Tara Brach is a psychologist, meditation teacher and author.

Each weekly one-hour talk is a jewel.

Here are 5 ways she makes her ideas, however complex, crystal clear.

  1. Chunk it down
    Click HERE to find the talk called ‘3 Core Reminders for Spiritual Practice’. Before I even start to listen, I know that she has chunked down the content into a memorable three steps: 1. Wake up from thoughts. 2: Feel the feelings underneath and 3. Remember love.
  2. Shoot for clarity
    Tara makes each point clearly, and then expands on it. She explains her ideas in more detail and in different ways.
  3. Add reasons
    Tara always explains why her points matter in a few words. Why should we, her audience, do what she says. For example, we need to “wake up from thoughts” so that “we can release the grip of judgement, stories and beliefs that are keeping us small.’
  4. Tell Stories
    Tara provides stories, examples and anecdotes from her own experience, from that of her clients and from books she has read. These help to bring her ideas to life.
  5. Show me how
    Tara tells me how to use her wisdom and see its application to my life. For example, she might instruct me to “Reflect on a time when you were trapped in your thoughts …” Her exercise makes her ideas real for me.

This is a winning approach for authors (and bloggers) too:

  1. Chunk it down
  2. Commit to clarity
  3. Add reasons
  4. Tell stories
  5. Show me how.

It works. Try it when you write.

Do you have any favourite podcasts and why?