Episode 535. Meditation for Change: Embracing Compassion and Action with Sharon Salzberg

This week on Radically Loved, leading meditation expert Sharon Salzberg discusses the impact of meditation on personal and societal levels. Sharon shares her journey and the evolution of her meditation practice, emphasizing the importance of letting go of fixed mindsets and embracing different approaches. They explore the role of loving-kindness in meditation and how it can help cultivate self-compassion and balance. Sharon also discusses the connection between meditation and social change, highlighting the need for patience and community support. They address the overwhelm of starting a meditation practice and offer practical advice for coping with uncertainty and finding structure in daily practice. In this conversation, Sharon discusses the importance of taking action and encouraging voter participation. She shares her personal commitment to voter registration and writing letters to voters. Sharon emphasizes the significance of individual actions in making a difference. The conversation also explores the idea of shifting perspective and creating space to pause, allowing for a change in mindset. Sharon reflects on the impact of her teachers and the importance of honoring those who paved the way. Finally, she shares how she feels radically loved through daily moments of pause and connection. This episode is sponsored by BiOptimizers! Go now to bioptimizers.com/radicallyloved use promo code - radicallyloved10 - to get 10% off your purchase today! Three reasons to listen to the whole episode: Let go of fixed mindsets and embrace different approaches to meditation. Cultivate self-compassion and balance through the practice of loving-kindness. Recognize the connection between meditation and social change, and the importance of patience and community support. Start a meditation practice with a commitment to consistency and evaluate the impact on daily life. Timestamps: 04:55 Introduction and Gratitude 05:41 Impact of Sharon's Work 08:09 Sharon's Journey and Insight Meditation Society 11:20 Evolution of Sharon's Meditation Practice 13:19 Changing Practice and the Role of Loving Kindness 14:31 Letting Go of Fixed Mindsets in Meditation 18:19 Meditation's Impact Beyond Internal Experience 20:13 Meditation and Social Change 21:58 Meditation in Challenging Circumstances 24:23 Cultivating Patience in a Fast-Paced Society 25:59 Finding Balance and Taking Action 31:47 Teaching Meditation and Qualities of a Good Teacher 36:40 Pausing Between Stimulus and Response 42:38 Starting a Meditation Practice and Overcoming Overwhelm 50:23 Creating Structure and Commitment in Practice 55:37 Advice for Coping with Overwhelm and Uncertainty 57:11 Choosing to Take Action 58:15 Shifting Perspective and Creating Space to Pause 59:13 Honoring Teachers and Paving the Way 1:00:39 Feeling Radically Loved Connect with Sharon Salzberg: Website: https://www.sharonsalzberg.com/  Books: https://www.sharonsalzberg.com/books  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sharonsalzberg/  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SharonSalzberg  Twitter: https://twitter.com/sharonsalzberg  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/SharonSalzbergVideo  Enjoy the Podcast? If you felt radically loved from listening to this podcast, subscribe and share it with the people you love! Love to give us 5 stars? If you do, we'd love a review from you. Help us reach more people and make them feel loved. Do you want to inspire people to take accountability and learn from their mistakes? A simple way is to share what you've learned today on social media. Don’t forget to follow and message us on these platforms! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rosieacosta/ Twitter: https::twitter.com/rosieacosta Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/radicallylovedrosie TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@itsrosieacosta Website: https://www.radicallyloved.com/  Get You Are Radically Loved the book: https://www.radicallyloved.com/book  Try Headspace for 30 days free! use code: ROSIE30  www.headspace.com  Sign up for ’The Mindful Love Hub’ on Substack: https://radicallyloved.substack.com?utm_source=navbar&utm;_medium=web&r;=2t314w Create a daily meditation ritual in just seven days! Download BUILD YOUR DAILY MEDITATION RITUAL and other freebies at https://www.radicallyloved.com/free-stuff!  Connect with Tessa Tovar: Website: https://tessatovar.com/   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tessamarietovar/  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHMYm-7kNZfulgaiCi2w8Cw Outside the Studio Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/outside-the-studio-with-tessa-tovar/id1483077110 Book of Poetry for Savasana: https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Moon-Book-Poetry-Savasana/dp/1731243588