What we’re about
OutBreath is a community in Boston for all LGBTQ people interested in meditation, mindfulness, and Buddhism. We started our journey as an organization in 2009.
OutBreath's mission is to build community and create welcoming events where every person can find inner freedom and outer realization through meditation. We work with meditation centers across all Buddhist lineages to create LGBTQ-affirming meditation classes, workshops, community events, and residential retreats.
We welcome LGBTQ people of all ages, identities, and backgrounds. Come as you are. Whether you are brand new to meditation, a long-term practitioner or anywhere in between, you are warmly invited!
Also, check out these other OutBreath resources:
Join OutBreath on Facebook! Join our Facebook community for fun discussions, wisdom, Dharma humor, and info. on events you may enjoy. facebook.com/groups/OutBreath/
Sign up for OutBreath emails! To get the latest/greatest updates on OutBreath, sign up for our email list! You'll get the information on upcoming OutBreath events and ways you can get involved in OutBreath. Our email list is strictly private. It is never shared and used only for monthly member updates. http://outbreath.us2.list-manage1.com/subscribe?u=8c3b25c5422d40151980cb2b9&id=480dc85c71
Check out OutBreath on the Web! To see upcoming OutBreath events and, check out our website: www.outbreath.org. There will be many more developments to come. Our vision for outbreath.org is to offer many free services for you, including:
• Curated content on LGBTQ issues
• LGBTQ-specific Dharma talks
• Videos
• Podcasts
• Blogs
• ...and more!
Medtation Classes for Beginners: If you're brand-new to meditation, OutBreath is the perfect place to get started! We work with LGBTQ-affirming meditation centers to offer a variety of introductory workshops taught by renowned, local meditation teachers. Beginner programs are offered in multiple Buddhist lineages. You'll be joining other LGBTQ friends who are brand new in an LGBTQ-affirming community. We'll announce beginner's workshops and seminars here on Meetup.
We look forward to seeing you at an OutBreath event soon!
May all beings have comfort of heart
May all beings be free from suffering
May all beings live in love and in understanding
Upcoming events (4+)
See all- Shambhala LGBTQ+ Meditation Group (in Person!)Shambhala Meditation Center, Brookline, MA
The Shambhala LGBTQ+ Meditation Group is back in person! Woohoo!!!
This group has been providing a loving, mindful, caring space for many years to bring all from the LGBTQ community together in beloved community. And now the beautiful, tranquil, warmly welcoming Shambhala has reopened for in-person events.
The intention of the LGBTQ+ meditation group is to provide a welcoming environment for individuals of diverse sexual orientation and gender identity who are interested in exploring the teachings and principles of meditation, Shambhala and Buddhism.
Our goal is to provide an open space for genuine exploration of how these teachings can be incorporated into everyday life. Mixing our sense of self with the dharma can provide a powerful path toward the development of maitri, or friendliness, towards one’s self and others; it allows the opportunity to touch into who we are, open and share our hearts, and learn from each other.
The program is suitable for all levels, from people who have never tried meditation to experienced practpractitioners.
The Shambhala LGBTQ+ meditation group willl be meeting regularly on the third Tuesday of every month at the Brookline Shambhala Center.
- Celebrating LGBTQIA+ History and the Courage of Our HeartsCambridge Insight Meditation Center, Cambridge, MA
Schedule*:
Friday: 6:30 – 8:30 PM
Saturday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PMThis program will be hosted both in-person and online (hybrid). This is the registration page to join Madeline Klyne in person at our Center in Cambridge. (Register here if you prefer to attend online.)
In-person space is limited. Registration will close at 12:00 PM on Friday, October 17. Walk-in registrations will not be available. A vegetarian lunch will be provided. Masks will be optional.
*It is expected that participants attend both Friday and Saturday sessions.
During LGBTQIA+ History Month, join us to celebrate and delight in our communities, and to appreciate the courage of our hearts to be who we truly are. We come together to practice turning inward, caring for ourselves, each other, and all that matters in our lives.
During our time together, we will explore the Buddha’s foundational teachings of Mindfulness and the Brahma Viharas: kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity. These qualities of heart and mind can be cultivated amidst all the conditions and events of our lives, the delightful, the difficult, and the uncertain. These teachings are so needed for our LGBTQIA+ communities!
This retreat is an invitation to explore and nurture what already lies in each of our hearts. We will develop these inner qualities in our formal meditation practice and investigate them together in conversation.
Courage of the heart teaches us that each moment of our precious LGBTQIA+ lives is an opportunity to develop inner clarity and ease and deepen our capacity to face the many difficulties of our world in a more skillful, spacious way. This is an extraordinary way of living our lives, here and now.
All LGBTQIA+ people are welcome whether these teachings are brand new for you or not. People who have practiced the Brahma Viharas before may find that they grow more profound as we practice together within our LGBTQIA+ sangha.
Full and partial scholarships are available up to 72 hours before the start of the program.
NOTE: At check-in, participants will be asked to volunteer for a short period of mindful service during the retreat—a “yogi job.” Yogi jobs enable the smooth running of the retreat and offer an opportunity to practice alongside other retreat participants.
- NEW! Garrison Virtual LGBTQIA+ SanghaLink visible for attendees
Take a mindful break from your life at noon (eastern) on the first Tuesday of the month with a loving, supportive LGBTQIA+ meditation community!
Garrison Institute's new LGBTQIA+ Sangha is a gathering of self-identified LGBTQIA+ practitioners that provides a safe place to meditate and explore contemplative practices. This sangha cultivates an environment that welcomes diverse voices and builds community.
The guided meditations will be facilitated every first Tuesday of the month by experienced teachers and practitioners Jacoby Ballard (he/him) and Isabel Adon (she/her).
- Shambhala LGBTQ+ Meditation Group (in Person!)Shambhala Meditation Center, Brookline, MA
The Shambhala LGBTQ+ Meditation Group is back in person! Woohoo!!!
This group has been providing a loving, mindful, caring space for many years to bring all from the LGBTQ community together in beloved community. And now the beautiful, tranquil, warmly welcoming Shambhala has reopened for in-person events.
The intention of the LGBTQ+ meditation group is to provide a welcoming environment for individuals of diverse sexual orientation and gender identity who are interested in exploring the teachings and principles of meditation, Shambhala and Buddhism.
Our goal is to provide an open space for genuine exploration of how these teachings can be incorporated into everyday life. Mixing our sense of self with the dharma can provide a powerful path toward the development of maitri, or friendliness, towards one’s self and others; it allows the opportunity to touch into who we are, open and share our hearts, and learn from each other.
The program is suitable for all levels, from people who have never tried meditation to experienced practpractitioners.
The Shambhala LGBTQ+ meditation group willl be meeting regularly on the third Tuesday of every month at the Brookline Shambhala Center.
