Metta Hour with Sharon Salzberg

For episode 189, Sharon welcomes Dr. Simran Jeet Singh to the Metta Hour to speak about the Sikh philosophy of love and service. 

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Simran is the Executive Director of the Inclusive America Project at the Aspen Institute. Recognized among TIME Magazine’s “sixteen people fighting for a more equal America, ” he is an Equality Fellow with the Open Society Foundations. Simran is a regular contributor to The Washington Post, CNN, and TIME Magazine and writes a monthly column for Religion News Service. In July of 2022, Simran released his first book, The Light We Give: How Sikh Wisdom Can Transform Your Life, from Riverhead books. In this conversation, Simran and Sharon speak about:

• Growing up as an outsider

• Identity as a refuge

• The foremost teaching of Sikh philosophy of interconnection

• The natural expression of love is action

• Inspiration for his book“The Light We Give”

• De-centralizing the Ego

• Understanding our deeper values

• The impact of Lovingkindness on our enemies

• What does it mean to be a warrior of the heart?

• What is lost in hyper-masculinity 

• Building a healthy sense of self when living in the margins

• Honor the dignity of all the feelings that arise in us

• The motivation of anger vs. love

The episode ends with Simran leading a Sikh meditation to close the conversation. To learn more about Simran’s work visit www.simranjeetsingh.org or get a copy of his book, The Light We Give.

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For episode 188 of the Metta Hour podcast, Jason Garner joins Sharon to talk about life, practice, finding meaning, and refuge.

Jason is a spiritual seeker, author, and previously a Fortune 500 company executive. He spent the first 37 years of his life working his way up from flea market parking attendant to CEO of Global Music at Live Nation, the world's largest concert promoter. After several significant losses in his life, Jason turned to yoga, meditation, martial arts, and eastern philosophy to learn a different way of being in the world. In 2014 he wrote the book "And then I Breathed," chronicling his unique journey.

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In this conversation, Sharon and Jason speak about:

• Jason's path making his way in the world

• What led to Jason becoming a spiritual seeker

• Bringing spiritual practice of the music business

• Finding meaning in life to help navigate challenging times

• Sharon's experience in isolation during the pandemic

• The inner resource of meditation in COVID

• Jason and Sharon's shared Tibetan teacher Tsoknyi Rinpoche

• Everyone's inherent "inner okay-ness"

• How self-compassion changed the course of Jason's practice and life

• The courage to show up as a human

• Re-writing the myth of winning so "everyone gets to win"

• Collaboration versus competition

• Creating Love4Live to offer meditation resources for the music industry in COVID

To learn more about Jason, you can visit his website jasongarner.com and love4live.org

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Sharon welcomes Dr. Galit Atlas for Episode 187 of the Metta Hour.

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Galit is an author, psychoanalyst, and clinical assistant professor at New York University. She has published numerous articles and book chapters that focus primarily on gender and sexuality. Her New York Times published “A Tale of Two Twins” won a 2016 Gradiva Award, and her latest book “Emotional Inheritance” was released in January of 2022. In this conversation, Galit and Sharon discuss:

• What drew Galit to therapy

• The stigma and shame around mental health

• The definition of trauma

• How generational trauma shows up

• The effect that secrecy has on trauma and healing

• How the secrecy in Sharon’s childhood affects her

• Post Traumatic Growth

• What we must accept versus what we can change

• The role of forgiveness in healing

• The epigenetics of family trauma

• Winnicott’s “good enough” parent

• Vicarious Trauma for Caregivers

To learn more about Galit’s work, you can visit her website at galitatlas.com 

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Stephen Cope and Sharon Salzberg come together in Metta Hour to discuss dharma and the shared struggles of humanity. In this episode Sharon and Stephen talk about:

• How Stephen arrived at Kripalu Center
• Stephen's new book
• The Bhagavad Gita
• Dharma and Sacred Vocation
• Times of Struggle
• Loving Kindness vs. Hatred and Anger
• Yoga and Compassion
• Guided meditation

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Stephen Cope is a best-selling author and scholar who specializes in the relationship between the Eastern contemplative traditions and Western depth psychology. For almost thirty years, Stephen has been Scholar-in-Residence at the renowned Kripalu Center. Stephen is also the founder and former director of the Kripalu Institute for Extraordinary Living—one of the world’s most influential research institutes examining the effects and mechanisms of yoga and meditation, with a team of researchers from top universities. Stephen's new book, The Dharma in Difficult Times, is now available to purchase.

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Sharon welcomes social justice educator, yoga teacher, and author Jacoby Ballard to the Metta Hour for Episode 185.

Jacoby has taught Queer and Trans Yoga since 2006. In 2008, he Co-Founded the Third Root Community Health Center in Brooklyn as a healing and social justice space. His first book, “A Queer Dharma: Yoga and Meditations for Liberation,” was released in 2021 from North Atlantic Books.

Today's podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/metta

In this conversation, Jacoby and Sharon discuss:

• How Jacoby began his practice in high school & college

• The release of Jacoby’s new book in the time of Covid

• Applying dharma teachings to explore identity

• The path of liberation for those targeted by systems of oppression 

• Addressing the trauma in the room

• Noble silence versus silencing

• Lovingkindness in Queer communities

• Acceptance and anger 

• Forgiveness is not amnesia

• Jacoby’s self-care practices

• How to find the therapist for you

• Guidance for Queer and Trans meditators

• How to be a better LGBTQ+ ally

The episode closes with Jacoby leading a guided Mudita (joy) meditation practice. To learn more about Jacoby’s work, you can visit his website.

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Author and speaker Agapi Stassinopoulos joins Sharon for a conversation on the Metta Hour Podcast Episode 184.

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Agapi Stassinopoulos is the author of “Wake Up to the Joy of You” and “Unbinding the Heart: A Dose of Greek Wisdom, Generosity and Unconditional Love.” She leads workshops at Thrive Global, a company founded by her sister, Arianna Huffington, to help change how we work and live. Agapi’s newest book, “Speaking with Spirit: 52 Prayers to Guide, Inspire, and Uplift You,” was released in January of 2022 by Harmony Books. In this conversation, Agapi and Sharon discuss:

• Agapi’s family history in WW2

• The influence of Agapi’s mother on her path

• What happens after spiritual awakening

• The inspiration for Agapi’s new book

• Differences between prayer and meditation

• How to embrace a higher power

• Approaching prayer as a practice

• Cultivating confidence

• Spiritual versus religious

• Non-attachment in prayer

• Communion with the Divine

• Why we lose our sense of connection

• Finding the beloved inside

• Letting go of perfection to find greater joy

• The epidemic of loneliness

• Getting out of the way of our creativity

• Giving your inner critic a vacation

• Agape’s approach to grace and resilience

The episode closes with Agapi reading a passage from her book on coming home. To learn more about Agapi’s work, you can visit her website.

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Performer, author, and storyteller Joél Leon returns to the Metta Hour Podcast for Episode 183.

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Born and raised in the Bronx, Joél writes and tells stories for Black people. Specializing in moderating and leading conversations surrounding race, masculinity, mental health, creativity, and the performing arts, with love at the center of his work and purpose. He is the author of “Book About Things I Will Tell My Daughter” and “God Wears Durags, Too.” His TED talk on healthy co-parenting has been viewed over 1.5M times. In this conversation, Joél and Sharon discuss:

• Joél’s new spoken word album, “Soundtrack To a Riot”
• Contemplations on death and aging
• Making space for multiple things to be true
• The necessity of communion and community
• Navigating mental health during COVID
• The importance of inner and outer space
• The dissonance of systemic injustice and heartful living
• How context and nuance matter
• Connecting to the awe in everyday life

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Author and Psychotherapist Mark Epstein, M.D. returns to the Metta Hour Podcast for Episode 182.

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A longtime friend and colleague, Mark and Sharon first met in 1974 at the Naropa Institute in Boulder, CO. Mark is a psychiatrist in private practice in New York City and a longtime Buddhist practitioner. He is the author of several books that explore the interface of Buddhism and psychotherapy, including Going to Pieces without Falling Apart and his 2022 release, The Zen of Therapy: Uncovering a Hidden Kindness in Life. In this conversation, Mark and Sharon discuss:

• Their backstory meeting in 1974 in Boulder, CO

• Mark’s new book, The Zen of Therapy

• The Buddha’s origin story through Mark’s therapeutic lens

• How COVID is impacting Mental Health

• Exploring COVID as a collective trauma

• Mark’s insights while on a meditation retreat

• How to create a healthy holding environment for ourselves

• The importance of kindness in therapy

• The limitations of kindness

• How to find a good therapist

The episode closes with Mark leading a short guided meditation practice. To learn more about Mark’s work, you can visit his website.

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Sharon welcomes Pastor, author, and theologian Nadia Bolz-Weber to the Metta Hour Podcast for Episode 181.

Nadia is an ordained Lutheran Pastor and the founder of the House for All Sinners & Saints in Denver, Colorado. She is the creator and host of The Confessional Podcast, which invites guests to share stories about times that they were at their worst, and is executive produced by our friends over at The Moth. Nadia is the author of three New York Times bestselling memoirs: “Pastrix,” which was re-released in May of 2021, “Accidental Saints” and her 2019 release, “Shameless: A Sexual Reformation.”

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Nadia starts the conversation by sharing more about her history, and what drew her to the path. Sharon asks Nadia about her thoughts on shame, how it hinders us in our personal growth. The two talk about the inspiration for Nadia's book, Shameless, They discuss the distinction between shame, guilt and regret in Buddhist Psychology, and how we can recapture some of the energy from these states. Nadia shares her thoughts on forgiveness, both of ourselves and others, and how she approached forgiveness and a means to find greater freedom. Nadia talks about her podcast, and what her experience has been supporting others who are deeply affected by shame, and the role of a Pastor in life. They also discuss the difference between punishment versus rehabilitation in wrong-doing, and what role mercy has to play in these aspects of life. Nadia shares candidly about a recent family tragedy, and how she is processing the loss by walking the Camino de Santiago. Nadia shares her experience of trying meditation for the first time during the pandemic, and how she finds it to be different than prayer.

Learn more about Nadia: nadiabolzweber.com

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Rhonda V. Magee returns to the Metta Hour Podcast for episode 180.

Rhonda is a Professor of Law at the University of San Francisco and has spent more than twenty years exploring the intersections of anti-racist education, social justice, and contemplative practices. A Fellow of the Mind and Life Institute, Rhonda is a global Keynote Speaker, mindfulness teacher, practice innovator, storyteller, and thought leader on integrating Mindfulness into Higher Education, Law, and Social Justice. Her award-winning book, “The Inner Work of Racial Justice: Healing Ourselves and Transforming Our Communities Through Mindfulness,” was released in hardcover in 2019, and the paperback edition is now available.

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The conversation begins with Sharon and Rhonda discussing some of the ongoing assumptions about mindfulness practice and how they are often used to bypass life’s difficulties. Sharon asks Rhonda to elucidate some of the teachings from her book. Rhonda starts by explaining the concept of Racialized Bodies. Sharon shares her understanding of attribution bias and how that also affects the way that we navigate the world. They discuss how the different modalities of mindfulness and lovingkindness compare as a means to work with bias. Sharon asks Rhona to speak more about how she defines Racial Justice and what that means in daily life. They discuss some of the obstacles to cultivating empathy or emotional understanding when looking at racial issues. Rhonda shares her thoughts on Color Insight versus Color Blindness and then leads a guided meditation to close the conversation.

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