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Daily Reflection Sit Join us daily at 12:00 PM (Eastern) The Paramis: Nekkhamma (Renunciation) The Daily Sit Categories THE PARAMIS: NEKKHAMMA (RENUNCIATION) Play Video Play Video 13:38 2023 March 29: Renouncing Dukkha SEE (your) unskillfulness, FEEL the dis-ease, discomfort, or harmfulness and INTERRUPT these actions/patterns not once but many times. This is how we renounce harmfulness by interrupting the habit as many times as is needed. Play Video Play Video 12:11 2023 March 22: Renouncing Negative Self-Talk 1.Notice these negative moments 2. Don’t believe them 3. Replace with kindness Play Video Play Video 12:07 2023 March 20: Renouncing Worry We all have habits that cause us distress. The longer they’ve been around the harder they are to see and to let go of. How can we begin to interrupt them, not once but many times? Each interruption slowly widdles them away and strengthens resilience in us! Play Video Play Video 18:35 2023 March 15: Renunciation of Internal Habits of Mind Many habits of mind are deeply engrained and cause suffering. Planning mind and hurrying mind are two examples used to describe how to practice ..with patience and kindness Play Video Play Video 15:03 2023 March 13: The Daniya Sutta A poetic dialogue between the Buddha and a layperson named Daniya sheds light on the practice of renunciation. Play Video Play Video 11:02 2023 March 08: Renunciation as a Process The story of my evolving relationship with sports. Play Video Play Video 09:26 2023 March 06: Renunciation is the Art of Letting Go Abandon, and if we can’t, then refrain, restrain, contain, resist---the unwholesome, the harmful, the unskillful, as much as possible so we cause the least amount of harm possible.

Daily Reflection Sit Join us daily at 12:00 PM (Eastern) 2020 Meditating in the Time of Coronavirus The Daily Sit Categories 2020 Meditating in the Time of Coronavir... Play Video Play Video 39:05 2020 December 01: Softening up the Breath Play, change it up, create it to be comfortable. Play Video Play Video 39:11 2020 December 02: Tenderizing the Heart Kindle the ATTITUDE of kindness and care. Invite the heart into your practice, at the beginning and while you are practicing. This is the atmosphere we want to practice out of! Play Video Play Video 39:30 2020 December 03: Orienting Attention When setting up the practice of mindfulness the instruction reads, “...set mindfulness to fore”, not your own perspective. Shift out of “your view” and into “a non-judgemental, non-self referential posture of caring attention to the experience of well benign right now, in the present moment”. Play Video Play Video 27:52 2020 December 04: Putting it All Together Where does your inclination lie? What supports settling- body, breath, heart or mind? Play Video Play Video 39:36 2020 December 07: Third Noble Truth It is possible to reduce suffering. There is hope; we are not completely hard wired! Play Video Play Video 38:59 2020 December 08: Good News! Suffering is Curable Suffering ends when we let go of holding on. Feel the release into more ease. Play Video Play Video 38:18 2020 December 10: Cultivate a Taste for Nirodha Notice suffering and see if you can let go of or soften around it. Find ways to reduce its harmful impact. Play Video Play Video 39:25 2020 December 14: The Fourth Noble Truth: Highlighting the Eight Folds Highlighting the Eight Folds of the Eight Fold Path, Which is a thorough Treatment plan to address dissatisfaction and mental suffering. Play Video Play Video 39:48 2020 December 15: The 4th Noble Truth: Living into Freedom Through the 8-Fold Path The 4th Noble Truth isn’t a list but an invitation to live into freedom by developing the 8 strands of the Noble 8-fold path. Play Video Play Video 38:39 December 17, 2020: The 8-Fold Path Folded Into Sila, Samadhi, Prajna Non-harm sets the stage, protects me and protects you. Non-harm puts the mind and heart at ease which allows meditation practice to deepen and understandings to arise! Play Video Play Video 39:04 December 21, 2020: Overview of Sila With Emphasis Upon Inquiry and Discernment Orientation is toward non-harm toward other, but also toward self. Play Video Play Video 40:50 December 22, 2020: Sila, an Ethically Attuned Heart Sila expresses itself as an ethically attuned heart that recognizes and rests in its own trustworthiness and the trustworthiness of others. Play Video Play Video 38:05 December 24, 2020: Sila Feels Good! Sila is also the practice of seeing, feelings and appreciating what is already going well. As you move through your day take notice of and appreciate the ease that comes when things run smoothly. Play Video Play Video 39:00 December 28, 2020: Exploring Speech, Both Skillful and Unskillful Taking an inventory of speech before, during and after: how is this landing? Play Video Play Video 40:01 December 29, 2020: Further Exploration of Wise Speech Wise speech, the 3rd path factor of the Noble Eightfold Path, is an expression of our commitment to truth and harmlessness. Feel free to play with wise speech this week so that it aligns with and supports your larger aspiration for freedom. Load More

Daily Reflection Sit Join us daily at 12:00 PM (Eastern) The Five Daily Reflections The Daily Sit Categories THE FIVE DAILY REFLECTIONS Play Video Play Video 38:39 2026 April 29: Don’t Wait Based on Frank Ostaseski’s book The Five Invitations. Don’t Wait, for whatever it is you want in life, because we never know when death will arrive. The popular blackboards that say Before I Die I want to ……’ have an implied sentiment of Don’t Wait. Play Video Play Video 40:56 2026 April 27: Honoring our Ancestors Practicing honoring our ancestors is an integral way of understanding how life and death are ongoing strands in the web of causes and conditions that shape who we are in this moment. We are all ancestors in training. Play Video Play Video 37:10 2026 April 20: Guidance from the Tibetan Book of Living and Dying by Sogyal Rinpoche “There would be no chance at all of getting to know death if it happened only once. But fortunately, life is nothing but a continuing dance of birth and death, a dance of change. " Play Video Play Video 38:03 2026 April 15: Memento Mori That’s Latin for “Remember that you too will die” was once a common daily reflection intended to remind us, to wake us up to the awareness that we are alive right now, and have choice over how, where and what we give attention to. So, what is it you’d like to do with the rest of this one wild, precious and fleeting life you are living? Play Video Play Video 37:20 2026 April 13: We Would Rather Not Think About Death Even though the intent in doing so is to bring appreciation of life… Play Video Play Video 38:49 2026 April 08: Noticing Beginnings and Endings We can notice the smaller cycles of life and death arising and passing around and within us, as a way to practice with this third remembrance. Play Video Play Video 39:14 2026 April 06: A Mindfulness Bell Using the death as a dear companion and reminder to wake up and live fully Play Video Play Video 37:39 2026 April 01: Death as Teacher Sure we’re all going to die but we don’t know when. Let’s not dwell on this truth, but let it inform how we live, care for and appreciate these ever-changing bodies, hearts & minds. Play Video Play Video 37:34 2026 March 30: What Shall we do between Now and Death? Making this contemplation foreground in our lives. Play Video Play Video 37:50 2026 March 25: “…In Sickness and In Health” Why is it that we’ll promise to love someone else in sickness Play Video Play Video 33:03 2026 March 23: Brahmaviharas and Sickness These uplifting states of mind and heart offset the heaviness, cloudiness and negativity of illness Play Video Play Video 39:15 2026 March 18: What We Learn from Illness Our fickle minds can forget that health is impermanent and take for granted all that the body does. Illness reminds us that change is the only constant, and that we cannot control our bodies. Play Video Play Video 37:35 2026 March 16: The 2nd Remembrance - How do we respond to this truth? In Buddhism , illness is not viewed solely as loss or diminishment . Instead, it can reconstitute us. Play Video Play Video 21:01 2026 March 11: Self Care as a Way to Meet Illness and Wellbeing Mindfully We will all get sick while alive. No way to avoid it. But we can minimize the suffering by being mindful consumers for ourselves and compassionate beings towards ourselves and others. Know what heals or nourishes you and practice it. Play Video Play Video 37:52 2026 March 09: Sickness Can Open Us to Giving and Receiving Care Instead of feeling isolated in sickness, our connections may deepen within ourselves and with others if we are able to open to our shared vulnerability. Load More

Daily Reflection Sit Join us daily at 12:00 PM (Eastern) The Seven Factors of Awakening: Energy The Daily Sit Categories THE SEVEN FACTORS OF AWAKENING: VIRIYA/E... Play Video Play Video 38:38 2024 November 27: Two considerations for working with ENERGY The first way is to assess for balance. Is energy balanced in the sweet spot of 4-6 on a 1-10 scale? The second way asks, Is energy being used to let go of the unwholesome, or to not invite the unwholesome around? AND Is energy being used to keep the wholesome around, or to invite the wholesome around? Play Video Play Video 38:06 2024 November 25: The Challenge of not Inviting the Unwholesome Around Easier said than done! This is a deep habit which can be modified, but gradually. Play Video Play Video 35:24 2024 November 20: Mindful Energy Check-ins How to use the R.A.I.N. acronym to check in with your energy and redirect mindful attention as needed or orient in the direction of wellbeing and ease. Mindful Self Care. Play Video Play Video 36:59 2024 November 18: Kindness in Effort Right Effort orients us in the direction of well-being and peace of mind. Play Video Play Video 37:39 2024 November 14: Sangha Energy! We are social creatures. And in our connection and communing with others, an energy field is created–for the better or for the worse. A concert, a protest, a parade, a political rally all create a collective energetic force field with its own particular tone or flavor. Know what collective you wish to be a part of. See which ones strengthen and brighten the heart in times of difficulty. Play Video Play Video 35:20 2024 November 11: The Significance of Balanced Energy On a 1 to 10 scale, monitoring your energy while orienting toward the 4 to 6 range. Play Video Play Video 37:45 2024 November 06: The Energy of the Wolf In all of us there is a mix of wholesome and unwholesome energies. Let’s be mindful of what energy we are feeding, and putting out into the world and directing at ourselves. Let’s leave a legacy of goodwill in our wake. Play Video Play Video 37:09 2024 November 04: Introducing Virya, Energy, The 3rd Factor of Awakening The challenge and importance of cultivating and maintaining wholesome states of mind.

Daily Reflection Sit Join us daily at 12:00 PM (Eastern) The Holding Environment: Overview The Holding Environment THE HOLDING ENVIRONMENT: OVERVIEW Play Video Play Video 36:28 2025 December 31: A Feeling of Home We create the Holding Environment, the foundation of practice. We create a feeling of home. This is how we set up the practice. Play Video Play Video 36:55 2025 December 29: The Holding Environment as Intimate Cultivation It is far more than a technique; it is a home base and a portal. Play Video Play Video 38:29 2025 December 17: Holding Our Vulnerability When we are caught in reactive states it is often because we don’t yet know how to be with something that is difficult. Play Video Play Video 38:17 2025 December 15: Being Realistic and Kind with our Intentions and Expectations of the Practice Working with phrases to help notice and slow down patterns of striving in our meditation practice. Play Video Play Video 38:39 2025 December 10: Taking Refuge in the 4 Brahmaviharas During Winter and the Holiday Season This time of the year offers us plenty of opportunities to practice the Brahmaviharas towards others and ourselves as we navigate the winter blues and the season when we may feel pressured to perform or be jolly. Let’s light the fire of our heart minds with wisdom and empathetic love. Play Video Play Video 38:01 2025 December 03: What We are Learning about Equanimity Here are some images and metaphors that help us to explore and experience what is perhaps the most challenging of the Brahma Viharas Play Video Play Video 37:46 2025 December 01: Equanimity Enriches and Deepens the Other Brahmaviharas It brings patience to metta, steadiness and acceptance to karuna and lessening of our selves to Mudita. Play Video Play Video 39:25 2025 June 25: Working with Fear Importance of relating to fear with wisdom and compassion. Play Video Play Video 38:39 2025 June 23: The Precepts Are An Important Part of the Holding Environment Explore how the cultivation of each precept supports us on and off of the cushion. Play Video Play Video 39:54 2025 June 18: Bringing the Elements of Nature Into the Holding Environment Exploring how the elements of earth, air, fire and water can nourish and support our practice Play Video Play Video 39:58 2025 June 16: Being Refuge To take refuge is to orient our heart/minds toward what supports us in the direction of well-being. What does it mean to embody refuge? Play Video Play Video 39:38 2025 June 11: Making Space for Mindfulness Practice at Home and while Traveling Oftentimes our formal meditation practice slows down during holidays and summer vacation for most of us lay people. However, we can create temporary holding environments wherever we are. And we can always remind ourselves to breathe, ground, settle and soothe while on the go. Extending boundless love to all (ourselves included ) is the ultimate holding environment. Play Video Play Video 38:52 2025 June 09: Combining Strength and Gentleness in our Holding Environment How to wisely cultivate a strong and gentle holding space to keep our Heart/Minds open and caring, integrating new learning and awareness. Play Video Play Video 37:15 2025 June 04: Spring Cleaning and the Outer Holding Environment On the importance of creating an inviting, calming physical space to more easily and warmly engage with meditation and mindfulness practices. Play Video Play Video 38:10 2025 June 02: As We Create Our Holding Environment We Become More Intimate with Ourselves Instead of rejecting the uncomfortable parts of our experience we create a sense of home for all of ourselves. This is a foundation for our practice. Load More

Daily Reflection Sit Join us daily at 12:00 PM (Eastern) The Seven Factors of Awakening: Joy The Daily Sit Categories THE SEVEN FACTORS OF AWAKENING: JOY Play Video Play Video 38:39 2024 December 25: The Joy of Receiving It is a joy to receive and it is an art. Compliments are an easy way to practice and experience this joy. We all secretly want to be seen and appreciated for who we are and what we do. Notice, feel, breathe, let the compliment land, then, and only then, say “thank you” and shhhhh (finger to mouth), no buts, no qualifiers, just “thank you”. Play Video Play Video 38:00 2024 December 23: Resistance to Joy Exploring the evolutionary, societal and personal conditioning which make it challenging to arouse and sustain joy. Play Video Play Video 38:13 2024 December 18: Two Kinds of Joy – Savor the Flavor There are the everyday kinds of joy with their big and small delights and there are the quieter kinds of joy that come from meditation, from setting aside our burdens and the busyness of the day. They are to be enjoyed! Savor the flavor! Play Video Play Video 36:55 2024 December 16: Evoking Joy Appreciating and savoring small moments of joy. Play Video Play Video 38:56 2024 December 11: Joy Is Available To Us. Trust This. Be on the lookout for joy in small ordinary moments. Nurture it. Play Video Play Video 38:38 2024 December 9: Piti: The Joy That Comes from our Meditation Practice We can experience a happiness that is not dependent on pleasant vedena - the dhamma joy that comes with fully being with what is arising and passing with acceptance, non-judgment, interest, and care. Play Video Play Video 36:14 2024 December 4: Moments of Joy: On and Off the Cushion Joy is a central factor in Buddhist teachings. Joy can be experienced during formal practice, while we sit, alone and/or with a sangha. And it can arise off the cushion too, when we practice kindness, appreciation and gratitude. What brings you joy? Play Video Play Video 38:36 2024 December 2: Introducing Pitta; The 4th Awakening Factor Pitta, joy, is not dependent on any outside circumstances but instead arises from our practice and our freedom from greed and aversion. It can arise in the midst of pleasant and unpleasant conditions. We can see joy manifested in the Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu.

The practice of giving is universally recognized as one of the most basic human virtues…. In the teaching of the Buddha, too, the practice of giving claims a place of special eminence, one which singles it out as being in a sense the foundation and seed of spiritual development. ~Bhikkhu Bodhi Dana May what we offer be of benefit to as many as possible. The practice of giving is universally recognized as one of the most basic human virtues. In the teaching of the Buddha, too, the practice of giving claims a place of special eminence, one which singles it out as being in a sense the foundation and seed of spiritual development. ~Bhikkhu Bodhi There is a long tradition of offering meditation instruction in exchange for some offering of dana, which means generosity in the Pali language. Moved by this model, we have come to adopt an approach akin to this in spirit. Some of our offerings are for dana, which means that there is no fixed fee. The receiver of the guidance and instruction is free to offer an amount based on a combination of perceived value and personal means. This exchange brings the heart aspect of the mind—qualities of appreciation, kindness, and gratitude– into clearer focus. We wish to introduce this model to professional caregivers in the context of retreats and personal meditation instruction so that they may consider, feel and realize the benefit from engaging generosity. Many ask us what the usual range of offering might be. As therapists, we are accustomed to appreciating the value of wise counsel, and most offer what they themselves might expect to pay for a psychotherapy/consultation session, or what they might charge for a session themselves. That said, we gladly receive what is freely offered. YOUR DONATION IS GREATLY APPRECIATED PAYPAL: Donate button below

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