Creativity, Spirituality & Making a Buck with David Nichtern

Facing the obstacles on a spiritual path, Lama Rod Owens, David Nichtern, and Michael Kammers, discuss the seven sorrows of the new saint.

Grab Lama Rod’s new book, The New Saints: From Broken Hearts to Spiritual Warriors

In this episode, David, Michael and Lama Rod chat about:

• Realizing that liberation is driven by uncomfortable contradictions
• The seven great sorrows of the new saint
• Leaving people behind on a spiritual journey
• Offering space to paradoxes in order to find clarity
• Support on the Boddhisatva path
• Focusing our energy on ourselves
• Prayer as an imperative part of spiritual work
• Being relevant and speaking the language of the times
• Teachers who inspired and helped Lama Rod
• Being yourself and using your own qualities to help others
• Commitment to a reduction of violence
• Getting active in getting free

About Lama Rod Owens:

Lama Rod Owens is a Black Buddhist Southern Queen. An international influencer with a Master of Divinity degree in Buddhist Studies from Harvard Divinity School with a focus on the intersection of social change, identity, and spiritual practice. Author of Love and Rage: The Path of Liberation through Anger and co-author of Radical Dharma: Talking Race, Love and Liberation, his teachings center on freedom, self-expression, and radical self-care. Highly sought after for talks, retreats, and workshops, his mission is showing you how to heal and free yourself. A leading voice in a new generation of Buddhist teachers with over 11 years of experience, Lama Rod is highly respected among his peers and the communities that he serves. From these intersections, he creates a platform that’s very natural, engaging, and inclusive.

For current offerings and programs, click here. 

“The whole project of The New Saints was to delve into the frustrations of paradox, of contradictions. One of the things that deepens our suffering is our attempt to make everything make sense. That’s how we get trapped in delusion, trying to make it make sense when instead we are trying to transcend it.” – Lama Rod Owens

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Exploring the themes in his new book, Confidence, Ethan Nichtern chats with his dad, David, about vulnerability, truth, and the state of the world.

This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self.

In this episode, David and Ethan speak about:

• Ethan’s new book and what real confidence is
• False confidence and manipulation
• The current political environment and seeking the truth
• Why authenticity is so important
• Examples of people who radiate confidence and light the candles of others
• How sadness can be an authentic response to the state of the world
• The Eight Worldly Winds and practicing confidence
• How we are all vulnerable to imposter syndrome
• Awareness and tuning into our inner knowing to avoid being caught in emotions
• Remembering our powerful and tender hearts

Check out these on-demand online courses from David Nichtern and an upcoming course from Ethan Nichtern based around his new book HERE.

About Ethan Nichtern:

Ethan Nichtern is a Buddhist teacher, and is the author of the acclaimed book The Road Home: A Contemporary Exploration of the Buddhist Path, which was selected as one of Library Journal’s Best Books of 2015, and one of Tech Insider’s “9 Books That Define 2015.” He also wrote The Dharma of The Princess Bride: What The Coolest Fairy Tale of Our Time Can Teach Us About Buddhism and Relationships and most recently, Confidence: Holding Your Seat through Life’s Eight Worldly Winds.

For the past 20+ years, Ethan has taught meditation and Buddhist psychology classes and workshops around New York City and North America and Europe, along with working with students privately. He has primarily studied in the Shambhala and other Tibetan traditions, but has also studied Theravadan and Soto Zen Buddhism. He is also an avid yoga practitioner. He served as Shastri, or Senior Teacher-In-Residence, for the Shambhala Meditation Center of New York, from 2010-2018. Continue listening to Ethan on his podcast, The Road Home.

“I think there is a compassion element to genuine confidence where you’re using your own confidence to light other people’s candle.” – Ethan Nichtern

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Highlighting the intersection between love and awareness, Rhonda V. Magee joins David to discuss real change in a culture of separation.

This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self.

This time on the CSM podcast, David and Rhonda converse about: 

• Rhonda’s background and personal definition of love
• Real change through love, inspiration and a sense of connection
• The inter-being of mindfulness and metta
• The principle of loving everyone and telling the truth
• What happens when truth is met with resistance or denial
• Living in a time where we have constant reminders of fear and anger
• How our culture has reduced us and objectified us
• Intergenerational phenomena and walking through many phases of life
• What we leave behind for the next generation and what we can learn from youth
• Real and perceived differences
• Deepening our own well-being so that we can be there for others

Join David Nichtern for a free online talk on teaching mindfulness and the role of the teacher, Tuesday, May 28th, 2024 at 6:00 PM: FREE ONLINE TALK

About Rhonda V. Magee:

Rhonda V. Magee is a Professor of Law at the University of San Francisco and a leading mindfulness teacher and practice innovator with a focus on applying mindfulness to the hardest challenges of our times. She is an internationally-recognized teacher, guide and mentor, focused on integrating mindfulness into higher education, law and social change work. A prolific author, she draws on law and legal history to weave storytelling, poetry, analysis and practices into inspiration for changing how we think, act and live better together in a rapidly changing world. Keep up with Rhonda on her website or on social media.

“I fully believe, for most of us, especially in the West, grounding in a quality of love and care as how we experience awareness is pretty important because we have so much healing to do. We’ve been so alienated from ourselves, each other, from the planet.” – Rhonda V. Magee

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Ramin Nazer and David Nichtern explore the individual’s place in an ever-changing and technologically-advancing world.

Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/beherenow

This time on CSM, we hear about: 

• Technological advancement and the collective mind
• Sci-Fi and fear vs. hope for the future
• The unsustainability of bliss
• Eternalism and the hellscape of pointlessness
• The dystopia of A.I and ChatGPT
• Safe zones versus growth zones
• Creativity and trying to guess what the world wants to see
• Creating a balance in a chaotic world
• The fundamental experiences that ground us
• Psychedelics as a liberating disruption
• Simulations, robots, and ‘I am-ness’
• The dynamics of polarity

About Ramin Nazer:

Ramin Nazer is a multi-talented artist, podcaster, comedian, game creator and musician based out of LA. He is best known for his consistent stream of unique, psychedelic-spiritual, bite-sized art for the social media age, as well as his podcast, with comedian Shane Mauss, Mind Under Matter, where they take a hilarious and scientific approach to human behavior. You can tap into Ramin’s steady flow of art on his Instagram, tap into his solo podcast Rainbow Brainskull, and peer into his myriad offerings at RaminNazer.com.

“According to Buddhism, the solution is you maintain your status as a human being who has ups and downs, who has lungs, and disappointments, yet there’s a seed of real depth of wisdom and understanding and compassion in it. You bypass the God realms.” – David Nichtern

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Discussing his experience with panic attacks, Dan Harris describes the tools that have helped him move from resistance to acceptance.

Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/beherenow

In this episode, David and Dan dive into:

How Dan went from experiencing panic attacks to finding meditation

Dan’s definition of happiness

Stabilizing our well-being

The compounding effect of meditation practice

Navigating difficult external experiences

Working on a loving-kindness practice

Pith instructions from spiritual teachers

Allowing feelings instead of resisting

The fear of death and all pervasive suffering

Temporal experiences and observing the pause of time

Impermanence and not taking everything so seriously

Equanimity and looking at our emotions as passing weather

Grab your copy of the 10th-anniversary edition of Dan's book, 10% Happier, HERE to learn more about the benefits of meditation in his life.

About Dan Harris:

Dan Harris is an author, podcaster, and a retired American journalist for ABC News. He was an anchor for Nightline and co-anchor of the weekend edition of Good Morning America. After an on-air panic attack, Dan dedicated himself to meditation and spreading the word about its benefits. His “10% Happier” podcasts feature interviews with other meditators. Dan’s book, 10% Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, and Found Self-Help That Really Works – a True Story, was published in March 2014.

“Panic is just a set of physical sensations, which as a panic sufferer, I have experienced countless times and always survived. So, it’s okay, just let it go. Let the sensations be there, it’s okay to feel it. What is making it worse is my resistance to it.” – Dan Harris

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Examining the interplay between mind and body, neuroscientist Dr. Sarà King and David Nichtern talk trauma, dream-work, and the sense of self.

David and Dr. Sarà traverse these topics:

• Dr. Sarà’s research on generational trauma and ancestral intelligence
• The autonomic nervous system and how trauma is stored in the body
• Fight, Flight, Freeze, Faint, and gauging if a situation is safe or dangerous
• How contemplative practices can modulate the trauma response
• What the parasympathetic nervous system is responsible for
• How we create personal narratives
• Neuroscience and quantum energy
• Dr. Sarà’s own journey to liberation from trauma
• Co-Creating our own reality with the universe
• Dreams, trips, bardos and beyond
• Dr. Sarà’s work in creating a map of awareness
• The relationship between biometrics and story-telling
• AI, cosmology, and merging biosynthetic beings with human consciousness

“There is this real delicate dance and interplay that’s happening between the mind and the body to construct a sense of self, me, I, at any given moment.” – Dr. Sará King

About Dr. Sará King:

Dr. Sará King is a UCLA-trained neuroscientist, political and learning scientist, social entrepreneur, public speaker, and yoga and mindfulness meditation instructor. She has over 20 years of experience as a research scientist, and specializes in the study of the relationship between mindfulness, complementary alternative medicine, and social justice. She is the scientific consultant for Peace in Schools, a dharma teacher with Presence Collective, a Postdoctoral Fellow in Neurology, and the founder of MindHeart Consulting, a scientific consultancy offering seminars, research and development, and trauma healing circles.

Keep up with Dr. King on Instagram or HERE

Join Ethan Nichtern and Shelly Tygielski on January 9th for a free online event: "Right Livelihood: What Capitalism Can Learn From Buddhism"

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Focusing on the relative and absolute, Rabbi Dr. Jay Michaelson and David Nichtern explore mindfulness, mysticism, and more.

David and Jay spend this episode discussing:

- Jay’s interdisciplinary background and seizing the day

- Mindfulness and Jewish mysticism

- Spiritual and Sensual Exploration

- Relying on a joyful state of mind

- The intersection of psychedelics and spirituality

- The sweet spot between contemplative practice and engaged activism

- Economics, politics, and the elites

- Bliss states and relative experiences

- Neurodiversity and the Enneagram

- Generational shifts of awareness

Already downloaded by over 15k people, visit dharmamoon.com/ebook to get YOUR free copy of The Art of Teaching Mindfulness!

“In my actual life, having those relative experiences enables me to touch into the absolute in the midst of daily life. That’s especially true with the dharmic use of psychedelics. The experience itself, especially if it’s a long experience, has its own teaching, and it’s possible to train the mind to remember.” – Rabbi Dr. Jay Michaelson

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Mindfulness teacher, Kaira Jewel Lingo, chats with David Nichtern about the power of spiritual community and self-assessment.

Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/beherenow

In this episode, David and Kaira discuss:

• The practice of sharing appreciations and regrets
• Community support within nunneries and monasteries
• Co-regulating the nervous system to mitigate conflict
• Social change and recognizing our shared humanity
• Doing the inner work to have a bigger impact on the world
• Living simply and being aligned with our purpose
• Using resources to build a better future
• Neuroscience & Buddhism
• Kaira’s upcoming books and events

“There needs to be inner work for outer work to really have an impact.” – Kaira Jewel Lingo

Discover the transformative practice of teaching mindfulness in a new FREE 30-page ebook by Senior Buddhist teacher and Emmy award-winning musician, David Nichtern. 

With its blend of humor, wisdom, and accessible approach, The Art of Teaching Mindfulness ebook is a must-read for anyone interested in sharing the life-changing practices of mindfulness with others.

Already downloaded by over 15k people, visit dharmamoon.com/ebook to get YOUR free copy of The Art of Teaching Mindfulness!

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David Nichtern explores how mindfulness meditation is the primary tool on our journey of joining Heaven and Earth, which are our highest aspirations and our day-to-day practicalities.

This episode is taken from one of David’s Dharma Moon Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Training sessions. The Intro to Mindfulness and the Path of Meditation program, which serves as the foundation for the next Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Training, begins on October 13th.

To learn more, register now for a free online talk, Teaching Mindfulness Meditation and the Role of the Teacher, with David Nichtern and Robert Thurman on Tuesday, August 22nd.

Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/beherenow

In this episode, David explores:

• The classic paradigm of Heaven and Earth, our highest aspirations and our day-to-day practicalities, as a way to frame our journeys
• The role that humanity plays in this paradigm and what the path of the warrior truly means
• How mindfulness meditation is the primary tool we can use for joining Heaven and Earth and finding balance in our lives

“Earth is nothing but obstacles, actually, from the point of view of Heaven. It’s just a clump of obstacles. But from the point of view of joining Heaven and Earth, it’s a clump of obstacles that actually can be manifested as opportunities for joining Heaven and Earth.” – David Nichtern

About David Nichtern:

David Nichtern, founder of Dharma Moon, is a senior Buddhist teacher who has been practicing and teaching meditation for over 40 years. He was one of the initial American students of renowned meditation master Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche and studied closely with him soon after his arrival in the United States in 1970. He is also a business consultant with companies creating a variety of offerings integrating meditation in a larger health and well-being context. David is also a multiple Grammy-nominated and Emmy award-winning musician.

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David is joined by Emmy Award-winning composer, author, multi-Platinum record producer and songwriter Richard Wolf for a conversation about music, mindfulness, and success. 

Join David Nichtern and Robert Thurman on Tuesday, August 22nd to discuss teaching meditation and find out more about Dharma Moon and Tibet House's renowned mindfulness meditation teacher training: FREE ONLINE TALK

In this episode, Richard joins David to discuss:

• The Twelve Bridges between music & meditation
• Zen & Silent Illumination
• Practice and success

Links From This Episode:

• Darker the Night, Brighter the Stars
• Discovering Elegance

“It’s not about your ego when you’re making music. It’s not about you. It’s about the music.

If you’re trying to perform, you want to just have the best performance possible. If you’re writing music, you just want to take the song where the song wants to go. You want to help it go. It’s not about your self-referential agenda; it’s about the music. 

It’s not about you, and so you’re transcending yourself.” – Richard Wolf

About Richard Wolf:

Richard “Wolfie” Wolf is an Emmy Award ™ winning composer, multi-Platinum RIAA awarded record producer and songwriter, teacher and noted author. 

Wolf is on the faculty of The University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music where he teaches a class on “Music & Mindfulness” which was the first course at a university level to explore the special relationship between the two practices.

His book “In Tune: Music As The Bridge To Mindfulness” is acclaimed as an innovative guide to contemplative practices for musical people and was the inspiration for his podcast “Wolf In Tune”. The book was written up in The New Yorker, Parade Magazine, Mindful Magazine, Mashable, Spirituality & Health and others.

Learn more about Richard at richardwolf.net.

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Matt Sydal joins David to talk about wisdom gained through imperfection, and how professional wrestling connects to the Middle Way.

Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/beherenow

In this episode, Matt joins David to discuss:

• The variations of professional wrestling in different cultures
• The “not too tight, not too loose” principle in wrestling
• Maintaining an equanimous state in discomfort 
• His story on experiencing vastness and spaciousness of the mind for the first time 
• Balancing daily life with the practice of cultivating the meditative mind 
• The wisdom he’s gained from cultivating an “imperfect” meditation practice

“Wrestling is like meditation, you can do it in any language.” – Matt Sydal

About Matt Sydal: 

Matthew Joseph “Matt” Korklan , also known by the ring name Matt Sydal, is an American professional wrestler. Between 2000 and 2007, Korklan wrestled on the independent circuit, for promotions including NWA Midwest, IWA-Mid South, and Ring of Honor, winning both singles and tag team championships. He also wrestled for the short-lived Wrestling Society X and was featured on Total Nonstop Action Wrestling’s early pay-per-view events. In 2011, he formed an alliance with Kofi Kingston, known as Air Boom, and they won the WWE Tag Team Championship. He also made his debut for New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW), where he was one-time NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Champions, and former two-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion. Matt is known for his high flying, lucha libre-inspired style of wrestling, and was named the Wrestling Observer Newsletter‘s Best Flying Wrestler in 2008.

Learn more about Matt’s wrestling courses at www.sydojo.com

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Emmy-winning composer Sean Callery and David discuss true fearlessness, how Trungpa Rinpoche heard music, and the symphony of impermanence.

Join David Nichtern and Robert Thurman to discuss teaching meditation and find out more about Dharma Moon and Tibet House's renowned mindfulness meditation teacher training: FREE ONLINE TALK

In this episode, David and Sean dive into:

• Sean’s absolutely legendary Emmy-winning career as a humble composer you may not know, but have certainly heard and been touched by
• Success, aspiration, effort, persistence, happiness, fruition, and the journey
• Connecting, acknowledging, authenticity, skillful means, confidence, and unique view
• Blending spirituality and the Dharma with our jobs and work lives
• Fear and fearlessness through the lens of Shambala and Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche
• Understanding impermanence as a rich symphony
• How Trungpa Rinpoche heard music
• An impromptu live jam session with Sean showcasing emotional change in musical scores

Links from this episode:

• Garchen Rinpoche Doc: https://vimeo.com/544826314
• David on Merv Griffin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=2ZEu2oe2UEk&feature=youtu.be

“What people have misunderstood about impermanence is, ‘Oh, it’s just nullifying and void, nothing exists, emptiness,’ but what we’re saying is there’s this rich symphony going on, and there is a pattern to it, but it will never be the same from one time to one time. That’s true every moment of your life.” – David Nichtern

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Author, architect, and feng shui expert, Anjie Cho, joins David Nichtern to inspire listeners to revitalize their homes and their lives through the practice of mindful design.

Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/beherenow

Join David Nichtern and Buddhist scholar Professor Robert Thurman for an online session on mindfulness, meditation and the Dharma Moon Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Training program: dharmamoon.com/info-session

In this episode, David and Anjie dive into:

Redefining your relationship with your home through feng shui and Buddhist teachings

Shifting the qi (life force energy) in your home to support your spiritual practices and creative endeavors

How our inner environments are translated to our external environments

The feng shui map, or Bagua

House plants as teachers for different phases of our lives

“The heart of this book is asking people to not look at feng shui as a checklist of things to do and things to fix in your life, but to open up to become more friendly with your home, to start to engage with your home, and to see your home as a living being that can be your ally in your healing process and teach you a lot.” – Anjie Cho

About Anjie Cho:

Anjie Cho is a creator of holistic spaces, specifically focused on designing architectural interiors, and teaching feng shui and meditation. She is the author of Mindful Homes [CICO Books 2023] and Holistic Spaces [CICO Books 2018]. Since 1999, she has been designing beautiful and nourishing spaces (inner and outer) with balance and harmony, informed by the ancient practice of feng shui and meditation. Her focus is to create nurturing and supportive environments, tailoring her practice to each individual’s specific needs.

Anjie is a New York State Registered Architect, a graduate in Architecture from the College of Environmental Design at the University of California at Berkeley, LEED Accredited Professional, and certified feng shui consultant from the BTB Feng Shui Masters Training Program. She has trained as a meditation teacher and in shamanic healing modalities.

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Exploring Vedic principles in a modern era, Vedic scholar and Lineage Holder Acharya Shunya joins David Nichtern in a reflection on infinity and emptiness.

Take part in a free online evening of exploration with Acharya Shunya and David Nichtern. Enjoy a presentation by Acharya Shunya titled “Awakening Goddess Saraswati with Mantra, Meditation & Sacred Visioning”, followed by a dialogue between her and David, and will conclude with an open Q&A session: LEARN MORE

In this episode David and Acharya Shunya explore:

• The form and formless
• Hindu Lineages 
• Enlightenment and Vulnerability
• Rebirthing the self 
• Yugas and addressing the era we are born into
• Diversity and Oneness
• Spiritual containers and curiosity 

Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/beherenow

About Acharya Shunya: 

Acharya Shunya is a truth-teller who facilitates authenticity, self-remembrance, and divine feminine pathways to awakening. The first female head of her spiritual lineage that traces its roots to 2,000 years ago in India, Acharya Shunya represents the ancient Vedic tradition of India in a way that is completely authentic, yet as relevant as possible to modern sensibilities and needs. Acharya Shunya is the author of three bestselling books Ayurveda Lifestyle Wisdom, Sovereign Self and her newest book - Roar Like a Goddess: Every Woman's Guide to Becoming Unapologetically Powerful, Prosperous, and Peaceful. In this book, Acharya Shunya honors her progressive Vedic roots while breaking the shackles of tradition to bring modern-day women, an inclusive, feminist spirituality.

Find Links to Acharya Shunya's books and social media HERE

"First comes emptiness. Only then, in that emptiness which is potent from divinity and spiritual consciousness, comes the seed. That seed becomes sound and that sound becomes form." – Acharya Shunya 

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Tech wizard, entrepreneur, and practitioner Justin Evans joins David to talk about merging Buddhist wisdom with A.I. technology and business.

Help others improve their mental and emotional well-being, reduce stress, improve focus, increase self-awareness and self-regulation -- all while deepening your own practice and understanding.

Join Buddhist teacher David Nichtern and special guest Professor Robert Thurman for a free online program on Tuesday, February 14th at 6:00pm ET. Visit dharmamoon.com/beherenow for more info and to reserve your spot for the free info session!

Learn more about Justin's Playfitt app:

Website: https://www.playfitt.ca/

Insta: https://www.instagram.com/playfitt_app/

Appstore: https://apps.apple.com/ca/app/playfitt-daily-fitness-games/id1434731178

“The idea of a two-year practice is the depth of it—you get to go quite far into it. And so far the place in my life where I've had the great gift and opportunity to go far and go deep is in the entrepreneurial stuff.” – Justin Evans

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Nina Rao joins David to share the clarity and wisdom of her Guru, Sri Siddhi Ma, and discuss chanting, music, Maharaj-ji, the Goddess, and Hanuman.  

Nina Rao is a devotional singer. She tours with Krishna Das, playing cymbals, singing, and acting as his business manager. Nina has two of her own albums, “Antarayaami – Knower of All Hearts” and “Anubhav”. Nina regularly leads kirtan, workshops, and retreats in her hometown of Brooklyn, New York and beyond.

 Transform your meditation practice with Dharma Moon's 1-on-1 mentoring program: 1:1 MENTORING

“It's all about purifying. The practice is helping us drop all the stuff considered obscurations or kleshas to seeing clearly. If we see clearly we can understand. If we understand we can have a compassionate heart. With that compassionate heart we can feel our interconnectedness. Then what else is there to do in this body but feel that interconnectedness, feel that love, and share.” – Nina Rao

NEW 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 

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The CSM Podcast is back with a Dharma talk from David Nichtern about stepping onto the path of meditation and settling into practice.

It is the new year, now is the time to sit down, settle in and dig into mindfulness and meditation practice. The question is, what are you doing that gets in the way of your practice taking root? In this episode, David offers wisdom that every beginning or struggling meditator needs to hear.  

 Transform your meditation practice with Dharma Moon's 1-on-1 mentoring program: 1:1 MENTORING

"There is another expression of practice, 'Hasten slowly and you will soon arrive.' There is a built-in tension between our momentum to try not to be where we are... and this instinct that is coming in just to settle in and be who we are; where we are; when we are. We are going to let that play out a little bit... We are not necessarily going to outsmart it - manipulate it and bend it to our will - and then on the other hand we are not going to be able to avoid it. Then you are in the sweet spot, and I think that is a kind of texture of practice that is very powerful." - David Nichtern  

NEW 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 

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David Nichtern and Michael Kammers weave tangible Buddhist perspectives on working with desire in the modern world.

Discover more at Dharma Moon – David's mindfulness-based education platform offering Workshops/Courses, Teacher Trainings, Mentoring & more.

"It's not inherently liberating to either repress desire or indulge it – it's how you work with it that's potentially liberating." – David Nichtern

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This week on Creativity, Spirituality & Making a Buck, drop into the world of Enneagram with returning guest, Susan Piver.

Susan Piver has an international reputation as an exceptionally skillful meditation teacher. She teaches workshops and speaks on mindfulness, innovation, communication, relationships, and creativity. Susan has been a student of Buddhism since 1995, graduated from a Buddhist seminary in 2004, and was authorized to teach meditation in 2005. In 2012, she founded The Open Heart Project, the world’s largest online-only meditation center. Susan is also a New York Times bestselling author. Her newest book is The Buddhist Enneagram: Nine Paths to Warriorship.

You can keep up with Susan on Instagram and Twitter.

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David and Michael offer freedom from doubt, exploring its connection to relationships, uncertainty, meditation, leadership, accomplishment, and mistakes.

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Discover more at Dharma Moon – David's mindfulness-based education platform offering Workshops/Courses, Teacher Trainings, Mentoring & more.

"I was in a marriage for some time, but it led to me not being honest with myself because I wasn't really honoring the doubt and the fear. Fear and doubt are related. In that relationship, I was so afraid of it ending—even though it was unhealthy and the relationship wasn't even really a relationship at that point—but I couldn't acknowledge reality. I was afraid to, and that kept me stuck in the trap [of doubt], and it led to a lot of suffering." – Michael Kammers

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