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Accessing the power of ritual

January 20, 2025   |   21 Comments

Audio only version is here
Meditation practice begins at 11:54

Hello, wonderful Open Heart Project. I hope you are finding steadiness and friendship wherever you look. Before today’s sit, I share some thoughts about a favorite subject of mine: the power of ritual. Ritual takes our practice out of the realm of self-help only and situates it in the realm of magic. I try to explain more about this in... READ MORE

3 Paths to Enlightenment

January 6, 2025   |   3 Comments

Audio only version is here
Meditation practice begins at 06:42

Hello, wonderful Open Heart Project. Happy new year! May all beings become sane. Before we sit today, I describe 3 different ways of viewing the spiritual journey to enlightenment, according to the Buddhist view (while recovering from hip replacement surgery, which is why my leg is sticking out). You are on one of these paths, I promise! Please have a... READ MORE

Let’s enter 2025 with a strong meditation practice + a 21-day meditation challenge

December 23, 2024   |   6 Comments

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Meditation practice begins at 15:21

Hello, wonderful Open Heart Project. Happy new year! May all beings become sane.  Before today’s sit, I thought it would be good to go over the biggest misconceptions about meditation practice. After all, many of you may be wanting to reinvigorate your practice in the new year and reviewing these potential stumbling blocks may help. That is the intention! To... READ MORE

6 ways to create more sanity and balance (for real)

December 15, 2024   |   4 Comments

Audio only version is here
Meditation practice begins at 10:14

Dear wonderful Open Heart Project, I know it’s crazy out there. Whatever your beliefs or politics, it is not easy to feel certain about the future and how we are going to bridge the many divides in our countries, our neighborhoods, even our homes. It can seem impossible, I understand. However, according to Buddhist thought, it is definitely possible. All... READ MORE

How to become fully consistent in your meditation practice. I promise.

December 9, 2024   |   10 Comments

Audio only version is here
Meditation practice begins at 9:18

Hello, wonderful Open Heart Project. I hope you are well and finding sources of love and support in your world and in your heart. Before today’s sit, I share with you the reason (IMO) 99% of people who wish to meditate have difficulty with consistency. It simply cannot be so that 99% of people lack self-discipline! It must be something... READ MORE

Meeting difficult moments with wisdom: 3 suggestions

December 2, 2024   |   14 Comments

Audio only version is here
Meditation practice begins at 11:22

Hello, wonderful Open Heart Project. I hope you are finding sources of love and support during these unprecedented times. According to Buddhist wisdom, when we suffer sorrows and anger, we may reflexively react in three ways that actually increase our suffering. They are called the 3 poisons. Bad news: they’re poisonous! Good news: They’re optional! Please have a listen and... READ MORE

Finding power and confidence during an insane time: 4 suggestions

October 28, 2024   |   15 Comments

Audio only version is here
Meditation begins at 15:30

It seems we are in a time of heightened anxiety and fear—and for very understandable reasons. Most suggestions and techniques for calming yourself focus on altering your inner state by various means. Makes sense! But this is often not enough. In this week’s video, I make some suggestions from my Buddhist training about creating an environment from which you can... READ MORE

Four actions to help alleviate anxiety

October 21, 2024   |   8 Comments

Audio only version is here
Meditation begins at 9:10

I hope you and yours are well! As we get closer and closer to the US election, anxieties and tensions are bound to rise. We are in a state of divisiveness and fear. It is hard (impossible?) not to fall prey to sorrow and frustration. I wish I could tell you that Buddhism had some solution to all of this.... READ MORE

Compassion fatigue and being loving while also angry: it’s possible.

October 14, 2024   |   14 Comments

Meditation begins at 14:59

Audio only version is here

I hope you are well and safe. If you are in a region impacted by recent hurricanes, my heart goes out to you and I hold you in my practice. I know that doesn’t change or fix things, but it’s true nonetheless. This morning I got an email from one of you asking for some thoughts on compassion fatigue. First... READ MORE

What to do about “monkey mind”?

September 9, 2024   |   2 Comments The sitar player said, “If I tune the strings too tightly, they break. If they are too loose, no sound comes out.” “Just so,” replied the Buddha, “you should hold your mind in meditation.”

As you have learned (or will learn if this is your first time meditating), our practice requires us to be mindful of three things. First is mindfulness of body—we hold our posture in a certain way. Second is mindfulness of breath—we place attention on breath and, when it strays, bring it back. Third is mindfulness of mind. But what does... READ MORE

3 ways to work with “negative” emotions

September 2, 2024   |   5 Comments

Audio only version is here
Meditation begins at 12:00

Dear wonderful Open Heart Project, 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 video for those of you who fear that anger or other so-called negative emotions mean you are not a spiritual person.... READ MORE

Recording of Meet the Inner Teacher info session

August 12, 2024   |   2 Comments

It was a joy to discuss the means by which meditation supports a deeper relationship with your own wisdom mind.  Meeting the inner teacher is a profound and fascinating subject—and one rarely discussed when mindfulness meditation is taught as a self-help technique or life hack. As mindfulness makes its way into our culture, fewer and fewer teachers offer it for... READ MORE

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