SUSAN’S
Blog

How can I offer loving kindness to toxic people and still protect my boundaries?

January 22, 2024   |   17 Comments

Audio only version is here
Meditation begins at 8:40

Dear, wonderful Open Heart Project, I received a question recently about offering loving kindness to toxic people while still protecting one’s boundaries. Before today’s sit, I offer a few thoughts. If you’d like to ask a question for me to address in a future video, please don’t hesitate to send. I won’t mention your name or any identifying characteristics.  With... READ MORE

Spiritual practice is not about meditation only, but how we live our lives

January 8, 2024   |   13 Comments

Audio only version is here.
Meditation begins at 12:45

Dear, wonderful Open Heart Project practitioners, I am always so glad to practice with you. I know that many of us are thinking about what we can do to create more goodness and sanity in the world. Before we sit this week, I share a few thoughts about where the confidence to do so can come from. Spoiler alert: it... READ MORE

The #1 most difficult task for spiritual practitioners

January 1, 2024   |   10 Comments

Audio only version is here.
Meditation begins at 16:15

Dear, wonderful Open Heart Project practitioners, Happy new year! May 2024 be the year all beings discover their inherent sanity and decency.  Although it may sound improbable, meditation is a direct conduit to such qualities. It introduces space between what we think and what we do, how we feel and the conclusions we draw about self and other. Truly, the... READ MORE

Meditation is a spiritual practice (not just self-help)

December 25, 2023   |   7 Comments

Audio only version is here
Meditation practice begins at 19:15

Happy holiday! This week, I offer you three steps to keep our practice in the realm of the sacred (rather than self-help). The greatest benefits of meditation—wisdom, compassion, and courage—are often “left on the table” – but they are really worth remembering. If you haven’t signed up for it yet, please join us for our free Building a Mindful New... READ MORE

What does Buddhism say about how to stop suffering?

October 16, 2023   |   14 Comments

Audio only version is here.
Meditation practice begins at 23:02.

Hello, wonderful Open Heart Project. I hope you are well and finding joy in your world. In the last few weeks, we began a discussion of the Four Noble Truths, the foundational teachings in all of Buddhism. Life is suffering. (uh-oh) The cause of suffering (grasping) The cessation of suffering (it’s possible!) The Noble 8-Fold Path (steps you can take... READ MORE

Why are we all so afraid? What calms fear?

October 9, 2023   |   4 Comments

Audio only version is here.
Meditation practice begins at 16:44.

Hello, wonderful Open Heart Project. I hope you are well and finding joy in your world. Last week, I launched a series of weekly emails about the foundational Buddhist teachings on the Four Noble Truths. They are: Life is suffering. (uh-oh) The cause of suffering (grasping) The cessation of suffering (it’s possible!) The Noble 8-Fold Path (steps you can take... READ MORE

Where to start in trying to live a mindful, spiritual, joyful life?

October 2, 2023   |   2 Comments

Audio only version is here.
Meditation practice begins at 20:04.

Hello, wonderful Open Heart Project. It is great that we can practice together. I so appreciate your responses to our recent questionnaire about these videos and what might make them more useful to you. Very grateful to all who took the time to respond to these five questions. Please click here to add your voice! One thing I got from... READ MORE

How to infuse your day with courage

September 25, 2023   |   1 Comment

Sometimes I wake up in the morning and the first thing I do is freeze in the face of the world’s ills. Then I think about what’s on my to-do list and wonder if I can actually do any of the things I hope to. Am I capable or just a capable poser? Will there be something in my email... READ MORE

Think you should aspire to non-attachment? Think again.

September 18, 2023   |   15 Comments

Audio-only version is here.
Meditation practice begins at 13:45.

Hello, wonderful Open Heart Project. I hope you and yours are well and safe. I so appreciate your responses to our recent questionnaire about these videos and what might make them more useful to you. Very grateful to all who took the time to respond to these five questions. Please click here to add your voice! Before this week’s meditation... READ MORE

Author Event with Nikhol Atkins

September 14, 2023   |   1 Comment

Audio only here.

It was a genuine pleasure to hear from author, meditation and yoga guide, activist and all-around amazing human, Nikhol Atkins and to explore her new book, Book of Boobs: A Visual Journey Through Breast Cancer. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. You can learn more about Nikhol’s book and purchase your own copy here. If... READ MORE

How to take enlightened activity in a crazy world

September 4, 2023   |   3 Comments

I know we are all thinking about what we can do to help the world. I mean, what else could possibly be worth thinking about? The crazier the world gets, the more I feel both ashamed of my personal concerns and also cling to them as particularly meaningful. Because the world is so incomprehensible, I take refuge in what I... READ MORE

How to cultivate a consistent meditation practice

August 28, 2023   |   1 Comment

Audio only version is here. Meditation practice begins at 10:32 Hello, dear meditator. How are you? I hope you are well and feeling happy. Basically everyone I have ever known finds it difficult to be consistent with their practice and, further, basically everyone thinks this is because they lack discipline. I suggest that this is probably not the issue. Before... READ MORE

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