SUSAN’S
Blog

Why are you meditating?

December 7, 2020   |   5 Comments

Audio-only version is here. Meditation practice begins at 7:08 Dear Open Heart Project, Hello and I hope you are well and feeling strong. Apart from all the perfectly good reasons we begin a meditation practice–to reduce stress, to become more patient, to manage health–ancient wisdom tells us there are three transformative qualities that will also arise. They are known as... READ MORE

The only thing you need to accomplish all your aspirations is this.

November 30, 2020   |   14 Comments

Audio-only version is here. Meditation practice begins at 8:50 Dear Open Heart Project, This is a time of year when thoughts naturally turn to change. One year (brutal and unprecedented) is coming to a close. The ground has been shaken by illness, political power grabs, and societal reckonings, long overdue. It has been painful, certainly. So much has been shaken... READ MORE

The warrior’s greatest weapon is this

November 23, 2020   |   25 Comments

Audio-only version is here. Meditation practice begins at 14:23. Dear Open Heart Project, Hello. I hope you are well and feeling strong and safe. Please take good care of yourself! Before this week’s practice, I share with you what I consider the warrior’s greatest weapon: speech. As with any powerful weapon, it can cause great harm or create tremendous protection.... READ MORE

More tools for the spiritual warrior

November 15, 2020   |   9 Comments

Audio-only version is here. Meditation practice begins at 8:23 Dear Open Heart Project, This is a time for warriors to step forward! I’m talking about you. As someone who is willing to work with their mind and expand their connection to stillness, you are automatically qualified. Recent posts have discussed the warrior’s presence and qualities. They are broken-hearted. They are... READ MORE

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

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

Could meditation be giving me insomnia?

July 18, 2017   |   Leave a reply

   Welcome to the Ask Susan podcast. This is episode #21.  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. This week’s question is truly fascinating. Our questioner has discovered that since beginning a meditation practice, his mind... READ MORE