Metta Hour With Sharon Salzberg

For the tenth episode of the Real Love Podcast Series, Sharon sits down with Rosanne Cash for a fascinating conversation about the intersection between love, creativity and music.

For episode nine of the Real Love Podcast Series, Sharon speaks with meditation teacher and author, Jack Kornfield.Sharon and Jack Kornfield originally met in the 1970s in Colorado and went on to found the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, MA along with Joseph Goldstein. In this episode, Sharon and Jack talk about their first meeting over 40 years ago, and how the landscape for meditation in the West has dramatically changed since that time. They also discuss Jack's new book "No Time Like the Present" and it's theme of freedom as compared to the theme of love in Sharon's new book "Real Love". Tune into a fascinating ninth episode for the Real Love Podcast Series.

For episode eight of the Real Love Podcast Series, Sharon talks with Congressman Tim Ryan about love in the political landscape. Tim currently serves in the U.S. Congress representing Ohio's 13th District. He was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2002. Aside from his leadership in the political arena, Tim is a tremendous advocate for mindfulness, and author of the book "A Mindful Nation". Sharon and Tim discuss the importance and practice of real love in such critical and polarizing times in american and global politics, as well as value of quiet time and interdependence in community.

For episode seven of the Real Love Podcast Series, Sharon talks with meditation teach and author, Tara Brach. Tara is the author of many books, including the "Radical Acceptance" and "True Refuge," and is the founder the Insight Meditation Community of Washington, DC. Sharon and Tara dive into the world of self-love, discussing the subtle differences between self-worth and self-love, and how the two inform each other. They also discuss how to return to compassion and love when our buttons get pushed, in particular in the with the current political climate in the world. Tara also offers her approach to applying mindfulness and compassion practices of R-A-I-N, and how she continues to develop these tools for herself and her students.

For the sixth episode of the Real Love Podcast Series, Sharon sits down with renowned psychiatrist and author, Dr. Mark Epstein. Mark Epstein has paved the way for the cross-section of Western psychotherapy with Buddhist philosophy in the West, writing a number of books including his seminal work, "Going to Pieces without Falling Apart." Listen in on a fascinating conversation between two longtime friends and colleagues discussing Real Love in relationships and what that has to do with attachment theory, desire, Freud and early childhood development!

For her fifth episode of the Real Love Podcast Series, Sharon speaks with environmental activist Tim DeChristopher. In December of 2008, Tim disrupted a Bureau of Land Management oil and gas auction by registering as “Bidder 70” and outbidding oil companies for land parcels in National Parks in Utah.

Sharon is joined by Bell Hooks for a heartfelt conversation about the transformative power of love. Bell Hooks is a cultural critic, feminist theorist, and writer. Celebrated as one of our nation’s leading public intellectual by The Atlantic Monthly, as well as one of Utne Reader’s 100 Visionaries Who Could Change Your Life, she is a charismatic speaker who divides her time among teaching, writing, and lecturing around the world. Previously a professor in the English departments at Yale University and Oberlin College, hooks is now a Distinguished Professor of English at City College and the Graduate Center of the City University of New York.

The Happiness Track - Emma Seppälä is the Science Director of Stanford University’s Center for Compassion and Altruism Research in addition to her role as Co-Director of the Yale College Emotional Intelligence Project at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence. She has conducted groundbreaking research on mind-body practices for combat veterans and in the fields of meditation and compassion. Sharon introduces Emma and her work, starting with Emma's book "The Happiness Track."

Sharon is joined by Holistic Life Foundation co-founders Andres Gonzalez and brothers Ali and Atman Smith for a conversation around the role of love in community building. The Real Love Podcast Series is a special series on the Metta Hour featuring a variety of conversations with some of the world's finest thinkers and teachers exploring Sharon's forthcoming book "Real Love: The Art of Mindful Connection". Real Love a field guide for anyone seeking awakened living in the 21st century - regardless of age, race, gender, ethnicity or status. The book explores love is three different arena in life: love of oneself, love of one another, and love for all of life. Real Love is now available for pre-order and hits stores on June 6th, 2017.

Sharon sits down with Ram Dass and Raghu Markus for a conversation about Ram Dass's relationship with his Guru, Neem Karoli Baba, and how that relationship transformed his ability to love himself and others in his life. Recorded live in December 2016 at the Open Your Heart in Paradise Retreat in Maui, HI. The Real Love Podcast Series is a special series on the Metta Hour featuring a variety of conversations with some of the world's finest thinkers and teachers exploring Sharon's forthcoming book "Real Love: The Art of Mindful Connection". Real Love a field guide for anyone seeking awakened living in the 21st century - regardless of age, race, gender, ethnicity or status. The book explores love is three different arena in life: love of oneself, love of an other, and love for all of life. Real Love is now available for pre-order and hits stores on June 6th, 2017.

Live from Deepak HomeBase, Sharon shares wisdom on learning to love your enemies. In this special talk, Sharon explores inner and outer enemies, looks at the fear, anger and anguish generated by being stuck in a mode of "us" and "them", and focuses on the liberation we are capable of.

Live from the Garrison Institute, Sharon contemplates the role of intentionality in our actions. Joined by the co-host of the evening, Ethan Nichtern, Sharon explores the different components of our actions and how intentionality affects each of them.

On this special episode of Metta Hour, Sharon visits humorist Randy Cohen's podcast, Person Place Thing, to talk about her most inspirational "Thing," the Statue of Liberty. Person Place Thing is an interview show based on this idea: people are particularly engaging when they speak not directly about themselves but about something they care about. Sharon shares how the values reflected in Lady Liberty inspire how she lives her life

Joseph Goldstein joins Sharon to talk about overcoming obstacles through meditative practice and living in the dharma. Recorded live from the Insight Meditation Society’s 40th anniversary benefit.

Sharon shares insight and words of encouragement on our meditative practice. We get a better understanding of the meaning of the word meditation and context for how it works in our lives. We learn to appreciate meditation as cultivation and the importance of getting used to it. Sharon is joined by Roshi Joan Halifax to take questions from the audience on patience, teaching others, and appreciating our contributions no matter how small they may be.   

This week, Sharon digs the into some of the reoccurring challenges we all encounter along the path. Our path to liberation is not a linear one of progression, in which we clear hurdles that never return. Instead, it is a circular journey that keeps coming around and influences all aspects of our life The wisdom our practice cultivates affords us the opportunity to approach these challenges in a better way each time they present themselves along the path.

Sharon shares four reflections on the Dharma that will sustain us in our practice. Who in the Western world can imagine sitting in silent meditation for years at a time? What can we do, especially as novices, to remind ourselves the purpose and importance of our practice? Sharon asked the same questions early in her practice as well. What she learned is that there are reflections for sustained practice which shift our perspective and move us forward on the path.

This special episode of Metta Hour is dedicated to exploring the life of the historical Buddha. Sharon discusses the historical Buddha as a human, legendary figure, and mystic, in addition to his role as teacher, historical figure, and founder of a tradition. She walks us through the Buddha's experiences under the Bodhi tree and the teachings he left with. On this episode of, Metta Hour, Sharon gives insight into these lessons to help us better understand the Way of the Buddha.

This week on, Metta Hour, Sharon has a conversation with Rev Angel Kyodo Williams about political activism and spiritual practice. What is the interplay between activism and personal practice? Sharon and Rev Angel Kyodo Williams discuss the qualities of the two and what they bring to one another. On this week's episode, we learn how to make radical change happen and love everyone in the process.

Sharon sits down with Ethan Nichtern and New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman to talk about transformational activism. The three discuss what exactly transformational activism is and how Ethan and Eric have been using the approach to promote positive change in politics.Ethan Nichtern founded The Interdependence Project in 2005 which offers a unique, multi-lineage education in Secular Buddhist practice and psychology. The project also features Transformational Activism initiatives, designed to support the interdependence of our unique personal journeys with our shared path as a society. Eric Schneiderman has been a long time partner to The Interdependence Project, offering his political experience and unique insight to the group. Listen to how Ethan and Eric developed the concept of transformational activism and how we can affect change in our community on this enlightening episode of the Sharon Salzberg Metta Hour!"Understanding the core sense of self . . . is really the key to any long-term transforma