Episodes

In this practice, we explore a samadhi, or concentration practice, using the breath as the object of focus.

Samadhi practice, sometimes translated as concentration practice, has been described as a gathering or unifying of the mind. When cultivated, this kind of practice can bring a deep settling to the mind that is useful in all aspects of life.

Sowing the seed, my hand is one with the earth. Wanting the seed to grow, my mid is one with the light. Hoeing the crop, my hands are one with the rain. Hungry and trusting, my mind is one with the earth. Eating the fruit, my body is one with the earth. -Wendall Berry A wandering holy man is asked what his work in life is. He replies, “I’m a farmer… This body of mine is my field. I sow good thoughts and actions, and in my body I reap the results.”

In this practice, we start with a short body scan and then move into the breath as an anchor that can “teach us how to be interested in the present moment and how to develop persistence in staying connected to the present moment.” (Mark Nunberg)

Today we explore how simple bare attention of mindfulness to breath helps us gain wisdom into the nature of reality– in particular, wisdom of impermanence.

In this meditation we explore opening with a bare, non-judgmental attention to the present moment just as it is, whether in settling into an anchor or bringing a compassionate wise acknowledgment to distraction

In this sharing, we focus on the simple non-judgmental bare attention of mindfulness within the context of the whole of the 8 Fold Path.

In this meditation, we explore our hands as a primary anchor, including exploring the elements of Earth, water, sun, air making up the substance of our hands.

In this meditation, we again explore what allows a balanced effortless effort and compassionate mindfulness.

In this continuation of the 8 Fold Path, we look further into the ways a wise and balanced effort and mindfulness support us not just in meditation practice, but also in life.

In this sharing, a continuation of the 4th Noble Truth, we begin to explore the meditation factors of the 8 Fold Path, particular how these factors weave together in a very practical usefulness in our lives. Drawing from a panic attack on a high ropes course, it becomes clear that if we practice enough with these factors, they begin to show up spontaneously in skillful ways that are in service of our life.

In this meditation, we explore the interweaving of wise effort (not too tight, not too loose), mindfulness and qualities of the heart. These together are a way of coming into a skillful attunement to the present moment in a way that allows a natural opening.

From Sharon Salzberg’s, “The Kindness Handbook, A Practical Companion”: Spirituality is the movement from our prison of self blame and self preoccupation to an inclusive and open engagement with all of life. In many ways a spiritual path is essentially about connection — a deep connection to our own inherent capacity for wisdom and love no matter what, a connection to a bigger picture of life no matter what. We can easily go from morning until night disconnected, not only from genuine connect ...

In this sharing, a continuation of the 4th Noble Truth, we explore the 3 basic aspects of Wise Intention of goodwill, compassion and renunciation or letting go. In particular, we look at how these 3 aspects are interrelated and support each other in offering an energy to work with the immediacy of any moment in our life.

In this meditation, we begin with grounding in the body through the physical elements and then explore the skillful or wise intentions of goodwill, compassion and letting go.

Today we start with the “wisdom” factors of the 8 Fold Path (Fourth Noble Truth), wise view and wise intention. We focus on wise view this week with the understanding that kindness and compassion are an intrinsic part of the wise factors. I draw from a beautiful talk by Jill Shepard which is on Dharmaseed if you want to hear more: Jill Shepard Dharmaseed

Please join me for a short contemplation and practice with a poem from John Welwood: Forget About Enlightenment Sit down wherever you are And listen to the wind singing in your veins. Feel the love, the longing, the fear in your bones. Open your heart to who you are, right now, Not who you would like to be, Not the saint you are striving to become, But the being right here before you, inside you, around you. All of you is holy. You are already more and less Than whatever you can know. ...

The 4th Noble Truth is all about a path that leads out of suffering. At its essence, it is about developing skillful habits, named in the Eightfold Way, that support us in living a life that brings greater well-being, and ultimately has the potential to lead to the end of suffering. Today is an overview perspective, and next week we begin to look into the details.

In this practice, we start with allowing a settling to the system with use of a primary anchor and then move to practicing with a changing moment by moment choiceless awareness.

Today we use the anchor of the breath to explore an expanding stability and continuity of awareness that supports our life.

Today we look at a very practical application of the first 3 Noble Truths. This is through the lens of Judson Brewer’s model of shifting gears for understanding our stress inducing habits.

Join me for a short sharing and meditation from Thich Nhat Hanh’s book, True Love: We have to learn the art of transforming compost and flowers. Look at the flower: it is beautiful, it is fragrant, it is pure; but if you look deeply you can already see the compost in the flower. With meditation, you can see that already. If you do not meditate, you will have to wait 10 days to be able to see that. You look deeply at the garbage heap with the eye of a meditator, you can see lettuce, tomatoes, flo...

Please join me for this shorter sharing and meditation recorded from the Monday Mid-day Meditation. Today I draw from Philip Simmon’s book, Learning to Fall: We have all heard poems, songs, and prayers that exhort us to see God in a blade of grass, a drop of dew, a child’s eyes, or the petals of a flower. Now when I hear such things I say that’s too easy. Our greater challenge is to see God not only in the eyes of the suffering child but in the suffering itself. To thank God for the sunset pin...

I recently finished a retreat in which every meditation started with the instruction to “get comfortable.” In this practice today, we experientially explore the wisdom and compassion of this teaching in all moments of practice.