ABOUT CHRIS BERLIN

Satigata Live at Story Chapel, Cambridge, MA

The Academic: Chris is an instructor in spiritual counseling and Buddhist ministry at Harvard Divinity School, where he is also the counselor to Buddhist graduate students, and he also is on the faculty at the Harvard Extension School. His teaching ranges from counseling theory and practice, contemplative approaches to clinical chaplaincy, Buddhist training in end-of-life care, and Buddhism in America, to mindfulness, resilience theory, positive psychology, compassion, and the contemplative arts. He received a Master of Divinity degree from Harvard Divinity School and also has a degree in Buddhist and Hindu religions and psychology from UC Santa Barbara in California.

The Meditation Teacher: Chris is a decades-long meditation practitioner and is a lay-teacher in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. He has been privileged to study with many great teachers in the Vajrayana tradition of Buddhism as well as in Yoga and Advaita Vedanta, at times integrating these into teachings that are practical and accessible—a “clear path” to well-being, mindfulness, and enlightenment. During ordinary times, Chris regularly offers meditation classes, workshops, and occasional retreats and offers a transmission of energy through his guided meditations.

The Musician: Chris is a co-founder of the music and chanting group “Satigata,” a band that integrates Buddhist-oriented chanting and songwriting into an eclectic indie-folk sound that includes guitars, hand percussion, singing bowls and bells, flute, and bass guitar. Satigata plays events around the New England area, has a loyal local following, and will be releasing their second album, “Heart of Refuge,” in 2021. In his former life, Chris was a music producer and songwriter living in New York City and performing in Manhattan clubs around the city. Now, Satigata events are a community experience and many of the songs are written with an interactive, contemplative emphasis to heighten a common experience of consciousness and attunement among participants.