Many of us are well versed in the art of giving thanks or demonstrating acts of kindness around this time of year. Yet what if  we were to set the intention to make appreciation, generosity, and acts of kindness an integral part of our spiritual practice all year through? According to episode guest Rev. Robert Brumet, such a daily demonstration of benevolence would be only the right thing to do.

They say when the student is ready the teacher appears. So exactly how does one go about finding a meditation teacher anyway? Class is in session during this episode’s meditation practice, designed to help us tap into our inner guru.

You might want to bring a bite to enjoy during this episode’s meditation, which explores and practices the art of mindful eating.

Wanting to do something special to commemorate the fifth anniversary of her radio program on Unity Online Radio, our host embarked on a three-day silent retreat dedicated entirely to her listeners. What she didn’t bargain for was how it made her knees creak, her heart crack open, and  placed her attention so firmly riveted on the practice, it was as though her very life depended on it.

Our host doesn’t take it personally that her best friend falls asleep every single time she hears Rev. Paulette lead a meditation; or that her best-selling meditation CD, Touching the Stillness, has unintentionally become a popular sleep aid. Yet the time has come to have the conversation about dealing with the stealthy inertia and sleepiness that creeps in and numbs our senses during meditation.

In a perfect fusion of old and new—our host sat cross-legged in a futuristic OM Meditation Pod counting her breaths and practicing the ancient art of Zen meditation. Exchanging sound effects and lights of the high-tech pod for a more humble prayer mat, she guides us through the basics of a zazen meditation practice.

Is it possible to have too much of a good thing? Meditation is not for ourselves alone and so after the practice then what? Our host encourages us to get up and make our time on the mat count for something.

Given the divinely ordered way everything came together for a last-minute sacred assignment, our host was convinced she would be inspiring the hearts and minds of many. In preparation for this episode’s meditation, she shares how the message that had been so diligently and prayerfully prepared to motivate others into action turned out to actually be for herself.

Tune in for a moving Qigong meditation practice where, guided by special guest Jessica Kolbe, we ring the temple bell, open the temple gate, and take our tiger into the light.

There’s a proverb that says, “A ship in a harbor may be safe but that is not what a ship is for.” So, get ready as we weigh anchor, catch the trade winds in our sails, and steer a course for new adventures in an ocean of previously unexplored possibilities.