This dharma talk is a reminder that every moment is an invitation to decrease the mass of human suffering. Lisa explicates why cultivating Bodhicitta is the ultimate path to accomplishing that aim in the midst of ordinary daily life.

The Buddha taught unconditioned mind—purification via contemplative effort. Later Buddhism taught innate basic goodness or Buddhanature. I compare these two frameworks using suttas and affective neuroscience, and I’m joined by a co-teacher Chat-GPT!

Cassandra Vieten and I discuss shifting the mental health crisis into a mental health renaissance. Cassie’s work has helped psychology integrate many mind-body interventions for human flourishing. Learn easy ways to facilitate health and well-being

Season 5 concludes with a pointed and timely discussion of the pitfalls of packaging and delivering meditation as a performative act in health contexts with Donna Sherman, clinical social worker and yoga and mindfulness teacher. Happy Holidays!

Alison Ash PhD educator and creator of sex positive workshops discusses consent skills, sexual pleasure and intimacy, varied forms of coupling, and why erotica is not pornography. We cover harmful effects of sexual trauma and how to heal from it.

Raja Selvam, PhD, discusses his new book on Integral Somatic Psychology™ (ISP™), an effective somatic therapy that encourages optimal mental health by fully embodying emotions. ISP is a useful complement for enhancing talk therapy effectiveness.

Richard Hill and Matthew Dahlitz discuss their comprehensive, modern psychotherapy textbook that covers basic neuroscience, body-brain systems, genetic processes and the application of integrative psychotherapy modalities for mental health disorders.

If you are interested in mindfulness and Buddhist approaches for focus, clarity, and wise action, this episode is for you! Buddhist teacher Shaila Catherine explicates her five-step method for cultivating greater focus, clarity, and wise action.

Eric Garland and I discuss exciting new research, including the groundbreaking JAMA study, on Mindfulness Oriented Recovery Enhancement (MORE), for alleviating cognitive-affective distress associated with chronic pain and co-occurring opioid misuse.

It’s been a very disturbing few weeks since Russia invaded Ukraine. Coincident with this, Lisa Dale Miller gave two dharma talks at Marin Sangha on being wise in the midst of difficult circumstances. The second talk begins at 27:00.

Cortical-based theories of consciousness are all the rage. But Mark Solms has put forth a radically convincing theory for the subcortical, homeostatic origins of consciousness rooted primarily in feeling. This episode is fascinating and mind-blowing.

Beverley Kane MD, discusses somatic horsemanship, a therapeutic practice exploring the physical relationship between humans and horses to promote well-being in both species. Horses are ideal teachers of healthy embodiment and emotional resilience

Stuart Shanker tackles the fundamental loss of virtue in societal and individual conduct and how to reinvigorate it. We address the war between reason and emotion, rationality and irrationality, and its role in a growing sense of unsafety in America.

Psychologist Jim Hopper on neurobiology of trauma, MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD, the critical need for embodied treatment modalities in trauma therapy, the use of Buddhist psychology and IFS for trauma resolution, and an updated ethics of addiction.

Two dharma talks explicating what kindness is in Buddhist psychology and how it radically differs from niceness. Though kindness is engaged and other-centered, it isn’t always easy and navigating that discomfort is the common ground of both talks.

Stuart Shanker, PhD is a world-renown author, researcher, and creator of the Self-reg method. His new book, "REFRAMED: Self-Reg for a just society", explores self-regulation in social terms and unpacks the neuroscience, concepts and tools of Self-Reg.

This is a microbiome geek-fest with health scientist and author Rodney Dietert. We discuss probiotics, prebiotics, rebiosos and microbiome-first medicine for reversing the epidemic of NCDs and immune system disorders, and viruses like COVID19.

In his new book, Jeremy Lent integrates ancient Taoist and Buddhist views of humanness with a modern scientific view of human capacity. This profound dialogue covers deep intelligence, wise action and how to expand collective concern.

A special episode with Anne C. Klein PhD, professor, translator, author, and Buddhist teacher. We discuss the Tibetan Buddhist Foundational Practices (Nundro) and her rich history in Buddhist academia and lifelong relationship with Tibetan Buddhism.

Jud Brewer sees anxiety as a habit loop—an unrewarding reward that is experientially and neurobiologically similar to addiction. Jud presents his radical treatment model. Then we discuss the intersection of meditation and psychedelic research.

Kathy Kain shares her unparalleled expertise on effective use of somatic interventions in in-person and online psychotherapy. Also what interventions work and don’t work, and which patients may benefit or be underserved when contact is screen-only.

Soul initiation is an essential spiritual adventure that most modern cultures have forgotten. Eco-psychologist Bill Plotkin discusses this life-altering path in our riveting, deep and edgy dialogue on the soul journey which forges a true adult.

Opening to Grief is an essential guidebook for anyone navigating the journey of grief and loss. Author Claire B. Willis, shares her expert counsel about the many ways to honor any form of loss you might be experiencing as 2020 comes to a close.

My second dialogue with Evan Thompson covers his latest and most controversial book, Why I Am Not A Buddhist, which spotlights conceptual and functional problems with Buddhist modernism, Buddhist exceptionalism and neural Buddhism.