The Difference Between Trauma and Suffering

This week we dive into our Foundational Attachments, exploring our relationships with nature and humans, and why we might see them as separate in the first place. This impacts how we experience the world, as well as how we suffer unnecessarily, AND how we find joy.You will learn:// How we cultivate (and have wounds) in our foundational attachments to Humans and Nature// Why some people trust nature more than humans, and others trust people more than nature// Why our ultimate wholeness includes BOTH other humans AND nature// The forces at play that disconnect us from nature + each other// How we can undo the Lie of SeparationResources:// Episode 139: Nature and Reconnecting// Episode 210: Spiritual Friends and How to Make Them// Nature and the Human Soul, by Bill Plotkin// If you’re new to the squad, grab the Rebel Buddhist Toolkit I created at RebelBuddhist.com. It has all you need to start creating a life of more freedom, adventure, and purpose. You’ll also get access to the Rebel Buddhist private group, and tune in every Wednesday as I go live with new inspiration and topics. // Want something more self-paced with access to weekly group support and getting coached by yours truly? Check out Freedom School – the community for ALL things related to freedom, inside and out. We dive into taking wisdom and applying it to our daily lives, with different topics every month. Learn more at JoinFreedomSchool.com. I can’t wait to see you there!// Have you benefited from even one episode of the Rebel Buddhist Podcast? I’d love it if you could leave a 5-star review on iTunes by clicking here  or on Spotify by clicking here.

This week, we dive into a truth that we often forget: We are the dreams of our ancestors. Join us as we explore the ways we can honor our ancestors in the lives we live today and how we can move forward in healing their wounds AND ours, not just for our own good, but for the good of our communities. Knowing this helps us get through anything, and this is the type of resilience many of us need right now.You will learn:// How I was inspired by my Black dharma teacher, Noliwe Alexander, and the phrase, “We are our ancestors’ wildest dreams”// How we can gain resilience from remembering our ancestors’ paths// The importance of acknowledging the weight our own lineage might have// Why being with our suffering contributes to more than just our own healing// What generational trauma is and how it impacts resourcing from our pastResources:// Episode 248: You Are a Cycle Breaker// Episode 59: The Parent Wound// Episode 174: Decolonize Your Mind - A Story of My Mother and Me// Rest is Resistance by Tricia Hersey// If you’re new to the squad, grab the Rebel Buddhist Toolkit I created at RebelBuddhist.com. It has all you need to start creating a life of more freedom, adventure, and purpose. You’ll also get access to the Rebel Buddhist private group, and tune in every Wednesday as I go live with new inspiration and topics. // Want something more self-paced with access to weekly group support and getting coached by yours truly? Check out Freedom School – the community for ALL things related to freedom, inside and out. We dive into taking wisdom and applying it to our daily lives, with different topics every month. Learn more at JoinFreedomSchool.com. I can’t wait to see you there!// Have you benefited from even one episode of the Rebel Buddhist Podcast? I’d love it if you could leave a 5-star review on iTunes by clicking here  or on Spotify by clicking here.

This week I reflect on a recent visit to Hanoi, Vietnam, and how a simple experience of crossing the street turned into a very healing and eye-opening lesson in trust and interdependence. We’ll talk about how in the US, when it comes to navigating traffic and driving, we are taught to assume we are invisible. Drive defensively. Cross streets assuming no one sees you. In Hanoi, it was the opposite. If you wanted to do something as basic as cross the street, you have to assume you would be seen, and that people cared and would take care. I was able to literally walk into oncoming traffic amongst strangers - something we can’t do in many industrialized growth societies like the US. We explore the vulnerability and beauty of how humans can move through chaos together when we come from a place of interdependence and interbeing.You will learn:// What is possible when we embrace interdependence and the fact that we are connected to everything// The gifts that taking risks by being vulnerable and trusting others can bring to us (while using discernment, of course!)// How we can find healing in interdependence and trust in one another// Why so many industrialized growth societies are so far from interdependent interbeing, and how we can offset thatResources:// Episode 190: Islands of Sanctuary – Being a Refuge for Your People// If you’re new to the squad, grab the Rebel Buddhist Toolkit I created at RebelBuddhist.com. It has all you need to start creating a life of more freedom, adventure, and purpose. You’ll also get access to the Rebel Buddhist private group, and tune in every Wednesday as I go live with new inspiration and topics. // Want something more self-paced with access to weekly group support and getting coached by yours truly? Check out Freedom School – the community for ALL things related to freedom, inside and out. We dive into taking wisdom and applying it to our daily lives, with different topics every month. Learn more at JoinFreedomSchool.com. I can’t wait to see you there!// Have you benefited from even one episode of the Rebel Buddhist Podcast? I’d love it if you could leave a 5-star review on iTunes by clicking here  or on Spotify by clicking here.

This week’s topic is all about judgment and discernment. We can often default to judging situations and people, especially if we've been through trauma and we’re on the lookout for threats. Add to this a history of being gaslit, and it gets even harder to trust our inner wisdom. But understanding the difference between judgment and discernment can completely change how we respond to life and to other, making it more compassionate, expansive and creative.. The good news is that cultivating discernment is possible. In this episode, we dive into a practice that helps you do exactly that.You will learn:// How to deal with a history of gaslighting and its impact on self-trust// Why trauma makes the judging mind more intense// The secret to changing how we experience judgment (hint: Curiosity is huge!)// What can lead to deeper understanding of ourselves and others when activated// How to differentiate between judgmental thoughts vs facts// A simple practice to cultivate discernment in everyday lifeResources:// Episode 44: The Power of the Pause// Episode 111: Judgement and Blame// If you’re new to the squad, grab the Rebel Buddhist Toolkit I created at RebelBuddhist.com. It has all you need to start creating a life of more freedom, adventure, and purpose. You’ll also get access to the Rebel Buddhist private group, and tune in every Wednesday as I go live with new inspiration and topics. // Want something more self-paced with access to weekly group support and getting coached by yours truly? Check out Freedom School – the community for ALL things related to freedom, inside and out. We dive into taking wisdom and applying it to our daily lives, with different topics every month. Learn more at JoinFreedomSchool.com. I can’t wait to see you there!// Have you benefited from even one episode of the Rebel Buddhist Podcast? I’d love it if you could leave a 5-star review on iTunes by clicking here  or on Spotify by clicking here.

This week’s episode is about the importance of letting in what restores and realigns us so that we can let go of what no longer serves us. We’ll talk about the concept of crowding out and how we can use that as a framework to practice letting in wherever we find ourselves stuck in our old patterns.You will learn:// What “crowding out” is and how we can use to help us let go of what no longer serves us// How to know what the rights things to let in are// What happens when we DON’T let in// Some ways we can practice letting in when we feel ourselves stuck in old patternsResources:// Episode 55: Letting Go to Grow// Episode 209: Ripening and the Inevitability of Our Awakening// If you’re new to the squad, grab the Rebel Buddhist Toolkit I created at RebelBuddhist.com. It has all you need to start creating a life of more freedom, adventure, and purpose. You’ll also get access to the Rebel Buddhist private group, and tune in every Wednesday as I go live with new inspiration and topics. // Want something more self-paced with access to weekly group support and getting coached by yours truly? Check out Freedom School – the community for ALL things related to freedom, inside and out. We dive into taking wisdom and applying it to our daily lives, with different topics every month. Learn more at JoinFreedomSchool.com. I can’t wait to see you there!// Have you benefited from even one episode of the Rebel Buddhist Podcast? I’d love it if you could leave a 5-star review on iTunes by clicking here  or on Spotify by clicking here.

This week we talk about the importance of showing up authentically in relationships… even when we are afraid the other person won’t accept us for who we are. I’ll share my own story about how my husband and I could have ended it… and how my choice to speak and act wisely changed the course of our relationship and our parenting forever (and for good)! Things you will learn:// The truth behind why we fear being our true selves with others // How we can finally find out if we should stay or go // How wise speech and action help us get clear // How to manage our own resistance to speaking and living our truth Resources:// Episode 5: True Allyship and the Willingness to Be Uncomfortable// Episode 118: Devotion// If you’re new to the squad, grab the Rebel Buddhist Toolkit I created at RebelBuddhist.com. It has all you need to start creating a life of more freedom, adventure, and purpose. You’ll also get access to the Rebel Buddhist private group, and tune in every Wednesday as I go live with new inspiration and topics. // Want something more self-paced with access to weekly group support and getting coached by yours truly? Check out Freedom School – the community for ALL things related to freedom, inside and out. We dive into taking wisdom and applying it to our daily lives, with different topics every month. Learn more at JoinFreedomSchool.com. I can’t wait to see you there!// Have you benefited from even one episode of the Rebel Buddhist Podcast? I’d love it if you could leave a 5-star review on iTunes by clicking here  or on Spotify by clicking here.

This week’s episode is all about Sacred Discipline - not the authoritarian, “I told you so” type of discipline, but a sacred discipline that comes from creating what WE wants. A Sacred Discipline that can set us free and help us live our Soul Purpose into the world (which, BTW, really needs it right now!). We will explore how Sacred Discipline isn’t anti-freedom at all, and jam on some ways to develop our own Sacred Discipline in a daily practice.You will learn:// How our sneaky minds make us resist discipline - even when it’s our own damn selves wanting to do it!// Why over-identifying as a rebel or someone who only does “spontaneous” puts our dreams at risk// How the concept of Sacred Discipline is different than the OG idea of authoritarian, controlling discipline// The ways that Sacred Discipline helps us actualize our Soul Purpose// The importance of seeing Sacred Discipline as a practice, not a command// Why doing what you say you’re doing to do ISN’T anti-freedom// How to develop our own Sacred Discipline as a part of our daily practiceResources:// Episode 81: The Importance of a Daily Routine// Episode 210: Spiritual Friends and How to Make Them// If you’re new to the squad, grab the Rebel Buddhist Toolkit I created at RebelBuddhist.com. It has all you need to start creating a life of more freedom, adventure, and purpose. You’ll also get access to the Rebel Buddhist private group, and tune in every Wednesday as I go live with new inspiration and topics. // Want something more self-paced with access to weekly group support and getting coached by yours truly? Check out Freedom School – the community for ALL things related to freedom, inside and out. We dive into taking wisdom and applying it to our daily lives, with different topics every month. Learn more at JoinFreedomSchool.com. I can’t wait to see you there!// Have you benefited from even one episode of the Rebel Buddhist Podcast? I’d love it if you could leave a 5-star review on iTunes by clicking here or on Spotify by clicking here.

This week’s episode is all about forgiveness as a practice, and beginning again (and again). We often think of forgivensss as a singular act, but if you’ve ever tried to truly forgive, you likely know it’s a process. And if we succeed, it’s also something we might have to go through again when old wounds are reopened. We’ll be jamming on WHY we have to revisit forgiveness over and over again, and I’ll give some tools that will help you approach forgiveness as a practice.You will learn:// Why forgiveness is a practice that often requires us to being again (and again…) // Examples of forgiveness after unthinkable suffering that give us hope that forgiveness is possible for us as well - no matter what has transpired. // How forgiveness is a CHOICE we make every day - not a one-time gig.// 5 things we can do today to help us approach forgiveness as a practiceResources:// Episode 34: How to Forgive// Episode 51: Self-Compassion// Episode 53: How to Forgive Yourself// Cancilde’s story - her husband and 5 of her children were killed in the Rwandan genocides and she later forgave the perpetrator: https://www.plough.com/en/topics/life/forgiveness/how-far-does-forgiveness-reach// Emmanuel’s story (the young man who killed Cancilde’s husband and 5 of her children and was later forgiven by her): https://youtu.be/U8xDZnfOG34// A video from Tony Robbins of another story of forgiveness from the Rwandan massacres - Immaculée’s story and that of the healing of Rwanda as a country (58min) https://youtu.be/yBOu2rE8Ljg// Check out my video on the Tong Len Meditation// If you’re new to the squad, grab the Rebel Buddhist Toolkit I created at RebelBuddhist.com. It has all you need to start creating a life of more freedom, adventure, and purpose. You’ll also get access to the Rebel Buddhist private group, and tune in every Wednesday as I go live with new inspiration and topics. // Want something more self-paced with access to weekly group support and getting coached by yours truly? Check out Freedom School – the community for ALL things related to freedom, inside and out. We dive into taking wisdom and applying it to our daily lives, with different topics every month. Learn more at JoinFreedomSchool.com. I can’t wait to see you there!// Have you benefited from even one episode of the Rebel Buddhist Podcast? I’d love it if you could leave a 5-star review on iTunes by clicking here  or on Spotify by clicking here.

This week’s episode is all about breaking the rules - really! We’ll jam on why some rules should be broken, and the importance of breaking little rules every day. Plus I’ll tell you some ways you can figure out which rules should be broken in the first place.You will learn:// Why some rules are worth breaking// What “resistance calisthenics” are, and how we can apply them to our own spiritual practice// How to discern if a rule is worth breaking// The importance of practicing being rebellious in preparing for - and creating - profound change// The importance of trusting our inner compass and values when deciding which rules to challenge// Why rebellion is so complex in today’s world// How to practice if you’re part of a vulnerable population that can’t afford to take outward risks of breaking even more trivial rulesResources// Episode 7: Know Your Values - The Rebel Buddhist Manifesto// Episode 37: How to Disagree Like a Buddha// Episode 154: Off the Cushion - Activism + Spirituality// The Harper’s article by James Scott on anarchist calisthenics// If you’re new to the squad, grab the Rebel Buddhist Toolkit I created at RebelBuddhist.com. It has all you need to start creating a life of more freedom, adventure, and purpose. You’ll also get access to the Rebel Buddhist private group, and tune in every Wednesday as I go live with new inspiration and topics.   // Want something more self-paced with access to weekly group support and getting coached by yours truly? Check out Freedom School – the community for ALL things related to freedom, inside and out. We dive into taking wisdom and applying it to our daily lives, with different topics every month. Learn more at JoinFreedomSchool.com. I can’t wait to see you there!     // Have you benefited from even one episode of the Rebel Buddhist Podcast? I’d love it if you could leave a 5-star review on iTunes by clicking here  or on Spotify by clicking here.

This week we’re going to dive into how discomfort doesn’t always mean danger. We’ll also explore how we need not look for guarantees of complete safety - because nothing can guarantee 100% safety and comfort for everyone. You’ll also learn about some ways we can practice stepping INTO discomfort when we’ve found our safe enough space.You will learn:// Why there’s no such things as 100% safe // The trap of equating comfort with safety // The difference between discomfort and true danger// How to use “safe enough” to step into discomfort for the good of our close relationships as well as the world around us// 6 ways we can make our spaces “safe enough”// 5 questions we can ask ourselves to gauge the safety of a situation and differentiate discomfort from true danger//How the ultimate safety is within us Resources:// Episode 211: Navigating Our Edges// Episode 246: Choosing to STAY During Challenging Times// If you’re new to the squad, grab the Rebel Buddhist Toolkit I created at RebelBuddhist.com. It has all you need to start creating a life of more freedom, adventure, and purpose. You’ll also get access to the Rebel Buddhist private group, and tune in every Wednesday as I go live with new inspiration and topics. // Want something more self-paced with access to weekly group support and getting coached by yours truly? Check out Freedom School – the community for ALL things related to freedom, inside and out. We dive into taking wisdom and applying it to our daily lives, with different topics every month. Learn more at JoinFreedomSchool.com. I can’t wait to see you there!// Have you benefited from even one episode of the Rebel Buddhist Podcast? I’d love it if you could leave a 5-star review on iTunes by clicking here  or on Spotify by clicking here.