James discovered mindfulness meditation and Buddhist philosophy in 1974 and this was a turning point in his life. He started practicing in earnest as a way to find an inner peace that he longed for and to ease a mind that was so filled with confusion, insecurity and self-judgment. He realized he had found something that was miraculously leading him toward more genuine well-being and happiness. James has been a meditation teacher since 1978 and leads retreats, workshops and classes in the U.S and abroad.
He is a co-founding Teacher of Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Woodacre, CA and also leads the Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley (IMCB). He is a Guiding Teacher for One Earth Sangha, a website devoted to expressing a Buddhist response to Climate Change. He is creator and teacher of the Awakening Joy course, since 2003, and co-author of Awakening Joy, the book based on the course.
James lives in Berkeley, California with his wife, Jane. and two sons and three grandchildren. “Ever since I discovered the power of mindfulness practices and principles in my own life, my vision has been to share them with others, not only for their own personal benefit, but as a way to bring more consciousness to humanity and our planet. As a friend says, “We’re in a race between fear and consciousness. I believe that consciousness is stronger than fear and it is a joyful responsibility to awaken consciousness as much as we can in the world at this time. I invite you to see the Awakening Joy course in that context.”