James Baraz has been teaching meditation since 1978, and the 10 month "Awakening Joy" class since 2003, which can also be taken on-line. Thousands have taken the course. He leads retreats, workshops, and classes in the U.S. and abroad, and is a founding teacher of Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Northern California. He is the co-author with Shoshana Alexander of Awakening Joy: 10 Steps That Will Put You on the Road to Real Happiness (Bantam Books 2010)