Podcast Summary: Tara Brach – Meditation: The Center of Now

Date: December 10, 2025
Duration: 22:26 minutes
Host: Tara Brach

Overview

In this episode, Tara Brach guides listeners through a gentle, embodied meditation designed to anchor awareness in the present moment—“the center of now.” Drawing from both mindfulness and compassion-based practices, Tara leads an exploration of the body, breath, and heart, inviting the listener into deep relaxation and presence. The meditation incorporates techniques such as “smile yoga” and body scanning, and closes with extending heartfelt wishes to oneself and all beings.

Key Discussion Points & Meditation Steps

Beginning: Grounding in the Body

[01:12] – [02:23]

• Tara emphasizes that “our gateway to presence is through waking up in the body.”
• The meditation begins with softening around the eyes, introducing a “slight smile at the mouth,” and then relaxing the face (“smile yoga” as described by Thich Nhat Hanh).
  • Quote: “It sets a kind of message to the nervous system to relax the fight, flight, freeze response and be more at ease.” (02:06)

Body Scan and Smile Visualization

[02:23] – [09:48]

• Spreading the sensation of a smile through the face, throat, shoulders, heart, belly, and down through the legs and feet.
• Encourages “feeling from the inside out,” using metaphors of “ice to water” and “water to gas” to visualize the melting and relaxation of the shoulders.
  • Quote: “You might imagine the shift from ice to water…that kind of melting sensation inside the shoulders.” (03:30)
• Repeatedly invites awareness back to areas of the body, reinforcing the sense of inner aliveness and openness.
• The heart area is highlighted as a space to both notice sensation and “the space that has room for this life.”
  • Quote: “Smile into the heart area…not to cover over anything, but to sense even more directly the space that has room for this life.” (06:26)

Expanding Attention and Embracing Aliveness

[10:18] – [12:55]

• Guides listeners to perceive the entire body as a “dance of sensation…vibrating, tingling.”
• Expands awareness to include sounds, comparing them to “points of light in the night sky.”
  • Quote: “Let everything happen…Sounds spontaneously are known…appear and disappear in this field of aliveness.” (11:05, 11:23)
• Continuously inviting the listener to “surrender,” rest, and let things be as they are.

Working with Thoughts and Returning to Presence

[13:58] – [15:10]

• Normalizes the mind wandering, encouraging a gentle and compassionate return to present sensations.
  • Quote: “At some point you'll notice quite naturally that the mind's drifted into thoughts…Let the practice be simple, just to relax. Open.” (13:58–14:05)
• Suggests using the breath as an anchor for particularly busy minds and reiterates, “You are here, right here. Right in the center of now.” (15:03–15:10)

Embracing Each Moment and the 'Center of Now'

[17:20] – [18:32]

• Emphasizes the practice of “relaxing back” whenever one notices the mind has wandered.
  • Quote: “No matter how far the mind has traveled, you can relax back in any moment. That's the gift of this intention: to be here.” (17:20–17:29)
• Reflects on presence as continual: “Moment to moment. A relaxed presence. Just noticing what's happening…And in that allowing, there is a realization of the very center of now.” (18:05–18:32)

Closing Practice: The Heart of Presence

[20:35] – [21:51]

• Drawing attention to “the heart of your heart,” inviting reflection on how the heart experiences presence and tenderness.
• Encourages offering a wish or prayer to oneself and then expanding care to include all beings.
  • Quote: “Sensing how this heart space naturally includes those around you. Naturally includes all sentient beings.” (21:32–21:41)
  • “Feeling your care extend to all beings everywhere.” (21:51)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Smile Yoga & Soothing the Nervous System

  • “As Zen teacher Thich Nhat Hanh describes it, this is smile yoga…a message to the nervous system to relax the fight, flight, freeze response and be more at ease.” – Tara Brach [02:06]

• Metaphor for Relaxation

  • “You might imagine the shift from ice to water, that kind of melting sensation inside the shoulders…then water to gas.” – Tara Brach [03:30–03:52]

• On Presence and Space

  • “Smile into the heart area…not to cover over anything, but to sense even more directly the space that has room for this life.” – Tara Brach [06:26]
  • “Let everything be just as it is.” – Tara Brach [12:55]

• On Returning to the Moment

  • “No matter how far the mind has traveled, you can relax back in any moment. That's the gift of this intention: to be here.” – Tara Brach [17:20–17:29]
  • “Right in the center of now.” – Tara Brach [15:10]

• On Compassion and Connection

  • “Sensing how this heart space naturally includes those around you. Naturally includes all sentient beings.” – Tara Brach [21:32–21:41]

Key Timestamps

• 01:12: Opening embodied meditation; facial and body relaxation with smile imagery.
• 02:06: Introduction of “smile yoga”; relaxation and soothing the nervous system.
• 03:30: Shoulder relaxation metaphor—ice to water to gas.
• 06:26: Smiling into the heart area, making space for all sensations.
• 10:18: Expanding to whole body presence.
• 11:23: Noticing sound in awareness, field of aliveness.
• 13:58: Addressing mind wandering, gentle return to now.
• 15:10: Affirmation: “Right in the center of now.”
• 17:20: The gift of returning to presence, no matter where the mind wanders.
• 20:35: Closing reflection on the heart, extending care to all beings.

Conclusion

This episode is a gentle, skillful invitation to anchor in the present by relaxing the body, quieting the mind, and expanding the heart. Tara Brach’s signature blend of mindfulness, self-compassion, and inclusive love encourages listeners to “let everything be just as it is” and “realize the very center of now”—making this meditation both restorative and deeply connecting.