Free Online Meditation Resources for Times of Social Distancing / COVID-19

As each of us faces a unique set of challenges related to COVID-19, it’s our hope to be supportive to you in the coming days and weeks as a source for inspiration, practices, and community connection.

There are a lot of free teachings, practices, and other resources being shared online by compassionate teachers and organizations. Here, we aim to keep an updated list for you.

May you find all the forms of support that you need to take care of yourself, your loved ones, and your community.

Free Mindfulness Resources to Find Calm and Nourish Resilience During the COVID OutbreakMindful
Whether you’re looking for live guided meditations connecting you to others, a quick practice to help you find your ground, or a free course on how to meditate, here’s how the Mindful community is coming together to serve during this time.

Resilience in Challenging Times, A Care PackageSounds True
Video sessions, webinars, group meditations & meetups, and other free digital resources.

Recorded Online Practice Sessions — Tricycle
During the early days of the pandemic, Tricycle hosted live meditations with teachers such as Jack Kornfield, Pema Chödrön, Sharon Salzberg, and others to help ease anxiety. Recordings of all of these sessions, and many more, are available on Tricycle’s YouTube channel. Tricycle has also created a series of short practices and other relevant resources

Daily Mindfulness and Compassion Meditations  The UCSD Center for Mindfulness, The Sanford Institute for Empathy and Compassion, and Compassion Institute
Daily live streams and recordings of mindfulness and compassion sessions and other online resources.

Meditate Together — Mindful Leader
Free 30 minute drop-in online group meditation sessions, on the hour, 24 hours a day, every weekday from Monday to Friday.

Transforming Obstacle into Opportunity — Tricycle / Andrew Holecek
A special online workshop led by Andrew Holecek in response to the coronavirus pandemic, by donation. This series on Transforming Obstacle into Opportunity will help you understand what’s happening in the world—and within yourself—and how to bring it onto the spiritual path. The bardo teachings help us work with our mind when forced to “shelter within.” They help us transform contraction into openness and replace defensive reactivity with kindness.

Being Resilient During Coronavirus — Dr. Rick Hanson
A short video message, guided practice, 45 minute podcast episode, weekly Live sessions, and other resources. Dr. Hanson also offered a meditation and talk specifically for healthcare professionals, which you can watch here and here.

Guide to Well-Being During CoronavirusGreater Good Science Center, UC Berkeley
Practices, resources, and articles for individuals, parents, and educators facing COVID-19.

Practicing in a Pandemic — Tricycle
Six new practices, plus a live talk series, and other timely resources for Buddhist practitioners.

Free Resources for the Global Health CrisisShambhala Publications
Free ebooks, an online course, and lots of free videos from Shambhala Pubs authors, including Pema Chödrön. Plus an updated calendar featuring a variety of online events, talks, and retreats is posted here.

Daily Free Live-Online Community Practice Cambridge Health Alliance Center for Mindfulness and Compassion
Over 20 CMC teachers are coming together to offer sessions in mindful movement; bringing kindness to our stress, anxiety, grief and fear; supporting caregiving during this difficult time, and expressing appreciation and love for each other. In addition to the daily live sessions, there are a number of audio recordings.

Coronavirus Sanity GuideDan Harris / Ten Percent Happier
Daily live practice sessions w/ Q&A, plus podcasts, blog posts, meditations and talks.

Pandemic Care Resources — Tara Brach
A wealth of talks and guided practices, including some specific to the pandemic, as well as a free half-day home retreat. Tara also leads a weekly class each Wednesday night at 7:30 eastern time live on Facebook and Youtube.

Responding Wisely to Coronavirus — Wisdom Labs
Offered free for the next 90 days, an app including lessons and practices to navigate fear and anxiety, and a virtual community platform featuring a weekly 30-minute gathering for social connection and skill-building to navigate the COVID-19 crisis.

How to Work with Anxiety During the COVID-19 PandemicNICABM
Three therapists share ways to help clients reduce anxiety and find some relief from ruminating thoughts.

Healthy Minds Program – Free Mindfulness AppDr. Richard Davidson / Center for Healthy Minds
Neuroscience-backed meditation app / training program. By donation.

10 Days of Happiness — Action for Happiness
A free 10-day online coaching program which guides you through daily actions for happier living. “The Covid-19 pandemic brings big challenges for our mental health, whether you’re isolating at home or trying to live with the new restrictions. This program can help you cope and find a little more happiness in these difficult times.”

Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche message on COVID-19 outbreak  — Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche
Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche shares his thoughts on the coronavirus outbreak around the world and offers an inspiring message to all those learning to live with awareness, compassion, and wisdom.

Creating a Home Retreat: Finding Freedom Wherever You AreTara Brach
A heartfelt message from Tara Brach in response to the coronavirus pandemic, guidelines and advice for creating a home retreat, and a link to a free half-day program (below)

Free Half-Day At-Home Mindfulness RetreatTara Brach and Jack Kornfield / Sounds True
The material is divided into three segments of approximately 45 minutes each. With the scheduled breaks and walking meditation sessions, you will need a little more than three hours to complete this retreat.

Mindfulness DailyTara Brach and Jack Kornfield / Sounds True
A free 40-day mindfulness course led by Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield. Each session is 15 minutes or less, and includes a short talk and guided meditation, as well as instructions for bringing your practice alive throughout the day.

Guided Compassion Meditation For AnxietyEthan Nichtern
A practice and contemplation about what you can do for yourself and others during this time of pandemic and social distancing.

Daily Live Online Group MeditationMind Oasis
The nonprofit Mind Oasis (MindOasis.org) has opened all Community Meditation sessions to the public for free, at least through June. Community Meditation sessions are live, friendly and led by meditation guides, and happen every weekday at 7, 8, 9, and 10 am ET; Saturday and Sunday at 9 am ET; and Tuesday and Thursday at 9 pm ET.

Free Mindfulness Apps Worthy of Your Attention Mindful
Recommendations and reviews of five free meditation apps.

Let us know if there’s anything we haven’t included here yet that you’re finding helpful!

Travis Newbill earned his MFA in creative writing and poetics from the Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics at Naropa University. He is the author of many poems & innumerable sentences for The Awake Network which all basically say the same thing: I hope this helps. Travis lives in Santa Cruz.

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