Finding peace in the day-to-day
What we do
The Tiny Sangha Project offers free, secular mindfulness meditation instruction to Black and African American people interested in living a happier life and managing stress.
Our small, facilitated meditation groups meet online and offer Black practitioners proven tools for engendering personal well-being. Our mindfulness meditation groups are appropriate for Black people new to mindfulness meditation and for those seeking to maintain an existing practice.
How we do it
Cultivate the Art of Paying Attention
Each small group meets weekly, online and is composed of eight-to-ten participants and one experienced facilitator. Because our facilitators each have several years of meditation practice experience, they can depart from the mindfulness “script” and offer practice guidance from their own experience.
All our groups meet in real time. No pre-recorded talks or discussions. We want to come as close to an in-person experience as possible.
Why we do it
Because Black wellness matters. As scholar/activist Audre Lorde put it: “Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.”
Learning to meditate as a Black collective allows us to talk openly about life issues that are hard to broach in mixed-race environments.
Big Things Happen in Small Spaces!
- The Tiny Sangha Project embraces the emotional intimacy of small groups.
- Learning to meditate together in small communities allows us to truly know and support one another.
- Our small group model prizes community and quality of instruction over growth of our platform.
Frequently Asked Questions
No single healing modality works equally well for everyone all the time. However, research suggests mindfulness meditation is, for many, an effective way to manage anxiety and depression.
It can be. Mindfulness meditation is not primarily a relaxation exercise. The goal is to see ourselves, the world, and everyone in that world more clearly. Seeing reality more clearly is often a tremendous relief.
Not the way we approach it. Mindfulness meditation grew out of Buddhist meditation traditions. But the practice itself does not require religious beliefs or affiliation. The Tiny Sangha Project is committed to a secular approach that welcomes people of different faiths or no faith at all.
In our experience, a group that size is large enough to support robust discussion, but small enough to allow everyone to participate.
Yes! We welcome experienced mindfulness practitioners. We only ask that you practice what we are practicing and respect the process of those with less experience.
Yes. A generous grant from the Kataly Foundation allows us to operate the Tiny Sangha Project without charging participants a fee. We will do everything we can to keep it that way.
Big things happen in small spaces!
With only eight-to-ten participants in a group, you can apply mindfulness principles to the life-questions that matter most to you.
Bring your mindfulness meditation practice to life!
Connect With US
Whether you’re curious about our goals, our small-group format, or even our mindfulness meditation experience, we’re here to answer any questions.