few years ago Americ Azevedo sat in a college classroom with about 15 students. It was a meditation class and he was the instructor. This past fall, that same class enrolled 603 students and took place in one of the largest lecture halls on the UC Berkeley campus. A philosopher, author and lecturer of peace studies, Americ slips through all of these categories. Serendipitously he became the acting CEO of a company in a field for which he had no formal training. He's taught an unlikely mix of university classes (philosophy, religion, leadership, finance, business and information systems), developed several virtual companies, directed the Innovation Center at Golden Gate Univer... posted on Nov 12 2013 (29,013 reads)

startling physiological effects of loneliness, optimism, and meditation. In 2013, Neil deGrasse Tyson hosted a mind-bending debate on the nature of “nothing” — an inquiry that has occupied thinkers since the dawn of recorded thought and permeates everything from Hamlet’s iconic question to the boldest frontiers of quantum physics. That’s precisely what New Scientist editor-in-chief Jeremy Webb explores with a kaleidoscopic lens in Nothing: Surprising Insights Everywhere from Zero to Oblivion(public library) — a terrific collection of essays and articles exploring everything from vacuum to the birth and death of the universe to how the concept of zer... posted on Sep 13 2014 (26,988 reads)

long suggested what neuroscience is now revealing: Our experiences are formed by the words and ideas we attach to them. Naming something play rather than work — or exercise rather than labor — can mean the difference between delight and drudgery, fatigue or weight loss. What makes a vacation a vacation is not only a change of scenery, but the fact that we let go of the mindless everyday illusion that we are in control. Ellen Langer says mindfulness is achievable without meditation or yoga. She defines it as “the simple act of actively noticing things.” What follows is the transcript of an On Being interview between Krista Tippett and Ellen Langer: ... posted on Apr 2 2018 (17,266 reads)

requires a minimum of effort, so how could other aspects of our existence, such as attention or altruism, require no effort and be developed from the beginning? It’s absurd. All our abilities are developed until they reach a certain level. Therefore, to develop our capacity of altruism requires a constant exposure to a certain way of thinking that can change our brain. And you also mentioned that there is a technique that helps people to develop their altruism: it’s through meditation… The term meditation is mystical, exotic, but its meaning is to educate oneself, to become familiar with a new way of thinking and acting while developing one’s qualities. L... posted on Jan 27 2014 (7,811 reads)

meditate. He said, "This level of rage," and even in that audience with him I was extremely angry in describing the work that I did and really raging about it and very angry. He said, “A mind that is this rageful is just out of your own control and so you need to meditate in order to reign it back in.” The first piece of advice was to meditate, really learn to be the master of your own mind. So I was, "Okay, that one I can do;" right? "I'll sign up for meditation course."  His second piece of advice was to in some way open my heart to those who have done me harm or do harm. “Open your heart to your enemies or those you perceive to... posted on Jan 27 2015 (44,362 reads)

may have been the year of the "mindful revolution," but 2015 proved that mindfulness is here to stay. The more we learn about mindfulness -- the cultivation of a focused awareness on the present moment, most commonly through meditation -- the more health and well-being benefits we discover. This year, researchers delved further into the science of meditation and uncovered even more surprising evidence of the practice's powerful effects on the mind and body. Here are the five most incredible scientific findings on mindfulness of 2015. We figured out how mindfulness improves health. We know that mindfulness is linked to a number of physical and mental health ben... posted on Jan 25 2016 (22,673 reads)

yourself whether you’re at work or at play in basically the same way. [music: “Seven League Boots” by Zoe Keating] KRISTA TIPPETT, HOST: Ellen Langer is a social psychologist who some have dubbed “the mother of mindfulness.” But she defines mindfulness with counterintuitive simplicity: the simple act of actively noticing things — with a result of increased health, competence, and happiness. Her take on mindfulness has never involved contemplation or meditation or yoga. It comes straight out of her provocative, unconventional studies, which have been suggesting for decades what neuroscience is pointing at now: our experience of everything is forme... posted on Mar 28 2016 (25,199 reads)

way. Sure, it was Christian based yet it was a model for me of how one might have a deep devotional commitment to practice a discipline—a practice that would be a support for doing the difficult work in the world. My grandmother cleaned houses for other people. She did not have a glamorous job but because of her contemplative and religious commitment she had a sense of her own wholeness and value. Fast-forward to me today—the practices I engage in are heavily in eastern meditation and traditions of study, primarily Buddhist meditative experience. So my practice every day is kind of a sitting meditation practice accompanied by study. I am also involved primarily in on... posted on Jun 1 2017 (13,557 reads)

Simon: You’re listening to Insights at the Edge. Today, my guest is Sharon Salzberg. Sharon is a beloved meditation teacher and a New York Times bestselling author. She’s the co-founder of the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts, the host of the Metta podcast. And she’s created several audio meditation guides and courses with Sounds True, along with being a wisdom teacher, featured as part of Sounds True’s Inner MBA program, where she teaches on loving-kindness at work. For Sharon, the practice of meditation and inner inquiry are deeply connected to working on real change in the world. Here, she talks about what it ... posted on Apr 8 2022 (2,596 reads)

interest areas. As some examples, their work led to the banning of the harmful insecticide, DDT, and to an increase in the accountability of corporate boards. Charlie continued the work of a social entrepreneur by serving as a founding member and dean of the City University of New York Law School (CUNY), a rather unique law school due to its public interest and curriculum. As Charlie notes in his book, it was during his challenging time at CUNY that he was exposed to the practice of meditation. For Charlie, meditation really opened up a space for the cultivation of wisdom, which is the heart of our discussion today. Since then, Charlie has come to see the practice of wisdom as... posted on Jul 13 2017 (6,457 reads)

and simply let it be, without being attached to it or elaborating on it in any way. In other words, we don’t think about what comes up in our minds — we can just be aware of the thought. When you notice a sensation, feeling, or thought, you can let it be and gently return your attention to the present moment. If you feel happy, just notice that you feel happy without having an opinion about it. Similarly, if you feel sad, just feel sad. One of the most helpful mindfulness meditation instructions I ever received was to visualize thoughts as if they were bubbles floating in the air and to touch them gently with an imaginary feather so they burst, returning me to the pres... posted on May 3 2021 (58,646 reads)

And I’m wondering if you can talk a little bit about that and how it relates to your teachings on the Aramaic Jesus. NDK: Well, yes, that really is an essential feature of the way I teach, both in my seminars as well as the way that I present at the various programs that I’ve done for Sounds True. I found that because of the nature of this—and because, really, my work is about spiritual experience and trying to decode, if you will, Jesus’ way of prayer, his meditation and his spirituality—it’s important to give people some sense of how this could have felt. What would it mean? Not just in words, but what would it feel like. And so I’ve ... posted on Jul 28 2021 (7,259 reads)

18, 2015 “Drumming may be the oldest form of active meditation known to humanity.” What could meditation and drumming possibly have in common? I’ve been asking myself this question ever since I heard world-famous sound healing expert Jill Purce say “The purpose of sound is silence.” First, both meditation and drumming help us get out of our heads and into our hearts. They just go about it in different ways. In meditation, placing our attention on the breath occupies the mind. In drumming, the rhythm becomes a mantra that captures our attention. You can’t drum while thinking. Both act as mind sweepers; to clear the mental space of worries and n... posted on Sep 6 2022 (3,788 reads)

else's handcuffs too. There are those who use anger, sarcasm and parody to confront unjust action.  Pancho does it with just the simple -- and radical -- power of love.   If he had a superpower, that would be it.  He is a fearless soldier of compassion, unconditionally willing to hold up a fierce mirror of love.   For Pancho, the whole World, every moment, is his field of practice.  When he was recently asked what nourishes him, his response was clear: meditation and small acts of kindness.  Meditation deepens his awareness while small acts of kindness deepens his inter-connectedness.  Or as Pancho would sum it up, "Meditation is the ... posted on Nov 29 2011 (166,493 reads)

the ugliness of evil and have recognized that the wrongdoer has a nature related to my own -- not of the same blood or birth, but the same mind, and possessing a share of the divine. And so none of them can hurt me. Aurelius believed that all men are made to cooperate with one another, like the "rows of the upper and lower teeth." True peace comes from within. Many of us live frantic, high-octane lives -- and we may fantasize about getting away from it all by going on a meditation retreat or taking time off from work to travel. But, as Aurelius strongly believed, you don't need to escape your environment to find a sense of calm. We can access serenity any time in... posted on Mar 29 2014 (105,415 reads)

the east, even though I wasn’t born around any Chinese people and I grew up in a rural town in Ohio. My name “Wu De” actually means “of nothing” so it’s only fitting that I come from nowhere. When I was 2 years old, one of the first acts I did was write a letter to Santa Clause that I wanted a Chinese sister. Then again when I was 3 years and 4 years old I asked for the same thing. They finally gave me a doll. Later, a study of martial arts led to tea and meditation. At the end of next year, I will have spent half my life in Asia. Suzanne: Being that you laid deep roots and made it home, can you share with everyone what you feel in this moment that ... posted on Aug 5 2017 (9,577 reads)

stuff done, realize a potential, serve a cause, help a friend. The fact is, endless time is always there—ready to flood in whenever we have sense enough to lay down our perceived burdens. If I can give up for a moment the problems that seem so important, so immediate, so real, then I will find myself immersed in another order of reality—the world of sound, touch, taste, smell, and unrecognized feelings. That could be where joy begins. And while Endless Time can be like prayer or meditation, casting off the cares of the day for a private moment of quiet in the back room, the funny thing is that this wider space can open just as easily on a crowded subway platform where a mass ... posted on Aug 29 2017 (19,772 reads)

Brownie camera. Anybody have a camera like that? Ms. Tippett: Rest in peace, Kodak, right? [laughs] Ms. Halifax: Remember that, those little boxes with the little gray button on the side, the thumb button with the ridges? You remember that camera? And I started taking photographs, and it’s been a lifelong joy for me. It’s not about being a photographer, but it was about seeing inside. Ms. Tippett: And then you’ve described discovering Buddhism and meditation in your 20s as another experience of learning to see inside, then, in a different way. Ms. Halifax: You know, Krista, to link it back to this childhood opportunity I was given, my f... posted on Jan 23 2018 (15,850 reads)

follows is the edited transcript of an Awakin Call with Giang. You can listen to the recording here. Xiao: Today I'm very excited to be moderating this phone call. Giang came to America for graduate school, went back to Vietnam and a year later she discovered the amazing path for herself to serve the community. I really admire Giang's effort to go back and do the magic. How are you, Giang, today? Giang: Me? I am happy. It happened that I am also at a retreat, a meditation retreat in a national park this weekend. So I just feel wonderful. Xiao: Wow. I'm very happy that you are taking time for yourself. It must be a long day for you. The first ques... posted on Sep 5 2018 (3,650 reads)

what to do and what not to do if we want to stay poised and upright when life gets turbulent. [You can listen to the audio of this podcast here.] TAMI SIMON: Welcome to the Michael Singer Podcast. Michael Singer is the author of two widely influential New York Times bestsellers, The Untethered Soul and The Surrender Experiment, both considered modern classics on the spiritual journey. Michael Singer lives and teaches at the Temple of the Universe, the yoga and meditation center he founded in 1975, near Gainesville, Florida. Produced in partnership with Shanti Publications, the Michael Singer Podcast brings you select recordings from Michael Singer... posted on Dec 31 1969 (101 reads)