Episode 14: Tara Brach and Radical Acceptance
- Georgina Brown (hershe)
- 4 days ago
- 3 min read
Self-Compassion, Inclusion, and the Brain’s Deep Need to Belong
If inclusion begins with others, it often fails.
But if inclusion begins with how we relate to ourselves, especially the messy, ashamed, overwhelmed parts, it starts to take root.
Enter: Tara Brach—psychologist, meditation teacher, and fierce advocate for Radical Acceptance.
Her work doesn’t shout. It softens.
And in a world (and workplace) addicted to self-criticism, performance, and perfectionism, she offers a different path:
One where belonging starts with compassion, not compliance.
At BARDO Inclusive, Tara’s voice is a balm, and a blueprint.
Because inclusion that doesn’t allow for our inner diversity, our fears, failures, and unpolished humanity, will never hold the outer kind.
Real change doesn’t just come from training sessions.
It comes from nervous systems that feel safe enough to unmask.
And self-compassion, it turns out, is the first neuroinclusive move.
The Science Bit: Self-Compassion Calms the Brain, Builds Belonging
Tara Brach’s Radical Acceptance weaves mindfulness with neuroscience:the idea that when we greet our suffering, not with judgment, but with tenderness, we shift our inner wiring.
Why does this matter?
Because the brain is deeply relational.
We are wired to connect, but also to protect.
When we perceive rejection (even self-rejection), our amygdala flares, triggering threat responses.
That “I’m not enough” voice? It activates the same fight-or-flight systems as physical danger.
But when we practice self-compassion, we activate the ventral vagal system, the part of the nervous system linked to calm, social connection, and trust.We create a biological opening for learning, reflection, and connection.
In other words: Self-compassion isn’t a soft skill.
It’s the foundation of inclusion, because it gives us the resilience to stay present, open, and kind, even when we mess up (which we will).
How Tara Brach Supports the NIMM
In the Neuro-Inclusive Maturity Model (NIMM), Tara’s teachings gently illuminate every maturity domain:
Neuroscience-Informed – understanding how compassion regulates the nervous system
Mindset-Shifting – moving from shame and punishment to curiosity and presence
Trust-Building – beginning with inner safety to allow for external openness
Bias-Disrupting – allowing discomfort without collapse or denial
System-Aware – building cultures that honour process, not just perfection
Her “RAIN” practice (Recognise, Allow, Investigate, Nurture) is both a spiritual guide and a neurobiological repair strategy.
It invites us to pause, tune in, and tend to what’s hard, with kindness.
This isn’t just useful for individuals.RAIN is how inclusive cultures respond to feedback, failure, and friction:
Not with blame.
Not with defensiveness.
But with curious awareness and nurturing repair.
Real Inclusion Requires Inner Belonging
You can’t build cultures of belonging on a foundation of inner war.
If leaders are driven by fear of not being “woke” enough… or being labelled as woke...
If team members are bracing to defend, mask, or hide…
If staff networks are burning out trying to be everything to everyone…
Then we need Tara’s voice more than ever.
Because inclusion requires vulnerability.
And vulnerability requires inner safety.
As Tara says:
“When we trust in our own goodness, we can see the goodness in others.”
Compassion isn’t indulgent. It’s radical reorientation.
From striving to being.
From proving to listening.From fixing to feeling.
Try This: A Radical Acceptance Micro-Practice for Your Next Leadership Moment
When something goes wrong, someone gives feedback, a meeting tanks, your EDI goals fall short, pause.
Try a mini RAIN:
Recognise – “Ah, shame/stress/self-doubt is here.”
Allow – “This is uncomfortable. And it’s okay to feel this.”
Investigate – “Where do I feel this in my body? What’s it saying?”
Nurture – “What do I need right now? How can I be kind to myself?”
Now… respond from that place.
You’ve just rewired your reaction.
And modelled inclusion at the nervous-system level.
Want More Tara? Start Here:
Radical Acceptance – her classic work on shame, presence, and inner liberation
Radical Compassion – deepens the RAIN practice with real-world application
Her podcast – weekly meditations, dharma talks, and stories of self-compassion
Guided meditations on Insight Timer and YouTube – brilliant for team wellbeing spaces
Reflect:
Where in your leadership is inner criticism louder than inner kindness?
What would it look like to lead from compassion, not to get it perfect, but to stay in the room?
What might shift if your workplace made space for everyone’s whole nervous system, including yours?
Next Up in the Series: The final episode is a Heraculean one!
Finale: Heraclitus and the Flux of Belonging
Why “You Can’t Step Into the Same River Twice” Is the Ultimate Neuro-Inclusive Insight
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