How do we keep the heart open and strong amidst so much pain and suffering in our world? What does our contemplative practice have to offer in times of upheaval and change? Join author and Dharma teacher Oren Jay Sofer for this session focused on building inner resources to heal our hearts and respond effectively to the challenges of our times.
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Letting your heart break … open.
Recorded :
December 13, 2015 Martin looks at current events with an eye on the suffering of refugees, the climate emergency and growing Islamophobia, exploring how we can both empathize with and respond to human suffering, while also cultivating joy, gratitude and ease of heart.
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Daily Meditation Recordings, with Sophie Boyer – Week of March 27, 2022
This week’s topic is “Movement in Stillness”. The flow of life is unpredictable, and its instability and the changes it presents often throw us off balance. The Buddha suggests adopting an approach where beauty and freedom can emerge at the center of this “movement in stillness.” Throughout this week, we will explore the challenges that arise when facing the realities of birth, life, and death, and how open, stable attention and clear perception can support a deeper understanding of the natural flow of all things.
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Daily Meditation Recordings, with Nathan Glyde – Week of June 14, 2021
This week’s theme is: Contentment Blockers
The Buddha named five key ways access to contentment is blocked, and gave clear and profound teachings that break through to the peace, joy, and freedom they obscure.
Our hearts and minds can be pulled into a mission of greed, or sucked into aversion and rejection. We often swing between restlessness and sluggishness. It is normal to doubt the possibility of developing our experience in more free and delightful ways.
This week we will explore the possibilities available to us to calm habitual patterns and invite vibrant-tranquility.
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Embodying cultural diversity: dancing with the basket of virtue
Recorded :
July 2, 2017 Our Sangha has been predominately white since it branched off from the Asian countries. This Dharma talk offers a path for deeper inquiry and greater insight into how we can embody cultural diversity. The Eight Noble Truths will guide us toward a healthier way of conducting ourselves in the arena of cultural diversity, taking a…
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A Relational Dhamma
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October 17, 2021 If humans are intrinsically relational creatures, how do we integrate this understanding with the Buddha’s teachings on suffering and its cessation? Relational suffering and craving? Dependent origination? In this session, we explore the power and necessity of a relational understanding of the Buddha’s teachings. We discuss and practice relational aspects of the path, including the…
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Daily Meditation Recordings, with Martin Aylward – Week of 16 February, 2026
This week’s theme is: Going Gently Through the Dark
A week of practice together, navigating both the darkness of winter and the inner states that can also feel dark, barren, wintry. A week of meditation and of community, of teachings and practice, or reminding ourselves of the preciousness and the possibilities of a flourishing human life.
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Cultivating Resilience: Heart-Mind Awareness in Challenging Times
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May 11, 2025 This session focuses on finding freedom from suffering by validating our emotions and deepening our connection to the present moment. We will explore how non-judgmental awareness can help us release limiting beliefs and cultivate inner peace.
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The Phases of Insight
Recorded :
April 7, 2024 Similar to the phases of the moon, our spiritual practice is full of natural rhythms and seasons. In this session we will learn a simple chart, called the phases of insight, that supports recognizing what can unfold at various points in meditation. By learning these patterns we can open our hearts with more confidence, and attune to…
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