Best Savery Podcasts (2024)

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036 -- The Importance of Fun in Mindfulness Practice; Chaplain Kyle Sorys, 10/25/22 42:21

2y ago42:21

42:21

How often do you reflect on having fun and playing as an adult? What do fun and play look like in your life? Does it result in joy? These are the questions Chaplain Kyle Sorys poses to the audience in this week’s talk. After a fifteen-minute meditation, Kyle starts by sharing his past struggles with meditation and his current exploration of includi…

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035 -- The Practice of Non-Doing: Seeing Clearly with Patience; Johnathan Woodside, 10/08/22 26:25

2y ago26:25

26:25

How has your practice resulted in a greater sense of patience and an ability to be patient? As MOI teacher Johnathan Woodside states in this talk, just by returning again and again to the present moment, we are cultivating patience. Patience involves having a nonjudgmental and non-preferential willingness to engage with what is present. It also inc…

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034 -- Guided Meditation: The Four Divine Abodes; Mark Wiesman, 09/20/22 42:27

2y ago42:27

42:27

In this week’s talk, MOI teacher Mark Wiesman leads us in a guided meditation through the Four Divine Abodes: loving-kindness, compassion, appreciative joy, and equanimity. Mark tells us that we can go to these four places anytime we need. They are tools that can help us cultivate more openness and expansiveness in our hearts and minds, which by na…

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033 -- Relating to Suffering; Anne Savery, 09/13/22 44:36

2y ago44:36

44:36

Every human being experiences suffering at some point in life. Suffering is one of the ultimate truths that connect us to all humanity. But suffering is also unique to each of us in that we all experience suffering in our own distinct ways. Thus, in this talk, MOI teacher Anne Savery asks us an important question: “What are you suffering with right…

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032 -- How Not to Have a Bad Day; Johnathan Woodside, 09/06/22 41:17

2y ago41:17

41:17

How often do you experience “bad days”? When asked this question, MOI teacher Jonathan Woodside genuinely answered that he rarely has a bad day anymore. He attributes this to two things: (1) living a skillful life by avoiding harm and (2) viewing every experience (both pleasant and unpleasant) as an opportunity for insight. Of course, this naturall…

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031 -- Craving & Clinging; Mark Wiesman, 08/16/22 47:58

2y ago47:58

47:58

What does it feel like when the mind is overcome by craving and clinging? How about when it is free? When the defilements of craving and clinging are present, we feel it in the body. We feel ourselves being pulled around and controlled by it. We become bound, fettered, and chained to it. But when the mind is free of defilements, we experience more …

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030 -- The Perfection of Patience; Anne Savery, 08/09/22 48:20

2y ago48:20

48:20

What comes to mind when you think of patience? Is it a positive or negative association? As MOI teacher Anne Savery states, part of the practice is observing our conditioning, history, and relationships with different things in the dharma. According to Anne, patience holds a variety of meanings. It involves endurance, spaciousness, forgiveness, and…

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029 -- The First Insight of Meditation; Johnathan Woodside, 08/04/22 42:21

2y ago42:21

42:21

What is it like when you notice the mind lost in stories? What is it like when the mind arrives home to the present moment and sees clearly? These are the questions MOI teacher Johnathan Woodside asks us in this week’s talk as he discusses the difficulties of staying with the present moment experience of reality. He says that noticing how busy the …

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028 -- Right Intention: Walking the Path with Attitude; Rev. Kyle Sorys, 07/26/22 51:05

2y ago51:05

51:05

How often do you notice and reflect on the attitudes and intentions you bring to an experience? How often do these dispositions lead to peace and contentment? In this week’s talk, MOI teacher Kyle Sorys introduces the topic of Right Intention, the second factor of the Noble Eightfold Path. He states that mindfulness of intention is vital to how we …

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027 -- Talking Dharma with Friends; Mark Wiesman, 07/19/22 50:39

2y ago50:39

50:39

How often do you find yourself discussing Dharma and practice with friends? For MOI teacher Mark Wiesman, it is more often than not, as Mark has lots of “dharma friends.” In this week’s talk, Mark shares four themes that have come up in his Dharma conversations with friends over the past month: (1) Can you meditate too much? (2) What is the differe…

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026 -- Happiness Through the Lens of Renunciation; Anne Savery, 07/12/22 49:03

2y ago49:03

49:03

What comes to mind when reading or hearing the word renunciation? What emotions or feelings arise? Is there an association with happiness? In this week's talk, MOI teacher Anne Savery shares the formula for happiness, mainly through the lens of renunciation. Anne explains that renunciation is often associated with letting go, but the original inten…

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025 -- The Four Great Efforts: Becoming a Curator of the Mind; Johnathan Woodside, 07/05/22 39:57

2y ago39:57

39:57

In this week’s talk, MOI teacher Johnathan Woodside discusses the Four Great Efforts, stating that they are the formula for transformation. This formula is simple: (1) diminish unwholesome states that already have arisen, (2) prevent unwholesome states that haven’t arisen from arising, (3) strengthen the wholesome states that are already developed,…

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024 -- Right View; Rev. Kyle Sorys, 06/28/22 51:25

2y ago51:25

51:25

This week’s talk is all about the first step of the Path — Right View. Traditionally Right View is understanding the Four Noble Truths and the relationship between craving and suffering. But, as MOI teacher Rev. Kyle Sorys explains, it entails much more. “Whatever teachings lead to peace, stillness, harmony, which lead to the disappearing of the pr…

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023 -- Cultivating the Garden & Planting the Seeds of Wholesomeness; Mark Wiesman, 06/21/22 51:08

2y ago51:08

51:08

Like gardening and growing crops, spiritual practice involves cultivating the mind and body. In this week's talk, MOI teacher Mark Wiesman explains how we can develop a mind inclined towards wholesome qualities of peace, contentment, compassion, and understanding. He states that it's about creating the conditions for skillful thoughts and habits wh…

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022 -- Sadhana: Exploring Spiritual Practice Through the Lens of Ritual; Anne Savery, 06/15/22 47:42

2+ y ago47:42

47:42

What does your spiritual practice look like? What type of rituals and routines are part of your practice? In this episode, MOI teacher Anne Savery shares a bit about her practice, specifically through exploring rites and rituals. She calls it her daily sadhana, which she defines as "a spiritual practice that goes straight to the goal with convictio…

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021 -- Fifth Tuesday Q&A Panel; MOI Teachers, 05/31/22 53:47

2+ y ago53:47

53:47

It is the fifth Tuesday of May, which means something a little different than usual. In this week's episode, the MOI teachers come together as a panel to answer some community questions. The topics that arise include: (1) How to deal with diminishing returns in meditation, (2) Advice regarding meditating with the eyes open, and (3) Working with our…

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020 -- The Three Trainings & The Eightfold Path; Rev. Kyle Sorys, 05/24/22 54:41

2+ y ago54:41

54:41

When venturing out on a difficult journey, it is helpful to have a map that lays out the terrain. According to MOI teacher Rev. Kyle Sorys, this is exactly what the Buddha intended when teaching the Noble Eightfold Path. In this week's talk, Rev. Kyle briefly touches on each aspect of the Eightfold Path in addition to explaining the Path in terms o…

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019 -- Insights from Retreat Practice; Anne Savery, 05/10/22 49:30

2+ y ago49:30

49:30

After sitting a seven-day retreat, MOI teacher Anne Savery shares some of the insights she has gained in this week's talk. She touches on a range of topics, such as giving ourselves permission to rest, stability, our habitual conditioning for striving, energy, expectations, and increasing our capacity for spaciousness. Most importantly, Anne emphas…

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018 -- Concentration: The Balance of Sustaining Connection; Johnathan Woodside, 05/03/22 45:21

2+ y ago45:21

45:21

Are you any good at concentrating your attention? Is your mind able to sustain a connection, or is it often fragmented? In this week's talk, MOI teacher Johnathan Woodside explains the practice of concentration, stating that it's not as difficult to achieve as you may think. When watching a movie or television show we often experience a concentrate…

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017 -- Dependent Arising & the Conditionality of Things; Mark Wiesman, 04/19/22 1:01:13

2+ y ago1:01:13

1:01:13

This week's talk is all about the conditionality of things. In Buddhism, this is known as Dependent Arising or Dependent Origination. As MOI teacher Mark Wiesman states, this teaching is "profound, hard to see and understand, unattainable by pure reasoning." As such, Mark spends the hour unpacking this challenging topic. Except for Nibbāna (the unc…

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016 -- Investigating Entanglement: How to Untangle the Tangle; Anne Savery, 04/12/22 40:23

2+ y ago40:23

40:23

Where do you get entangled? What does your mind get tangled up in? In this week's talk, MOI teacher Anne Savery investigates these questions, stating that we can become entangled in anything our mind thinks about: work, relationships, emotions, ideas, situations, etc. When we become entangled, we need tools to help untangle the tangle instead of be…

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015 -- Mindfulness: A Mind Full of Awareness; Johnathan Woodside, 04/05/22 47:05

2+ y ago47:05

47:05

What exactly is mindfulness? What are the qualities and characteristics that makeup mindfulness? In this week's talk, MOI teacher Johnathan Woodside explains the spiritual faculty of mindfulness. He defines it as present-centered awareness free from wanting our experience to be different than it is. Mindful awareness is knowing what is happening as…

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014 -- Sharing Our Practice; The MOI Community, 03/29/22 49:40

2+ y ago49:40

49:40

An out-of-the-ordinary episode in which the community of MOI shares about their individual practice of mindfulness and meditation in daily life. If you feel inspired by these teachings, and wish to practice generosity, please consider supporting MOI and its teachers by visiting, https://mindfulnessoutreachinitiative.org/generosity/…

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013 -- The Five Mindfulness Trainings; Rev. Kyle Sorys, 03/22/22 49:35

2+ y ago49:35

49:35

In this week's talk, MOI teacher Kyle Sorys speaks to the importance of morality and virtue to one's spiritual practice, which leads to a brief discussion of the Five Precepts and ends with a contemplation practice of Thich Nhat Hanah's Five Mindfulness Trainings. If you feel inspired by these teachings, and wish to practice generosity, please cons…

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012 -- Cultivating Contentment: Bringing Meditation & Mindfulness into One's Life; Mark Wiesman, 03/15/22 56:26

2+ y ago56:26

56:26

Meditating regularly and cultivating mindfulness in our day-to-day lives can be very challenging. But, as MOI teacher Mark Wiesman states in this week's talk, we have to keep remembering the reason for this practice -- to cultivate a mind of contentment. To do this is not about arriving at any state of being, or being in peaceful bliss, but simply …

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011 -- Love: The Remedy to Pain and Suffering; Anne Savery, 03/08/22 47:46

2+ y ago47:46

47:46

This week's talk, given by MOI teacher Anne Savery, is all about love and pain. "We can't have pain and suffering without love," Anne states, "and we can't have love without pain and suffering. They are two sides of the same coin." As Anne explains the connection between love and pain, she poses a few questions for us to explore, such as: (1) What …

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010 -- Energy & Effort, Johnathan Woodside, 03/01/22 52:54

2+ y ago52:54

52:54

What is your typical experience of energy in practice? Is it usually too much? Too little? It can be challenging to find the right balance of energy needed to support a daily practice. In this week's talk, MOI teacher Johnathan Woodside focuses on the relationship between effort and energy. He discusses how to work with a mind that is filled with l…

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009 -- Desire, Craving, Greed, and Wanting, Rev. Kyle Sorys, 02/22/22 58:27

2+ y ago58:27

58:27

In Buddhism, the terms desire, craving, greed, and wanting are often used interchangeably. But do they all mean the same thing? In this week's talk, Rev. Kyle Sorys explains the nuances of these terms and encourages us to explore for ourselves how they each manifest in daily life and practice. If you feel inspired by these teachings, and wish to pr…

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008 -- Moving Towards Freedom: Mindfulness and Investigation, Mark Wiesman, 02/15/22 54:55

2+ y ago54:55

54:55

Is there such a thing as Wrong Mindfulness? What do we do if it is too hard to welcome everything in our practice? And how do we practice with doubt? In this week's talk, MOI teacher Mark Wiesman addresses these questions. In doing so, he threads the importance of mindfulness and investigation when working with questions and difficulties that inevi…

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007 -- Fluidity & Fixedness: Choosing Openness and Trust over Closedness and Fear, Anne Savery, 02/08/22 52:42

2+ y ago52:42

52:42

How do we become more fluid, more open, and more wise? How do we embrace trust instead of giving in to fear? In this week's talk, MOI teacher Anne Savery unpacks the path factor of Wise View, dividing it into the two components of fluidity and fixedness. She asks us to reflect upon our own views and experiences, exploring how fluid or how fixed the…

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006 -- Confidence, Fatih, & Devotion, Johnathan Woodside, 02/01/22 52:54

2+ y ago52:54

52:54

Have you ever experienced the feeling of confidence (or faith or devotion) in your spiritual practice? Like mindfulness, it is a quality of mind to be cultivated. When MOI teacher Johnathan Woodside speaks of confidence in this week's talk, he is not referring to that of arrogance, but that which arises out of wisdom and clear seeing. He states tha…

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005 -- Exploring the Defilements, Rev. Kyle Sorys, 01/25/22 52:24

2+ y ago52:24

52:24

The mind, by nature, is radiant, shining, and pure -- like perfectly refined gold. Yet, many difficulties can arise due to visiting forces in the mind, known as defilements. In this week's talk, MOI teacher Kyle Sorys explores the primary defilements of greed, aggression, and delusion. In addition to mentioning what they are and ways to work with t…

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004 -- A Potpourri of Buddhist Topics, Mark Wiesman, 01/18/22 44:06

2+ y ago44:06

44:06

Based on past questions and conversations with students, MOI teacher Mark Wiesman discusses the following five topics: 1. Working with difficulties, especially with events from the past and worries about the future. 2. What's the purpose of this path? What to do when practice feels like it's not working or going very well. 3. Counteracting the Five…

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003 -- A Season of Pausing, Anne Savery, 01/11/22 51:46

2+ y ago51:46

51:46

In this week's dharma talk, Anne Savery discusses the importance of pausing, reflection, and contemplation as it relates to the Winter season. The cold months are a time for becoming still, slowing down, and connecting to gratefulness. "How do we slow down?" Anne asks. By scheduling in breaks, resisting the culture of business, being okay with the …

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002 -- The Generosity of Giving, Johnathan Woodside, 01/04/22 53:40

2+ y ago53:40

53:40

Johnathan gives the first Dharma talk of the year, in which he discusses the power of cultivating generosity in our practice. This practice, he emphasizes, is not about what we can get or what we can gain, but about how can we let go. It's about shifting our mindset from that of not enough to that of abundance, gratefulness, and contentment. If you…

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001 -- Commitment, Rev. Kyle Sorys, 12/28/21 54:43

2+ y ago54:43

54:43

Rev. Kyle Sorys gives the last dharma talk of 2021, in which he emphasizes the importance of commitment. Committing oneself to daily meditation practice and a continuity of mindfulness with everything in life is very challenging, but with skillful effort and intentions, the practice becomes as natural as eating and brushing one's teeth. If you feel…