Standing Nowhere

Jacob Buehler
  • 5.0 (3)
  • SPIRITUALITY

Standing Nowhere: Real Spirituality for Everyday SeekersA podcast for people exploring spirituality outside traditional church settings—where contemplative wisdom meets real life, not abstract theory.Host Jacob Buehler, a working father and longtime meditator, brings raw, honest conversations about what it means to wake up in the middle of ordinary life. Through personal stories, guest interviews, and wisdom from multiple traditions, each episode invites you to look within—not to fix yourself, but to notice your life and mind in detail.No dogma. No guru pedestals. Just genuine exploration of mindfulness, letting go, and learning to trust what remains when there's nowhere left to stand.If you've ever questioned everything and found peace in not knowing—this is for you.

  1. 2D AGO

    The Patron Saint of Householders

    You don't need a retreat, a monastery, or a perfect morning routine to practice. In this episode, Jacob explores what it means to stop running — not from responsibility, but from the present moment itself. Through reflections on early mornings, financial stress, gig work, and parenting on tired legs, he unpacks the difference between surrender and avoidance, and why real practice happens right in the middle of your ordinary life — not outside of it. At the heart of the episode is the story of Dipa Ma, a woman who lost everything and found profound spiritual realization while raising a child in a tiny Calcutta apartment with no door on the bedroom. Her life points to a simple but demanding truth: you don't need to escape your circumstances to wake up. You need to meet them fully. This episode covers: Meditation in daily life and what it actually looks likeThe identifying trap and spiritual bypassingSurrender vs. passivity — and why they're not the same thingParenting as presenceActing from stillness (wu wei)Closing with Tao Te Ching Verse 48If you've ever felt like you need to fix your life before you can practice, this episode is for you. Want to share a thought? Support the show --- 🔗 All links: https://linktr.ee/standingnowhere ⭐ Leave a review: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/standing-nowhere/id1822619607?action=write-review 📷 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/standing.nowhere/ 🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@standingnowherepodcast 💬 Discord: https://discord.com/invite/4yfaU7x4nF 📧 Email: standingnowherepodcast@gmail.com Standing Nowhere is a contemplative spirituality podcast exploring mindfulness, meditation, and what it means to be human through vulnerable storytelling.

    1 hr

  2. FEB 11

    When Meditation Meets Rage: Holding Anger in Awareness Without Fixing Yourself

    What happens when you're a daily meditator and still choose petty revenge? After a brutal morning of delivery work and a no-tip pizza order to a 4th-floor apartment, I left the food outside—fully aware I was being petty, watching myself make the choice, unable to stop it. This episode explores the uncomfortable truth about spiritual practice: you don't become perfect, you just become aware of your imperfection. I share the raw moment of choosing anger over maturity, the internal battle between Buddhist noting techniques and actual rage, and what Ram Dass meant when he said "falling off the path IS the path." We dive into holding doubt, despair, and anger in awareness without trying to fix yourself—because you can't lift yourself up by your own bootstraps. Drawing from Buddhism, Taoism, and Lao Tzu's wisdom about waiting until the mud settles, this episode is for anyone who's ever questioned whether their practice is "working" or felt like a spiritual failure. Sometimes the stumbles aren't detours—they're the actual path. Topics explored: mindfulness practice, spiritual imperfection, anger management through awareness, doubt as discriminating wisdom, trusting the Tao, gradual transformation, self-compassion, Buddhist noting technique, spiritual bypassing vs. real practice Want to share a thought? Support the show --- 🔗 All links: https://linktr.ee/standingnowhere ⭐ Leave a review: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/standing-nowhere/id1822619607?action=write-review 📷 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/standing.nowhere/ 🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@standingnowherepodcast 💬 Discord: https://discord.com/invite/4yfaU7x4nF 📧 Email: standingnowherepodcast@gmail.com Standing Nowhere is a contemplative spirituality podcast exploring mindfulness, meditation, and what it means to be human through vulnerable storytelling.

    19 min

  3. FEB 4

    Meditation Doesn't Make It Go Away | Financial Stress + Negative Self-Talk

    Do you ever wake up feeling good, then suddenly remember all your financial stress and it drags you down? That's where I'm at. In this episode, I'm trying something new: the "open threads" recording method. No outline, no script—just hitting record and following where my mind goes when I'm stressed about money, work, and negative self-talk. I've been meditating daily for 3+ years, and here's the truth: meditation helps, but it doesn't make the financial anxiety go away. It's still there, like a gray filter over life. My mind keeps telling me things won't get better, that I should borrow money this month, that everyone else has it figured out except me. This episode wanders through: - The intrusive thoughts that meditation helps me observe (a thought moment involving a DoorDash robot ) - The judgment voices that argue about eating ice cream while I'm eating ice cream - Why I'm still in gig work 8 years after a soul-crushing call center job - Working 50+ hours a week while job hunting with no results - The shame of borrowing money from friends and family - Trying to make delivery work fun by pretending I'm in Death Stranding - A guided meditation on experiencing your hand and thinking of someone you love - Practical meditation instructions for when thoughts hijack you If you're struggling financially, working too much, and your mind won't shut up about it—this one's for you. It's messy, it's real, and it's exactly what trying to let go actually looks like. Want to share a thought? Support the show --- 🔗 All links: https://linktr.ee/standingnowhere ⭐ Leave a review: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/standing-nowhere/id1822619607?action=write-review 📷 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/standing.nowhere/ 🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@standingnowherepodcast 💬 Discord: https://discord.com/invite/4yfaU7x4nF 📧 Email: standingnowherepodcast@gmail.com Standing Nowhere is a contemplative spirituality podcast exploring mindfulness, meditation, and what it means to be human through vulnerable storytelling.

    42 min

  4. JAN 24

    30 Episodes in 7 Months: What I've Learned (+ Afterparty with My Dad)

    30 episodes in 7 months. I can't believe I pulled it off. In this episode, I reflect on what surprised me, what I've learned, and why I'm stepping back from weekly Thursday releases (for now). I also share a Zen story about a samurai and a monk—"the gates of heaven and hell"—that's been sticking with me, especially after recording Episode 30 with my dad. Afterparty bonus starts at 12:43: me and my dad about two hours into recording Episode 30… completely off the rails. Fake tire commercials, bad impressions, childhood sledding injuries—and a few unexpectedly real moments in between. If you haven't heard Episode 30 yet, go back and listen: "The Anger I Inherited." It's one of the most meaningful conversations I've ever recorded. Want to share a thought? Support the show --- 🔗 All links: https://linktr.ee/standingnowhere ⭐ Leave a review: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/standing-nowhere/id1822619607?action=write-review 📷 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/standing.nowhere/ 🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@standingnowherepodcast 💬 Discord: https://discord.com/invite/4yfaU7x4nF 📧 Email: standingnowherepodcast@gmail.com Standing Nowhere is a contemplative spirituality podcast exploring mindfulness, meditation, and what it means to be human through vulnerable storytelling.

    27 min
  5. My Dad, Grant Buehler: The Anger I Inherited

    JAN 15

    My Dad, Grant Buehler: The Anger I Inherited

    My dad, Grant Buehler, joins me for his first podcast appearance to talk honestly about the anger he inherited, the moments it nearly destroyed him, and what finally began to change. We talk about growing up with a father shaped by World War II trauma, the patterns that get passed down in families, and a deathbed reconciliation that shifted everything. Grant also shares his own battles with rage—from a near-fatal car accident in college, to a road rage incident on the way to church, to the fight that landed him in jail and became a turning point in his life. This is a conversation about generational trauma, forgiveness, faith, and the slow work of healing. Grant closes by reading Psalm 37—a passage about releasing anger and trusting in something bigger than ourselves. Content note: frank discussion of violence and alcohol abuse.  Want to share a thought? Support the show --- 🔗 All links: https://linktr.ee/standingnowhere ⭐ Leave a review: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/standing-nowhere/id1822619607?action=write-review 📷 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/standing.nowhere/ 🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@standingnowherepodcast 💬 Discord: https://discord.com/invite/4yfaU7x4nF 📧 Email: standingnowherepodcast@gmail.com Standing Nowhere is a contemplative spirituality podcast exploring mindfulness, meditation, and what it means to be human through vulnerable storytelling.

    1h 24m

  6. JAN 8

    Has Meditation Actually Fixed Anything? | 3 Years of Practice, Still Broke (An Honest Answer)

    I've been meditating daily for 3 years. I'm still broke, still grinding 60+ hours a week doing deliveries, still struggling financially. So... does meditation actually work? In this episode, I answer questions I've never seen before about spiritual materialism, whether meditation "fixes" your external life, how to reconcile spiritual surrender with survival responsibilities, and why I'm really doing this podcast. Topics include: - Why "raising your vibration" is spiritual materialism - Has 3 years of meditation changed my external life? - How to practice when you're grinding to survive - The gap between spiritual ideals and real-world responsibility - Is Standing Nowhere a spiritual practice or just a project? Referenced: Ram Dass, Chogyam Trungpa, Third Patriarch of Zen, Alan Watts --- 📌 EPISODE 11 MENTIONED: "Why I Flipped Off a Driver 45 Minutes After Meditating (And What Anger Actually Is)" Standing Nowhere explores contemplative spirituality through real-life experience, authentic struggle, and honest conversation. No bypassing. No pretense. Just presence. Want to share a thought? Support the show --- 🔗 All links: https://linktr.ee/standingnowhere ⭐ Leave a review: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/standing-nowhere/id1822619607?action=write-review 📷 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/standing.nowhere/ 🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@standingnowherepodcast 💬 Discord: https://discord.com/invite/4yfaU7x4nF 📧 Email: standingnowherepodcast@gmail.com Standing Nowhere is a contemplative spirituality podcast exploring mindfulness, meditation, and what it means to be human through vulnerable storytelling.

    35 min

  7. JAN 1

    New Year's Resolutions Reimagined: What 'Resolution' Really Means

    What does "resolution" actually mean at its root? Not forcing—loosening. In the final episode of 2025, I reflect on a year of struggle, growth, and showing up anyway. Honest thoughts on time constraints, mental health, sobriety, and trusting when you can't see the path forward. With wisdom from Lao Tzu, Meister Eckhart, Thich Nhat Hanh, and Rilke. Want to share a thought? Support the show --- 🔗 All links: https://linktr.ee/standingnowhere ⭐ Leave a review: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/standing-nowhere/id1822619607?action=write-review 📷 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/standing.nowhere/ 🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@standingnowherepodcast 💬 Discord: https://discord.com/invite/4yfaU7x4nF 📧 Email: standingnowherepodcast@gmail.com Standing Nowhere is a contemplative spirituality podcast exploring mindfulness, meditation, and what it means to be human through vulnerable storytelling.

    35 min
  8. Two True Stories of Christmas Compassion [Holiday Special]

    12/25/2025

    Two True Stories of Christmas Compassion [Holiday Special]

    What does compassion look like in action? In this Christmas Day special, I share two powerful true stories that changed how I think about seeing people differently. The first is "A Soft Answer" by Terry Dobson—an American aikido student in 1960s Japan who learns what his martial art really means when an elderly man transforms a violent encounter on a Tokyo train with nothing but kind words and curiosity. The second is a story from 1952 about a father who can't drive past a family standing in the rain on Christmas morning—and makes a split-second decision that teaches his children the true joy of making others happy. Both stories ask the same question: Can we see the humanity in people when they appear to be resisting our help? Can we turn around when we see suffering? I also share how The Chronicles of Narnia became my gateway into reading as a contemplative practice, and why powerful stories have the ability to transform us. A shorter episode for Christmas Day. Thank you for listening, and happy holidays to you and yours. Episode Length: ~20 minutes Stories Featured: "A Soft Answer" by Terry Dobson | 1952 Christmas Story from the National Story Project Want to share a thought? Support the show --- 🔗 All links: https://linktr.ee/standingnowhere ⭐ Leave a review: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/standing-nowhere/id1822619607?action=write-review 📷 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/standing.nowhere/ 🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@standingnowherepodcast 💬 Discord: https://discord.com/invite/4yfaU7x4nF 📧 Email: standingnowherepodcast@gmail.com Standing Nowhere is a contemplative spirituality podcast exploring mindfulness, meditation, and what it means to be human through vulnerable storytelling.

    22 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Standing Nowhere: Real Spirituality for Everyday SeekersA podcast for people exploring spirituality outside traditional church settings—where contemplative wisdom meets real life, not abstract theory.Host Jacob Buehler, a working father and longtime meditator, brings raw, honest conversations about what it means to wake up in the middle of ordinary life. Through personal stories, guest interviews, and wisdom from multiple traditions, each episode invites you to look within—not to fix yourself, but to notice your life and mind in detail.No dogma. No guru pedestals. Just genuine exploration of mindfulness, letting go, and learning to trust what remains when there's nowhere left to stand.If you've ever questioned everything and found peace in not knowing—this is for you.

Information

  • Creator
    Jacob Buehler
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    34
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Standing Nowhere
  • Show Website
    Standing Nowhere