Check the little video below about my upcoming meditation + writing retreat in beautiful San Miguel de Allende and meet the program coordinator, John Perkins. John has lived in San Miguel with his family for several years. I know a lot of folks are nervous about traveling to Mexico these days, so I asked him to say a few words so we could all feel like, hey, he seems like a nice guy! San Miguel seems like a cool place! We are unlikely to get involved in drug traffic-related incidents there.

I am so excited about this program!!

Email me with any questions about the retreat itself.
Email John with any questions about travel, accommodations, food, and so on.

March 23 – 29, 2012
San Miguel de Allende Shambhala Meditation Group
More info

The other day, I received an email from a member of the OHP who was wondering about continuing to do shamatha meditation (the practice we do together) while also participating in a local Zen center’s introductory course. The Zen center had requested of its students to forego other practices during this training. But this student enjoys both practices. She loves getting the OHP newsletters and practicing with my instruction. But she also felt drawn to Zazen and was appreciative of finding any place in her small town that would offer personal instruction. What to do? Should she abandon one practice for the other? Which one should she choose? Could she study at the Zen center but secretly continue to practice shamatha? Choose those elements from each tradition that felt most potent and combine them into her own personal meditation style?

This is such an awesome topic. I have two different answers: one for those who like to take it one step at a time and another one for those who want to fast track it. Both approaches have merit. I know which one is for me. How about you? [Read more →]

I recently received this very excellent question from a member of The Open Heart Project:

Q. This Shamatha meditation you are teaching is giving me good results (I become more compassionate to myself and to other people around me, and I become more objective with my feelings and thus not easily bruised).

I have joined a Zen Meditation group (where I live), and there is a requirement of giving up other meditation practices while doing the orientation course for their group.

I am confused…I feel as though your guided meditations are complementary to their Zen meditation practice as these are all Buddhist meditations. Am I being unfair by doing both Shamatha and Zen and keeping to to myself? [Read more →]

Every week The Open Heart Project grows. This weekend, we passed the 3,800 mark. THAT’S 3,809 AWESOMELY COOL PEOPLE WHO HAVE MADE THE AWESOMELY COOL DECISION TO MEDITATE!! Or at least try to because, hey, we all screw up from time to time. Thank you, one and all.

Because of the recent influx—and just because it’s good to do—I thought I’d review a few key points about beginning your practice. And, let’s face it, whether you’ve been practicing for 20 years or this is your very first time, we’re all starting over. So we’re all practicing together for the first time.

There are basic 4 points to keep in mind. [Read more →]

What is it?

Several years ago, I was wrapping up teaching a particularly moving week-long meditation and writing retreat. My small group (about 15 people) had committed to spending 7 days in the Rocky Mountains, learning to meditate and working on personal writing projects. There were no phones, no TVs, and no internet service. To cap off the sense of remove, we experienced an early October blizzard—not unheard of certainly, but also not expected. The skies opened up and dropped two feet of snow on the land, effectively closing up all roads leading into or out of our retreat center. The outside world of 24/7 stimuli was officially locked out. Our practices deepened and deepened. Most were new to meditation and were excited to develop a connection to the practice. [Read more →]

mindfulness and awareness

practice and study

form and emptiness

precision and letting go

unconditionality and tenderness

word and story

voice and song

concentration and intuition

luminosity and emptiness

What do these pairs of words have in common?

As we practice shamatha meditation (sometimes translated as the practice of tranquility), we come to see that it is actually comprised of two elements that are 100% inseparable. The first is called mindfulness and the second is called awareness. [Read more →]

One of the very big misconceptions about meditation practice is that it will help you not to feel things too strongly—except for maybe peace, goodwill, and bliss (whatever that means). Eventually perhaps this will become true, but for most us, when strong feelings—especially strong negative feelings—are encountered, we view this as a failure of our practice. Like, if I was better at meditation, I could avoid becoming enraged when called an asshole by another driver (who was the asshole in this case, let’s face it) or the fact that my neighbor’s dog poops on my lawn every single day. I could avoid sorrow when my love is unrequited or I find that a dear friend is ill. I could avoid anxiety when I have to find a new job or have a scary appointment with the doctor. [Read more →]

Hello everyone. Yesterday a member of the Open Heart Project asked me how I became a Buddhist and I told her I would answer the question in a post.

Each of us comes to our spiritual path in a unique way and, as the poet Rumi said, there are a million ways to kneel and kiss the ground. There is no single way that applies to all. For example, some people (such as myself) benefit most from a proscribed, traditional path. We need structure and rootedness because we are already too prone to flying off into outer space. Other people may already be too earth-bound and strict and may require, perhaps, a less-structured path in order to free their minds.

[Read more →]

I have a dream.

That one day, we will live in a world where we recognize all beings as one family.

I have a dream that on that day, when any one of my brothers or sisters, be they known to me or unknown, seen or unseen, animal or human, finds themselves in sorrow for any reason, a dark blossom will flower in my own heart and in yours and yours, until all of creation sways in the darkness of night, together, and together we sing the song of love.

I have a dream that when a brother or sister knows joy for any reason, I find myself also standing under that cascading waterfall and so do you and you and we are each refreshed, nourished, and cleansed by it together, and together we sing the song of love.

I dream that all beings of all the times in all realms have utterly open hearts and are thus capable of living in the great equanimity free from delusion, free from grasping, and free from hatred.

You have a dream.

What is it?

Whether you’ve practiced meditation countless times or this is your very first time, it cannot hurt to review some of the biggest meditation misconceptions:

1. To meditate, you have to stop thinking.

This is the big one. Somehow, people have the idea that to meditate, you must “clear the mind of thought.” What does that even mean? Please think about that, ironic as that request might be. Who would you be without any thoughts whatsoever? Some might say you’d be an idiot. Some might say you’d be Buddha. Personally, I have no idea.

What I do know is this: when asked what our biggest fear was, Tibetan meditation master Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche purportedly uttered a single word: “Space.” It is terribly frightening to find yourself without reference point which is how you might feel if your mind suddenly became devoid of thought. Or maybe it would feel great. (No matter what, though, it would be unlikely to stabilize this state. A background in meditation practice would certainly help.) So in the meantime, stay with the technique which is to allow thought without censure while keeping your attention on your breath and, when it strays, coming back. [Read more →]