Today’s topic: RETREATS! Sitting a silent meditation retreat is a virtual rite of passage for mindfulness people. But let’s be frank—sitting in silence for a number of days with only your mind for company is not necessarily a bucket full of gumdrops. Jess and I will talk about all the snakes and ladders one encounters on any given meditation retreat. Our super special guest is Roxanne Dault, of True North Insight.

Jess leads a meditation on digesting and transforming challenging emotions—either while on retreat, or in everyday life.

Today’s topic: COMMUNITY! Asian communities have been practicing Buddhism in the United States since the 1800s, with the idea of “sangha” always front and center. Yet, when the thing we think of today as mindfulness practice was brought over by white Buddhist teachers in the 20th century—from such Buddhist-leaning countries as Thailand, India, and what was then known as Burma—it’s arguable that a certain sense of community got shaved off in the crossing. Jess and Jon discuss the benefits of a community-centered engagement with dhamma practice, and what might get missed when dhamma gets too cozy with individualism. Plus, how can we make the meditation communities we occupy more inclusive? Our super special guest is Charisse Minerva, of Inward Bound Mindfulness Education; the Mindfulness in Schools Project; and the Friends School of Virginia Beach.

Jess leads a reflective meditation from the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, affirming the commitment to attend to the well-being of all those with whom we share our communities…and the world.

Jess leads a meditation towards the skillful contemplation of regret.

Today’s topic: REGRET! “They flutter behind you your possible pasts—some bright-eyed and crazy, some frightened and lost.” Today Jess and I will be talking about the lives we’ve led—the lives we’ve failed to lead—and how to deal with regret when it makes its presence known. Is regret something that mindfulness can help us avoid? Should we even be trying to avoid regret? Or is this merely a semantic problem—if we simply redefine what we’re talking about when we talk about regret, might we regret less? Our super special guest is Yong Oh, of Durango Dharma Center and Chattanooga Insight.