Metta Hour with Sharon Salzberg Be Here Now Network

For episode 237, we are launching the Fireside Chat Series on the Metta Hour.

This series features intimate conversations with longtime dharma teachers about the early days of their practice and the most impactful moments with their own teachers. Hosted by IMS Online, the launch of this monthly series is a conversation between Sharon and Jack Kornfield. Jack trained as a Buddhist monk in the monasteries of Thailand, India and Burma. He has taught meditation internationally since 1974 and is one of the key teachers to introduce Buddhist mindfulness practice to the West. The conversation begins with a 10-minute guided meditation from Jack.

In this episode, Sharon and Jack discuss:Jack’s experience with Thai Buddhist monk Ajahn ChahThe Buddha statue debate from the early days on IMSJack’s first book “Living Dharma”Ajahn Chah’s teaching about the original mindRealizing innate qualities versus developing themThe sign above the door at IMSWhat languages Sharon and Jack learned in AsiaSharon’s relationship with teacher Tsoknyi RinpocheThe role of study in one’s spiritual lifeDualistic versus non-dualistic teachingsThe necessity of lovingkindness in their early teachingsLearning to accept help and supportSharon’s experiences with Dipa MaDifferent teachers that Jack has pissed offThe conversation closes with a short sitting. You can learn more about Jack’s work right here and check out his new online course on the eight-fold path available right here.




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For episode 236, Sharon is in conversation with Sameet Kumar, Ph.D. Sameet is the clinical psychologist for the Memorial Cancer Institute.

Sameet specializes in working with cancer patients and their caregivers. He is the author of Grieving Mindfully, The Mindful Path Through Worry and Rumination. He is part of a new anthology, coming out in May of 2024 from New Harbinger Publications, How to Grieve What We’ve Lost.

In this episode, Sharon and Sameet discuss:How Sameet came to grief counselingAmerican culture’s denial of the first noble truthThe human experience of pain/pleasureGrief is whatever it is to youThe non-existent timeline for griefWidening the scope of what losses affect usThe tools of ACT, CBT and Mindfulness for griefSameet’s new anthology bookDampening the grief  stress response Sameet’s support of COVID front-line workersWorking with add-ons The role of Ram Dass in Sameet’s lifeSameet closes the conversation with a guided meditation on the refuge tree. You can learn more about Sameet’s work right here.

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For episode 235, Sharon speaks with Suneel Gupta.

Suneel is a bestselling author, renowned speaker, Harvard Medical School visiting scholar, and host of a global documentary series. He studies leaders around the world to discover and share simple, actionable habits that lift our performance, deepen our state of well-being, and guide us further into our dharma. His latest book, “Everyday Dharma: Eight Essential Practices for Finding Success and Joy in Everything You Do” was released in the Fall of 2023 from Harper Collins.

In this episode, Suneel and Sharon discuss:Suneel’s definition of dharmaHow we express our core truth Dr King’s Street Sweeper storySuneel’s life path with failureThe wisdom of Suneel’s GrandfatherSuneel’s journey of identity as a brown-skinned manWriting as a therapeutic formArrival fallacy Eight pillars of Suneel’s book Everyday DharmaThe path is cyclical, not linearDharma as the bedrock on your lifeHow Suneel defines success Asking what makes you come alive?Howard Thurman’s wisdomTuning into spaceVulnerability promoting connectionSuneel closes the conversation with a short reading from his book. You can learn more about Suneel’s work and get a copy of Everyday Dharma on his website.

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For episode 234, Sharon speaks with author and podcast host, Dan Harris.

Dan is the author of the #1 New York Times best-selling memoir, 10% Happier, about a fidgety, skeptical news anchor who finds meditation. He’s also the host of the Ten Percent Happier podcast and the co-founder of the Ten Percent Happier meditation app. For 21 years, he worked at ABC News, where he anchored such shows as Nightline and the weekend editions of Good Morning America.

In this episode, Dan and Sharon discuss:The new edition of Ten Percent HappierWhat has changed in the meditation space in the last decadeThe line between cynicism to skepticism The climate of despair and nihilismWorking with the inner criticDan’s drug-fueled panic attack on-airBig life changes are not often a straight shotDan’s path finding meditationThe Jew-Bu movement towards AsiaThe connection of Dan’s father and Joseph Goldstein’s familyDan meeting Mark EpsteinThe first time Sharon saw BirkenstocksDan’s first meditation retreatHow lovingkindness has affected Dan“The Way of the Worrier” list from Ten Percent HappierDan’s son teaching lovingkindness meditationDan closes the conversation with a guided lovingkindness meditation. You can learn more about Dan’s work and get a copy of Ten Percent Happier, the newly reissued book on his website.

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For episode 233, Dr. Jenny Taitz returns to the Metta Hour. Jenny is a clinical psychologist and an assistant clinical professor in psychiatry at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Jenny completed her fellowship in psychology at Yale University School of Medicine and achieved board certifications in cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behavior therapy. In addition to treating clients in her private therapy practice, LA CBT DBT, she is the author of How to Be Single and Happy and End Emotional Eating. Her new book, Stress Resets: How to Soothe Your Body and Mind in Minutes, is now available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats.

In this episode, Sharon and Jenny discuss:Jenny’s new book, Stress ResetsAcute versus chronic stressLearning how to put stress downThe distinction between stress and traumaHow stress affects the bodyPreventing a stress snowballCultivating agency in dealing with stressThe role of acceptance in stressWorking with causes and conditionsStress resets versus stress buffersEmotions come in wavesCoherent breathingCreating an anti-depressant lifestyleJenny closes the conversation with a guided mindfulness practice.

You can learn more about Jenny’s work and get a copy of her new book, Stress Resets, on her website.









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For episode 232, Cecilia B. Loving returns to the Metta Hour. Cecilia is an award-winning speaker, belonging and inclusion thought leader, consultant and author, who serves as the Senior Vice President Head of DEI for PBS.

Her work in restorative justice, storytelling, inclusive leadership, racial inclusion, mindfulness, and well-being helps redefine the importance of self-care and self-empowerment to create a positive and holistic environment for everyone. This is Cecilia’s second appearance on the Metta Hour. Her first appearance was in 2022 with Episode 192, which you can hear right here.

In this episode, Sharon and Cecilia discuss:Cecilia’s new book, Connecting Through CirclesThe concept of "connecting through circles"How circles differ from other conversationThe necessity of belongingThe science that backs social bondingThe Ministry of ForgivenessDesmond Tutu’s personal styleEmpathy as a path to transformationMoving beyond “Us” versus “them” mentalityCecilia’s approach to DEI at PBSThe ripple affect of DEI in the worldVicarious TraumaLovingkindness MeditationCecilia closes the conversation with a guided circle meditation. You can learn more about Cecilia’s work right here.

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