In this talk Dave discusses the process of integrating heart practices within the four foundations of mindfulness. Mindfulness practice unites the steadiness of concentration with the immediacy of moment to moment experience. As we learn to collect the body and mind, intuitive wisdom arises. This allows us to open to the truth of each moment’s experience within and around us. Metta (kind-friendliness) meditation practice calls forth the beautiful spiritual emotions within our heart: kindness, compassion, empathetic joy and equanimity. Mindfulness of these qualities strengthens and brings them into fruition. This process guides our thoughts, attitudes and behaviors into the direction of awakening to our full potential.
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Daily Meditation Recordings, with Zohar Lavie – Week of March 14, 2022
This week’s theme is: Gathering in the Goodness. ‘Drop by drop the pot of goodness is filled.’ -Buddha. Gathering in community we become more than the sum of our parts. We are each supported by, and supporting others — meditating alone is far less easy. Just so, in each moment of mindfulness we gather body-heart-mind from distraction into presence and open possibilities for greater and greater well-being; not just for ourselves, but for all beings.
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Daily Meditation Recordings, with Ulla Koenig – Week of Nov 15, 2022
This week’s topic is Kindle the Flame. Metta practice, which nourishes the heart’s capacity for friendliness, brings many benefits. It softens our relationship to ourselves, nourishes us with a sense of connection, puts challenges into perspective and offers a safe ground from which we can meet life with a sense of care. We dedicate this week to (re)ignite the flame of metta, using as an inspiration the Karaṇīyamettā Sutta, a famous discourses of the Buddha.
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Daily Meditation Recordings, with Jaya Rudgard – Week of November 7, 2022
This week’s theme is A Gentle and Playful Heart”. A week of morning meditations orienting to the qualities of playfulness and gentleness. When we neither meet ourselves or each other with harshness nor take ourselves too seriously, we find a genuine inner strength. Whether we feel we have lots of energy and motivation for practice, or little, exploring these qualities will refresh the heart and mind and support us in meeting the challenges of our week.
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For the love of mindfulness!
Recorded :
April 3, 2016 Mindfulness practice has burst out of its Buddhist origins and is hugely impacting the culture at large, particularly in the fields of education, healthcare and business. Some delight in the liberating possibilities of this, and some are concerned about what they see as the ‘dumbing down’ of the practice, or the exclusion of important areas…
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Cultivating True Equanimity
Recorded :
April 26, 2026 Equanimity is often misunderstood as disengagement or neutrality, yet true equanimity is a deeply alive, responsive and steady spaciousness that allows us to stay present in the midst of complexity and pain. In this session, we’ll explore the traditional Buddhist teachings on the “near” and “far” enemies of equanimity-how the near enemies of indifference and…
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Impermanence
Recorded :
October 6, 2024 Anicca, usually translated as “Impermanence” or “Inconstancy,” is one of the three characteristics of all worldly experience. It’s the one of those characteristics we can usually get some understanding of right away. But the deeper implications of anicca are quite profound and that’s what we will explore together.
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The Path of the Bodhisattva: Choosing a Life of Kindness
Recorded :
November 12, 2023 The path of the Bodhisattva asks us to dedicate ourselves to the well-being of all sentient beings – to show up as best as we can for ourselves, each other, and the natural world with a quality of no-matter-whatness. It’s an impossible though necessary task. Yet the teachings and practices of everyday dharma offer accessible,…
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Living From a Sense of Call and Response
Recorded :
November 26, 2023 Deep listening goes beyond merely using our ears; it encompasses engaging our eyes, hearts, and bodies as well. As practitioners of meditation, we can also learn to listen with mindful awareness. In this session, we will explore how call and response, a musical concept, also applies to meditation and our daily interactions. Join us, and…
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