PICK UP ONE SMALL STONE

A meditation for taking our seat, standing our ground, and being compassionate, wise warriors. Bodhisattvas are open-hearted warriors who transform the world through compassionate wisdom. For many Buddhists, the ultimate goal is to become a fully enlightened Bodhisattva -- a Buddha. Fortunately, we don't need to be fully enlightened to be Bodhisattvas. All of us can practice becoming open-hearted warriors in our own lives. I love the image of being a baby Bodhisattva! In this

Meditation builds the habit of being present -- literally builds new neural pathways. When we practice with gentleness, we can also build the habit of kindness. Two-for-one! And who doesn't love a bargain? 22-minute practice recorded 1/6/26: Go to 3:05 to skip the intro. 16-minute practice recorded 1/7/26: Stringed instruments need to be adjusted so that the strings are at the "goldilocks" of tightness -- not so tight that they snap and not so loose that they can't be played.

A meditation for the period of transition between 2025 and 2026.

Today is the new moon. Sunday is the winter solstice. Do you, like me, find it comforting, and also a little awe-inspiring, to note nature's cycles? I find that tuning in to the rhythm of nature helps me feel held and connected -- to feel my place in the world. There is a similar sort of awe and comfort that comes from sonder. Sonder, to quote the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows, is: "the realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own—po

"The way out is in." - Zen proverb

The Buddhist story of "The Second Arrow" is a metaphor for the way in which we add on to our own suffering by piling assumptions and stories on top of whatever actually happened. Listen to the (short) story and then practice it for yourself. If you want to skip the story, go to 3:27 and you'll get right to the meditation.

Meditation is a practice of non-judgment. Meditation is also a practice that leads to discernment, which is defined as "the ability to judge well." How does the practice of non-judgment lead to "the ability to judge well"? An analogy that is often used in meditation can help to square these two, seemingly opposing concepts of non-judgment and discernment: A cup of water is scooped up from the edge of a pond. The water is muddy, containing sediment, twigs, leaves, maybe a bott

“When you walk, arrive with every step. That is walking meditation. There’s nothing else to it.” - Thich Nhat Hanh This walking meditation can be done indoors or outdoors. Pick a spot where you can walk in a straight line for roughly 20 to 30 feet -- it's also okay if the distance is shorter and/or curvy. Go to 4:30 to skip the instructions and get right into the practice. https://youtu.be/iwfkrbhT4-k

"Lighthouses don't go running all over an island looking for boats to save; they just stand their shining." - Anne Lamott // Can we be like the lighthouse Anne Lamott references? Grounded and of benefit? This meditation uses a traditional Tibetan Buddhist practice to encourage us to embody the lighthouse.

Thich Nhat Hanh tells the story of a rider galloping by on a horse. A person standing at the side of the road yells out "where are you...

"You can't stop the waves, but you can learn how to surf." - Jon Kabat-Zinn // This blog posts includes 3 different meditations around...

Meditation builds the habit of being present. The practice of noticing our thoughts and then returning to the present moment literally...

Danusha Laméris' poem "Nothing Wants to Suffer" is a beautiful introduction to the Loving-Kindness practice. Loving-Kindess is a...

Meditation helps us to see more clearly - to clean the metaphorical glasses through which we see the world. In both Buddhist meditation...

The "Alternate Sense Meditation" is a good tool to have in your toolbox for times of anxiety or overthinking. I recorded two variations...

Danusha Laméris' poem "Night Bird," provides a beautiful entry to a mindfulness meditation, inviting us to see clearly with warmth. Go to...

We meditate not to get better at meditation but to get better at being present in our lives.

This meditation uess on a concept (bodhichitta) that is practiced during Loving-Kindness. If you're not familiar with Loving-Kindness meditations, you may want to do another meditation. Go to 2:02 to skip the intro and get right into the practice.

This is an open awareness practice. We act as an observer, watching and narrating where our awareness goes. This has two potential...

We meditate not to get better at meditation, but to make the other 23.5 hours of the day more peaceful, loving, compassionate - "better," in whatever way that means to you. The practice of Loving-Kindness for Ourselves is a targeted practice for shifting our post-meditation experience. With regular practice, it starts to soften the way we interact with ourselves...and the whole world. Go to 4:23 to skip the intro and get right into the meditation.