Today, Michael welcomes Henry Shukman. Henry is a poet, author, Zen master in the Sanbo Zen lineage, and is the Spiritual Director Emeritus of Mountain Cloud Zen Center in Santa Fe, New Mexico. His new book, “Original Love: The Four Inns on the Path of Awakening,” about his unique approach to the path of meditation and spiritual awakening, is out now. Henry also created “The Way,” a new, first-of-its-kind meditation app that offers a single, long-term path into the deep end of meditation.

Highlights from their conversation include:

-Henry’s childhood growing up in a climate of secrecy then learning later that his parents were Cold War spies

-How Zen meditation allowed Henry to transcend his pain, trauma, and depression and regularly access a profound sense of oneness and love 

-How awakenings from meditation don’t always come as some “big cosmic phenomena,” but rather in small shifts that happen over time until you realize you’ve grown and healed 

-Henry’s recent bicycle accident and concussion that made him focus more on his heart because “being in his head” literally hurt too much, and how staying open-hearted is the way to being whole-hearted

-The powerful effect of community on healing; the main tenets of his new book, “Original Love” and the ‘Four Inns’ of awakening; his highly-rated new meditation app, The Way; and a whole lot more!

Next, Michael concludes with a brief guided meditation. 

Connect with Henry, discover his meditation app The Way, and get a free excerpt from his new book, “Original Love” at https://henryshukman.com/ and follow him on Instagram.     

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