Sharon Salzberg born in 1952, co-founder the Barre Insight Meditation Society and best-selling author of such books as Real Happiness: The Power of Meditation. Salzberg says, “Meditation returns us to who we are; we can see ourselves beneath the level of habit and the projection of fear and see some beautiful qualities of strength.” Her emphasis is on vipassanā (insight) and mettā (loving-kindness) methods. In 1971, in Bodh Gaya, India, Sharon attended her first intensive meditation course. She spent the next years engaged in intensive study with highly respected meditation teachers. She returned to America in 1974 and began teaching vipassana (insight) meditation. Today she leads teaches a variety of offerings around the globe.