberg is a sought-after speaker and facilitator worldwide, with her teachings found in classrooms, corporations, retreat centers, and spiritual communities for over forty years. Her core message is about the possibility of inner peace and how kindness can open us to being more present and connected with ourselves and others. Salzberg believes that kindness opens us to gratitude, appreciation, and more fulfilling relationships. An important tenet of heroic love, as she calls it, is to “be aware of our impermanent, interdependent, and interpenetrating selves and to accept our responsibility to the world around us in a loving and compassionate manner.”

Real Happiness: The Power of Meditation is a book co-authored by Salzberg and meditation teacher Gil Fronsdale. Salzberg has been a meditation practitioner for over forty years, with one of her earliest teachings involving Vipassana meditation, the practice of mindfulness and deepening one’s awareness in the moment. Her passion for the transformative power of meditation shines through in this book, which she has described as “a call to ease and loving presence.” It serves as an entry-level guide to meditative practice but is also an ongoing companion along the spiritual path.

The Force of Kindness: Change Your Life With Love and Compassion is an inspiring book written by Salzberg to remind us of the power we have to bring more good into our lives and the world. In it, she writes, “We can still change our lives. Through the transformation of the heart, we can become liberated—from our regrets, our grief, our longing—and shift the patterns in our life, emanating ripples of kindness throughout and beyond our daily routines.”

Sharon Salzberg’s writing and teachings offer ways to bring mindful awareness, kindness, and compassion into our lives. Through her books and global presence, she has become a beacon for those seeking to bring more ease, peace, and well-being into the world. Salzberg’s work is simple yet profound, and she has the ability to get to the root of our lives and create a bridge for transformation. Her teachings provide a path for connecting with our deepest selves and remind us of the love we can bring to others.