Insight San Diego Welcomes

Hakim Tafari & Noriko Morita Harth

A DayLONG RETREAT

Liberation Through the Body: Mindfulness, Movement, and Compassion

Saturday, February 28, 2026

The morning session (for the BIPOC community) offers grounding and safety through trauma-informed mindfulness and Qigong, guided by teachings from the Satipatthāna Sutta on mindfulness of the body and breath. We’ll gently nurture the heart with compassion and metta, allowing embodied awareness to support healing and connection.

In the afternoon session (open to all sangha), we continue to deepen through Qigong, meditation, a compassionate body scan, and reflections on how awareness of breath and body reveals freedom in daily life.

Through stillness, movement, and community, we return home to the wisdom, compassion, and liberation that lives within the body.

Hakim Tafari

Hakim Tafari has studied the martial arts since 1996, starting off with Southern style Praying mantis Kung fu, and then after a major knee injury turning to the internal martial arts. After studying and doing a lot of research, he decided to start studying Tai Chi Chuan.

From 1998 to the present, Hakim studied, taught, researched and spent many hours practicing the art of Tai Chi. During this time, he also embarked on spiritual exploration of Taoism which goes hand in hand with the mystic art of Tai Chi.

For many years, Hakim delved very deep into the life, philosophy and mystic art of Tai chi, Wu ji and Qi Gong. He has had the opportunity to study with some of the best in Kung Fu and the Internal arts of Tai Chi, Baqua Zhang, and Aikido as well as the powerful art of stick fighting known as Arnis. "Through this lifestyle of Veganism and Martial arts, I have been led to the world of spirituality, especially the beautiful practice of Buddhism and through studying the lessons of Dharma, The Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold path which has brought me to a state of calmness and serenity, using mindfulness to orchestrate right actions and right thoughts, putting them into practice and knowing when the ego needs to be dissolved." –Hakim Tafari

Noriko Morita Harth

Noriko, originally from Japan, identifies as a Heritage Buddhist and holds Buddhism close to her heart. Her life-transforming journey of discovering and exploring mindfulness and compassion practices has helped her cultivate a more balanced identity between her Japanese roots and her current life in the West. Noriko strongly believes that practicing mindfulness and compassion has been key to her personal growth and continues to be a guiding force in her life.

She is passionate about bringing these practices to others, particularly underserved and diverse communities. It is her mission to share both what she has learned and what she continues to learn with the broader community.

Since January 2025, Noriko has been participating in the two-year Community Dharma Leadership Program at Spirit Rock Meditation Center.

Noriko is also a Certified Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Instructor and a Certified Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) Instructor. She has been teaching MBSR and MSC courses since 2014 and offers mentorship for MBSR and MSC teachers, as well as MBSR and MSC Teacher Training programs and practicum.

DAYLONG Information