practical teachings

mindfulness & presence

suffering & healing

what is now (3:58)

https://youtu.be/aKujXgXzREQ We tend to think of now as a fleeting moment between the arriving future and the receding past. A darting...

abloom in the gladness & wonder of your trusting gaze (4:50)

https://youtu.be/SvVkx8-mFG8 https://twitter.com/DestoreO/status/1495111802522275844 ask, I wonder what's happening now? don't guess or...

open mic night for musts & have tos (6:07)

https://youtu.be/vu--BHRVYzg Compulsive thoughts arise, insisting I must & have to. E.g. "I have to be on time," or "I must have a...

single defining flower, or broad & adjustable bouquet? (32:50)

Here I distinguish between dis-identification and non-identification. I use flowers as a metaphor: the mindset of dis-idenitifcation...

the mirrors of mindfulness & introspective awareness (45:53)

Here I use mirrors as metaphors for the saving graces of mindfulness and introspective awareness. Introspective awareness provides...

the archeologist & the sculptor (13:52)

Here I unpack two metaphors for the spiritual healing process - that of an archeologist extracing a T-Rex skeleton from a hillside, and...

recognizing discouragement's encouraging signs (6:50)

As we become more intimate with our unresolved traumas and fears, we often encounter difficulties - physical pain, troubling thoughts &...

the tortoise & the hare - was it a race? (3:47)

Here I put a twist on the classic fable of the tortoise and the hare, asking - what if it was only the hare who saw the situation as a...

a structural approach to fear (57:28)

I see fear as a three part entity: a spark of confusion, trapped in a coil of disbelief, guarded by three disco balls of evil. I say...

when we weaponize being right, we're wrong (18:29)

I have an unfortunate habit of buying into my righteousness and then lording it over others. I see this same trend playing out in...

approaches to choice (12:58)

I often experience anxiety and confusion around the process of making choices. Usually it's simply the struggle to choose between...

distinguishing thought from inner voice (4:58)

We know the experience of hearing a voice within. Sometimes we recognize the voice is clearly our own, the same voice we speak with from...

cable car analogy for grasping & letting go (3:44)

What do folks mean when they talk about grasping, clinging, attachment, etc.? I think a San Francisco cable car provides a helpful...

matching method & manner (1:59)

Abundance abundance abundance! Hurry hurry hurry! When our manner doesn't match our method, our energy becomes distorted and confused....

5 4 3 2 1 compulsion softener (1:48)

Here I share a technique that helps me soften the grip of compulsions. When you feel compelled to idly scroll your phone, mindlessly...

nirvana-samsara-nirvana

This graphic is a nirvana-samsara-nirvana sandwich. The top and bottom thirds are the bread of nirvana. The middle third is samsara brand...

free will & its inward application (20:48)

If gOd is all present & all powerful, & reality unfolds as gOd's perfect design, why do we seem to have choice, & why do we seem free to...

aggravation as opportunity (50:15)

We routinely believe we are aggravated by the conduct of others. Ask though - how does someone else's conduct actually get under our...