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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

Am I still a spiritual person even if I feel anger, irritation, and even hatred? 3 ways to work with “negative” emotions.

January 15, 2024   |   9 Comments

Audio only version is here
Meditation begins at 12:00

Dear wonderful Open Heart Project, I hope your year is off to a wonderful start and you are able to find peace within and around yourself.  It’s possible you thought, as did I, that meditation would help you feel…less. Less rage. Less sorrow. I’d have even settled for less crankiness. No such luck–I’m still a human being. I made this... 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

Let’s keep practicing together! Three options…

December 17, 2023   |   1 Comment

Audio only version is here

Hello, wonderful Open Heart Project. I truly hope you enjoyed our recent video series on the Noble Eightfold Path. It was a delight to create it for you! If you need a recap, the eight steps to alleviate suffering are: Right View Right Intention Right Speech Right Action Right Livelihood Right Effort Right Mindfulness Right Concentration If you’re wondering what’s... READ MORE

The Path to End Suffering: Step Eight

December 11, 2023   |   7 Comments

Audio only version is here
Meditation practice begins at 13:58

Hello, wonderful Open Heart Project. I hope you are well and enjoying this series of videos on foundational Buddhist teachings. So far, we have covered: Right View Right Intention Right Speech Right Action Right Livelihood Right Effort Right Mindfulness Today we move on to the final step, Right Concentration, which has more to do with letting go than trying harder.... READ MORE

The Path to End Suffering: Step Seven

December 4, 2023   |   3 Comments

Audio only version is here
Meditation practice begins at 15:21

Hello, wonderful Open Heart Project. I hope you are well and enjoying this series of videos on foundational Buddhist teachings. So far, we have covered: Right View Right Intention Right Speech Right Action Right Livelihood Right Effort Today we move on to the seventh step, Right Mindfulness. Interestingly, here, mindfulness has more to do with relaxation than anything else. Thoughts?... READ MORE

The Path to End Suffering: Step Six

November 27, 2023   |   2 Comments

Audio only version is here
Meditation practice begins at 4:38

Hello, wonderful Open Heart Project. I hope you are well and enjoying this series of videos on foundational Buddhist teachings. So far, we have covered: Right View Right Intention Right Speech Right Action Right Livelihood Right View and Right Intention comprise true wisdom. Right Speech, Right Action, and Right Livelihood describe how to live an ethical life. Now we turn... READ MORE

The Path to End Suffering: Step Five

November 20, 2023   |   4 Comments

Audio only version is here
Meditation practice begins at 21:07

Hello, wonderful Open Heart Project. I hope you are well and enjoying this series of videos on foundational Buddhist teachings. So far, we have covered: Right View Right Intention Right Speech Right Action Today we move on to the fifth step: Right Livelihood. How can we turn work, money, and the effort to express ourselves into a part of the spiritual... READ MORE

The Path to End Suffering: Step Four

November 13, 2023   |   3 Comments

Audio only version is here.
Meditation practice begins at 15:34

Hello, wonderful Open Heart Project. I hope you are well and enjoying this series of videos on the noble eightfold path. Today we continue our conversation with step number four: Right Action To view previous talks: Right View Right Intention Right Speech Please have a listen to this short talk to learn more about what actions we can take (and... READ MORE

The Path to End Suffering: Step Three

November 6, 2023   |   9 Comments

Audio only version is here.
Meditation practice begins at 21:36.

Right speech can change the world.

Hello, wonderful Open Heart Project. I hope you are well and enjoying this series of videos on foundational Buddhist teachings. Right View is here and Right Intention is here in case you want to review. Today’s talk is about the third step on the noble eightfold path: Right Speech. Spoiler alert: this one can save the world. I’m not even kidding. In... READ MORE

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