Metta Hour With Sharon Salzberg

For episode 208 of the Metta Hour Podcast, we have the sixth episode in a special series celebrating Sharon’s new book, “Real Life.”Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/mettaThis interview features a conversation between Sharon and Pete Holmes, pulled from the Living An Authentic Life Summit. Pete is a comedian, writer, actor, cartoonist, podcast host, author, and spiritual seeker. His book, Comedy Sex God, explores his relationship with faith and comedy. His popular podcast, You Made It Weird, is a comedic exploration of the meaning of life, with guests ranging from Seth Rogen to Blake Griffin. As a comedian, Pete created and starred in the semi-autobiographical HBO show Crashing, which he executive produced alongside Judd Apatow. He is also an accomplished stand-up comedian with numerous television specials and late-night appearances.Real Life is now available from Flatiron Books in hardcover,

For episode 207 of the Metta Hour Podcast, we are celebrating the release of Sharon’s new book, Real Life, with a recording of her virtual book launch event.Recorded on April 11, 2023, and hosted by the Insight Meditation Society’s Book Club, this event features a conversation with Sharon and JoAnna Hardy, moderated by Dan Harris.Real Life is now available from Flatiron Books in hardcover, ebook, and audiobook formats. To learn more about the book or get a copy, you can visit Sharon’s website here.In this conversation, Sharon, JoAnna, and Dan speak about:The impetus for the book, Real LifeHow committed meditators can still be stuckWhere Sharon struggles with opennessJoanna’s journey with shameThe difference between guilt and shameHandshake practiceGrowth mindset versus fixed mindsetJoanna’s daily practiceLove taking the form of fierce compassionNavigating a meditation droughtThe growing pains of learning new thingsWhat role community plays in Real LifeAging gracefully and staying openWhat authentic livin

For episode 206 of the Metta Hour Podcast, we are releasing a special extended excerpt of the Real Life Audiobook.Read by Sharon, this hour-long excerpt includes the introduction of the book entitled “Introduction: Embarking on a Journey Together” and the first chapter, “From Constriction to Expansion.” The book Real Life is available April 11th, 2023 from Flatiron Books in hardcover, ebook, and audiobook formats. To learn more about the book or get a copy, you can visit Sharon’s website here.Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/metta See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

For episode 205 of the Metta Hour Podcast, we have the third in a special series celebrating Sharon’s new book, “Real Life.” This interview features a conversation between Sharon and Sarah Jones, pulled from the Living An Authentic Life SummitTo learn more about Sarah’s work, you can visit her website. To hear this interview in it’s entirety, you can sign up for the Living an Authentic Life Summit right here, which runs online from March 29th – April 5th and is free to join.Sarah is a Tony Award-winning solo performer, writer, comedian and activist. Sarah is mainly known for her multi-character one-person shows, including Broadway hit Bridge & Tunnel and the critically-acclaimed play Sell/Buy/Date, which inspired the film. In this conversation, Sarah and Sharon speak about:• Sarah’s new film, “Sell/Buy/Date”• Art expanding what seems possible• The political nature of art• The necessity of courage• The impacts of covid• Being able to give our all in life• Sitting down and getting real• An encounter with th

For episode 204 of the Metta Hour Podcast, we have the second in a special series celebrating Sharon’s new book, “Real Life.” This interview features a conversation between Sharon and Zainab Salbi, pulled from the Living An Authentic Life Summit.Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/mettaZainab is a humanitarian, author and journalist. Oprah Winfrey identified her as one of the 25 women changing the world to People Magazine and Foreign Policy Magazine called Zainab one of “100 Top Global Thinkers”. She is the co-founder for DaughtersforEarth.com, Chief Awareness Officer at FindCenter.com, and host of Redefined podcast. Zainab is also the author of several books, including the national bestseller Between Two Worlds. To learn more about Zainab’s work, you can visit her website. To hear this interview in it’s entirety, you can sign up for the Living an Authentic Life Summit right here, which runs on

For episode 203 of the Metta Hour Podcast, we have the first in a special series celebrating Sharon’s new book, “Real Life.” This interview features a conversation between Sharon and Jon Kabat-Zinn, pulled from the Living An Authentic Life Summit. Jon is Professor of Medicine emeritus at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, where he founded the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society, and its world-renown Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Clinic. He is the author of 15 books, including the bestseller Full Catastrophe Living. His latest book published in 2023 is Mindfulness Meditation for Pain Relief: Practices to Reclaim Your Body and Your Life.The conversation begins with Jon leading a guided meditation practice, followed by a dynamic interview in which Jon and Sharon discuss:• Jon’s first exposure to meditation• mindfulness as a love affair• what is authentic living• translating ancient teaching of the Buddha• Jon’s early teaching at UMass• freeing ourselves f

For Episode 202 of the Metta Hour Podcast, Sharon is joined by lifelong friend, Jack Kornfield to talk about the power of Community.Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/mettaIn this conversation, Jack and Sharon discuss the many nuances of community, which is one of the three gems in Buddhism. They speak about:• What the three jewels are• The ways that community supported their early life on the path• What community offers the individual• What COVID revealed about interconnection• The epidemic of loneliness• How to cultivate community today• Jack’s new endeavor, Cloud SanghaThe episode closes with Jack leading a guided meditation. Join Sharon, Jack and seven of today's thought leaders in the space of mindfulness and meditation for a free online summit! Take a journey to inner peace, freedom and joy March 29 – April 2, 2023. Enroll for the Living an Authentic Life Summit for free: Join The

Koshin Paley Ellison joins Sharon for Episode 201 of the Metta Hour speaking about his new book, Untangled: Walking the Eightfold Path to Clarity, Courage, and Compassion.Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/mettaKoshin is an author, Zen teacher, Jungian psychotherapist, and ACPE Certified Chaplaincy Educator. After more than a decade as a chaplain and psychotherapist, Koshin co-founded the New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care. Koshin is a renowned thought leader in contemplative care and he is the author of several books. In this conversation, Sharon and Koshin speak about:• What drew Koshin to write on the 8-Fold Path• The importance of the four noble truths outside Buddhism• The definition of suffering in Buddhism• Being with suffering in a loving way• Writing as a form of gratitude• The 8-Fold Path as approach to practice• Shame versus embarrassment• Right Effort and Rig

For episode 200 of The Metta Hour Podcast, Sharon speaks with Diana Winston and Sue Smalley, Ph.D. about the re-release of their book, Fully Present: The Science, Art and Practice of Mindfulness. In this episode, Sharon, Diana and Sue speak at length about the advances in research over the past decade in the scientific research of meditation, mindfulness and compassion practice.Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/mettaDiana Winston is the Director of Mindfulness Education at UCLA's Mindful Awareness Research Center and the author of The Little Book of Being, and Wide Awake: A Buddhist Guide for Teens. She has been teaching mindfulness since 1999 in a variety of settings, and developed the evidence-based Mindful Awareness Practices (MAPS) curriculum and the Training in Mindfulness Facilitation, which trains mindfulness teachers worldwide.Sue Smalley, Ph.D. is a Professor emerita in the Depa

For Episode 199 of the Metta Hour Podcast, Sharon and Joseph Goldstein are interviewed by Lily Cushman, recalling their early lives.They each share what drew them to the path of meditation in the late sixties and early seventies and their initial years of practice in the East. This podcast is being released in tandem with the Insight Hour Podcast. Joseph Goldstein has been teaching meditation since 1974. He and Sharon are co-founders of the Insight Meditation Society and the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies, located in Barre, Massachusetts. Joseph is the author of numerous books, including Mindfulness: A Practical Guide to Awakening and Insight Meditation: The Practice of Freedom. Dan Harris calls him “a key architect of the rise of mindfulness in our modern society.”Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/mettaIn this conversation, Joseph shares about:growing up in the Catskills • early encounter

We have something special to share with you!Dan Harris (host of Ten Percent Happier) flies to Dharamsala, India to spend two weeks in the orbit of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. This is the first installment of a five-part audio documentary series, something we’ve never done before now. Over the course of the episodes, we talk to His Holiness about practical strategies for thorny dilemmas, including: how to get along with difficult people; whether compassion can cut it in an often brutal world; why there is a self-interested case for not being a jerk; and how to create social connection in an era of disconnection. We also get rare insights from the Dalai Lama into everything from the mechanics of reincarnation to His Holiness’s own personal mediation practice. In this first installment, Dan watches as a young activist directly challenges His Holiness: In a world plagued by climate change, terrorism, and other existential threats, is the Dalia Lama’s message of compassion practical — or even relevant? 

Sharon welcomes Shakil Choudry for Episode 198 of the Metta Hour Podcast.Shakil is an educator, consultant, and author with over 25 years of experience in the field of racial justice, diversity, and inclusion. He coaches executive teams and facilitates dialogue processes to resolve inter-group conflict, having led projects internationally and with organizations locally. He is the author of “Deep Diversity: A Compassionate, Scientific Approach to Achieving Racial Justice.”Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/mettaIn this conversation, Sharon and Shakil discuss:• How Shakil was drawn to racial diversity work • The first representation Shakil was exposed to in media • The impact of Interconnection • Holding tension between Individualism and Community • Developing Equity Literacy around oppressive social structures • Learning the patterns of inequality • 360-hour rule of learning • The tipping point

Tsoknyi Rinpoche and Daniel Goleman join Sharon for a special episode of the Metta Hour Podcast celebrating the launch of their brand new book, Why We Meditate: The Science and Practice of Clarity and Compassion.Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/mettaTsoknyi Rinpoche is a beloved teacher among the new generation of Tibetan Buddhist meditation masters. Widely recognized as an outstanding meditation teacher for over twenty-five years, he is the author of Open Heart, Open Mind, Fearless Simplicity, and Carefree Dignity. Daniel Goleman is the internationally bestselling author and coauthor of several books, including Emotional Intelligence, Focus, and Altered Traits. He was a science reporter for The New York Times and was twice nominated for the Pulitzer Prize.In this special episode, Sharon, Daniel, and Rinpoche speak about:• How Rinpoche began

For episode 196 of the Metta Hour, Sharon speaks special guest, Dr. Gabor Maté. Gabor is highly sought after for his expertise working with addiction, stress, and childhood development. He has written several bestselling books, including the award-winning In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts, When the Body Says No, and Scattered, and co-authored the book Hold On to Your Kids. His works have been published internationally in nearly thirty languages. Gabor’s new book, The Myth of Normal, has just been released in September of 2022.Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/mettaIn this episode, Sharon and Gabor discuss:How Gabor defines the term “normal” • Human’s incredible and sometimes dangerous adaptability • The percentages of folks on medication • How our culture engenders illness • The evolutionary nature • The essence of interconnection across culture, science & spirit

Husband and wife, Barbara Graham and Hugh Delehanty join Sharon Salzberg for Episode 195 of the Metta Hour Podcast.Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/mettaBarbara Graham is a New York Times bestselling author, essayist, and  playwright. She is the author of several books, including her 2022 novel “What Jonah Knew.” Hugh Delehanty is a #1 New York Times bestselling author, a National Magazine Award-winning editor, and a certified meditation teacher with more than 25 years of practice.In this episode, Sharon, Hugh and Barbara discuss:How Barbara & Hugh came to spiritual practice • How creativity can be informed by meditation • Finding joy in creative expression • Cultural assumptions about creativity • Training capacities we don’t think we have • Confronting our creative fears • The seed for Barbara’s recent book • Writing the thing you’re most afraid of • How visual art

Sharon welcomes friends and colleagues Andrés González and brothers Ali and Atman Smith back to the Metta Hour Podcast for Episode 194 to celebrate the release of their first book, “Let Your Light Shine.”Together Ali, Atman, and Andrés are the founders of the Holistic Life Foundation, a non-profit organization bringing yoga, meditation, and breath-work to thousands of at-risk kids in Baltimore schools since 2001. Their work has received wide national attention due to their remarkable results in public schools where suspension rates plummet, and graduation rates skyrocket. Outside of their work with the Holistic Life Foundation, Atman, Andrés and Ali also teach to diverse populations around the world, including drug treatment centers, mental crisis facilities, homeless shelters, as well as Yoga, Wellness, and Mindfulness Festivals. Their work has been featured in NBC Nightly News, CNN, CBS, The Washington Post, Upworthy, and many more.In this conversation, Andrés, Atman, Ali, and Sharon speak about:The impact

Diego Perez returns to the Metta Hour for Episode 193 to speak about his new book, Lighter. Diego is a meditator, speaker, and NY Times bestselling author known by his pen name Yung Pueblo.Diego is a practitioner of Vipassana meditation, as taught by S.N. Goenka. His writing focuses on the power of self-healing, creating healthy relationships, and the wisdom that comes when we truly work on knowing ourselves. Diego is the author of several bestselling books, Inward, Clarity & Connection, and his new release, Lighter, which comes out in October of 2022.Today's podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/mettaIn this conversation, Diego and Sharon discuss:The writing of Diego’s new book, Lighter • How this book differs from his previous prose books • Scaling up compassion from personal to transpersonal • The balance of self-care versus activism • Self-love as

For episode 192, Sharon welcomes Cecilia Loving to the Metta Hour to speak about Diversity, Inclusion, and embodied Lovingkindness.Cecilia is an award-winning speaker, diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion thought leader, consultant, and author. Her work focuses on restorative justice, storytelling, inclusive leadership, racial inclusion, mindfulness, and well-being. She is the Senior Vice President of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at PBS, with over 25 years of experience in DEI. Cecilia has practiced meditation since she was a teen in Detroit, and is the author of several books, including “The Power of Inclusion” and Unbroken Circles: Holding Space, Finding Forgiveness, and Transcending Edges.Today's podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/mettaIn this conversation, Cecilia and Sharon share about:• Growing up in the Civil rights movement in Detroit • Embodying vs. intellectualizing teac

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For episode 190 of the Metta Hour, Sharon welcomes Dr. Barbara Fredrickson.Today's podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/mettaDr. Barbara Fredrickson is a Kenan Distinguished Professor in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience at UNC-Chapel Hill. Barbara is the director of the Positive Emotions and Psychophysiology Laboratory. She is an award-winning teacher and also among the most highly-cited scientists worldwide. Her books, Positivity and Love 2.0 have been translated into dozens of languages. Barbara has been President of the International Positive Psychology Association and the Society for Affective Science.In this episode, Sharon and Barbara discuss:How Barbara and Sharon first connected • The history of the study of emotions in modern psychology • Experiential states that aren’t recognized as emotions • The peril of glorifying achievement • Evolutionary Psychology •