This is the finale in our 4-part series on the power of compassion, which has featured leading researchers and practitioners in illuminating conversations about how to live with a more kind, and open hearted stance toward the world. Today's conversation could not be a more fitting end as Roshi Joan Halifax and Rhonda V. Magee, two extraordinary pio…

In the hero's journey, the hero or heroine is called to adventure. Often in the form of a quest, a challenge, or an adversity. And often that adventure arrives unexpectedly. One of the things that’s interesting about the hero's journey is that shortly after the call a helper enters the picture. A mentor, a sage, a guide, or a coach of some sort. Th…

As part of a 4-part series on the Power of Compassion on The Courageous Life, yesterday we released a beautiful conversation with Roshi Joan Halifax and Rhonda Magee. Together they explored a variety of themes related to meeting the most pressing challenges of our time with backbone and heart. To complement the conversations in this series I have b…

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 Fell…

In the hero's journey, the hero or heroine is called to adventure. Often in the form of a quest, a challenge, or adversity. And often that adventure arrives unexpectedly. One of the things that’s interesting about the hero's journey is that shortly after the call a helper enters the picture. A mentor, a sage, a guide, or a coach of some sort. They …

As part of a 4-part series on the Power of Compassion yesterday we released a moving conversation with Jerry Colonna and Leah Weiss. Together they explored the future of work: Love, Safety, and Belonging. To complement these conversations on compassion I am sharing some of the most potent practices I’ve come across for opening the heart, and access…

There is a metaphor that comes out of ancient wisdom traditions of a bird. One wing of the bird represents wisdom and the other represents compassion. In order to fly the bird needs both wings. Like the bird, as people and leaders, cultivating wisdom and compassion in our lives, and in our organizations may help us to realize our potential. This me…

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, Buddhist teacher Trudy Goodman offers a lesson on: The Eightfold Path as an expression and fulfillment of awakened life Sila, Samadhi, and Prajna Establishing ourselves in …

Welcome to the inaugural episode of Everyday Heroes and Helpers. A new series on the Courageous Life Podcast that has been a dream since we first launched back in 2018. Part of the mission of the show has always been to share inspiring stories of everyday heroes. Ordinary people like our neighbors, friends, colleagues, and members of our communitie…

As part of a 4-part series on the Power of Compassion which we are re-releasing on The Courageous Life, yesterday we released a beautiful conversation with Dr. James Doty and Dr. Jacinta Jiménez. Together they explored a variety of themes related to cultivating greater compassion and empathy, including the possibility of fostering cultures of care …

Today we're continuing our four-part series on the power of compassion with a deep, insightful, and moving conversation between Dr. Jacinta Jiménez and Dr. James Doty. Each episode in this series showcases a powerful duo made up of a leading researcher and practitioner who will explore themes related to compassion, courage, and living with a more o…

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…

Over the next four weeks on the Courageous Life podcast we will be re releasing a 4-part series on the Power of Compassion. Yesterday we began with Part One, a powerful and moving conversation with Positive Psychology Pioneer Dr. Barbara Fredrickson and world renowned meditation teacher Sharon Salzberg. To complement these conversations over the co…

Today we’re relaunching a 4-part series on the power of compassion. We originally released this series of conversations last season as we brought together some of the world's leading researchers and practitioners to take a deep dive into compassion, courage, and living with a more open and loving stance toward the world. Throughout this series you'…

Jackie Dobrinska and Bruce Damer chat about insight into ourselves and outsight into the world in this recording from the Ram Dass Explorers Club. The Ram Dass Explorers Club is a free virtual group wherein members delve into pivotal movements within the psychedelic renaissance while paying homage to the enduring legacy of Ram Dass. Join HERE to em…

Whether it’s presenting, facilitating, sharing in a large meeting, hosting, or some other form of being in the spotlight, Speaking in public is one of people's greatest fears which may show up in various forms: Doubt Feeling anxious or nervous Over-focusing on oneself The list goes on. So today, we are re-releasing one of the most popular practices…

How do we find the courage to create? The courage to listen to, and follow our heart? Particularly when that means living a life that may not follow the beaten path? And how might we expand our capacity to hold more than one emotion at a time, accepting and embracing the messy experience of being human, and the inevitable ups and downs of the creat…

Yesterday we released a Courageous Life conversation with Dr. James Doty. Together we explored themes from his new book: Mind Magic The Neuroscience of Manifestation and How it Changes Everything. In both the book and our conversation Dr. Doty challenges the popular narrative around manifestation, A narrative that has narrowly emphasized outward su…

For decades the practice of manifestation has been widely dismissed as self-involved, materialistic pseudoscience. Today, neuroscientist and founder of the Center for Compassion at Stanford, Dr. James Doty is back on the podcast for the 3rd time. This time to discuss what he calls an antithesis to this popular narrative around manifestation, which …

Moving through the senses, JoAnna Hardy guides listeners in a meditation to acquire stillness of the mind. Today’s 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. In this episode, JoAnna Hardy guides us through: The benefits of having clarity and a still min…

Yesterday we released a moving Courageous Life conversation with Juliana Tafur. Juliana is a journalist, award winning documentary filmmaker, and bridge builder. She serves as the Program Director for the Greater Good Science Center’s Bridging Differences initiative. During our time together she shared shared some of her story, and insights from he…

How does it feel to be seen? What is it like to be listened to in a way that you feel deeply understood? How often have you listened to others in this way? And, how often have you been listened to like this? In his book, Caring Enough to Confront, David Augsberger writes: "Being heard is so close to being loved that for the average person they are …

Distinguishing commentary from direct experience, Gil Fronsdal helps us break free from the conventions and comparisons that the mind makes. Today's 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. In this episode, Gil Fronsdal speaks to listeners about: Payi…

In yesterday’s Courageous Life episode with Dr. Todd Kashdan, the author ofThe Art of Insubordination, we unpacked the recipe for what he calls, principled rebellion: A courageous practice of going against the stream, Challenging conformity and questioning conventional ideas. But doing so from a place of heart. Rebelling in ways that are generative…

For ideas to evolve and societies to progress, Dr. Todd Kashdan argues it's vital to cultivate principled rebels. Those who who are willing to go against the stream, to challenge conformity and question conventional ideas, But to do so from a place of heart - to practice rebellion in ways that are generative (vs. destructive). This type of authenti…

When I was first learning to be a coach we had a saying before stepping into a coaching conversation: Leave your assumptions at the door and embrace curiosity. In reality we often know SO little about someone’s experience, and about their story. And when we recognize that, what seems to make the most sense is to get curious. To ask questions, And t…

What do you feel when you gaze up at the Milky Way, take in a beautiful sunset, stand before a mountain that seems impossibly high, or witness an extraordinary act of courage, kindness, or love? Often, it's a profound sense of awe - the overwhelming feeling we experience when we encounter something vast that transcends our understanding. In his boo…

On the heels of a powerful conversation with Dr. Emma Seppala we are re-releasing this Practicing Courage episode (originally #4) as it aligns intimately with the themes Emma and I explored together. Perhaps none more important than Sovereignty, which is the topic of Emma's beautiful new book: Sovereign. She defines Sovereignty as: Our innate human…

There is an internal freedom and a relationship with yourself so profoundly life-supportive and energizing that you access your fullest potential. This is sovereignty. Our innate human capacity for being resilient regardless of the chaos that life brings and for staying true to oneself and intentional regardless of outside influences. In her beauti…

To fail is human. It’s built into our experience from childhood. We begin to walk and we fall. We begin a project, we work toward a goal, or we start a business and we may fail. We experience these moments - When we are engaged in learning, When we are moving toward something we care about And we come up short. And in these moments there is an oppo…

Nina Rao interviews Nani Ma about her deep devotion to serving her guru and her service work with Ganga Prem Hospice. If you are interested in donating to Ganga Prem Hospice, you can do so through a donation to End of Life Care International with a memo specifying you would like it to go to Ganga Prem. Today’s podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Cl…

Failure is an experience that is deeply embedded into our lives. As we learn to walk we fall. As we learn to ride a bike we (usually) fall again. And yet even though it is so familiar, so intertwined with our journey through life, not all failure is created equal. Which brings up important questions: How do we fail well? What are the crucial distin…

Guiding listeners through the seven factors of enlightenment, Trudy Goodman shows us the play of awakening in daily life. Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/beherenow In this episode, Trudy Goodman holds a talk on: Loosening our grip on …

In my most recent interview with Dr. Nate Klemp, who is author of the new book Open: Living With an Expansive Mind in a Distracted World, we got the opportunity to talk deeply about opening more to life. Are you familiar with this feeling of openness? Perhaps for you it’s a sense of curiosity? Or a feeling of expansion in the mind, or in the body? …

With the avalanche of information we get every day, closing down our minds and hearts seems to be the only way to survive. We close to ourselves by compulsively checking our devices. We close to each other by getting caught in echo chambers of outrage. But what if there’s another way? In this climate of distraction and division, what if there’s a p…

Yesterday I released a conversation with Dr. Vanessa Patrick. Vanessa is a professor of marketing and the associate dean for research at the Bauer College of Business at the University of Houston. Among other things, Vanessa researches what she calls the empowered refusal - A way of saying no that stems from your identity. This empowered form of sa…

Taking us on a pilgrimage through Buddhist teachings, Gil Fronsdal describes meeting the dharma in ourselves. This recording from Spirit Rock Meditation Center was originally published on Dharmaseed.org Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com…

Have you ever said yes when you really wanted to say no? Has saying no ever been a challenge for you? These are such common experiences that today’s guest, Dr. Vanessa Patrick has written a powerful new book that addresses them head on: The Power of Saying No: The New Science of How to Say No that Puts You in Charge of Your Life. Dr. Patrick resear…

How can we meet the storms in our lives (both big and small) with greater balance, courage, wisdom, and love? It’s a huge question, I know. And the list of practices and answers is long, varied, and personal. I certainly don’t have "the answer" for you. What I do have are some observations and practices I’ve found to be particularly useful. Today I…

In a dharma talk on relative and ultimate reality, JoAnna Hardy discusses how to hold the complexity of life. This lecture was recorded at the Insight Meditation Retreat for 18–32 Year Olds and originally published by Dharmaseed. Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professiona…

Today’s conversation has been 5 years in the making. In 2018 I sat down with Mark Nepo, one of the great spiritual teachers, authors, and poets of our time. During our conversation he posed a question to walk with. Inviting me (and those tuning in) to live into the answers over time. When my heart begins to close, how do I open it again? For 5 year…

In this recording from the Ram Dass Fellowship, Jamie Catto describes surrendering to the power of Yin in our daily lives. To learn more and sign up for the Ram Dass Fellowship, visit RamDass.org/Fellowship. To support this free offering, please consider leaving a donation at RamDass.org/Donate. Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to …

Exploring mental constructs, Gil Fronsdal describes how we construct the relationships to our experiences. This recording from the Insight Meditation Center was originally published on Dharmaseed.org On this episode of the BHNN Guest Podcast, Gil Fronsdal talks about these topics: A four line Buddhist chant in Pali The impermanence of all construct…

Trudy Goodman explains how we can practice compassionate presence in all moments, even those that are uncomfortable. This time on the BHNN Guest Podcast, Trudy Goodman delves into: How we often overlook the simple practices that will make us spiritually contented Meditating while doing ordinary things Retreats and being in the present Buddhist cosm…

Dr. David Treleaven is a a writer, educator, and trauma professional whose work lies at the intersection of mindfulness and trauma. At the heart of David’s work is the notion that mindfulness is more powerful when combined with an understanding of trauma. Part of what’s behind this is the growing realization over the years that mindfulness meditati…

Renowned Buddhist teacher, Frank Ostaseski, discusses death, impermanence, and the principle of non-waiting. Today’s episode 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 join a fellowship gathering near you, visit RamDass.org/Fellowship. Today's podcast is sp…

In a reflection on absorbing the power of compassion, Matthieu Ricard shares his meditative story with Rohan Gunatillake. This episode was originally aired on Meditative Story, a podcast that combines the emotional pull of first-person storytelling with the immediate, science-backed benefits of mindfulness practice – all surrounded by breathtaking …

In her new book, Seeing Others: How Recognition Works, and How it Can Heal a Divided World, author and acclaimed Harvard sociologist, Michèle Lamont, makes the case for reexamining what we value to prioritize recognition—the quest for respect and dignity—in an age that has been defined by growing inequality and the obsolescence of the American drea…

Focusing on the ways that Buddhism points us inward, Gil Fronsdal explains the dharma in a brief and accessible way. Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/beherenow In this guest episode, Gil lectures on: Emptiness within Theravada Buddhism…

In an entire episode of guided practice, JoAnna Hardy leads listeners deeper into the sensations of the body. This dharma talk was recorded at Insight Meditation Society – Retreat Center and originally published on Dharmaseed.org. In this episode, JoAnna guides listeners towards: Stabilizing the mind and slowing down Paying attention to the sensati…