The Still Point: Where Freedom Begins - Off the Cushion Part 5

This we wrap up our discussion of the Eightfold Path by talking about 3 components of Meditation/samādhi: Wise Effort, Wise Mindfulness, and Wise Concentration. We’ll talk about how our meditation practice isn’t just to calm the mind, and why we need it now more than ever. Plus I’ll give you some ways you can begin practicing samādhi in your own daily life.You will learn:// The real reason we meditate (it’s not what you think!)// The 3 parts of samādhi: Wise Effort, Wise Mindfulness, and Wise Concentration// Why modern industrialized society has given many of us a complicated relationship with “effort”// How meditation (samādhi) trains the mind to pause between impulse and action - not to escape life, but to meet it fully.// Why ethical living quiets inner conflict and creates the ground for real peace and a solid meditation practice.// How to recognize when effort becomes striving// What mindfulness truly means: remembering what matters and staying awake to what’s real, even when it’s uncomfortable.// How concentration offers refuge in an age of distraction// Why the Eightfold Path isn’t about checking out, but learning to see clearly and act with integrity in a world that needs awake hearts.Resources:// Episode 44: The Power of the Pause// Episode 208: The Sit Spot Practice - When It’s Hard to Meditate// Episode 209: Ripening and the Inevitability of Our Awakening// Listen to Ana talk with Brooke Castillo on The Life Coach School Podcast about how Buddhism was using thoughtwork thousands of years ago// Episode 278: Off the Cushion and Into the World – Part 1 Intro and the Three Jewels// Episode 279: Reality Check – Off the Cushion + Into the World Part 2// Episode 281: Wisdom In Action – Off the Cushion Part 3// Episode 282:  Remembering Our Humanity – A Lesson of the Ages// 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.

We can often think that very few ancient teachings could apply to these historic times, when things seem upended in ways the world has never seen (or so it seems;). This week, we explore lessons that are over 2600 years old that remind us of our humanity and what really matters, no matter the era, our job, our age, our nationality, our sexuality, our religion, or any other way we might identify. This is about getting clear about how we want to show up in the world, and committing to that for the benefit of our liberation - and others’.You will learn:// How ethics and inner peace go hand in hand // Why cultivating and committing to your own set of ethics is so critical in today’s world// An exploration of Wise Ppeech, Wise Action, and Wise Livelihood// How our work can be our prayer// 4 questions we can begin to ask ourselves to help us stay in alignment// 2 practices around wise speech and wise action to try out in our daily lives.Resources:// Episode 34: How to Forgive// Episode 194: Work - Survival Dance or Sacred Offering// Episode 253: Forgiveness and the Art of Beginning Again// Episode 274: The Ripple Effect (And the Story of Bruce)// Episode 278: Off the Cushion and Into the World – Part 1 Intro and the Three Jewels// Episode 279: Reality Check – Off the Cushion + Into the World Part 2// Episode 281: Wisdom In Action – Off the Cushion Part 3// 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 continues our Off the Cushion and Into the World series. We’ll try to save ourselves some time and headache by starting to step onto the actual path the Buddha laid out for how to live with more freedom — the Noble Eightfold Path. Today, we focus on the first section: Wisdom, or Pañña — specifically, “Right” - or Wise - View and Right/Wise Intention. I’ll break down what each means, and why they help us make our mind more peaceful and kind - and bring less suffering into the world and more joy and freedom. Plus we’ll touch on some ways you can begin to practice these in your daily practice.You will learn:// What wisdom is and why we need wise view and wise intentions on our spiritual journey// 3 key lenses of Wise View to help us see and experience the world without resisting reality// The 3 types of Wise Intention we can move through life with// Some ways we can practice Wise View and Wise Intention in our messy, daily livesResources:// Episode 40: Desire and Attachment// Episode 44: The Power of the Pause// Episode 77: Change Is Inevitable// Episode 278: Off the Cushion and Into the World, Part 1// Episode 279: Reality Check - Off the Cushion + Into the World Part 2 // 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 something extra personal for me - snapshots of struggles in my own life story. We’ll explore the power of the choices we all make and why we often struggle to believe that we’re just as capable as anyone else to create the life we want. And I’ll give you some encouragement so you can go out and find your own freedom!In this episode, you’ll learn:Why assumptions about someone else having it “easier than me” dismiss the reality of our powerHow comparison (harder/easier) can keep us stuck and distracted from what we need to do nextThe role of resilience and scrappy choices in creating freedomWhy your accomplishments matter — whether or not you had help along the wayResources:// Episode 21: Define Your Freedom// Episode 93: Wake the F*ck Up!// Episode 174: Decolonize Your Mind – A Story of My Mother and Me// Episode 235: What’s Possible When We Let Go of Our Story// 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 stepping right into the heart of a Buddhist version of a Reality Check. When the Buddha came out of his meditative state, he didn’t run to tell people about all the trippy things he experienced. Instead, he chose his first teaching to be about the Four Noble Truths - the fact that dissatisfaction is part of the human experience, and there’s a way to not get hooked by it. I’ll break down each of these aspects and how they lead to the most hopeful message of all: that despite the suffering and discomfort we will face in our lives, there is a way forward, so we can face any moment with resilience, joy, and freedom!You will learn:// Why facing the reality of the hard parts of life is actually  a message of hope and freedom - even JOY// Why believing “good vibes only” will not set you free// How (and why) we often create our own suffering and discomfort  - and how to flip that shizzle// The root cause of feeling dissatisfied  and why letting go is a path to inner peace and liberation Resources:// Episode 60: How to Avoid Unnecessary Suffering// Episode 64: Cultivating Radiant Inner Confidence – Ziji// Episode 126: How to Know if You’re Making Spiritual Progress// Episode 278: Off the Cushion and Into the World, Part 1// Dancing with Life by Philip Moffitt// 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 is the first in our Off the Cushion and Into the World series. This series came from multiple requests for a course on Buddhist philosophy and psychology, and I wanted to offer this series on the foundational teachings here on the podcast. As the Dalai Lama said, you don’t have to be Buddhist to benefit from the teachings of Buddhism! You can use the tools to have less suffering in your life - no matter what your path is. In this first episode of the series, we explore the story of Siddhartha and the trials and tribulations that led to his Awakening; how he was a human who suffered just like us, and therefore how Awakening is something available to all of us. We explore the foundational values of inquiry and debate within Buddhism, and how we need to discover our own path and test things out for ourselves, not relying on blind faith. We also dive into the Three Refuges (aka the 3 Jewels) and why they’re essential on our journey, and how to explore our own versions of these refuges.Most of all, you learn how to begin applying these things to this wild and whacky human life.You will learn:// Why we might want to study these teachings in the first place - even if we aren’t Buddhist or religious// The story of Siddhartha (later know as Buddha) and why he’d leave a phat pad, buckets of money and a legacy of power // Why Buddhism is so unique in its practice of inquiry, questioning, debate, and no requirements or blind faith. (And why it often works well for atheists and agnostics as well) // The three jewels / refuges and why we need them on our journey// One practice you can try this week to show up with curiosity around your own sources of refuge and resourcing Resources:// Episode 122: Come See for Yourself – Ehipassiko// Episode 136: Freedom to Change Your Mind// Episode 198: WTF Is Enlightenment?// 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 one of the foundational teachings of Buddhism: ehipassiko. We’ll jam on what it means to “live the question” and why it’s important for us to see things for ourselves instead of relying on others’ experiences. Plus, we’ll talk about how to not judge others for how they choose to live their lives.In this Episode we talk about:// WTF it means to “live the question” // Why “seeing for ourselves” is key to prevent, and protecting against, oppression (and gaslighting) // How to balance investigative inquiry and healthy doubt with faith // When doubt isn’t useful and unproductive – and essential // How we can use “seeing for ourselves” to not judge othersResources:// Episode 7: Know Your Values – The Rebel Buddhist Manifesto// Episode 14: Cognitive Dissonance + How to Create New Beliefs// Episode 136: Freedom to Change Your Mind// 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 misguided idea that if it’s meant to be, it should be easy, and if it’s hard, it’s a sign that something is NOT meant to be. While there’s some validity to certain experiences like this, it isn’t universally true. In this episode, I share ways you can actually differentiate if your suffering is an indication of misalignment, or if it’s a part of the universality of the human experience. Plus I’ll share one practice you can start today to connect with that discomfort and keep moving forward, instead of fearing and being stuck in it.You will learn:// Why discomfort doesn’t mean we are misaligned or that it’s not meant to be… and what it ACTUALLY signifies// Why we tend to fear discomfort in the first place// How to know the difference between difficulty that comes from being misaligned on our path, and the universal challenges of the human experience// One practice you can start today to connect with discomfort instead of fear it - and move towards opennessResources:// Episode 9: Impermanence, Death, and Other Sexy Things// Episode 44: The Power of the Pause// Episode 63: Being Human is Hard - The First Noble Truth// Episode 100: How to Know You’re Making Progress// Episode 156: Savoring When Suffering Is Not Present// 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 some of the things we can do to help us show up as our best selves when there is someone in our life who has a mental illness. We’ll jam on cultivating practices that help us come to these challenges with more love, compassion + wisdom. Plus I’ll tell you the ONE thing you can do that matters more than anything else.You will learn:// 3 ways to practice self-compassion// The importance of creating boundaries// How to change your outlook on your relationships// Relationship as spiritual practice// ONE thing you can do to help you show up as your best self Resources:// Episode 16: How to Improve Any Relationship// Episode 171: How to Support Someone After a Crisis// Episode 180: For the Sensitive Ones// 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 have some inspiration from my bodhisattva cab driver in Eugene, Bruce. He has intimate knowledge of The Ripple Effect. We’ll jam on how he uses it to make the world a better place through his Soul Work - even more evidence that our soul purpose can have nothing to do with our career.You will learn:// How two short interactions with a random stranger completely changed my life// How each of us can make a big difference in someone’s life, even when we don’t know it// Why our sole purpose isn’t just our careerResources:// Episode 71: How to Find Your Purpose// Episode 183: The Thread That Weaves// Episode 272: Would You Still Do It If No One Knew?// 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.