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How is it possible to practice during a time of stress and anger?

October 7, 2024   |   8 Comments

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

Dear, wonderful Open Heart Project practitioners, May 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 world is in need of people who... READ MORE

How (and why) to accept the unacceptable (aka impermanence)

September 29, 2024   |   10 Comments

Audio only version is here
Meditation begins at 12:14

Hello, I hope you and your loved ones are well. Before today’s 10-minute meditation, I share some thoughts about the first noble truth of Buddhism–that life is suffering (or unsatisfying). Thanks a lot, Buddha! Not exactly what I was hoping to hear. Nonetheless…there is power and even joy in abiding in reality. In your life. IRL (in real life). It’s... 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

Election season anger and fear

August 26, 2024   |   2 Comments

This morning while I was meditating, I pictured myself punching a particular Presidential candidate in the face. I wished he was dead. I found myself hoping that someone would kill him. While I was meditating, y’all. As lame as I may be as a meditator and a Buddhist, I recognized that this was the wrong way to go. Even though... 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

What is the “middle way?” (Might not be what you thought…)

August 12, 2024   |   12 Comments

Audio-only version is here. Meditation practice begins at 11:36. Dear Open Heart Project, Hello, and a heartfelt thank you to everyone who reached out to me after my cat passed away. Your kindness has been received and welcome. In this video, I share something I’ve been thinking about in relation so my own spiritual journey, what in Buddhism is called... READ MORE

Grief, loss, and cats

August 5, 2024   |   74 Comments

Audio only version is here
Meditation begins at 21:17

Hello, First off, I want to say that if you are struggling with grief or depression, you may not want to listen to this because I cry and talk about my own sorrows.  In this video, I share about my loss of a beloved household member, our cat, Sly. I didn’t know if I could talk about it because I... READ MORE

In which we listen to music and search for our true teacher

July 29, 2024   |   8 Comments

Audio only version is here
Meditation begins at 23:38

Hello and many thanks for the kind responses to our recent series on the 8-fold path. I’m so glad we can contemplate these profound teachings together. If you missed the series, no worries! It will rerun at some point. In the meantime, I’m just back from teaching a retreat on the Heart Sutra in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. (The text... READ MORE

8 Steps to Stop Suffering: Step 8 is…

July 22, 2024   |   12 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

8 Steps to Stop Suffering: Step 7 is…

July 15, 2024   |   6 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

8 Steps to Stop Suffering: Step 6 is…

July 8, 2024   |   10 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

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