Relationship is always necessary, always there, whether with other people or with ourselves. To absorb into comfortable relationship, and clear this area from greed, hatred and fear, there has to be a lot of negotiation, the back and forth movement of disengaging, then returning again. This is true yoga of the heart. To keep the heart flexible and responsive, brahmavihārā ‘asanas’ are suggested.

Sometimes we feel torn apart by life and unable to cope. Healing may be slow to come but our meditation practice can enhance that process. If we contemplate the fearsome winds of life in such a way that we deeply understand their impermanent nature, we will also understand that they are unsatisfactory and empty of any 'self'. That will be the dawning of the heart's true peace.

While fear is a natural part of our make up, many of us suffering when the “on” button gets jammed. This talk looks at how our fears generate habitual patterns of physical tension, anxious thinking, emotions and behaviors; and how this constellation prevents us from inhabiting our full wisdom and love. We then explore two interrelated pathways of healing—unconditional presence, and resourcing, or cultivating access to safety and belonging (from the 2018 IMCW Fall Retreat).

The Buddha said, “I would not be teaching this (a path of awakening) if genuine happiness and freedom were not possible.” While this is our potential, we each have deep conditioning to get stuck in feelings of fear, deficiency and separation from others. These talks explore the two interdependent pathways of undoing the conditioning that blocks our potential. In Part I we will look at how we can intentionally arouse states of wellbeing, and with practice, develop them into ongoing traits that bring presence and joy to our lives. In Part II, we will investigate how to cultivate an unconditional presence, and the radical acceptance and love, that are the grounds of true happiness and inner freedom.

We each live with uncertainty and the fear of rejection and loss, and we each are conditioned to avoid feeling or expressing that vulnerability. Yet intimacy with this unlived life is the gateway to connecting authentically with others, full aliveness and spiritual realization. These talks explore the ways that we defend ourselves, and the pathway to gently, wisely and intelligently disarming and freeing our hearts. (a special talk from the archives)

We each live with uncertainty and the fear of rejection and loss, and we each are conditioned to avoid feeling or expressing that vulnerability. Yet intimacy with this unlived life is the gateway to connecting authentically with others, full aliveness and spiritual realization. These talks explore the ways that we defend ourselves, and the pathway to gently, wisely and intelligently disarming and freeing our hearts.

What do we fear the most? Love, unconditional love. Learning to see intuitively, we truly see. And when we have eyes to see, we are fearless. We may not feel fearless but we know how to face our fear – to know it as it truly is. That’s how we vanquish it – right there. Never give up a heart of love but give up fear of suffering. With faith in our deepest intention to free ourselves, courage rises up. We remember the pure love hidden behind the mask of fear. It is a harmlessness, a radiance, an inexhaustible peace. True disarmament is not in the world but in the heart.

With French Translation. Recorded in a tent in the rain. Exploring anger, and fear, in an attempt to find the love and benefit within them, and within us.

With French Translation. Shaping perception.

Brief description: How can we hold and meet the challenges of our time? Rather than falling into helplessness and despair, we can metabolize our fears and worries into energy and courage, allowing ourselves to be stirred up and to feel a sense of urgency. One specific area of practice is to see through our ways of perceiving and conceiving the world and self. Understanding the dependent and fabricated nature of all experience we can consciously and creatively play with ways of looking that contribute to peace, happiness, and harmony.