About Us
A Meditation Collective Led by Black People for Black People
“Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.”
Our Mission
The Tiny Sangha Project supports Black practitioners who wish to develop deeper, more durable meditation practices within practice communities of common heritage.
Our Values
We believe Black wellness matters.
We believe mindfulness meditation is a powerful tool for cultivating a durable sense of personal well-being.
We believe looking “inward” requires awareness of “outward” political and social contexts.
We believe cultivating mental and emotional well-being on a broad scale is essential to sustaining political and social transformation.
Founding Director
James Meadows
“I first learned to meditate in 1994 as a non-ordained guest at Wat Pah Nanachat, a Thai Buddhist monastery near Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand. In 1999, I earned a master’s degree in Buddhist Studies at Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado. Since then, I have attended several practice retreats (most of them in the Kagyu, Tibetan Buddhist tradition), given numerous talks, and facilitated many discussions about meditation practice. Before, during, and after these experiences, I made a living as a classroom teacher and an academic adviser to college students. Currently, I am completing a joint Ph.D. in History and Educational Policy Studies at the University of Wisconsin."
Lead Facilitator
Satyani McPherson
Satyani began her meditation and yoga journey in Harlem, New York City, in 1985. For more than two decades she has facilitated introspective self-care practices, trainings, and retreats for individuals, corporations, conferences, and schools, including her alma mater, Wellesley College. Sister Satyani is a founding board member of mindfulness organizations that serve communities of color and incarcerated citizens, including Freedom Together, a mindfulness teacher training by and for BIPOC and Mindfulness on the Inside.
Now living in the greater Washington, D.C. area, Satyani has been certified to teach meditation through the Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program (MMTCP), the Mindfulness of Race: Transforming Racism from the Inside Out program (with Ruth King), the Mindfulness Teacher Training Program (with Fleet Mall, Ph.D.) and several others.
Our Partners
The Tiny Sangha Project received a generous, two-year grant from the Kataly Foundation. We are grateful for critical supplemental funding from Engaged Neighbors and The Katz-Kranz Family Philanthropies.
Through our partnership with The Center for Community Stewardship, donations to the Tiny Sangha Project are tax exempt under section 501(c)(3) of federal tax code.
We are also proud partners with Start Anywhere Media and Nobel Evaluation.
