Compassion Meditation
I integrate traditional Buddhist practices with key concepts and techniques from Western Psychology to help people navigate the challenges of daily life & work.
Upcoming Offerings:
Tonglen Meditation Workshop: A Journey in Transformation and Ease — Offered through The San Francisco Dharma Collective, Saturday, January 24, 2026 from 10am-12pm Pacific Time
Tonglen is a profound meditation practice that works with intention, feeling, imagery, and breath to help people learn how to transform suffering into ease and to build a commitment to being of help to oneself and others. It’s a simple and profound practice that can seem intimidating. But it doesn’t have to be!
In this brief, intensive workshop, Erika Rosenberg, Ph.D. will deconstruct this practice, put you at ease, demystify the training, make Tonglen more accessible, and offer insights on how to work with it in daily life. Offered in-person and online.
Compassion Cultivation Training (CCT), 8 Week Online Course — September 17-November 5, 2025, Wednesdays at 9-11am Pacific Time
CCT is a multifaceted exploration of how connection and kindness might transform human experience. Originally developed at Stanford University in 2009, CCT draws on both contemplative and scientific approaches to the mind and offers techniques and practices for opening the heart and building courage in the face of adversity. Each class includes meditation practices, informal lecture, group discussion, in-class listening, and communication exercises with partners and small groups.
Sunday Dharma Talks at Nyingma Institute
Erika regularly gives dharma talks as part of Nyingma Institute’s free Sunday program. Her talks cover such topics as compassion, mindfulness, common humanity, and emotion. Dr. Rosenberg integrates knowledge from Buddhism, Psychology, and Neuroscience to provide both background and practical advice for daily life. To RSVP for upcoming talks and view recordings of previous ones, click the button below. Her most recent talk from Sunday, November 23rd is on the topic of “Self-compassion, Resilience, and Learning to ‘Let Go.’”
Teaching Affiliations
Erika Rosenberg, Ph.D., has been teaching compassion meditation for close to 30 years. Her notable teaching affiliations include the following institutions:
The Compassion Institute
Stanford University Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education (CCARE)
Nyingma Institute
Esalen
Kripalu
Psychedelic Sangha
Join my mailing list to learn about classes and workshops in the Bay Area and elsewhere, and receive a free audio meditation!
Photo from Stanford University CCARE Research and Experiments on Compassion II Meeting with His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, October 10, 2020. Watch the full video of this scientific panel discussion.
“Taking your class is one of the best decisions I've made in my life so far….I have enjoyed being a part of your class and am so grateful for your vulnerability and leadership. Your teaching has given me the tools I was looking for to better help my self and my community…I am empowered to help in ways I didn't think possible before. “
— Mary Ann Martin, Birmingham, AL
“I took the class so I could grow in my self-compassion. I did not expect that it would change the way I interfaced with the world and humanity. This is just the beginning. The words Thank You feel so small. You have personally elevated my purpose in life. The work that you do leaves me in awe.”
— Rose Hayes, Technologist (Retired)
Psychedelic Integration
I lead sessions for integration of psychedelic experiences, in which we work with meditation and other exercises to incorporate the range of states and insights — both pleasant and unpleasant — that can arise from such inner journeys.