Testimonials from Michael’s Meditation Students
“I am very grateful to have an opportunity to attend Michael’s meditations. His guidance and presence facilitates deepest practice for me. He is a wonderful teacher. His teachings and advice had profound effects on both my meditation practice and more generally on my path. He is a treasure.” ~ Elizaveta Pachepsky, Ph.D.
“I could easily divide my meditation practice into two distinct periods; the twenty years before sitting with Michael Taft and everything that has come after. As a meditation teacher myself, I’m constantly inspired by the remarkable depth of his knowledge and experience as well as his concise and skillful approach to fostering transformation in his students.” ~ A. Corey Swartsel
“Michael is one of my favorite meditation teachers. His concise and clear teaching style makes for an easy to follow meditation class.” ~ Jazzwall Sharad
“Michael has a special gift for leading meditations and explaining the practice. His depth of life experiences and studies made me feel I could trust him to influence my spiritual life. I gained a real grasp of the purpose and benefits of Vipassana from attending sits with him. Thank you Michael!” ~ Megan Rose
“Although I’d dabbled with meditation for years – reading books, attending workshops and weekend retreats – it wasn’t until I joined Michael Taft’s sitting group that the various pieces of the puzzle began to click into place and the benefits of my practice truly kicked in. Michael’s teachings have significantly impacted my day to day experience for the better. Whether it be managing chronic pain, weaning off of pain medication after invasive surgery, noticing my emotional triggers, appreciating the moment or keeping my cool raising two teenage boys, there is not a day that goes by that isn’t positively influenced by Michael’s instruction and continued guidance. ” ~ Bridgette Anderson
“Michael is that rare teacher with one foot firmly grounded in the world of modern science and the other in the world of mysticism. He has extensive experience with a mind-boggling array of practices. A kind and gentle teacher and an amazing resource.” ~ Christopher Soren Kelly
“Michael is an incredibly talented teacher with a wealth of knowledge on meditation, psychology and neuroscience. He has an amazing ability to communicate to his students in a way that reaches them exactly where they are. Studying with Michael changed my life for the better almost immediately. His compassion, wisdom, and expertise have been invaluable to my emotional and spiritual growth. My work with Michael led me to becoming a meditation teacher. Having a Michael as a mentor continues to make me a better teacher and a better person.” ~ Jessica Graham
“Michael Taft’s intimate knowledge with his own and the collective shadow, and how it manifests as continuous distraction and sensation is illuminating. Some people just feel good to be around, and lift the tone of a room to be more authentic by their humility, humor and relaxed precision. Michael is one of these people. I am excited to root more deeply into my own sensations as I sit with them and unravel my patterns around anxiety and distraction. I say this as I multitask, and laugh at myself. Michael’s sharing of his experience helps me do that.” ~ Allison Ayer
“I have nothing but praise for Michael’s meditation weekly meditation sessions. What draws me: Michael’s easy-to-follow and gentle meditation instructions, his understated presence, the intimate and sharing space he creates both physically and psychologically, the sense of community among the participants, and last, but not least, the stimulating discussions that follow. I have attended other instructional meditation sessions and workshops in a variety of locations: this one, in my opinion, is the best.” ~ Roberta Griefer
“I met Michael in the mid-2000’s and was immediately taken by his intelligence, straightforwardness, and warmth. When I heard that he was teaching mindfulness meditation, I did not hesitate to start attending the weekly group sessions. Although I had recently started a master’s program in counseling psychology and it made sense to add mindfulness into the mix, it was more Michael’s personality that drew me in. I thought, if this guy’s teaching something, you need to listen. I showed up every week and met with Michael individually for guidance and support. It took took a while for me to grasp the depth of what a mindfulness practice had to offer, but my faith in Michael (and his in me) kept me going. The investment that I made in the practice has had a priceless return. I am so profoundly changed by what Michael taught me that I offer similar teachings to anyone that wants to learn. I often find myself full of gratitude for Michael’s teachings and my luck for our paths having crossed.” ~Charlotte Kay, MFT
“Michael’s classes have offered me a rare opportunity to discuss highly intricate meditation-based experience questions with someone who is much more experienced than me and has a radically grounded, intellectually honest, and developed perspective. Michael is an effective teacher who cares about what works.” ~ Zachary Schlosser
“Having been guided in meditation by Michael in the last 5 years everywhere from a large workshop, to a weekly living room meetup in Los Angeles, to a small impromptu gathering in my tiny apartment in Manhattan with friends, I feel that I can say Michael is a meditation expert. He is efficient and generous with his wisdom and guidance. Michael has always approached every question I’ve had from an authentic place pulling from years of experience and practice. He truly has a gift and understands how to deliver guidance and lead one to a place of insight no matter where one is at in their practice. I’ve always left our conversations with a fresh perspective and feeling of inspiration to implement mindfulness into everything I do.” ~ Ashleigh Anderson
“A friend invited me to one of Michael’s guided meditation classes. His style of teaching was the surefire that locked me into his weekly classes. He taught insight (vipassana) meditation techniques that he rotated on a weekly basis and facilitated a daily sitting practice. He listened to our experiences and provided feedback and suggestions as well as answers to whatever questions had risen from our process of learning. His teachings on sensory awareness were done in an inclusive environment that was accessible to all participants. He encouraged us to pass along what was taught to us to newer members of the group. His emphasis on neuroscience above dogma was perhaps the main attraction for me. To sum it up, Michaels classes have changed my life. Luckily, even though I live in New York, his classes can be found on youtube. I can tune in anytime and I do.” ~ Elvira Gonzalez
“Michael is one of those rare gems among teachers: someone whose head and heart are both equally engaged for every moment of interaction with his students. He is interested in helping others uncover the workings of their mind. He’s fantastic at doing this. He loves it. I’ve also been impressed by the love and skill he brings to the discourse around these revelations, the weaving of concepts from East and West, of the mundane and the incredible, all springing from the foundation of the pre-verbal truth that his personal practice experience provides. I’ve found him to be an easy and inspiring person to sit with, and I can say from four years’ experience that his soulful persistence has changed my approach to life and self for the better. His personal commitment to practice, wed with his uncanny ability to succinctly explain the mental processes and constructs associated with meditation, have pushed me to examine my own experience more deeply. My efforts, with his guidance, have borne precious fruit. They’ve given me tools to cope with loss and uncertainty in hard times, to celebrate more fully when the living’s easier, and, most importantly, to be still for a short time each day.” ~ Erik Yates
“I started attending Michael’s meditation class about four years ago, coming in with minimal experience and a haphazard practice. With Michael’s help and guidance I learned a number of techniques, equipping myself with a Swiss Army knife of ways to meet any situation with equanimity. For example, I was in a car accident yesterday and didn’t freak out at all. I was able to meet the other driver, who was at fault, with compassion and concern for his well being. If you knew me before I started a serious daily meditation practice with Michael, you would be shocked. There aren’t too many things that one can do which have a profound impact on every moment of his life, but meditating using the techniques that Michael Taft has taught me have done just that.” ~ Tyson Nichols