From the climate crisis, to oppression, anxiety, and burnout - How do we meet the most pressing challenges of our time from a place of courage, integrity, and love?

Today’s guest is Oren Jay Sofer and this question is the centerpiece of exploration in his beautiful new book. Your Heart Was Made for This. In it Oren offers 26 different contemplative practices intended for meeting challenges and adversity from a place of greater wisdom and love.

In our conversation today we'll explore this deep and provocative question together as we dive into themes from the book including:

The role of patience in the face of pressing issues
Why joy is an essential ingredient in the pursuit of meaningful change
Oren will also offer personal stories including how he arrived at the insight that sometimes we need to go slow, to go fast
How the public discourse on mindfulness has often focused on the individual benefits and impacts of the practice, and why this focus alone is too limited
Equanimity and balance and how these qualities can foster resilience in the pursuit of what we care about.
The wisdom of gentleness and some of the nuances of a trauma-informed approach to contemplative practice.

If you want to hear more from Oren I would encourage you to check out Practicing Courage episode #14 which features a guided practice from Oren on finding more joy.

You can also listen to our first interview which focused on his first book: Say What you Mean.

You can now order Your Heart Was Made for This here.

More about Oren:

Oren Jay Sofer teaches meditation and communication retreats and workshops nationally. A member of the Spirit Rock Teachers Council, he is a Certified Trainer of Nonviolent Communication, a Course Trainer at Mindful Schools, and a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner for the healing of trauma. Oren also holds a degree in Comparative Religion from Columbia University. He is the author of several books, including Say What You Mean: A Mindful Approach to Nonviolent Communication. He’s created mindfulness programs for organizations, companies, and apps including Apple, Kaiser Permanente, Lumosity, Calm, 10% Happier, Simple Habit and others with his teachings reaching thousands of people around the world. Find him online at www.orenjaysofer.com and on social media @orenjaysofer

Join my FREE meditation community:

Starting in December I am going to begin offering free online meditation events twice a month. These will include guided practices, a talk, and dedicated time for discussion. If you’ve never meditated before, you’ve been meditating for years, or your experience falls somewhere in between - everyone is welcome. To learn more, see the upcoming schedule, and register head to joshuasteinfeldt.com/meditation

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