How did each of us get started on this path of awakening, of meditation, of awareness? As Mary reflected on these questions she found that the Buddha's teaching on the Five Spiritual Faculties invites us into practice and offers us the tools to stay on our continuing journey towards wisdom. 
Recorded Jan. 7, 2023 in the virtual world.

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Sati is usually translated as mindfulness but can also mean 'be with'. In this talk Mary reflects on the practice of resting in being - to be with each moment as it comes. It means letting go of our preconceived ideas and notions on how things should be, or should have been. Willingness and guarding the sense doors are how we move towards the equanimity we get when we rest in being.
Recorded Dec. 29, 2022 in the virtual world

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At the Winter Solstice Mary reflects on the invitation to be with the darkness as well as the light. We may prefer one over the other, but we cannot do without either. How to be with each with friendliness and compassion is the practice.
Recorded Dec. 22, 2022 in the virtual world

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We are conditioned beings and the experiences we have in our families of origin are some of the most impactful we have. Often we don't even realize how powerful they were or how much we are influenced by what happened years ago. Additionally, our current relationships with family can be fraught with challenges that go back decades. How does the practice help us to navigate these relationships and how does it help us to disentangle from the conditioning that may not be very beneficial. In this talk Mary discusses how we can move towards healing and move towards freedom from old stories.
Recorded Dec. 17, 2022 in the virtual world

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In this talk Mary weaves together thoughts on the Buddha's awakening, volition and karma and the impact of meditation and mindfulness on the brain. The wisdom of the Buddha is still so clear 2600 years after he lived and presents us with a path to liberation that is accessible to all.
Recorded Dec. 10, 2022 in the virtual world

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Our conditioning is so deep and ingrained that we don't even know it exists. In this talk Mary discusses the importance of seeing reality vs our perception of reality and how that leads to wisdom and liberation.
Recorded Dec. 3, 2022 in the virtual world

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There is so much bearing down on this these days, from the violence and tragedy so rampant in the world today to the concerns in our own lives. We can experience grief, sadness and other difficult emotions yet it is important not to let them overwhelm us. Gratitude is an important practice to keep balance in our world. With gratitude we don't lose connection with what is good and kind and also remain open to the present moment.
Recorded Nov. 26, 2022 in the virtual world

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The 7th Factor of the Eightfold Path is Wise Mindfulness and it is a foundational piece of the practice and the "direct path to realization". In this talk Mary breaks down what mindfulness is and takes us through the four foundations leading to liberation and freedom from suffering and discontent.
Recorded on Nov. 20, 2022 at Rancho Mirage, CA with Insight Community of the Desert

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FROM THE ARCHIVES: The invitation to start where we are reminds us that our practice starts right here right now. What gets in our way today? Where are we stuck right now? That is where the work is - in the present moment because what else is there anyway?
Recorded Jan. 31, 2015 in Los Angeles

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In the Eightfold Path, Wise Action invites us not to kill or steal or cause harm with our sexuality, however it's much more than just abstaining from doing things. It's also about cultivating a compassionate way of being which remembers that we are working for the benefit of all beings, not just ourselves. In this talk, offered at the Insight Community of the Desert, Mary discusses this teaching and what it means in today's world.
Recorded Oct 30, 2022 in the virtual world

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