Be Here Now Network Guest Podcast 2o4b63

Lama Tsultrim Allione shares the practice of feeding our demons in order to dissolve that which prevents us from being free. In this episode from the 2023 Summer Mountain Retreat, Lama Tsultrim Allione shares: How she first discovered Buddhism and meditation The beauty within silence and quiet attention to our surroundings Lama Tsultrim’s first trip to India and studying the mystic east Her connection with Ram Dass and Maharaji’s early devotees The practice of feeding our demons (the parts of ourselves that drain us) Dissolving that which prevents us from being free Fighting our demons versus feeding our demons The demons of the fear of abandonment, depression, anxiety, and addiction Parts of ourselves that are trying to get attention The difference between the wants and needs of our demons A guided practice for listeners About Lama Tsultrim Allione: Lama Tsultrim Allione is the bestselling author of Women of Wisdom (1984), Feeding Your Demons (2008), and Wisdom Rising Journey into the Mandala of the Empowered Feminine (2018). Lama Tsultrim is the founder of Tara Mandala, a 700-acre retreat center with a three-story temple and library dedicated to the divine feminine in the Buddhist tradition near Pagosa Springs, in southwest Colorado. She leads a vibrant international community with over forty groups around the world.  Learn more about Lama Tsultrim Allione’s work at Tara Mandala “I know that demons means a lot of different things in this country, in different cultural contexts. What I mean by it is the different parts of ourselves that drain us, that cause us to be not free. In fact, the word mara, which is the word for demon in Sanskrit, means that which blocks freedom.” – Lama Tsultrim Allione See at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On this episode of the BHNN Guest Podcast, East Forest and Marisa Radha Weppner discuss the role of song in psychedelics and explore how the ethereal can be accessed through music. In this episode, East Forest and Marisa Radha Weppner discuss: The many ways we can arrive at non-ordinary states The power of intention when making music How music can act as a bridge to the ethereal How music can influence emotional states and brain states Music as a birthright and how anyone can be and is a musician The exponential growth rate of society Reclaiming creativity as a necessary technology Psychedelics and music as propellers into a trance state Truly giving ourselves over to the music Having a guide or therapist to work with The impact of intention and set and setting About East Forest: East Forest is a multidisciplinary artist, producer, and ceremony guide. Since 2008, East Forest’s “lush” (Rolling Stone) and “blissful” (NPR) music has blended ambient, neoclassical, electronic, and avant-pop to explore sound as a tool for inner journeys and consciousness expansion. Known for being the first musician to collaborate with Ram Dass, his latest endeavor is the feature-length film Music for Mushrooms, a narrative documentary showcasing the transformative power of psychedelics, music, and community. “If you think about psychedelic ceremonies across human history, almost all of them were guided by songs and music. The same thing is used in the background of stores, birthday parties, weddings, working out, music is everywhere. But, it is the one thing that guides a ceremony typically. It could be been dancing, it could’ve been you always walk, no, it’s music. It’s showing us the power and potential of how it’s deeply connected to non-dual, to the mystery itself, it’s a kind of bridge.” – East Forest About Marisa Radha Weppner: Marisa Radha Weppner is a mom, author, Somatic Experiencing Practitioner, DJ, teacher, minister, psychedelic therapist, community organizer, life coach, podcaster, and entrepreneur. She has taught yoga since 2002. Known for her authentic self-expression, she empowers others to embody their soul’s wisdom, bringing a real-world mix of eastern spirituality and western psychology to her students. Her online yoga classes and book “Vinyasa Yoga Made Simple: 27 days of Self Discovery” are available through udaya.com. You can listen to her meditation album “Guidance” on all streaming platforms, or tune into her podcast Love, Service, Wisdom. “I bet if we go back in human history there wasn’t even a word for musician it was just what we all did as humans together. Now, it’s become something different that we are or aren’t, that we relegate to a certain subset of the population. But I would say we all are musicians and part of our awakening takes us back to that.” – Marisa Radha Weppner About Jackie Dobrinska: Jackie Dobrinska is the Director of Education, Community & Inclusion for Ram Dass’ Love, Serve, Foundation and the current host of Ram Dass’ Here & Now podcast. She is also a teacher, coach, and spiritual director with the privilege of marrying two decades of mystical studies with 15 years of expertise in holistic wellness. As an inter-spiritual minister, Jackie was ordained in Creation Spirituality in 2016 and has also studied extensively in several other lineages – the plant-medicine-based Pachakuti Mesa Tradition, Sri Vidya Tantra, Western European Shamanism, Christian Mysticism, the Wise Woman Tradition, and others. Today, in addition to building courses and community for LSRF, she leads workshops and coaches individuals to discover, nourish and live from their most authentic selves.  See at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this retreat recording, Gil Fronsdal applies Buddhism to parenting and explains family life as one of the best forms of practice. Today’s podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self. This time on the BHNN Guest Podcast, Gil Fronsdal explains: Buddhism as a training for all aspects of our lives Finding balance, freedom, and comion in the day-to-day Family and children as one of the greatest forms of practice Equanimity as the crown jewel of Buddhism How children are more influenced by how we are rather than what we say Our emotional presence as an integral part of our children’s development How anger and anxiety can onto our children Stepping back and looking at our priorities Taking responsibility to show up for practice Controlling ourselves and staying present Being accepting and allowing our children to be themselves Making space when our children say hurtful things Gil’s own stories and examples as a father Modeling equanimity and acceptance towards ourselves About Gil Fronsdal: Gil Fronsdal is the co-teacher for the Insight Meditation Center in Redwood City, California; he has been teaching since 1990. He has practiced Zen and Viana in the U.S. and Asia since 1975. He was a Theravada monk in Burma in 1985, and in 1989 began training with Jack Kornfield to be a Viana teacher. Gil teaches at Spirit Rock Meditation Center where he is part of its Teachers Council. Gil was ordained as a Soto Zen priest at the San Francisco Zen Center in 1982, and in 1995 received Dharma Transmission from Mel Weitsman, the abbot of the Berkeley Zen Center. He currently serves on the SF Zen Center Elders’ Council. In 2011 he founded IMC’s Insight Retreat Center. Gil has an undergraduate degree in agriculture from U.C. Davis where he was active in promoting the field of sustainable farming. In 1998 he received a PhD in Religious Studies from Stanford University studying the earliest developments of the bodhisattva ideal. He is the author of The Issue at Hand, essays on mindfulness practice; A Monastery Within; a book on the five hindrances called Unhindered; and the translator of The Dhammapada, published by Shambhala Publications. You may listen to Gil’s talks on Audio Dharma. “We can’t really control the world and there are enough times we can’t control our children. But, we can control ourselves, or part of ourselves. When we can’t control the situation around us, can we at least monitor ourselves enough so that we can stay balanced, not caught, not lost, not distracted, but really stay present in an effective way?” – Gil Fronsdal See at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Defining relationships as a triangle between God, Self, and Other, Stephen and Ondrea Levine discuss opening and softening our hearts. Today’s podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self. In this archival episode, Stephen and Ondrea Levine explore: How relationships open our hearts in hell The difficulty in relationships as a path to purification How easy it is to be in a relationship, how hard it is to relate Relationships as a triangle between God, Other, and Self How fear and cruelty dissolves in a willingness to approach the truth Trying to let go of what keeps hearts separate Dying into life, letting the heart burst, and going on Practices that help us connect to ourselves and to forgive The tremendous work we can do at home Healing parental relationships How grief keeps us separate Each moment of love as complete and precious Learning how to love by watching how unloving we often are About Stephen & Ondrea Levine: Stephen Levine was an American poet, author and Buddhist teacher best known for his work on death and dying. He was a friend and colleague to many Be Here Now Network Teachers. Along with Jack Kornfield, Joseph Goldstein and Sharon Salzberg, Stephen is responsible for making the teachings of Theravada Buddhism more widely available to students in the West. He also helped establish the Living/Dying Project with RamDev and Ram Dass. For over thirty-two years, Stephen and his wife Ondrea Levine provided emotional and spiritual for those who are life-threatened, and for caregivers. Through their healing and forgiveness workshops, many writings, and endless comion, Stephen and Ondrea have touched the lives of thousands of people all over the world. They are the authors of numerous books, including Who Dies, Embracing the Beloved, and A Year to Live, among others. Find more talks and writings from Stephen and Ondrea at levinetalks.com. “Relationship offers us an opportunity to open our heart in hell. The difficulty of relationship is one of its most exquisite opportunities for purification, for healing.” – Stephen Levine See at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Trudy Goodman introduces listeners to the Brahmavihārās through an affectionate breath practice and a loving-kindness body scan. Today’s podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self. This week on the BHNN Guest Podcast, Buddhist teacher Trudy Goodman explores: The Brahmavihārās: love, comion, joy and equanimity Re-parenting ourselves through practice The feeling of being soothed, comforted, and safety Offering loving kindness to our body Gratitude for the breath and all it does to us The breath as a river of blessings that is always here for us How the Brahmavihārās infuse and suffuse our being A loving-kindness body scan About Trudy Goodman: Trudy is a Viana teacher in the Theravada lineage and the Founding Teacher of InsightLA. For 25 years, in Cambridge, MA, Trudy practiced mindfulness-based psychotherapy with children, teenagers, couples and individuals. Trudy conducts retreats and workshops worldwide. Learn more about Trudy’s offerings at trudygoodman.com This recording was originally published on Dharmaseed You will notice that the breath is so exquisitely attuned. When we’re upset we tend to breath rapidly. When we’re at peace the breath slows down. We don’t have to do anything. This is one of the ways we are loved and ed by the breath. You don’t have to make it happen, you don’t have to create it.” – Trudy Goodman See at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of the Ram Dass Explorer’s Club, Buddhist teacher Spring Washam delves into the real work that comes before and after a journey with plant medicine. Today’s podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self. This conversation was recorded as part of the Ram Dass Explorer’s club. To learn more and sign up to a Ram Dass fellowship gathering near you, visit RamDass.org/Fellowship. In this episode, Spring Washam and Jackie Dobrinska explore: Medicine as the gateway, practice as the real work Awakening to the truth of interconnectedness Metta, the loving-kindness practice / four qualities of heart and mind The liberation that can be found within community Moving away from hyper-independence and giving more value to love Thinking about our ‘why’ when it comes to using psychedelics Learning how to love ourselves, each other, and this broken world The future of psychedelic legalization and the destruction of systems Coming back to meditation, devotion, and chanting A Q&A session with listeners on trauma, patterns, set & setting, and more About Spring Washam: Spring Washam is a well-known teacher, author, and visionary leader based in Oakland, California. She is the author of A Fierce Heart: Finding Strength, Courage and Wisdom in Any Moment and her newest book, The Spirit of Harriet Tubman: Awakening from the Underground. Spring is considered a pioneer in bringing mindfulness-based meditation practices to diverse communities. She is one of the founding teachers at the East Bay Meditation Center, located in downtown Oakland, CA. She has practiced and studied Buddhist philosophy in both the Theravada and Tibetan schools of Buddhism since 1999. She is a member of the teacher’s council at Spirit Rock Meditation Center in northern California where she was trained for over a decade. In addition to being a teacher, she is also a shamanic practitioner and has studied indigenous healing practices since 2008. She is the founder of Lotus Vine Journeys, a one-of-a-kind organization that blends indigenous healing practices with Buddhist wisdom in South America. Her writings and dharma teachings have appeared in many online journals and publications. She currently teaches meditation retreats and leads workshops, and classes worldwide. Spring currently teaches meditation retreats and leads workshops, and classes worldwide: springwasham.com and is cohost of her own podcast on Be Here Now Network, The Spirit Underground. About Jackie Dobrinska: Jackie Dobrinska is the Director of Education, Community & Inclusion for Ram Dass’ Love, Serve, Foundation and the current host of Ram Dass’ Here & Now podcast. She is also a teacher, coach, and spiritual director with the privilege of marrying two decades of mystical studies with 15 years of expertise in holistic wellness. As an inter-spiritual minister, Jackie was ordained in Creation Spirituality in 2016 and has also studied extensively in several other lineages – the plant-medicine-based Pachakuti Mesa Tradition, Sri Vidya Tantra, Western European Shamanism, Christian Mysticism, the Wise Woman Tradition, and others. Today, in addition to building courses and community for LSRF, she leads workshops and coaches individuals to discover, nourish and live from their most authentic selves.  “The medicine is the gateway but the practice is the real work. Nothing is real until it’s lived.” – Spring Washam See at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Through meditation and lecture, Gil Fronsdal outlines how the awareness of awareness is more important than the content of an experience. Today’s podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self. This time on the BHNN Guest Podcast, Gil Fronsdal explains: Giving too much importance to our experiences Being mindful of whatever is present in a given moment The authority we give to our fixations Dropping into the experience of the body breathing Knowing our feelings and thoughts and noticing when we are distracted A guided mediation from Gil to develop awareness of awareness About Gil Fronsdal: Gil Fronsdal is the co-teacher for the Insight Meditation Center in Redwood City, California; he has been teaching since 1990. He has practiced Zen and Viana in the U.S. and Asia since 1975. He was a Theravada monk in Burma in 1985, and in 1989 began training with Jack Kornfield to be a Viana teacher. Gil teaches at Spirit Rock Meditation Center where he is part of its Teachers Council. Gil was ordained as a Soto Zen priest at the San Francisco Zen Center in 1982, and in 1995 received Dharma Transmission from Mel Weitsman, the abbot of the Berkeley Zen Center. He currently serves on the SF Zen Center Elders’ Council. In 2011 he founded IMC’s Insight Retreat Center. Gil has an undergraduate degree in agriculture from U.C. Davis where he was active in promoting the field of sustainable farming. In 1998 he received a PhD in Religious Studies from Stanford University studying the earliest developments of the bodhisattva ideal. He is the author of The Issue at Hand, essays on mindfulness practice; A Monastery Within; a book on the five hindrances called Unhindered; and the translator of The Dhammapada, published by Shambhala Publications. You may listen to Gil’s talks on Audio Dharma. “In some ways, it doesn’t matter that much where you bring your attention, what matters is that you’re using it. You can develop just as much clarity of mind and presence of mind on the rain sound as you can on your breathing, as you can on almost anything.” – Gil Fronsdal See at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this 2022 retreat session, Spring Washam and Sharon Salzberg take a deeper look at mindfulness, the foundation of the Buddhist tradition. Today’s podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self. In this episode, Sharon and Spring hold a discourse on: Working directly with our mind An opening body scan meditation with Spring The practice of Satipatthana and finding freedom through mindfulness Finding the end of suffering by examining our own body internally The importance of posture in meditation Viewing the present moment without distortion Our relationship to what is arising Toxic happiness and negation of the real Being with what is actually happening moment to moment Metta as an open, connected, interested quality of the heart A closing metta meditation from Sharon Recognizing the power of good that moves through us About Sharon Salzberg: Sharon Salzberg is a meditation pioneer, world-renowned teacher, and New York Times bestselling author. She is one of the first to bring mindfulness and lovingkindness meditation to mainstream American culture over 45 years ago, inspiring generations of meditation teachers and wellness influencers. Sharon is co-founder of The Insight Meditation Society in Barre, MA, and the author of twelve books, including the New York Times bestseller,  Real Happiness, now in its second edition, and her seminal work, Lovingkindness. Her forthcoming release, Real Life: The Journey from Isolation to Openness and Freedom, is set for release in April of 2023 from Flatiron Books. Her podcast, The Metta Hour, has amassed five million s and features interviews with thought leaders from the mindfulness movement and beyond. Learn more about Sharon and order your copy of her new book at www.sharonsalzberg.com About Spring Washam: Spring Washam is a well-known teacher, author, and visionary leader based in Oakland, California. She is the author of A Fierce Heart: Finding Strength, Courage and Wisdom in Any Moment and her newest book, The Spirit of Harriet Tubman: Awakening from the Underground. Spring is considered a pioneer in bringing mindfulness-based meditation practices to diverse communities. She is one of the founding teachers at the East Bay Meditation Center, located in downtown Oakland, CA. She has practiced and studied Buddhist philosophy in both the Theravada and Tibetan schools of Buddhism since 1999. She is a member of the teacher’s council at Spirit Rock Meditation Center in northern California where she was trained for over a decade. In addition to being a teacher, she is also a shamanic practitioner and has studied indigenous healing practices since 2008. She is the founder of Lotus Vine Journeys, a one-of-a-kind organization that blends indigenous healing practices with Buddhist wisdom in South America. Her writings and dharma teachings have appeared in many online journals and publications. She currently teaches meditation retreats and leads workshops, and classes worldwide. Spring currently teaches meditation retreats and leads workshops, and classes worldwide: springwasham.com and is cohost of her own podcast on Be Here Now Network, The Spirit Underground. “There is something really important being willing to be with what is true, not with what we want, but the real experience. We wake up, there’s heartache, I didn’t want heartache but there it is. Can I be real with that?” – Spring Washam See at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Sharing her recent near-death experience, Trudy Goodman explains how and why dharma practice is essential to facing death without fear. Today’s podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self. This time on the BHNN Guest Podcast, Buddhist teacher Trudy Goodman shares: How even slivers of wisdom light up our life Her personal story of a near-death experience and choosing to live The imminence of death and knowing it can come at any time The extraordinary opportunity it is to be born The value in each moment we are aware The way that life takes care of life Learning to rest and not push Freedom from surrendering to the way things are How who we are is more important than what we do The way that pain concentrates the mind and tests our practice Appreciating all of the little moments that act as dharma doorways This recording was originally published on Dharmaseed About Trudy Goodman: Trudy is a Viana teacher in the Theravada lineage and the Founding Teacher of InsightLA. For 25 years, in Cambridge, MA, Trudy practiced mindfulness-based psychotherapy with children, teenagers, couples and individuals. Trudy conducts retreats and workshops worldwide. “Who we are is more important than what we do. It just is. It’s really true that just being alive is a gift, even though there are moments when it doesn’t feel like that.” – Trudy Goodman See at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Gil Fronsdal offers Buddhist wisdom on relating skillfully to our emotions and seeing them as messengers of our inner worlds. This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/insighthour and get on your way to being your best self. In this talk, Gil Fronsdal lectures about: Identifying emotions without getting lost in the story The necessity and benefits of feeling pain Knowing what's happening as it's happening How most of us are driven by our desires and aversions Simply knowing and how free our knowing can be Making room for our experiences How our emotions let us know what we should pay attention to Learning how our emotions live in the intelligent system of our body How reactivity blocks us from processing emotions Being in our body and allowing processes to unfold “One of the primary functions of emotions is to let us know something is important. They’re knocking on the door of our capacity to know. They are not accidents, they’re not incidental, they’re not annoyances, they’re not unfortunate. They’re actually a very important form of which your inner life is presenting itself to you.” – Gil Fronsdal This talk was originally published on Dharmaseed See at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Professor and Investigator Dr. Quevedo is hosted by Jackie Dobrinska for a philosophical talk on interrelation and psychedelic therapies. Today’s podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self. In this episode, Dr. Sylvestre Quevedo and Jackie Dobrinska explore: The qualities of love within the heart How the chemical components of MDMA aid in social bonding and heart-opening Touching into transcendent realms and the divine The importance of our worldviews Navigating difficult experiences when using plant medicine Turning to sacred texts to glean understanding Ram Dass’ perspectives on psychedelics How the Bhagavad Gita can help us The Indigenous 7 generation teaching The efficacy of MDMA in PTSD treatment Awareness and appreciation for nature The importance of community and being in connection The uses of psychedelics beyond the medical model This conversation was recorded as part of the Ram Dass Explorer’s club. To learn more and sign up to a Ram Dass fellowship gathering near you, visit RamDass.org/Fellowship. About Dr. Sylvestre Quevedo: Sylvestre Quevedo is currently Associate Professor of Medicine at UCSF and a Principal Investigator in an FDA trial of MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD with the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies and UCSF. He earned his medical degree at the Harvard Medical School and a Master of Public Health degree at Harvard School of Public Health. After postdoctoral training in family and community medicine at the University of Arizona, he spent four years developing community health center programs in underserved communities in Colorado, Washington and California. He returned to postdoctoral education with studies in law and public policy at the Stanford Law School, followed by internal medicine at Stanford and a fellowship in nephrology and medicine at Stanford University Medical Center, where he was a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Clinical Scholar. Learn more about Dr. Quevedo HERE. About Jackie Dobrinska: Jackie Dobrinska is the Director of Education, Community & Inclusion for Ram Dass’ Love, Serve, Foundation and the current host of Ram Dass’ Here & Now podcast. She is also a teacher, coach, and spiritual director with the privilege of marrying two decades of mystical studies with 15 years of expertise in holistic wellness. As an inter-spiritual minister, Jackie was ordained in Creation Spirituality in 2016 and has also studied extensively in several other lineages – the plant-medicine-based Pachakuti Mesa Tradition, Sri Vidya Tantra, Western European Shamanism, Christian Mysticism, the Wise Woman Tradition, and others. Today, in addition to building courses and community for LSRF, she leads workshops and coaches individuals to discover, nourish and live from their most authentic selves.  “The defining characteristic of a medicine carrier is his/her relationship with the medicine. These are not just chemicals or herbs, these are sentient beings that you’re in communication with.” – Dr. Sylvestre Quevedo See at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In a stimulating talk on reincarnation, ego-death, and other dimensions, renowned Sufi teacher Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee bridges this world and the next. Today’s podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self. This week, teacher Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee returns to explore: The unknowable essence of death Lessons and instructions from the Upanishads Dying to the ego before we die to this physical world The transcendent dimension of our own being Having choice in the afterlife if one transcends their ego in their life How relationships with spiritual teachers can last lifetime after lifetime Reincarnation and unfinished spiritual lessons Journeying through other dimensions Death as a friend and destination How easy it is to be caught in the distortions of the world Learning the lessons of our individual souls Being surrounded by an all-embracing light About Llewellyn: Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee, Ph.D. is a Sufi teacher in the Naqshbandiyya-Mujaddidiyya Sufi Order. He is the author of Sufism, the Transformation of the Heart, and the founder of The Golden Sufi Center. Check out his new podcast Working With Oneness. “The further one travels along the spiritual path, the more life and death are intertwined. The mystery for me has always been how life covers over so much of our true nature, which death reveals.” – Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee See at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Describing writing as an act of faith, author Anne Lamott offers a workshop on connecting to our inner longing for creativity. Today’s podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self. This week, Anne Lamott s the BHNN Guest podcast to teach:  Following our creative lives and childhood callings Meeting our creativity half-way How all of us start at the beginning Making time for writing in our lives Figuring out what it is we want to write and making a list Owning everything that was done to us and everything we have seen Accepting that our first drafts will not be wonderful Why we should not worship perfectionism Finding a writing partner or local writing group Taking everything sentence by sentence Paying attention to ourselves and all that dwells within us To read the poem Anne recites, Monet Refuses the Operation, click HERE. About Anne Lamott: Anne Lamott is the New York Times best-selling author of many books, including collections of essays, novels, and long-form non-fiction, including the classic writing manual Bird by Bird and child-rearing memoir Operating Instructions. In addition to being a novelist and nonfiction writer, Lamott is also a progressive political activist, public speaker, and writing teacher. Keep up with Anne on Instagram. “Isn’t that amazing what is inside you that wants you to midwife it? It needs a doula. It needs you. It has no pens. It has no paper. It needs you to birth it. So here is what you do, you stop not writing.” – Anne Lamott See at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Live from Spirit Rock Meditation Center, Trudy Goodman offers insight on skillfully working with the breath by infusing mindfulness with lovingkindness. Today’s podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self. This time on the BHNN Guest Podcast, Buddhist teacher Trudy Goodman discusses: Keeping the breath company with our attention from start to finish The breath as a rudder to navigate our inner experience Staying attuned and connected to the movement of the breath Finding safety and relaxation in our breath Alternative practices for those with asthma or other breathing concerns Studying the birth and death of experience How the Buddha practiced mindfulness of breath during his great awakening Feeling the breath within the breath Returning to the breath when our attention strays This recording was originally published on Dharmaseed About Trudy Goodman: Trudy is a Viana teacher in the Theravada lineage and the Founding Teacher of InsightLA. For 25 years, in Cambridge, MA, Trudy practiced mindfulness-based psychotherapy with children, teenagers, couples and individuals. Trudy conducts retreats and workshops worldwide. Learn more about Trudy’s offerings at trudygoodman.com “We’re really looking at and studying the birth and death of experience, how a breath arises, moves, and es away.” – Trudy Goodman See at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, Buddhist Teacher Gil Fronsdal explores our quality of well-being and how we can cultivate ease, happiness, and contentment on the path to inner liberation. Today’s podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self. In this talk on cultivating well-being through Buddhist practice, Gil touches on: Happiness as something we do not pursue, but cultivate by creating and recognizing conditions for it The “three breath journey” meditation practice, which helps to shift perception and be present Developing clarity and ease through mindfulness practice Transforming challenging emotions and experiences by befriending them non-judgmentally Physical presence and awareness in the body as a part of cultivating well-being Experimenting with different mindfulness techniques to find what brings you joy and ease “We create the conditions for happiness, and we learn to recognize the conditions that bring it forth. But we try not to be the cause of happiness, but we are cultivating happiness and well-being.” – Gil Fronsdal See at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Describing the man-made wall between humans and divinity, Llewellyn reminds us of our own divine nature and how to access the light. Today’s podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self. In this episode, returning guest teacher Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee discusses: “The Wall” between ourselves and the Divine The spiritual merging of the lover with the beloved Separation as a consequence of human consciousness Llewellyn’s book, Darkening of the Light The slow process of spiritual life and lifting the veil The wall that has been built between humans and divine How Christianity eradicated pagan beliefs and strengthened the wall between worlds Communism and capitalism as the twin demons of the world Accessing the light through our higher spiritual centers Going beyond the world rather than dismantling it Re-learning how to be sincere, responsible, and open Our shared evolution and a better, possible future About Llewellyn: Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee, Ph.D. is a Sufi teacher in the Naqshbandiyya-Mujaddidiyya Sufi Order. He is the author of Sufism, the Transformation of the Heart, and the founder of The Golden Sufi Center. Check out his new podcast Working With Oneness. “The Sufis describe how we need a separation between the worlds, 70 veils of light and darkness or the glories of his face would burn away everything. As I know from my own experience, the light of the divine is too dazzling to perceive it directly. Its energy is too strong. This is one of the reasons why spiritual life is a slow process, a gradual lifting of the veils as one develops spiritual strength, becomes more and more able to bear the light.” – Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee See at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Reflecting on the inevitable truth of suffering, JoAnna Hardy explains what we do have jurisdiction over: our action, speech and mind. Today’s podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self. This time on the BHNN Guest Podcast, JoAnna Hardy explains: Recognizing the first noble truth of suffering all around us Breaking down what we cannot control in life How resistance toward the inevitable causes suffering Reflecting on our ability to control our internal world (priorities, attitudes, etc.) How our speech and actions are in our jurisdiction Cultivating a wise, steady, and skillful heart and mind The mind as our sixth sense The way we latch on to the stories we tell ourselves How one mind-state can feed into another Retraining the phenomena of our habits The relief we can feel when we let go of what we cannot control About JoAnna Hardy: JoAnna Hardy is an insight meditation (Vianā) practitioner and teacher; she is on faculty at the University of Southern California, a meditation trainer at Apple Fitness+, a founding member of the Meditation Coalition, a teacher’s council member at Spirit Rock Meditation Center, a visiting retreat teacher at Insight Meditation Society, and a collaborator on many online meditation Apps and programs. Her greatest ion is to teach meditation in communities that are dedicated to seeing the truth of how racism, gender inequality and oppression go hand in hand with the comionate action teachings in Buddhism and related perspectives to social and racial justice. This recording was originally published on Dharmaseed.org “When we sit here and deeply pay attention to this process of the mind, it’s so fascinating. What is under my control, what can I control? Pay attention every time you have a mind moment to what you do with it and to it, and how you hold it, and what you decide your next mind moment is going to be.” – JoAnna Hardy See at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ram Dass taught that every moment is the perfect teacher. How is this possible when things are groundless – i.e. uncertain and constantly changing? How is this possible when we find ourselves anxious, angry, too tender, or even working with big traumas? In this episode, psychotherapist Ralph De La Rosa sits down with Jackie Dobrinska, Ram Dass Fellowship Director, to discuss these questions. Together they look at how we can combine the inner technologies of East and West in a way that allows us to heal and thrive and even find joy in the most challenging of times – by uncovering the boundless qualities of the heart.  This conversation was recorded as part of the Ram Dass Fellowship’s regular online gatherings. To learn more about the Ram Dass Fellowship and sign up to a fellowship gathering near you, visit RamDass.org/Fellowship. Today's podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self. About Ralph De La Rosa Ralph De La Rosa (he/they) is a teacher of human spirituality, internationally published author, and trauma-focused psychotherapist. is the author of two internationally published books. He is a psychotherapist in private practice and seasoned meditation teacher known for his radically open and humorous teaching style. He is personally mentored by Richard Schwartz, founder and developer of Internal Family Systems. Learn more about Internal Family Systems therapy: IFS Institute Ralph began practicing meditation in 1996 when he first stumbled upon Ram Dass’s “Cookbook for a Sacred Life” in the back pages of Be Here Now. He was a student of Amma’s for 16 years, has studied Buddhism since 2005, and began teaching meditation in 2008. Learn more about Ralph and check out his latest book, Don’t Tell Me to Relax: Ralphdelarosa.com About Jackie Dobrinska: Jackie Dobrinska is the Director of Education, Community & Inclusion for Ram Dass’ Love, Serve, Foundation and the current host of Ram Dass’ Here & Now podcast. She is also a teacher, coach, and spiritual director with the privilege of marrying two decades of mystical studies with 15 years of expertise in holistic wellness. As an interspiritual minister, Jackie was ordained in Creation Spirituality in 2016 and has also studied extensively in several other lineages – the plant-medicine-based Pachakuti Mesa Tradition, Sri Vidya Tantra, Western European Shamanism, Christian Mysticism, the Wise Woman Tradition, and others. Today, in addition to building courses and community for LSRF, she leads workshops and coaches individuals to discover, nourish and live from their most authentic selves.  Learn more about Jackie’s work at asimplevibrantlife.com. "If we were to escape, if we were to find that way, to just make the switch and go to the joyful end of the spectrum and never, ever, ever or walk on the shady side of the street ever again, we would be missing the biggest opportunity." - Ralph De La Rosa See at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Focusing on Sila, Samadhi, and Prajna, Trudy Goodman explains how the Eightfold Path can carry us through all of our life experiences. In this episode of the BHNN Guest Podcast, Trudy Goodman holds an intellectual talk on: The Eightfold Path as an expression and fulfillment of awakened life Sila, Samadhi, and Prajna Establishing ourselves in goodness and the gift of fearlessness The bliss of blamelessness when we are free from guilt and regret How committing to wise intention naturally improves our life Noticing what’s here in the present moment and gathering the fragmented pieces of ourselves The limitless portability and applicability of mindfulness Mindfulness as the steady and accepting love of grandparents Falling in love with the miracle of our own being Being drawn into the practice and allowing it to carry us Having receptivity to the unfolding of things This talk was originally published on Dharmaseed About Trudy Goodman: Trudy is a Viana teacher in the Theravada lineage and the Founding Teacher of InsightLA. For 25 years, in Cambridge, MA, Trudy practiced mindfulness-based psychotherapy with children, teenagers, couples and individuals. Trudy conducts retreats and workshops worldwide. Learn more about Trudy’s offerings at trudygoodman.com “Mindfulness helps us notice what’s here so that we can start to gather and bring back all these scattered, fragmented bits of ourselves and our experience. As we bring them into our awareness and as we bring them back home to the heart, to more wholeness, these bits and pieces of our life experience and ourselves begin to coalesce and settle down and peacefully co-exist. We can have love, we can aversion, we can have likes and dislikes, and they can peacefully live in the same heart. There doesn’t have to be any conflict.” – Trudy Goodman See at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Gil Fronsdal discusses having confidence in what the Buddha represents within ourselves and being a refuge for all beings. This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self. This time on the BHNN Guest Podcast, Gil Fronsdal explains: How the Buddha defined confidence and fate Instructions from the Buddha on making oneself a refuge Being a refuge and for all beings Personal worth and finding yourself in community The benefit of having confidence in ourselves and in our practice The imperfections that stain the mind Having confidence in that which the Buddha represents within ourselves Reflecting on the times when our minds are not caught How the dharma is visible here and now, not there and then The balance between responsibility and allowing natural unfolding About Gil Fronsdal: Gil Fronsdal is the co-teacher for the Insight Meditation Center in Redwood City, California; he has been teaching since 1990. He has practiced Zen and Viana in the U.S. and Asia since 1975. He was a Theravada monk in Burma in 1985, and in 1989 began training with Jack Kornfield to be a Viana teacher. Gil teaches at Spirit Rock Meditation Center where he is part of its Teachers Council. Gil was ordained as a Soto Zen priest at the San Francisco Zen Center in 1982, and in 1995 received Dharma Transmission from Mel Weitsman, the abbot of the Berkeley Zen Center. He currently serves on the SF Zen Center Elders’ Council. In 2011 he founded IMC’s Insight Retreat Center. Gil has an undergraduate degree in agriculture from U.C. Davis where he was active in promoting the field of sustainable farming. In 1998 he received a PhD in Religious Studies from Stanford University studying the earliest developments of the bodhisattva ideal. He is the author of The Issue at Hand, essays on mindfulness practice; A Monastery Within; a book on the five hindrances called Unhindered; and the translator of The Dhammapada, published by Shambhala Publications. You may listen to Gil’s talks on Audio Dharma. This 2014 talk was originally published by Dharmaseed. “The reference point for having confidence or faith or trust in the Buddha is not in the great power and wisdom of the Buddha, but rather something that we can know for ourselves, that we realize is reflected in the Buddha.” – Gil Fronsdal See at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.