Part 1 of my interview with former Buddhist monastics Willa Thaniya Reid and Elizabeth Day, two incredible Dhamma teachers from the Ajahn Chah lineage of the Thai Forest Tradition. Their approach to meditation practice is one that I found to be very effective. Enjoy the interview! Learn about Kihikihi Meditation & Yoga, where Willa and Eliza offer a regular schedule of meditation and yoga here: http://kihikihi-meditation-yoga.org/ Donations to Willa and Eliza can be sent via PayPal to: [email protected] Also, you can check out my free resources and learn about my life/meditation coaching sessions at www.MeditateWithRanga.com :) #meditation #mentalhealth #mental #mentalhealthawareness #help #selfcare #selfimprovement #selfhelp #dhamma #buddhism

Liz Farmer is a Harvard educated Buddhist chaplain and meditation teacher based in Maine, USA. She is a lay teacher of Zen under the guidance of Roshi Joan Halifax. Like Roshi Joan, Liz has a strong penchant towards social justice. This connection between Dharma and social action is part of what makes Liz such a compelling figure for me. Liz is living proof that a love of Dharma doesn’t take you away from the world or from the suffering of others, it rather sets the conditions for compassion to flow into the world of practical matters, uncontrived and unhindered. Liz is also the founder of the Portland Dharma House, a place of residence and refuge for local practitioners across various transitions, and she sits on the board of the Spiritual Care Services of Maine. Enjoy the interview! Donations to the Portland Dharma House can be made here: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/portlanddharma Learn more about the Portland Dharma House here: https://www.portlanddharmahouse.org/giving Donations to Upaya Zen Center can be made here: https://www.upaya.org/giving/ Check out our free resources at www.MeditateWithRanga.com :)

Introducing Playing With Perception! In this episode, I riff on why meditation can be seen as playing with perception, rather than simply calming or quieting the mind.

Each of us are always (typically unknowingly) using a way of looking that participates in and fabricates what we see/experience. We can developing the ability to transform our experiences by adjusting our ways of looking at ourselves, the world and time. In other words, we can play with perception itself!

This topic is weaved into a discussion on Emptiness, a truth that when deeply seen, brings enlightenment. Enjoy!