Metta Hour with Sharon Salzberg

For Episode 199 of the Metta Hour Podcast, Sharon and Joseph Goldstein are interviewed by Lily Cushman, recalling their early lives.They each share what drew them to the path of meditation in the late sixties and early seventies and their initial years of practice in the East. This podcast is being released in tandem with the Insight Hour Podcast. Joseph Goldstein has been teaching meditation since 1974. He and Sharon are co-founders of the Insight Meditation Society and the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies, located in Barre, Massachusetts. Joseph is the author of numerous books, including Mindfulness: A Practical Guide to Awakening and Insight Meditation: The Practice of Freedom. Dan Harris calls him “a key architect of the rise of mindfulness in our modern society.”Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/mettaIn this conversation, Joseph shares about:growing up in the Catskills • early encounters with death and loss • Studying philosophy at Columbia University • living in New York City during his college years • joining the Peace Corps and living in Thailand • his first encounters with Buddhist monks • the resonance of finding the spiritual path • the ups and downs of his initial years of practice • finding his teacher, Munindra • meeting Sharon at her first retreat with S.N. Goenka • his experiences as more westerners arrived in India • the community that emerged out of the Goenka retreats • grappling with his “body of steel” for many years • the parallels of the evolution of his and Sharon’s pathSharon shares about:the difficulty of her childhood • her first encounter with Buddhist Philosophy in college • creating a study abroad program to take her to India • receiving Chögyam Trungpa’s advice on where to learn meditation • searching for meditation instruction across India as a young woman • the scene at her first retreat led S.N. Goenka • the difficulty of her first instruction being a ten-day retreat • some themes of her initial meditation experiences • learning how to navigate her inner life • meeting Joseph for the first time • her and Joseph’s different practice needs in their early years • crafting a spiritual path before there was a model for that life in the WestTo learn more about Joseph’s work, you can visit dharma.org/joseph. His teachings can also be found on the Ten Percent Happier App, the Waking Up with Sam Harris App and on the Dharma Seed app.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We have something special to share with you!Dan Harris (host of Ten Percent Happier) flies to Dharamsala, India to spend two weeks in the orbit of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. This is the first installment of a five-part audio documentary series, something we’ve never done before now. Over the course of the episodes, we talk to His Holiness about practical strategies for thorny dilemmas, including: how to get along with difficult people; whether compassion can cut it in an often brutal world; why there is a self-interested case for not being a jerk; and how to create social connection in an era of disconnection. We also get rare insights from the Dalai Lama into everything from the mechanics of reincarnation to His Holiness’s own personal mediation practice. In this first installment, Dan watches as a young activist directly challenges His Holiness: In a world plagued by climate change, terrorism, and other existential threats, is the Dalia Lama’s message of compassion practical — or even relevant? Want more of The Dalai Lama’s Guide to Happiness? Listen to the Ten Percent Happier podcast here.Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/mettaSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Sharon welcomes Shakil Choudry for Episode 198 of the Metta Hour Podcast.Shakil is an educator, consultant, and author with over 25 years of experience in the field of racial justice, diversity, and inclusion. He coaches executive teams and facilitates dialogue processes to resolve inter-group conflict, having led projects internationally and with organizations locally. He is the author of “Deep Diversity: A Compassionate, Scientific Approach to Achieving Racial Justice.”Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/mettaIn this conversation, Sharon and Shakil discuss:• How Shakil was drawn to racial diversity work • The first representation Shakil was exposed to in media • The impact of Interconnection • Holding tension between Individualism and Community • Developing Equity Literacy around oppressive social structures • Learning the patterns of inequality • 360-hour rule of learning • The tipping point of George Floyd’s death • The emotionality of racial justice • Shame as a learning tool • How do you make people change? • The power of listening • The four pillars of Shakil’s approach to racial healing • Emotional beings first, thinking beings second • The function of Bias • How the groups we belong to form our identity • The dynamics of in-groups and out-groups • The nuance of power dynamicsNEW Meditation Series: Pause, Breathe, Be Here Now with Ram Dass, Sharon Salzberg, Jack Kornfield, Tara Brach, Joseph Goldstein, John Lockley, Ram Dev, Trudy Goodman, Lama Tsultrim Allione—FREE January 16 to 25. Sit in true peace, love, and tranquility. Join thousands of people around the world for this collective meditation experience: onecommune.com/ramdass"The political forces right now in the world are about extremism. They are yanking communities apart and separating them. Filling them with fear and lies and hate. So, truth is needed in that. Discernment is needed and that. Compassion is needed in that. Care is needed in that. Those who have the capacity can, and should step in with those tools. Shaming and blaming, there is a place for it... but we often need a different approach. Not everyone can do it, but those of us who can need to step in to support a different culture and conversation." - Shakil ChoudrySee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Tsoknyi Rinpoche and Daniel Goleman join Sharon for a special episode of the Metta Hour Podcast celebrating the launch of their brand new book, Why We Meditate: The Science and Practice of Clarity and Compassion.Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/mettaTsoknyi Rinpoche is a beloved teacher among the new generation of Tibetan Buddhist meditation masters. Widely recognized as an outstanding meditation teacher for over twenty-five years, he is the author of Open Heart, Open Mind, Fearless Simplicity, and Carefree Dignity. Daniel Goleman is the internationally bestselling author and coauthor of several books, including Emotional Intelligence, Focus, and Altered Traits. He was a science reporter for The New York Times and was twice nominated for the Pulitzer Prize.In this special episode, Sharon, Daniel, and Rinpoche speak about:• How Rinpoche began teaching • The ways psychology shapes spiritual practice • The first time Rinpoche taught in the States • John Welwood & Spiritual Bypass • How their new book came to be • Finding our natural pace in a speedy culture • The Subtle Body • Balancing Restlessness • Working with our “Beautiful Monsters” • How childhood imprints affect us • When an experience we have is real but not true • Rinpoche’s fear of heights • Handshake practice • Obstacles of love and compassion • Cultivating intrinsic okay-ness • Grounding in the body • The importance of “Wise Hope”See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

For episode 196 of the Metta Hour, Sharon speaks special guest, Dr. Gabor Maté. Gabor is highly sought after for his expertise working with addiction, stress, and childhood development. He has written several bestselling books, including the award-winning In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts, When the Body Says No, and Scattered, and co-authored the book Hold On to Your Kids. His works have been published internationally in nearly thirty languages. Gabor’s new book, The Myth of Normal, has just been released in September of 2022.Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/mettaIn this episode, Sharon and Gabor discuss:How Gabor defines the term “normal” • Human’s incredible and sometimes dangerous adaptability • The percentages of folks on medication • How our culture engenders illness • The evolutionary nature • The essence of interconnection across culture, science & spirituality • Thích Nhất Hạnh’s inter-being teaching • The concept of the “identified person” • Addiction as the canary in the mine • Traumatic events versus the dramatic wounds we sustain as a result • The complex factors that motivate caregivers • Why caregivers tend toward trauma • Compassion Fatigue is a lack of self-compassion • Negative self-talk as an impact of trauma • The difference between responsibility and blame • The role of community in healing • Authenticity versus attachment • Childhood development • Is it ever too late to heal? • Gabor’s practice of Compassionate Inquiry • The evolution of addiction treatments • How our culture profits off of addictionThe conversation closes with a twelve-minute guided inquiry exercise by Gabor. To learn more about Gabor’s work, you can visit his website at drgabormate.com or find his latest book, The Myth of Normal, available in hardcover, audio and ebook formats.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Husband and wife, Barbara Graham and Hugh Delehanty join Sharon Salzberg for Episode 195 of the Metta Hour Podcast.Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/mettaBarbara Graham is a New York Times bestselling author, essayist, and  playwright. She is the author of several books, including her 2022 novel “What Jonah Knew.” Hugh Delehanty is a #1 New York Times bestselling author, a National Magazine Award-winning editor, and a certified meditation teacher with more than 25 years of practice.In this episode, Sharon, Hugh and Barbara discuss:How Barbara & Hugh came to spiritual practice • How creativity can be informed by meditation • Finding joy in creative expression • Cultural assumptions about creativity • Training capacities we don’t think we have • Confronting our creative fears • The seed for Barbara’s recent book • Writing the thing you’re most afraid of • How visual art informed Hugh as a writer • The mystery of reincarnation • Hugh’s work in sports writing • Phil Jackson’s coaching ethos • Compassion in sports • Leonard Cohen • Trusting ones creative impulsesThe episode closes with a meditation led by Hugh on open awareness. Learn more about Hugh’s work hughdelehanty.com at and get yourself a copy of Barbara’s new book, “What Jonah Knew” at barbaragrahamauthor.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Sharon welcomes friends and colleagues Andrés González and brothers Ali and Atman Smith back to the Metta Hour Podcast for Episode 194 to celebrate the release of their first book, “Let Your Light Shine.”Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/mettaTogether Ali, Atman, and Andrés are the founders of the Holistic Life Foundation, a non-profit organization bringing yoga, meditation, and breath-work to thousands of at-risk kids in Baltimore schools since 2001. Their work has received wide national attention due to their remarkable results in public schools where suspension rates plummet, and graduation rates skyrocket. Outside of their work with the Holistic Life Foundation, Atman, Andrés and Ali also teach to diverse populations around the world, including drug treatment centers, mental crisis facilities, homeless shelters, as well as Yoga, Wellness, and Mindfulness Festivals. Their work has been featured in NBC Nightly News, CNN, CBS, The Washington Post, Upworthy, and many more.In this conversation, Andrés, Atman, Ali, and Sharon speak about:The impact on 9/11 on the formation of the HLF non-profit • The origins of “The Light Within” over a decade ago. • Growing up as black and brown-skinned men • How institutional racism has affected their lives. • The influence of their elders’ involvement in the civil rights movement. • Growing up in one of the most violent neighborhoods in America. • Learning to “be the check” instead of “earning the check”. • Moving from partying in college to spiritual practice. • Overcoming our cultural and familial conditioning. • Awareness practices to access inner peace amid outer turmoil. • The quality of connection that opens up from spiritual practice. • Mantra Yoga Practice. • Mantras as cheat codes in life. • Projecting love to those who are suffering the most in the world. • Some of Sharon’s personal mantras. • The guidance of their teacher to create more teachers. • HLF’s reciprocal teaching model. • How the love of Bhakti Yoga is intertwined in their teachings. • It all starts with self-love and self-worth. • How love can look in different ways. • Love doesn’t dictate certain behaviors. • The challenges of love as a spiritual path. • How their work has become trauma-informed. • The impact of meeting Bessel van der Kolk. • Facing their own childhood trauma. • How life becomes challenging once we embark on the spiritual path. • How to start and end your day in the light. • To finish the episode, Ali leads a guided meditation to bring the conversation to a close.To learn more about Ali, Andrés and Atman’s work, visit www.hlfinc.org and get a copy of their book, Let Your Light Shine, available October 18th, 2022, in hardcover, eBook and audiobook formats.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Diego Perez returns to the Metta Hour for Episode 193 to speak about his new book, Lighter. Diego is a meditator, speaker, and NY Times bestselling author known by his pen name Yung Pueblo.Diego is a practitioner of Vipassana meditation, as taught by S.N. Goenka. His writing focuses on the power of self-healing, creating healthy relationships, and the wisdom that comes when we truly work on knowing ourselves. Diego is the author of several bestselling books, Inward, Clarity & Connection, and his new release, Lighter, which comes out in October of 2022.Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/mettaIn this conversation, Diego and Sharon discuss:The writing of Diego’s new book, Lighter • How this book differs from his previous prose books • Scaling up compassion from personal to transpersonal • The balance of self-care versus activism • Self-love as a doorway to loving others • How to build Structural Compassion • Healing is defined as decreasing the reactions we feel • Authenticity as a flowing state of identity • Slowing down to be how you choose to show up • The Ten Paramis as an expansion of practice • Softening the barrier between formal and non-formal practice  • Cultivating the qualities we lack • Learning to let go via acceptance • The necessity of formal practice of any kind • Unlocking inner creativity • Dipa Ma creating accessibility of practice • Cultivating emotional maturity • Working with difficult emotions • Buoyancy of Mind  • The radiance of S.N. Goenka • Diego meeting Bhikkhu Analiyo • Diego’s guiding lights for connectionSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

For episode 192, Sharon welcomes Cecilia Loving to the Metta Hour to speak about Diversity, Inclusion, and embodied Lovingkindness.Cecilia is an award-winning speaker, diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion thought leader, consultant, and author. Her work focuses on restorative justice, storytelling, inclusive leadership, racial inclusion, mindfulness, and well-being. She is the Senior Vice President of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at PBS, with over 25 years of experience in DEI. Cecilia has practiced meditation since she was a teen in Detroit, and is the author of several books, including “The Power of Inclusion” and Unbroken Circles: Holding Space, Finding Forgiveness, and Transcending Edges.Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/mettaIn this conversation, Cecilia and Sharon share about:• Growing up in the Civil rights movement in Detroit • Embodying vs. intellectualizing teachings • The impetus for Cecilia’s book “The Power of Inclusion” • The necessity of a diverse community for resilience • Surviving compared to flourishing • The ancient tradition of Circles • Being heard by others as a path of healing • Restorative Justice circles • The effect George Floyd’s death has had on DEI work • Teaching emotional intelligence to the FDNY • Learning to wear the world as a loose garment • The challenges caregivers face • Lovingkindness as a restorative presence for others • DEI as a “Ministry of Love” • How shame impacts healing and learningThe episode ends with Cecilia leading a guided lovingkindness meditation to close the conversation. To learn more about Cecilia’s work, you can visit mindfulnessgroup.blog or check out her many book offerings.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

For episode 191 of the Metta Hour, Sharon speaks with scholar, researcher, and author, Alexander Gardner.Content Warning – This interview includes conversation about suicide. If you are having thoughts of suicide – whether or not you are in crisis – you can find free support & resources via the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: https://988lifeline.org/Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/mettaAlex is the Director and Chief Editor of the Treasury of Lives, a biographical Encyclopedia of Tibet, Inner Asia, and the Himalayas. Alex completed his Ph.D. in Buddhist Studies at the University of Michigan in 2007. His research focuses on the collaborative activities of three great nineteenth-century Tibetan Buddhist masters. In 2019, he released the book “The Life of Jamgon Kongtrul the Great” from Shambhala. In this conversation, Alex and Sharon speak about:• How Alex was drawn to Eastern studies • The two-month retreat Sharon and Alex sat many years ago • The importance of Lineage • What inspired a book about Jamgon Kongtrul • How the great masters in Buddhism were regular people • The history of Bodh Gaya, India • The inspiration for Treasury of Lives•How technology interfaces with spiritual teachings • Alex’s exploration of sexuality in Buddhist Teachings • A chance meeting with a clown nose •For more information about Alex’s work, you can visit treasuryoflives.org or get a copy of his book, The Life of Jamgon Kongtrul the Great, available in hardcover and beook formats.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.