Sharon Salzberg

Sharon Salzberg is a meditation teacher and New York Times bestselling author known for her work in mindfulness and loving-kindness meditation. Salzberg co-founded the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts, with Jack Kornfield and Joseph Goldstein, establishing a foundation for the American meditation movement. Her teaching emphasizes vipassana (insight) and metta (loving-kindness) meditation, and she has led retreats internationally. Salzberg has also co-founded the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies and The Forest Refuge, a long-term meditation retreat center.

Salzberg's personal experiences with adversity have informed her approach to meditation and mindfulness, resonating with both Buddhist practitioners and secular meditators. She first encountered Buddhism while studying at the State University of New York, Buffalo, and later traveled to India for intensive meditation study at Bodh Gaya.

As an author, Salzberg has written fourteen books, including "Real Happiness," "Lovingkindness: The Revolutionary Art of Happiness," "A Heart as Wide as the World," "Real Happiness – The Power of Meditation: A 28-Day Program," "Real Happiness at Work," "Love Your Enemies" (co-written with Robert Thurman), "Real Change: Mindfulness to Heal Ourselves and the World," "Real Life: The Journey from Isolation to Openness and Freedom," and "Finding Your Way." Her works have been translated into more than 15 languages, expanding the reach of secular Buddhism and mindfulness practices.

Salzberg hosts the podcast "The Metta Hour," which features interviews with leaders in the mindfulness movement and has accumulated millions of downloads. She has contributed to publications including The New York Times, AARP, Time, USA Today, The Washington Post, The New Yorker, O Magazine, Psychology Today, Forbes, and The Wall Street Journal. Salzberg has presented programs for professionals, including talks at Google on applying loving-kindness in the workplace, and has offered guidance for healthcare providers on using mindfulness to build resilience.

Salzberg's work has contributed to the mainstream adoption of meditation in the United States, particularly in corporate wellness and therapeutic settings. Her secular approach to Buddhist teachings is sought after at schools, conferences, and retreat centers worldwide. Salzberg is also the author of the children's book "Kind Karl: A Little Crocodile with Big Feelings," written with Jason Gruhl, which introduces mindfulness concepts to young audiences. Through her writing, teaching, and podcast, Salzberg provides practical tools for navigating human experience through meditation and mindfulness.