SUSAN’S
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This is the heart of spiritual warriorship

November 9, 2020   |   2 Comments

Audio-only version is here. Meditation practice begins at 9:20 Dear Open Heart Project, Well, what a week it has been. Whether or not you live in the USA, so much hope and fear has been resting on the election here and all the issues connected to it: healing from a pandemic, restoring justice, mitigating centuries of systemic racism, and helping... READ MORE

How to be a spiritual warrior (spoiler alert: you already know how)

November 2, 2020   |   24 Comments

Audio-only version is here Meditation practice begins at 10:16 Hello there, This email is being sent the day before the elections in the United States. Though many of you don’t live in the US, there is some sense, I imagine, that this day could be momentous for the world. Whether you are connected to this specific election or not, there... READ MORE

Less stress, more joy

May 25, 2020   |   10 Comments

Audio-only version is here. Meditation practice begins at 9:10 Hello Open Heart Project, I hope you are well! I know that for many, this is a stressful time. Before we sit today, I want to share with you three ways to find joy in the everyday. If you try them, let me know how it goes! With love, Susan  ... READ MORE

Tired of trying to be nice? The solution for compassion fatigue is…

May 4, 2020   |   18 Comments

Audio only version is here Meditation begins at 9:20 Dear Open Heart Project, I hope you and your loved ones are well. Please let me hear how you are doing? What is difficult? What is helping? I’d love to know. I once had the chance to interview the wonderful vipassana meditation teacher Tara Brach about compassion. I asked her what... READ MORE

Meditation Question 1: Anxious Moments

January 10, 2020   |   Leave a reply

This week’s question is from Roxana: “Can you provide meditations on how to obtain tranquility/calmness/serenity in anxious moments.” . If you’d like me to answer your questions about meditation, please email your question to me. xo Susan

Your Meditation Teacher is Angry (but not at you)

August 7, 2018   |   Leave a reply

The meditation begins at 12:20 Audio only version is here. Hello, dear Open Heart Project meditator. For the month of August, we’re taking a little summer break and bringing back some of the most requested Monday Meditation talks. This is an oldie but goodie from 2015. I recorded this an hour after I had a fight with my husband. Enjoy!... READ MORE

On Shambhala

June 30, 2018   |   210 Comments

Dear friends, students, and Shambhala Sangha, If you haven’t heard, the head of my Shambhala lineage has been accused of clerical sexual abuse. The community is reeling. Whether you are in the Open Heart Project community or are a fellow Shambhala practitioner, I want to share with you my own thoughts and feelings about what is going on. First, thank... READ MORE

My new book, “The Four Noble Truths of Love”

May 15, 2018   |   6 Comments

Can’t wait to share it with you. I hope you will find it inspiring, useful, and real. It is about what it really takes to open your heart in a love relationship. We are self-publishing this, y’all. I wrote this book for us specifically. Every single decision that has gone into creating it has been made with you in mind.... READ MORE

How can I plan for the future and think about the past when I’m supposed to be in the present moment?

August 14, 2017   |   Leave a reply

   Welcome to the Ask Susan podcast. This is episode #24.  I’m really excited to be able to offer this to you. Each week, I will answer a question about spirituality and meditation practice. Please click here to ask me your question. Torsten from Berlin raises an excellent question, one for the ages. If mindfulness is about being present, how... READ MORE

How can I have compassion for others without ignoring my own needs?

July 31, 2017   |   1 Comment

   Welcome to the Ask Susan podcast. This is episode #23.  I’m really excited to be able to offer this to you. Each week, I will answer a question about spirituality and meditation practice. Please click here to ask me your question. Katia’s question is about figuring out the balance between kindness toward others and self-care. In this answer, I... READ MORE

The Teacher-Student Relationship: Liberating or a Trap?

July 27, 2017   |   33 Comments

I’m a 20+ year practitioner in a Tibetan Vajrayana tradition. It is based on teachings brought to the West by Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche. There are things in these seemingly straightforward sentences that might piss some people off. There are people who say that the Vajrayana (the third “yana” or vehicle of Buddhist teachings, aka the esoteric teachings) is not even... READ MORE

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