Charles Freligh

Charles Freligh is a meditation teacher, writer and retreat leader based in Northfield, Minnesota. He trained as a clinical psychologist and earned a doctorate in the field, and he also teaches at university level and makes visual art. A period spent living at a Zen monastery in upstate New York shaped much of his practice, though he does not call himself a Buddhist. He draws freely on Zen, Taoism and Western philosophy, treating the world's traditions as different ways of pointing at the same simple experience of being here.

His teaching is plain and unhurried, centred on presence, stillness and letting life unfold without forcing it. He offers one-to-one guidance online, which he sees as neither coaching nor therapy, and leads small group retreats each year: a mindfulness retreat in the hills of Los Altos, California, a Tao weekend near Minneapolis and a Zen retreat at Dai Bosatsu Zendo in the Catskills. His book The Will to Do Nothing explores why stillness matters in a busy life. On Insight Timer he shares guided meditations, Zen stories and short courses on the Tao Te Ching, and his YouTube channel holds brief lessons on the basics of mindfulness practice.