Category: Meditation

Kamilah Majied: Joyfully Just

The painful injustices we see across society may seem insurmountable. Yet as therapist and author Dr. Kamilah Majied teaches, “Undoing some of the injustice that we do to ourselves and others is actually one of the most joyful things we can do.” Instilling joy into our social change work is the theme of Dr. Majied’s new book, Joyfully Just, and the subject of this inspiring conversation hosted by Tami Simon. 

Give a listen to this energizing and infectious discussion of: the power of literacy; exploring the roots of suffering; uncovering and healing our unconscious biases; the destructive limitations of our “isms”; releasing the song that wants to burst forth; using our creativity to transmute suffering into joy; making a genuine resolution to be joyful; an enlightened experience of grief; a daily mantra—“let me manifest my highest self, my greater self, my most wise, courageous self”; gratitude and growth; the freedom to create value out of suffering; living with courage; honest conversations; the concept of Black joy; resilience; the contagious nature of “undefeated joy”; respect as the act of looking again; connecting with our heritage and appreciating our interdependence; language as a meditative practice; the shift from cultural appropriation to reparative relationality; resisting despair and “suffering with determination”; self-worth; overcoming the bias of ableism; the practice of “a new moment resolution”; and more.

Note: This episode originally aired on Sounds True One, where these special episodes of Insights at the Edge are available to watch live on video and with exclusive access to Q&As with our guests. Learn more at join.soundstrue.com.

Henry Shukman: Allowing, Welcoming, and Loving

There is a boundless goodness at the heart of this and every moment. And the path to realizing this goodness directly and more continuously is often what we would least expect. In this podcast, Tami Simon speaks with poet, author, and Zen meditation teacher Henry Shukman about his personal journey and the insights he shares in his latest book, Original Love

In a conversation that will appeal to both meditators and non-meditators alike, Tami and Henry discuss: suffering, love, and the awakening of the world; being simultaneously broken-hearted, open-hearted, and wholehearted; the practice of allowing; how our most difficult feeling states become portals to higher awareness; Buddhism’s Five Hindrances; the discovery of emptiness; the four faces of awakening and what Henry calls, “no way but through” and “blazing forth”; finding the spiritual practice that fits you best; the meditative state known as absorption; choosing to love oneself; and more.

Note: This episode originally aired on Sounds True One, where these special episodes of Insights at the Edge are available to watch live on video and with exclusive access to Q&As with our guests. Learn more at join.soundstrue.com.

Sam Harris, PhD: Cutting Through to Consciousness With...

How do meditation and mindfulness accelerate moral progress? Is spiritual insight alone sufficient to solve today’s problems? Dr. Sam Harris is a five-time New York Times bestselling author, philosopher, neuroscientist, and host of the popular podcast Making Sense. He is also someone who has practiced meditation for more than 30 years, having studied with teachers in Tibetan, Burmese, Indian, and Western traditions. Here, Tami Simon sits down with Sam Harris for a deep conversation on the nature of consciousness and the implications of spiritual realization. 

Tune in for this “aha moment”–filled podcast exploring: the illusion of the self and the default state of identity; advaita and nonduality; two different types of mystery; the future of AI; psychic phenomena; synchronicity, superstition, and skepticism; a new perspective on how to be happy; the superpower of noticing; tantra; Dzogchen and “the goal as the path”; looking for what is looking; resolving the view; becoming mindful of “the glimpse”; meditating from the neck down; and more.

Note: This episode originally aired on Sounds True One, where these special episodes of Insights at the Edge are available to watch live on video with exclusive access to Q&As with our guests. Learn more at join.soundstrue.com.

Ep 10 Bonus: Callings and Resources

This bonus episode will support you to take the main insights from Episode 10, “We Are the Great Turning,” deeper into your life. 

Jess will guide you through an adaptation of the Work That Reconnects exercise called “Callings and Resources.” In it, you and a friend will take turns interviewing each other. You’ll name a contribution you’d like to make in service of the Great Turning, take inventory of the resources you have and need to achieve your goal, and clarify the small next steps you can take. 

All you’ll need for this bonus exercise is paper and pen, or a digital notes app, and a place where you can get comfortable, share freely, and listen carefully. 

We recommend starting a podcast club with friends or family to do these practices together. Links and assets to help prompt reflection and build community can be found with every episode on WeAreTheGreatTurning.com.

Ep 9 Bonus: The Bodhisattva Check-In

This bonus episode will support you to take the main insights from Episode 9: “Live the Questions Now” deeper into your life. 

Jess will guide you through an adaptation of the Work That Reconnects exercise called “The Bodhisattva Check-In.” In Buddhism, the bodhisattva is the archetype of the compassionate person who devotes themself to collective well-being. 

In this exercise, you will be invited to use your imagination to “step in” to each of the circumstances of your life in order to make the contribution to the Great Turning that is yours to make. 

All you’ll need for this bonus exercise is enough space to take slow meditative steps in a straight line or in a circle. A living room or a yard are great. If you don’t want to or can’t walk, there will be instructions on how to do this without moving. You’ll need a total of 20 minutes, including time after the recording has ended.

We recommend starting a podcast club with friends or family to do these practices together. Links and assets to help prompt reflection and build community can be found with every episode on WeAreTheGreatTurning.com.

 

Ep 7 Bonus: Seventh Generation Exercise

This bonus episode will support you to take the main insights from Episode 7: “We Are a Part of a River of Time” deeper into your life. 

Jess will guide you through an adaptation of the Work That Reconnects exercise called “The Seventh Generation,” which she talks about in Episode 7. We recommend listening to the episode before doing this bonus. In this exercise, you will be invited to use your imagination and do some creative, guided role-playing with a friend, where one of you will speak as yourself, and the other will speak as a future being. 

For this exercise, you’ll need a friend and a place that is quiet enough for you to sit face-to-face and talk freely.  

We recommend starting a podcast club with friends or family to do these practices together. Links and assets to help prompt reflection and build community can be found with every episode on WeAreTheGreatTurning.com.

 

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