Sitting with the freshness of the destructive Los Angeles fires, Mary talks about how grief, anger and so many other emotions come and go and when they're challenging we push them away or ignore them, but that is perhaps the worst thing we can do. Our practice invites us to open to everything. To be with the grief and sadness can be frightening but we turn with gentleness and compassion towards these emotions and make space for what is already here. Find your way to holding the difficulties and let everything belong.
Recorded Jan. 11, 2025 in the virtual world.

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We often make intentions at the beginning of a new year, but it's also important that our intentions have a solid foundation. In this talk Mary discusses what intentions are and how we support them with the precepts, the paramis or other core values that allow us to see clearly and move with wisdom and compassion. There is a short meditation at the end to reflect on your intentions.
Recorded Jan 5, 2025 at Insight Community of the Desert in Palm Springs

The Noble Eightfold Path by Bhikkhu Bodhi
Pay Attention for Goodness Sake by Sylvia Boorstein

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Left to its own devices our minds will latch on to something and create whole scenarios and worlds that we then think are real. Often we create rules for behavior, either ours or others. When these rules clash with reality, we experience dukkha. When we practice mindfulness we develop the clarity needed to see these stories and rules for what they are and let them go, moving us toward liberation from craving and aversion. 
Recorded Dec. 28, 2024 in the virtual world

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How many times during the day or week do we experience situations that we find uncomfortable or unpleasant? We often react with annoyance or impatience which can tend to make it worse, even if only in our mind. In this talk Mary invites us to greet each moment with peace which is a way to be with whatever is going on with ease. We're not denying the unpleasant, but we're relating to it in an entirely different way which is where our freedom lies.
Recorded Dec. 21, 2024 in the virtual world

Peace Is Every Breath by Thich Nhat Hanh

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Oftentimes when faced with issues or problems in our lives, we ask what would the Buddhist response be. In the teachings however, the Buddha asked us to find our own way - to see for ourselves which actions are wise or unwise. The Buddha gave us a framework and foundation and invites us to cultivate our own wisdom in walking the path to liberation. In this talk Mary discusses how we do this and what it might look like for each of us.
Recorded Dec. 12, 2024 in the virtual world

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Plans go sideways all the time, things happen. How do we greet those moments? And how do we learn to recognize all the places we're stuck? Once we can begin to let go, then we can let things be without getting caught up in the first place. This is the freedom the Buddha promised, "liberation through not clinging."
Recorded Dec. 7, 2024 in the virtual world

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The topic of gratitude is quite common at this time of year and Mary discusses the idea of gratitude as a heart practice which also encompasses love and connection. Using the writing bell hooks as a starting point she invites us to let gratitude allow us to love and let our hearts be opened. The Buddha points out that "gratitude and contentment are the highest blessings" - definitely worth pursuing.
Recorded Nov. 30, 2024 in the virtual world.

Books mentioned: All About Love by bell hooks, See No Stranger by Valarie Kaur, The Road Less Traveled by M. Scott Peck, Stamped from the Beginning by Ibram X. Kendi 

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Suffering and Joy seem incompatible, but in this talk Mary shows how they are not mutually exclusive. Joy is not dependent on outside circumstances. As teacher Larry Ward has said, "Joy is possible in the midst of suffering and without ignoring the suffering." Using the wisdom of several authors, Mary talks about how we can access joy without waiting for everything to be okay. With our practice we create the conditions for joy to arise at any time.
Recorded Nov. 23, 2024 in the virtual world

Books mentioned in this talk:
Joy is My Justice by Taneet Sethi, MD
Joyfully Just by Kamilia Majie, PhD
Awakening Joy by James Baraz and Shoshanna Alexander
The Book of Joy by Desmond Tutu and the Dalai Lama

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In this talk Mary discusses two seemingly different ideas of what a foundation can be in our practice. There is the stillness and grounding of meditation practice and the foundation offered by the Eightfold Path. They are not mutually exclusive and in fact, work together on the path to liberation.
Recorded Nov. 16, 2024 in the virtual world

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The results of the 2024 presidential election in the United States have brought up several levels of grief, fear, anger, despair and many more emotions for several of us. In this talk Mary reflects on where we are right now, how to hold our experience, and how to move forward. Connection, community, practice and finding hope in the words and experiences of those who have walked this path before are vital in these challenging days. Stay connected, and don't miss the joy.
Recorded Nov. 9, 2024 in the virtual world

Link to Bhikkhu Bodhi's article mentioned in the talk

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