Everyday Buddhism: Making Everyday Better

In this episode, I talk with Kimberly Brown about her new book, Navigating Grief and Loss:25 Buddhist Practices to Keep your Heart Open to Yourself and Others, where she shares an approachable pathway to personal and collective well-being through real-life, contemporary meditations based on traditional practices. We talk about the power of love for reducing mental suffering … the illusion of control and remembering things are not all up to us … being present for and taking care of anger and other mental poisons … and how to skillfully let go of hope and fear … Among many other things. During this holiday time, I know many have a hard time keeping their hearts open and enjoying the season due to the pain of loss and grief. I hope listening to the gentle wisdom Kimberly offers in our conversation will help you discover new ways to "navigate" the pain you feel. Buy her books through my affiliate links: Navigating Grief and Loss: 25 Buddhist Practices to Keep your Heart Open to Yourself and Others Steady, Calm, and Brave: 25 Practices for Resilience and Wisdom in a Crisis Find out more about Kimberly Brown: Website: https://www.meditationwithheart.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kimberlyjbrown/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/meditationwithheart/ ************** Check out my Substack posts for more everyday Buddhism: https://wendyshinyohaylett.substack.com/ If this podcast has helped you understand Buddhism or help in your everyday life, consider making a one-time donation here: https://donorbox.org/podcast-donations Become a patron to support this podcast and get special member benefits! https://www.patreon.com/EverydayBuddhism Support the podcast through the affiliate link to buy the book, Everyday Buddhism: Real-Life Buddhist Teachings & Practices for Real Change: Buy the book, "Everyday Buddhism"

In this special "best of" episode, we celebrate Bodhi Day, the traditional celebration of the historical Buddha Shakyamuni's enlightenment. Yet, listen as we discover how it is a celebration of our enlightenment, too. The message of the December darkness is a messenger of our own enlightenment. Without darkness, we couldn't know light. Shakyamuni's enlightenment experience is ours. He proclaimed, "I and the great earth, and all beings are naturally and simultaneously awakened." We don't chase the darkness away through external ritual or stringing lights, but by looking inside to find our own light. ****************** Support the podcast through the affiliate link to buy the book, Everyday Buddhism: Real-Life Buddhist Teachings & Practices for Real Change: Buy the book, "Everyday Buddhism" Check out my Substack posts for more everyday Buddhism: https://wendyshinyohaylett.substack.com/ If this podcast has helped you understand Buddhism or help in your everyday life, consider making a one-time donation here: https://donorbox.org/podcast-donations Become a patron to support this podcast and get special member benefits! https://www.patreon.com/EverydayBuddhism Or say "Hi, I enjoy your podcast by buying me a coffee!" Buy Me a Coffee

In this episode, I get lost in a conversation with Deborah Eden Tull, who I wished I could have talked with for hours! Deborah Eden Tull is a Zen meditation and dharma teacher, author, public speaker, and sustainability educator. In our conversation we discuss her latest book, Luminous Darkness: An Engaged Buddhist Approach to Embracing the Unknown, a deep book bridging the Dharma, personal awareness, and transformation—through the lens of darkness and all that word connotes, like uncertainty, change, grief, and fear. I know you'll enjoy this episode, as we meander through a conversation about spirituality, living in inquiry, leading in the dark AND being LED by the dark ... and showing up as we are, in our strength and vulnerability. And I'm sure you will be inspired by Deborah Eden Tull, as she shares a way for all of us to "navigate the uncertainty of our times" and welcome the presence of life "as it is." Buy the book through my affiliate link: Luminous Darkness: An Engaged Buddhist Approach to Embracing the Unknown Find out more about Deborah Eden Tull and her upcoming retreats and workshops: https://www.deborahedentull.com/ On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MindfulLivingRevolution/ ************** Check out my Substack posts for more everyday Buddhism: https://wendyshinyohaylett.substack.com/ If this podcast has helped you understand Buddhism or help in your everyday life, consider making a one-time donation here: https://donorbox.org/podcast-donations Become a patron to support this podcast and get special member benefits! https://www.patreon.com/EverydayBuddhism Support the podcast through the affiliate link to buy the book, Everyday Buddhism: Real-Life Buddhist Teachings & Practices for Real Change: Buy the book, "Everyday Buddhism"

In this episode, I have a far-ranging and fascinating conversation with Melissa Moore, Ph.D., a teacher of Buddhism and Contemplative Psychology. In it we talk about her book, The Diamonds Within Us: Uncovering Brilliant Sanity Through Contemplative Psychology, a treasure of a book that weaves the teachings of Tibetan Buddhism with psychology, producing a guidebook of real-life practices to address our internal struggles and the reactions we have to the daunting times we live in. I know you'll enjoy this talk with Melissa, who openly shares her own personal challenges and personality in talking about how we can train ourselves to "go toward emotional energy and open to it for the wisdom that is innate with the messiness of feelings." She truly has her finger on the pulse of our reactive emotions and how they actually can be helpful in discovering our "intrinsic health." I'm sure you will be inspired by the approach Melissa uses in Karuna Training, teaching that our vulnerabilities is where we will find our greatest strengths. In her book we learn that when we go towards discomfort and rest in not knowing, it becomes a great teacher. Buy the book through my affiliate link: The Diamonds Within Us: Uncovering Brilliant Sanity Through Contemplative Psychology Find out more about Melissa Moore, Ph.D. and Karuna Training: https://karunatraining.com/ On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karunatraining/ On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/karunatraining/ ************** Check out my Substack posts for more everyday Buddhism: https://wendyshinyohaylett.substack.com/ If this podcast has helped you understand Buddhism or help in your everyday life, consider making a one-time donation here: https://donorbox.org/podcast-donations Become a patron to support this podcast and get special member benefits! https://www.patreon.com/EverydayBuddhism Support the podcast through the affiliate link to buy the book, Everyday Buddhism: Real-Life Buddhist Teachings & Practices for Real Change: Buy the book, "Everyday Buddhism"

I am honored to present this podcast episode with Rev. Marvin Harada, the Bishop of the Buddhist Churches of America. In it we discuss what makes Shin Buddhism a truly "everyday Buddhism", meditation, mindfulness, chanting, ritual, and about the teachers we have in common and what made them special. I know you'll enjoy this talk with Rev. Harada as much as I did talking with him. He is down-to-earth and delightful, if you can't tell by his giggle! if you've never heard of Shin Buddhism—or don't know too much about it—this episode is for you. Pure Land Buddhism is one of the most widely practiced forms of Buddhism in East Asia, and in Japan, Shin Buddhism, or Jodo Shinshu, is actually the largest school of Buddhism in Japan. CORRECTION TO THE INTRODUCTION OF REV. HARADA: Rev. Harada served as a minister for the Orange County Buddhist Church, but did not serve as head minister throughout the entire 33-year period. Find out more about the Buddhist Churches of America: https://www.buddhistchurchesofamerica.org/ Find out more about the BCA "Everyday Buddhist" program mentioned by Bishop Harada: https://www.everydaybuddhist.org/ ************** If this podcast has helped you understand Buddhism or help in your everyday life, consider making a one-time donation here: https://donorbox.org/podcast-donations Become a patron to support this podcast and get special member benefits! https://www.patreon.com/EverydayBuddhism Support the podcast through the affiliate link to buy the book, Everyday Buddhism: Real-Life Buddhist Teachings & Practices for Real Change: Buy the book, "Everyday Buddhism"

Enjoy another special preview of a Members Only Feature: Bonus Contemplation Podcasts. These are short podcasts for you to use as subjects for contemplation or analytical meditation. This contemplation, "Loved Just As I Am", is by my dear friend, Satya Robyn, and purposely follows the episode where I share my journey into baldness due to Alopecia Areata. Satya directs the Bright Earth with her partner, Kaspa, and works as a psychotherapist and a writer. These bonus contemplation podcasts will be released regularly and presented by myself or some of my Bright Dawn Lay Minister/lay ministry student friends and colleagues. To be sure you don't miss any of them, join the Everyday Buddhism Membership Community or Everyday Sangha: https://www.everydaybuddhismcommunity.com/join-community-or-sangha.html For more about Satya and the Bright Earth Pure Land Buddhist Temple, check out these websites: http://www.brightearth.org/ www.satyarobyn.com or at www.dearearth.co.uk ***************** Become a patron to support this podcast and get special member benefits! https://www.patreon.com/EverydayBuddhism

In this episode, I share my journey into baldness caused by Alopecia Areata. September is Alopecia Awareness month, so I'm happy to share this episode now. No matter what our hair looks like or changes to, we are never satisfied. Hair seems one of the most prominent marks of our self. We seem uniquely attached to our hair as self. My hair loss first started in mid-December 2021, then paused and seemed to start growing back, then in April it was on a steady downward trend. And by July, I began to make peace with the fact that I was losing so much hair there wasn't much of a point in trying to hide it, so I shaved it all off. This was a process of working to accept things as they are, called Arugamama, from Morita Therapy in Japanese Psychology. Listen to this episode to see how I've come to accept my new bald self. ***************** Book, Diamond Sutra by Red Pine, mentioned in this podcast: The Diamond Sutra - Translation & Commentary by Red Pine My book, mentioned in this podcast: Everyday Buddhism: Real-Life Buddhist Teachings & Practices For Real Change ***************** Become a patron to support this podcast and get special member benefits! https://www.patreon.com/EverydayBuddhism

Join me for a conversation with Jack Huynh, a long-time Buddhist practitioner and the founder of the https://beyondthecushion.com/ website. Jack is a first-generation immigrant to the U.S. from the Vietnam War and found his own path in the Dharma, different from his parents who are also Buddhist practitioners. Jack's website explores the diversity of Buddhist lay practice in a complex modern life. The idea for it was born from Jack's own curiosity and longing to ask lay practitioners about their practice, after years of attending retreats and not having a local sangha. In exploring the compelling personal stories of the practitioners highlighted on the site, you'll find that despite the Buddhist schools, lineages, geographic location, and stages of practice, all Dharma is Dharma. It's an inspiring journey, as is the conversation in this episode. Check out the website: https://beyondthecushion.com/ Visit Jack's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jackhuynh/ Support the podcast through the affiliate link to buy the book, Everyday Buddhism: Real-Life Buddhist Teachings & Practices for Real Change: Buy the book, "Everyday Buddhism" Become a patron to support this podcast and get special member benefits! https://www.patreon.com/EverydayBuddhism

Join me for a special summer mirror episode of the podcast, Zen At The Sharp End by Mark Westmoquette where I was invited to talk about my experience with "troublesome Buddhas." The Zen At The Sharp End podcast focuses on how to turn difficult people and relationships into your best teachers. In each episode, Mark and guests discuss how Buddhist and mindfulness practices can help us see our difficult people or situations as troublesome Buddhas, our greatest teachers. I am sharing this episode of Mark's podcast on my podcast because I think what Mark has to teach with this method is something everyone of my listeners can benefit from. I am painfully honest in the episode, so I debated sharing it directly with you, but I believe it is in our shared vulnerability that Buddhist practice comes alive. Check out Mark's podcast: Zen at The Sharp End Buy his book: Zen and the Art of Dealing with Difficult People: How to Learn from your Troublesome Buddhas Learn more about Mark by visiting his website: https://markwestmoquette.co.uk/ Support the podcast through the affiliate link to buy the book: Everyday Buddhism: Real-Life Buddhist Teachings & Practices for Real Change Become a patron to support this podcast and get special member benefits!https://www.patreon.com/EverydayBuddhism

Join me for a very special conversation with Ashley Lynn Olson, the author of the book, Confined to Align, and the author of a life that has consistently defied the odds. And that is, in no small part, due to her unbelievable spirit and ability to steer her thoughts, emotions, … and her life into the positive. As you will hear, Ashley has overcome obstacles in her life that would knock many of so far down we would have trouble ever looking up again, including a car accident that killed her father and paralyzed her when she was fourteen years old. But she demonstrates an amazing attitude—dare I say a "Buddhist" way of seeing life—evident from this quote from her book: "Choose to choose. Feeling confined is a choice…. Choose compassion for yourself and those around you. Choose to see your situation as an opportunity to expand internally, or better yet, as a moment in time-space to re-align and focus on your path of well-being and purpose…." Click play to listen to a conversation with Ashley you won't soon forget! Buy the book: Confined to Align: A Journey to Wellbeing Learn more about Ashley by visiting her website: https://wheelchairtraveling.com/ Her YouTube channel:https://www.youtube.com/user/wheelchairtraveler08 And her Instagram feed: https://www.instagram.com/wheelchairtraveling/ Click here to buy the book, Everyday Buddhism: Real-Life Buddhist Teachings & Practices For Real Change