James Baraz is a meditation teacher, author, and co-founding teacher of Spirit Rock Meditation Center. Since 1978, he has led retreats, workshops, and classes worldwide. He created the Awakening Joy course in 2003 and co-authored Awakening Joy and Awakening Joy for Kids. As a Guiding Teacher for One Earth Sangha, he integrates Buddhist wisdom with environmental activism. MysticMag offers you an exclusive interview.
The Awakening Joy course is structured around ten themes over a five-month period. How does this extended timeframe and thematic approach help participants cultivate a lasting sense of joy in their daily lives?
There is a teaching by the Buddha that deeply resonates with me: Whatever one frequently thinks and ponders upon, that will become the inclination of their mind. Modern neuroscience echoes this idea in simpler terms—“Neurons that fire together, wire together.” This is why practice is essential, whether in meditation or cultivating any habit. We are creatures of habit, and many of us have unconsciously reinforced patterns that do not serve us.
To shift tendencies such as grasping, aversion, or confusion, we must actively cultivate what are known as wholesome states. For example, training ourselves to see the good rather than focusing on what is wrong requires dedication. A neuroscientist friend of mine once put it this way: The mind is like Teflon for positive experiences and Velcro for negative ones. We have an inherent negativity bias—our minds are wired to detect danger and dwell on problems. Of course, we do appreciate beauty and joy, but too often, we acknowledge a breathtaking sunset only to immediately shift our focus to what’s for dinner. The positive moments slip away, while the negative ones tend to linger.
Changing this pattern takes time and consistent practice. Training the mind to recognize goodness—within ourselves, in others, and in life—requires patience and commitment. That’s why I structure my program over five months, spanning ten sessions, to allow the space for real transformation to take root.
With participants from over 30 countries, the course has a broad international reach. How do you address cultural differences in the perception and experience of joy within the course framework?
Interestingly, the mind functions in much the same way regardless of where we are. Whether it’s contraction—leading to unhappiness, fear, worry, craving, or confusion—or expansion, marked by love, kindness, compassion, and generosity, these mental states are universally recognized in the teachings I follow.
I feel incredibly fortunate to reach people from all over the world who are interested in cultivating well-being and joy. Yet, when I speak, I focus on something that is relevant to everyone: the contrast between a contracted and an expansive mind. While I offer examples that are universally relatable, I also acknowledge cultural contexts when appropriate.
Some events transcend borders and touch us all—what happens in the United States, Palestine, Gaza, Israel, Ukraine, or Sudan can break hearts across the world. Ultimately, the distinction is between awareness and unawareness, and that is something nearly everyone can relate to. I strive to honor each person’s unique reality, encouraging them to apply these teachings in a way that resonates with their cultural background, habits, and personal experiences.
As a co-founding teacher of Spirit Rock Meditation Center, how has your background in meditation and mindfulness influenced the development and evolution of the Awakening Joy course?
At one point in my meditation journey, after experiencing a profound transformation and a deep connection to inner goodness, I found myself losing my sense of joy. I became intensely serious about my practice—so serious, in fact, that the vitality seemed to drain from it. During this period of struggle, my inspiration waned, not just intellectually, but on a deeper, almost physiological level.
Eventually, I recalled that the Buddha was known as “The Happy One,” not “The Suffering One.” While Buddhism often emphasizes suffering, I realized that its teachings also offer profound insights into true well-being. The Dalai Lama, in The Art of Happiness, begins with the line: The purpose of life is to be happy. With this perspective, I revisited the teachings, seeking wisdom on well-being beyond the temporary peace found in meditation. What I discovered were profound, accessible, and practical teachings that, when applied, cultivate lasting happiness.
This exploration led to the creation of the Awakening Joy course and book, structured around ten wholesome states drawn from Buddhist philosophy. Importantly, these teachings are universal—you don’t have to be Buddhist to benefit from them. The Buddha didn’t teach Buddhism; he taught what leads to suffering and what leads to happiness. The key to these states is not just experiencing them—such as gratitude—but applying mindfulness in those moments of well-being.
Often, we feel good but quickly shift to what’s next? Mindfulness, however, anchors us in the present, allowing us to fully experience joy in the body, heart, and mind. Neuroscience affirms that mindfulness amplifies positive states, reinforcing them in our neural pathways. The Buddha himself emphasized mindfulness as the most direct path to overcoming sorrow, grief, and despair, describing it as the foundation of true happiness.
At its core, mindfulness is simply knowing what is happening right now, without judgment. It means observing experience as it is—without clinging to pleasure, fearing its loss, or resisting discomfort, fearing it will last forever. In essence, mindfulness is bringing a non-judging awareness to the present moment, allowing us to engage with life as it unfolds.
In addition to the adult program, you’ve co-authored “Awakening Joy for Kids.” What unique considerations come into play when teaching principles of joy to children compared to adults?
In my previous career, I spent a decade teaching in New York City and two years in California. It was during this time that I discovered mindfulness meditation and began integrating it into my fifth-grade classroom. Because world religions were part of the curriculum, I found a way to emphasize Buddhism a little more than the others—though, of course, without presenting it as dogma. What struck me most was how incredibly malleable young minds are. Children are naturally curious, present, and open to learning in ways that adults, preoccupied with responsibilities like taxes and rent, often are not.
The idea of planting seeds for a different way of approaching life—one based on awareness rather than fear or social conditioning—felt profound. This belief later led my wife and me to co-found the Family Program at Spirit Rock, a project I feel deeply grateful for, knowing that so many young people have had exposure to these teachings over the years.
When it came to offering mindfulness to children in a structured way, I have to credit my Awakening Joy for Kids co-author, Michele Lilyanna. A gifted teacher, she had already been applying Awakening Joy principles in her classrooms in British Columbia with remarkable success. She reached out to me, urging that we write a book together. Initially, I hesitated—I had invested so much energy in my first book—but after consulting my publisher, who immediately saw the value in her approach, I agreed. In the book, I wrote the introductions for each chapter, speaking to adults about the importance of cultivating their own well-being first. Michele then provided exercises and curricula designed to help children tap into their innate sense of wonder.
At its heart, this work is not about giving children joy; it’s about guiding their attention to the joy and curiosity already within them. My own journey into spirituality began with astronomy. Growing up in New York City, where stars were scarce, I would beg my parents to take me to the Hayden Planetarium as often as possible. Every time I sat in that darkened dome, gazing at the vastness of the universe, something inside me awakened. I believe every child has this capacity for awe. Our role is simply to slow them down, encourage them to truly look, and help them recognize the mystery and wonder that surrounds them. Joy isn’t something we impose—it’s something we uncover.
As a guiding teacher for One Earth Sangha, how do you integrate mindfulness and meditation practices to address environmental concerns and inspire collective action on climate change?
At its core, it all comes back to slowing down and truly seeing what is here. We live in a fast-paced world of constant doing, where we often miss out on feeling connected—to life, to the Earth, and to ourselves. Our focus is on quarterly reports, endless to-do lists, and the pressure of productivity. We tell ourselves we should take a walk, get outside, reconnect, but there’s always something “more important” demanding our attention. In this state, we become disconnected from the larger web of life.
The more deeply we feel our connection to the Earth, the more we recognize that we are life itself, expressing through this form we call “me.” I might not put it quite this way to someone new to mindfulness, but the truth remains: we are nature. Some interpret the biblical notion of dominion over animals and the Earth as justification for control, but the real shift comes when we see that we are part of nature, not separate from it.
Mindfulness reveals this directly. Through awareness, we begin to see how interconnected we are with all of life. While scientific facts about climate change, rising carbon levels, and melting ice caps are critical, what truly moves people to action is love—because we protect what we love. And in order to cultivate love for the planet, we must first slow down, feel our connection, and rediscover that innate sense of wonder.
When we shift our focus beyond the immediate bottom line and instead recognize our responsibility as caretakers of the Earth, our commitment deepens. Mindfulness is the key to understanding our place in the world, to seeing that our actions have consequences, and to living in a way that fosters connection, compassion, and harmony rather than harm and exploitation.
With a positive vision, especially when joined by others, we can create meaningful change. These principles are at the heart of Buddhist philosophy, beginning with the simple yet profound act of being present for life. If you are interested in exploring how these teachings apply to environmental care, I encourage you to look into One Earth Sangha—“sangha” meaning community—to see how wisdom and mindfulness can guide us in protecting this planet we call home.
If you would like to find out more about James Baraz, please visit https://www.awakeningjoy.info/
