Be Here Now Network Guest Podcast

Trudy Goodman explains the healing power of mindfulness in helping adults be authentically present with children—fully entering their creative, playful world.Today’s podcast 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 BHNN Guest Podcast, Trudy Goodman talks about:Trudy’s own life as a mother and grandmother, witnessing many stages of growth from different perspectivesBecoming inspired by the playfulness, openness, and curiosity of childrenApproaching the world with beginners mind: approaching all experiences as if they are newA sonar for presence: how children can tell when we are present and when we are notHow the capacity to meet ourselves often goes back to the parent-child relationship Striving to be ‘good enough’ as a parent rather than perfectOrdinary devotion and maintaining a sense of routine care for our childrenLearning to be alone and getting acquainted with our inner lives Resting in p

Gil Fronsdal invites us to see Buddhism not as a doctrine but as a lived experience where insight, trust, and letting go give rise to genuine freedom.Today’s podcast 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 week on the BHNN Guest Podcast, Gil Fronsdal dives into:How the twelve steps of dependent origination fit into the schema of Buddhist practiceThe stark difference between an insight and a belief Buddhism as a path to walk rather than a doctrine to believe in Turning from suffering and clinging to peaceFinding out how Buddhism is meaningful to us individuallyHow we have all been liberated from something in our livesAppreciating the relief and clarity that comes from letting go of clingingThe profound act of trust that it takes to be open and present The door of the wishless, when the mind stops desiring Looking at things exactly as they are rather than trying to conceptualize  About Gil Fr

Guiding listeners into bliss, Dr. Robert Thurman explores how emptiness, renunciation, and compassion reinforce our oneness with all beings.Today’s podcast 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 BHNN Guest Podcast, Dr. Thurman offers us:A lovely translation of an 18th-century poem written by a Tibetan lama Finding ‘mother emptiness’ and reinforcing our oneness with all beingsLessons from the Buddha on emptiness and relativity Understanding renunciation as self-compassionPrioritizing the dharma rather than what society makes us feel we need to doWhat happens to the mind and body as we begin to renunciate thingsDifferentiating sympathy, empathy, and true compassionRealizing how precious we are as human beings How compassion arises from our own inner blissReleasing our need to achieve and cultivating a tolerance for ambiguity The synergy of all elements along The Eightfold Pa

Exploring Vedanta and Vipassana practices, Ram Appalaraju discusses interfaith spirituality and his work as an eco-chaplain, honoring the dignity of all beings.Today’s podcast 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 BHNN Guest Podcast, Ram and Vincent discuss:Encountering dukkha (suffering) on a day-to-day basisResourcing ourselves so that we can be a resource for othersSelf-discovery and learning how to process our sufferingThe yoga of meditation and cultivating the core aspect of inner growthThe sense of ease that comes from deepening our practiceWeaving together Vedanta and Vipassana practices Fostering trust in our own experiences Transitioning from a high-stress work environment to living a more spiritual lifeOffering dignity to ourselves and others, no matter their circumstanceRam’s work in prisons and offering compassionate, attentive care to othersHow preconceived notions hinder us fro

Vipassana teacher Trudy Goodman provides practical tools for staying present.Today’s podcast 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 BHNN Guest Podcast, Trudy Goodman explores:Staying connected to the flow of the breathThe breath as our life-long companion and source of presence The loneliness of thought and being caught in the trap of our own thinking How the breath is our anchor and our teacherCultivating the power of the mind to focusThe pause at the end of a breath Balancing our energies and moving through each breath with care Stepping out of our familiar reactivity Accepting this as they are so that we can let them go About Trudy Goodman:Trudy is a Vipassana teacher in the Theravada lineage and the Founding Teacher of InsightLA. For 25 years, in Cambridge, MA, Trudy practiced mindfulness-based psychotherapy with children, teenagers, couples and individuals. Trudy cond

Explaining how imagination creates both beauty and suffering, Gil Fronsdal offers a skillful way to tap into inspiration without becoming lost in a dream.This week on the BHNN Guest Podcast, Gil Fronsdal dives into:The poem “Thursday” by William Carlos WilliamsTransformation through presence during mundane experiences Dreaming as an important part of being humanHow the imagination helps to create connectionsThe Zen principle of present moment awarenessAllowing reality to move through the world of our imaginationNot becoming lost or stuck in a dreamThe Buddha as a man of tremendous imaginationImagining the possibility of being freed from sufferingThis episode was originally published on DharmaseedAbout Gil Fronsdal:Gil Fronsdal is the co-teacher for the Insight Meditation Center in Redwood City, California; he has been teaching since 1990. He has practiced Zen and Vipassana in the U.S. and Asia since 1975. He was a Theravada monk in Burma in 1985, and in 1989 began training with Jack Kornfield to be a Vip

With embodied loving awareness, Dr. Sará King invites us into ancestral intelligence, shadow healing, and remembering our living connection to our lineage.This recording is from our 2nd Annual Ram Dass Legacy Summer Mountain Retreat in Boone, North Carolina. Keep up with upcoming retreats and events HERE.This week on the BHNN Guest Podcast, Dr. Sará King explores:Ancestral intelligence and the collective nervous system as an interdependent web of beingThe concept of ‘Beloved Community’ and what it feels like to embody loving awarenessMeeting the pain, grief, and responsibility of climate change with compassionComing into contact with our shadows and healing our ancestral bloodlineRecognizing that our ancestors are truly present with us, guiding us in the here and nowBreathwork and grounding to reconnect with earthSending metta to those around us and to our ancestorsShifting our neural connections and transforming our hearts through practiceGrab a copy of the book that Dr. King reads from: In Search of Our Mot

Exploring the connections between Bharata Natyam dance and zazen, Anusha Enryu Fernando helps listeners remember the joy of practice.This conversation was originally recorded on the Paths of Practice Podcast. Listen to more episodes HERE.Today’s podcast 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 BHNN Guest Podcast, Anusha and Vincent discuss:Zen practice and doing full-body meditationsBharata Natyam: a sacred and ancient dance that focuses on the mind-body connectionPaying attention to the body so intently that there is no space for thoughtThe non-abiding mind and continuing to move through human experienceUnderstanding the devotional gestures that are built into zen practiceAnusha’s profound experience learning Sanskrit for both ancient dance and studying the dharma The most important vow: to really be alive in this lifeFood preparations, making offerings, and connecting with the ancestors through fo

Drawing on neuroscience, psychology, and lived experience, Matt Zeemon discusses the power of psychedelics for quieting the ego, rekindling love, facing pain, and opening the heart.Today’s podcast 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 BHNN Guest Podcast, Matt Zeemon explores:Psychedelics as catalysts for healing, not curesMatt’s first psychedelic experience and reconnecting with his motherWestern psychological medicine as a bandaid approach versus working to find the root causeBreaking repetitive thinking patterns ourselvesUncovering what relative risk meansThe mental health crisis in our country, especially among veterans How we all have psychedelic usage within our lineage The social politics of psychedelic substances Ways to create safe, sacred space for yourself and others on their journeysWhat it truly means to walk each other homeAbout Matt Zeemon:Matt Zemon, MSc, is a b

Offering listeners a way to live life fully, Trudy Goodman explores how to overcome the brain's negative bias by inclining the mind toward appreciation. Today’s podcast 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, Trudy Goodman gives a lecture on:The mind’s tendency to view things negatively How evolutionary wiring shapes what we notice and what we missA powerful teaching from loved ones at the end of life: do all things with joyRemembering that our heart is inclined toward that which we pay attention toHow micro-moments of mindfulness accumulate into lasting transformationBuilding new neural pathways through steady, repeated practiceLiving fully with both joy and difficulty instead of moving into denialEnsuring that we do not overlook that which will grow our spiritual wealthRealizing that both our feelings about a situation and the situation itself do not really matterWhy the Buddha wanted us to

Connecting to the timelessness of the present moment, Gil Fronsdal offers practical steps towards the only source of true happiness: contentment.Today’s podcast 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 BHNN Guest Podcast, Gil Fronsdal explores:Seeing the timeless present through photographs Enjoying the preciousness of our limited time here on earth How corporate, capitalist America prefers people who are discontentWhat the Buddha said about the vital importance of contentment How many desires often dissipate on their own if you ride them outThe ways in which desire alienates us from ourselves The embodied quality of contentment and being in touch with ourselvesFreedom in the Buddhist sense: freedom ‘from’ rather than freedom ‘to do’Cultivating contentment by valuing it and seeing it as an important part of lifeActivities which encourage contentment versus remaining franticFacing disc

Uncovering the deep connection between Buddhism and Martial Arts, Damiano Seiryū Finizio joins Vincent Moore to explore what it truly means to face our most powerful opponent: the mind.This conversation was originally recorded on Paths of Practice Podcast. Listen to more episodes HERE.Today’s podcast 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 BHNN Guest Podcast, Damiano and Vincent discuss:What initially brought Damiano to Buddhism after growing up in Italy, a predominantly Catholic countryHow Buddhism can be harmonious with martial arts Working on self-development and mutual growth rather than sparring Maintaining perfect mental presence during times of physical discomfort Following the Buddhist precepts and adopting a vegan diet for the principal of no-harmMountains as natural energy centersDamiano’s global work and exposure to unique cultures in Vietnam, Cambodia, The Canary Islands, and

Founder of Fireside Project, Joshua White, reflects on becoming a ‘loving rock’ and how Ram Dass’s teachings sparked his creation of a psychedelic peer support line.Today’s podcast 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 BHNN Guest Podcast, Joshua White outlines:How Joshua grew up feeling alienated from his Jewish rootsThe realization that we truly can just be observers of our own thoughtsThe inner knowing that there is more to this world Service as the highest form of psychedelic integrationBeing a ‘loving-rock’ for people in a psychedelic experienceBecoming an environment in which someone can come up for airConnecting with our sense of ‘enoughness’ rather than brokennessActive listening and simply showing up for another person as a loving witnessWelcoming all emotions and not referring to any as ‘wrong’About Joshua White:Joshua (he/him) is Fireside Project’s founder, the world's first p

Buddhist teacher David Nichtern explains that making friends with the mind and internal world is the first step to relating better with the people around us.Today’s podcast 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.LIVE from the 2024 Ram Dass Summer Mountain Retreat, David Nichtern explores:How our minds shape the reality we experience and perceiveThe importance of positive mantra versus focusing on negativity Taking comfort and refuge within our own mindsUnderstanding restless, “hot” boredom versus calm, “cool” boredomMusical examples for how we relate to one another The bridge between the everyday world and the internal, spiritual experienceMental patterns that destabilize us and hinder resilience Becoming open to our environment during mindfulness meditation  “Mindfulness meditation would be good because you’re developing patience and familiarity with yourself that’s accepting, not rejecti

Vipassana teacher Trudy Goodman explores how trusting in the dharma and in ourselves leads to a more peaceful, present life.Today’s podcast 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, Trudy Goodman gives a lecture on:The dharma as our reliable refuge Trusting the simple process of being aliveOffering metta (loving-kindness) to ourselves and othersPracticing mudita, aka, taking joy in the joy of othersHow the principle of sila (ethical conduct) protected the Buddha from his demonsWhat to do when we are swayed by temptation Concerning ourselves only with what our minds are doing in this very minuteLiving in the way instead of worrying about a resultMaking each thing we do the most important thing in the worldUsing our karma instead of being used by itThis recording was originally published on Dharmaseed.About Trudy Goodman:Trudy is a Vipassana teacher in the Theravada lineage and the Founding Teache

Exploring the Soto Zen path, Rev. Chimyo Atkinson and Vincent Moore reflect on inclusivity, feminine wisdom, and the beauty of simplicity.This episode is from the series Paths of Practice. Click here to subscribe on YouTube, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts! Today’s podcast 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, Rev. Chimyo and Vincent Moore chat about:Building a Zen Buddhist community in the Southern United States Rev Chimyo’s profound experience volunteering at a prison as a Zen priest How Rev Chimyo was first introduced to meditation and BuddhismThe beautiful serenity within taking pause, being still, and doing a Zen practiceFinding reality in the present moment and realizing that everything else is made up in our mindsWalking the Soto Zen path and finding depth within simple practicesGreat Tree Zen Women’s Temple and holding space specifically for women in the Buddhist worldPaying attentio

Buddhist teacher Gil Fronsdal explores the concept of the deathless and examines ways to experience life without clinging to impermanent things.Today’s podcast 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 of the BHNN Guest Podcast, Gil discusses:What the Buddha said about attaining the deathlessSeeking after things that are eternal rather than prone to aging and impermanence Three forms of clinging/craving that lead us to suffering: beliefs, becoming, and sensual pleasureConsidering if there is a ‘you’ beyond thoughtLetting go of our attachments to conceptsHow a fixation on ‘becoming somebody’ prevents us from being Avoidance of the reality of suffering due to personal discomfort  Developing mindfulness over time and having compassion for ourselves when we notice graspingThe timeless present and the end of separationAttentiveness as the path to the deathless The American not

Highlighting the fact that we can define our own reality, Amy Buetens & Julie Weinstein pull from the wisdom of Ram Dass to discuss navigating turbulent times.Today’s podcast 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, hosted by Jackie Dobrinska, Amy Buetens & Julie Weinstein discuss:Utilizing beginner's mind as a tool for approaching the chaos of our worldKeeping our hearts open in hell and holding multiple truths at once.Embracing change and uncertainty rather than seeing it as a threatIncreasing our equanimity in order to support ourselves and others Being in the presence of suffering without creating more sufferingLooking at what is as a heartfelt service to ourselves and humanityMeditation as an opportunity to explore our identity Teen mental health struggles and overwhelm from the weight of the worldCompassionate action and working towards the end of sufferingRam Dass’s recurring exa

East Forest recounts his powerful experience meeting and recording with Ram Dass, and offers a live set of transcendent music seamlessly interwoven with Ram Dass’s timeless teachings.Check out more music from this spiritual collaboration: East Forest x Ram DassToday’s podcast 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, hear East Forest perform and learn more about:East Forest’s profound and intimate collaboration with Ram Dass How the peace of nature can be a spiritual tool for us The integral role of psilocybin and psychedelics in Ram Dass’s awakening and teachingsThe synergistic relationship between the audience and the performer during live musicRelating to the wilderness within our own hearts through musicThe technology of our breath and how it calms us down into the present momentThe human connection to nature and nature as a manifestation of GodLoving all beings and all elements of the world

Familiarizing listeners with the five Buddhist hindrances, Trudy Goodman suggests a compassionate return to mindfulness of the senses.Today’s podcast 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, Trudy Goodman outlines:The 5 Buddhist hindrances: desire, aversion, sloth and torpor, restlessness/worry, and doubtRemembering that being affected by the hindrances is not a mistake or our fault, but instead is an opportunity to practice mindfulnessHow craving pulls us out of the present moment and how our senses can ground us back into awarenessReflecting on the feeling of wanting something, and whether our desires truly align with our core valuesThe four kinds of suffering, most of which we have all experiencedUnderstanding that aversion is not inherently ‘bad’ and how it can be a kindness to turn away from something that causes us painShifting our attention away from hostility and turning towards curiosi