In-Person and Online: Mindful Writing – Finding Our Authentic Voice
with Tracy Cochran
Fridays, September 12th – October 10th, 2025 | 4:00pm – 5:30pm ET | Sign up for any or all sessions
In-Person Location: New York Insight at 115 West 29th Street, 12th Floor
“If you’re invested in security and certainty, you are on the wrong planet,” teaches Pema Chodron. Yet the Buddha found a way to be grounded and clear in this ever-changing world—and he offered us his path.
Combining mindfulness meditation with mindful writing, we will discover how in the Buddha’s own time following the “right” steps meant living in alignment with our authentic nature.
Each week we will begin with a guided meditation to ground in a state of relaxed presence. Next, we will practice writing mindfully together. Each week teacher Tracy Cochran will provide fresh prompts aimed at helping you remember your own deepest experience—moments of connection and joy and wisdom. We will create a safe space together so that we can listen deeply to our authentic selves. Some may wish to share what they write but there will be no pressure to do so.
Join us on five successive Fridays as we explore the Buddha’s teachings and how they can spark enhanced creativity and expand our experience of the world.
This course is suitable for all beings—no meditation or writing experience required.
What is the cure for the suffering that comes from feeling isolated and insecure? Guided by the steps of the Buddha’s ancient path, we will experiment with how good it can feel to be part of a greater story.
Note: If you’re not able to attend every session, feel free to sign up for any number of “drop-in” sessions on the in-person or online registration forms below.
In-Person Registration:
Please register below. If you are able, registering at the “Supporter” level enables others to attend at the “Subsidized” level. Thank you for your generosity! (Please note that the registration price includes a base level of teacher support, and you will have the opportunity to donate more after the program.)
If you are registering via a mobile device such as a phone or tablet, you can scroll right and left and up and down within the below form if it is partially obscured or cut off.
CLICK HERE to open the registration form in a new browser window.
Bring a Buddy: If you are a member of our Circle of Friends, you’re invited to bring a Dharma buddy to this program for no additional cost. Simply select “1” from the drop-down next to the Bring a Buddy level, and enter your special discount code (provided in your Circle of Friends welcome email) to reduce the price to that of a single, standard registration. This registration will grant attendance for you and your buddy.
Online Registration:
Please register below. If you are able, registering at the “Supporter” level enables others to attend at the “Subsidized” level. Thank you for your generosity! (Please note that the registration price includes a base level of teacher support, and you will have the opportunity to donate more after the program.)
If you are registering via a mobile device such as a phone or tablet, you can scroll right and left and up and down within the below form if it is partially obscured or cut off.
CLICK HERE to open the registration form in a new browser window.
Bring a Buddy: If you are a member of our Circle of Friends, you’re invited to bring a Dharma buddy to this program for no additional cost. Simply select “1” from the drop-down next to the Bring a Buddy level, and enter your special discount code (provided in your Circle of Friends welcome email) to reduce the price to that of a single, standard registration. This registration will grant attendance for you and your buddy.
Volunteering
All of our programs rely on volunteers to support our teachers and staff with various tasks and responsibilities. Volunteering allows you to participate in our programs at no cost. To inquire about volunteering opportunities, please fill out our inquiry form, and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
Teacher(s)
Tracy Cochran
Tracy Cochran has taught meditation and spiritual practice for many years. She is a speaker and author whose most recent book is Presence: The Art of Being At Home in Yourself (Shambhala, 2024). Tracy is the founder and guiding teacher of the Hudson River Sangha and has taught mindfulness and mindful writing at New York Insight, the Rubin Museum, and many other venues. Tracy has served as the editorial director of the acclaimed spiritual quarterly Parabola, and her writings have appeared in The New York Times, New York Magazine, Psychology Today, The Best Spiritual Writing series, Parabola, many other publications and anthologies. For more about Tracy, please visit tracycochran.org and parabola.org.