This talk explores the fundamental elements of fear and how to release what is between you and feeling free.

You’ll learn about the essential nature of anxiety, the cause and the release of suffering through the transformative practices of awakening the Wise Heart.

This talk explores strategies for working with fear and anxiety.

You’ll learn how you can move from threat mode to opportunity mode and strategies for working with fear and anxiety in the body as well as a particular strategy for working with thoughts and beliefs.

This talk explores the second step of the Eightfold Path, Wise Intention—the heart’s compass that points us toward freedom. Rooted in the Buddha’s teachings, Wise Intention asks us to orient our lives around letting go of what doesn’t serve, cultivating goodwill instead of ill will, and living with compassion that seeks to do no harm. Through stories, reflections, and practical examples, we’ll look at how our inner intentions quietly but powerfully shape our choices, our relationships, and ultimately, our destiny.

You’ll learn how to recognize the subtle intentions behind your daily actions, how to release clinging and cultivate generosity of spirit, and how to bring kindness and compassion into even the smallest moments of your life. With teachings drawn from Theravāda practice and contemporary experience, this talk offers both inspiration and practical tools for setting intentions that align with your deepest values and bring more freedom into your day-to-day life.

This talk explores the profound practice of coming home to the body—not as an object to fix or improve, but as sacred ground for awakening. Drawing on early Buddhist teachings and somatic insights, we’ll reflect on what it means to honor the body as a temple of presence. Through stor25ies, reflections, and practical guidance, we’ll explore how sensation itself can become a direct path to freedom.

You’ll learn how to ground attention in the felt sense, meet difficult sensations with compassion, and uncover insight through embodied awareness. Whether you’re dealing with physical discomfort, emotional turbulence, or simply longing to feel more alive, this talk offers a powerful invitation to inhabit your body with reverence and presence.

This talk explores the power of streaming thoughts toward love, compassion, kindness, joy and equanimity.

You’ll learn about the origin of the heart practices, how here love starts as a thought and moves into an experience, the system for loving kindness and what it means to be awake both in heart and mind.

This talk explores the practice of Bare Attention and how suffering ceases in the experience of gratitude.

You’ll learn about the distinction of the linear mind and the intuitive mind, the practice Bare Attention and a technique for opening to gratitude as a way of shifting the mind to a more fluid and intuitive state.

This talk explores how to deconstruct beliefs.

You’ll learn about the origin of thoughts and beliefs, the art of interrupting the stream of thinking, the art of deconstructing beliefs and the importance, when you do this work, to err on the side of safety and self-care.

This talk explores the power of noting or labeling your inner experience.

You’ll learn how you can cut through discursive thinking by training your attention to the sense fields, but also what it means to ‘take the seat of the witness’ and note or label what is happening inside.

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 intensive practice.

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 about Jeff’s coaching:

https://jefffajans.com/creative-performance-coaching-creative-coach-jeff-fajans/

To book a free 45-minute coaching session:

https://calendly.com/jeff-fajans/45-min-intro-coaching

30 Day Creative Momentum Challenge:

https://jefffajans.com/30-day-creative-momentum-challenge/

As your practice deepens, you may begin to notice you are less identified with your thoughts.  'Observing without judgement' can open all kinds of new possibilities.  

This talk explores some strategies for shifting your relationship to thinking.

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 talk explores how the Buddha’s Eightfold Path offers a clear, practical guide to living with greater wisdom, compassion, and inner freedom in everyday life. We’ll look at how each step on the path supports both personal transformation and the well-being of others.

Wise View, the first step, invites us to see life as it truly is—recognizing impermanence, the causes of suffering, and the possibility of liberation. It’s about shifting from a narrow, self-centered perspective to a broader understanding that our thoughts, actions, and attitudes shape our experience.

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 medicines under the care of professional and skilled guidance, there is no substitution for a regular meditation practice, affliction with like-minded people and having access to wise and compassionate guidance in the arena of spiritual awakening.

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 explores how to begin a mindfulness practice by starting exactly where you are. Rather than striving for a particular state or trying to “do it right,” we look at how mindfulness arises through simple remembering—the act of returning to presence, again and again. We’ll reflect on how the breath can become a reliable ally, how intention can quietly shape our experience, and how there’s no wrong way to begin.

We’ll explore four key themes: (1) how mindfulness is the practice of remembering presence, (2) the power of starting just as you are, without needing to fix or change anything, (3) how setting intention deepens and sustains your practice, and (4) the breath as a steady anchor in the midst of life’s swirl. Through stories, guided reflection, and practical tools, you’ll learn how to plant the seeds of a lifelong practice.

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 using Focusing but also other experiential and existential practices.

The Living Process on YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLx3FqA70kQWuHCHmEiZnkn1VcrRIPbcvk

All about Dr. Greg Madison:  https://www.gregmadison.net/about-greg/

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.

What does it mean to live a life of integrity?

You’ll learn the importance of defining your North Star and explore some helpful models that can help you refine what worked, what didn’t work and what most calls you forward in the year ahead.

I also share a few highlights from my 2024 Annual Review.

More on how to keep you keel in the water when navigating uncertainty.

You’ll learn some practical strategies for finding ‘refuge,’ a place of presence, particularly accessing Wisdom - clear seeing, Compassion - a heart that can hold it all, Presence - the space of awareness itself, and Skillful Action - strategies for staying deeply present in the midst of change.

This talk explores how you might cultivate greater steadiness in turbulent times.

You’ll learn some practical tools for finding refuge in present-moment awareness, in cultivating Witness Consciousness and in watching the flow of phenomena with awake awareness and an open heart. 

This talk explores how tapping into gratitude can truly transform your life.

You’ll learn how you can overcome your innate instinct toward self-centeredness and self-preservation and how you can change this in a way that can cultivate a greater sense of connectedness, resourcefulness and if nothing else, seriously stimulate your pre-frontal cortex.

This talk explores happiness as your essential nature.

You’ll learn how the intention to be truly happy cultivates clarity, wisdom and the realization of the inter-connectedness of your life. 

This talk is live from the Unitarian Universalist Church in Arlington, VA in 2016.

This talk explores how to find the equilibrium between skillful action and skillful release.

You’ll learn how much of meditation practice (and life) calls for focus and sustained attention. But too tight a grip on focus can lead to missed opportunities, fresh insights and new possibilities. Learning to rest in presence can open intuitive faculties - when properly balanced.

This talk explores how to embrace impermanence.

You’ll learn about the inevitability of change and how understanding your reactivity and biases can help you access a quality of awareness that can help you move from reactivity to wisdom, compassion, creativity and enthusiasm. 

This talk is a continuation of how to bring aliveness to your practice. 

You’ll learn some inner practices as well as the invaluable qualities of finding like-minded people and the impact community can have on being more awake in your life.  

This talk explore how to cultivate inspiration in your practice, particularly when it gets challenging.  

You’ll learn why we stop practicing and a variety of tips, tricks and techniques for keeping your practice alive, vibrant, interesting and engaging. 

This talk is from the fifth evening of a week-long Vipassana Retreat.

You’ll learn how meditation increases your sensitivity to how you hold on, how the intention to let go can set in motion a process that brings you in direct contact with the mystery — and how letting go and letting be are required to wake up to the nature of reality.

Here’s my interview with the wonderful Shawn Parell, a wonderful teacher, guide and passionate student of the dharma.

We discuss the evolution of practice, the power of somatic awareness, how to balance daily life with deep practice and how meditation can be a wonderful tool for self-discovery.

For more about Shawn and her offerings, go to  www.shawnparell.com, Instagram @ShawnParell for weekly meditations and prompts for practice and lots more. 

This talk explores some of the mistaken beliefs about the practice of meditation.

You’ll learn how meditation is not a quick fix for your problems, is not about escaping reality and how this practice is both an art and science … and can dramatically transform your life.

This talk explores the art of new beginnings.

You’ll learn how important it is to embrace your first reaction when things change, how to soften and release the past, how to open to new possibilities and how to engage into what most calls you forward.

This talk explores mindful strategies for overcoming procrastination.

You’ll learn different ways we put things off, what gets in the way of the flow state, what flow feels like and for me, the most important question for sparking creative juices.

Jeff Fajains, Phd, offers a 30 Day Creative Momentum  and helps creators bring their ideas to life.  More on Jeff here:  https://jefffajans.com/

This talk explores how to work with acute anxiety.

You’ll learn how to identify the triggers that cause feelings of overwhelm and some strategies for working panic, whether it be for yourself or when you accompany another when waves of intense anxiety arise.

This talk explores the nature of ‘true nature.’

You’ll learn more about the nature of ‘true nature,’ what gets in the way of experiencing this primal quality of being and some doorways of practice that can bring you into an intimate, embodied sense of presence.

This talk explores the mechanics for entering the flow state.

You’ll learn the role mindfulness plays in setting up the flows state, a review of triggers that can be helpful, how applying the principles of flow to meditation can deepen your practice and some cautions and concerns about the practice.

This talk explores what it means to be in flow.

You’ll learn about the magic of being in the flow state, some distinctions between mindfulness and flow and how to be more aware of how you consciously or unconsciously sabotage the flow state.

This talk explores the power of willful attention inwardly as well as in the world.

You’ll learn some strategies for inner focus in your meditation as well as some outer focus to cultivate sustained attention on what is most important to you in your life right now.

This talk explores the power of willful attention.

You’ll learn what the Buddha said about concentration and liberation, some essential practices for deepening focus and how skillfully applying concentration can open up new inner worlds.