This talk explores how to cut through the trance of thinking. You'll learn how turning toward awareness itself reveals how much you rely on thinking and some practical strategies using embodied awareness for 'remembering' who and what you truly are.
A few years back, Tracy retired and thought to himself, "What would happen if I practiced at home with the same intensity as I would on retreat?" He was inspired to practice the "Elephant Path," a very disciplined approach that cultivated deepening concentration. His journey was powerful, traumatic and brought him to his knees, but opened up vistas he could only imagine. Here he shares his story, what he learned and what we might offer by way of encouragement and caution for those looking to int...
This conversation is with Jeff Fajans—a creative momentum coach, seasoned musician, and PhD‑backed creative performance researcher—who helps creative people bring their biggest ideas to life. Whether you're drafting a feature film script, launching a new business, or building a product from scratch, Jeff blends flow science, mindfulness, and creative productivity and leadership principles to move you past procrastination and into real, lasting creative momentum. Here are some links: More info ab...
Jonathan Foust delves into the profound practice of observing thoughts without judgment, highlighting the freedom gained from not believing every thought. He shares personal experiences with anxiety and introduces Buddhist principles, including the four foundations of awareness and the concept of thought proliferation. The talk provides five strategies to work with the thinking mind, from shifting your state and focusing intention to cultivating positivity, empathy, and pure awareness, concluding with a guided reflection on living wisely in the present moment.
Mindfulness practice can get dry and rote. When you remember why you are practicing you'll reconnect with your passion and deepest intention. When you can sustain your practice, you may notice a number of benefits. Beyond the physiological and emotional boosts you'll feel, ultimately you'll notice the arising of two distinct faculties. Wisdom is your capacity to recognize what is true. Compassion is your capacity to allow and open to truth.
This talk explores how to manage your energy as you pursue your aspirations. You'll learn about four guidelines: How to prevent unwholesome states before they arise, how to let go of unwholesome states when they have arisen, how to cultivate wholesome states that have not yet arisen and how to maintain wholesome states that are already here.
This interview with Ray and Tara explores how to work with the deepest challenges of sickness, old age and death. You'll learn how Ray and Tara are working with Ray's diagnosis of glioblastoma a year ago. They speak beautifully of how the practice deepens, how to find steadiness and how to open again and again to love.
The talk explores some fundamentals of a meditation practice and how (sometimes) saying 'yes' to what is present can dramatically shift your relationship to the here and now. You'll learn my favorite definition of mindfulness, the art of 'saying yes,' how every 'no' actually means yes - and the classic instructions to more intimately deepen your mindfulness practice.
The classic teaching "Be Here Now" requires that we "Let Go Now" - of everything and anything that is not present. How do we do this? I share some guiding principles of the art of renunciation with practical examples and teachings through the ages. This is the first talk on my podcast, from the fall of 2011.
This talk explores how to consciously direct the inner process of healing and release. Drawing on the classic teachings of Ho'oponopono, it introduces four phrases that guide your attention to: • Taking responsibility for your inner experience • Attuning to the process of release • Reflecting on gratitude and the opportunity to grow • Resting in loving awareness
This talk explores the power of self-observation and what lies beyond the sense of self. You'll learn how the witness can free you from the tyranny of the mind and your reactivity as well as what can happen when you explore being aware of the witness and what lies beyond.
This talk explores the liberating factor of self-observation. You'll learn about how you can cultivate the optimal environment to develop the witness, the near-enemy of the practice and what it means to be aware of the light behind the observer.
This talk explores the theme of 'ancient future technologies,' in particular the role of psychedelic-assisted therapy and meditation. You'll learn about research currently being done, a bit on the history of psychoactive substances in the west, what happens when we alter our consciousness and some of the very real precautions when exploring these medicines. Please note that I urge extreme caution regarding this topic. While there can be profound insights in the wise and regulated use of plant me...
Given these wild times, it's more important than ever to find ways to keep your practice rich and engaged. Tara Brach adn Jonathan Foust take on a number of real-time questions on practice in challenging times.
This talk explores the possibility of 'problems' as profound opportunities for growth and expansion. You'll learn the importance of equanimity, cultivating convergent and divergent thinking and deep investigation into the nature of attachment and the nature of self.
This talk explores how to apply the Golden Rule in the context of mindfulness practice. You'll learn how this timeless guidance ties into the practice of compassion (Karuna), interconnectedness (Dependent Origination), loving kindness (Metta) and non-harming (Ahimsa).
This talk, from an IMCW Spring retreat, explores what happens when you deeply relax and pay attention to your moment-to-moment experience. You'll learn about the process of settling attention in the here and now, how to recognize the characteristics of what is changing the subtlety of how you are relating to change and paying attention to awareness itself.
This talk explores how the most simple mindfulness practices point to liberation. You'll learn about the destination of cultivating present-moment awareness, understanding the nature of impermanence, recognizing inter-dependence and the power of non-attachment.
Dr. Greg Madison is the founder of "The Living Process" and in this interview we explore the fusion Focusing and how somatic inquiry runs through the traditions of yoga and meditation. I share a good bit on my personal history as well as exploring a wide variety of topics such as somatic inquiry and non-dual practices. The Living Process is a series of conversations with people who are interested in how humans process their feelings, their thinking, and their way of being with others, especially...
This talk from 2022 explores the doorways from moving from fear and pain to a sense of ease and freedom. You'll learn how the conditioned self is dedicated to survival and self-preservation, the role of pain in waking up, how embodied presence opens new doorways to freedom and some thoughts on how to be present in these tumultuous times.
