Falling Awake: How We Can Work With Sleepiness in Our Practice

Right Effort - The 6th Spoke in the Wheel of Dharma: In his teachings about how we should go about investigating the nature of our minds and hearts, the Buddha continually emphasized the words diligent, ardent, and resolute. If we really want to experience more joy and freedom in our lives, we need to... by Shell Fischer's Podcast

46 min listen

Offering Our Hearts to Kalyanamitra by Shell Fischer's Podcast

49 min listen

Right Intention: The 2nd Spoke of the Wheel of Dharma: According to the Buddhist teachings, every single moment of our lives involves an intention, and a choice -- and we can either make these decisions consciously, or unconsciously. The Buddha is urging us to make them consciously, to “intentionally”... by Shell Fischer's Podcast

45 min listen

Adhitthana - The Sacred Vow to Yourself: In the Thai language, the word for ‘vow’ is also translated as determination. And, in a very real sense, when we become even more “determined” to honor our practice and all that this entails, we are making a vow - like a marriage vow - to... by Shell Fischer's Podcast

46 min listen

The Noble 8-Fold Path: A Summary Talk: The Buddha taught us that, happily, there is a way out of suffering, and that way is the Noble Eightfold Path. Yet, the path itself is often illustrated as a wheel … the Dhammachakra (chakra = wheel) … and each of the 8 parts of this wheel is... by Shell Fischer's Podcast

43 min listen

Sacca: Living In Your Truth: As the teacher Gil Fronsdal has said, without a commitment to truth, there is no spiritual path. This is so important that we can safely say - as a kind of absolute truth in practice - that deceiving oneself or others is never acceptable. Yet, so... by Shell Fischer's Podcast

42 min listen

Right Livelihood - The 5th Spoke in the Wheel of Dharma: When we are practicing this step on our path, we’re being asked to consciously, and very honestly reflect on the question: How am I living my life? along with considering, “What am I really offering?” In essence, we are being asked to... by Shell Fischer's Podcast

40 min listen

Right Action - The 4th Spoke of the Wheel: In the Buddha’s teachings on Right Action (samma kammanta) we are being asked to be mindful of the harm we’re capable of causing with - and to - our physical bodies, and in our expression of our bodies and how we use them – and to consciously... by Shell Fischer's Podcast

43 min listen

The Mighty Force of Mudita: As the great Zen master Thich Nhat Hahn tells us, “Suffering is not enough.” In order for us to not be pulled under by the great forces of greed, hatred, and delusion in our world, the teachings urge us to continually and consciously nurture the... by Shell Fischer's Podcast

44 min listen

Equanimity: The Fruit of Our Practice: This talk explore what is often considered the “fruit” of our practice - equanimity (upekkha) - or balanced awareness - in the face of the so-called 10,000 joys and 10,000 sorrows that make up all the days and moments of our lives. This primary... by Shell Fischer's Podcast

45 min listen

Right Concentration - The 8th Spoke in the Wheel of Dharma: Traditionally, realms and states of deep consciousness have been described in mystical and spiritual literature as having been achieved through the art of concentration – which is exactly what we’re trying to cultivate in our Vipassana practice.... by Shell Fischer's Podcast

45 min listen

Q&A Session with Shell: Instead of offering the weekly dharma talk, Shell opened the room up to about 30 minutes of questions this week. If you have a question you'd like to ask Shell, please visit us at the to write your question, and Shell may answer it in the next... by Shell Fischer's Podcast

33 min listen

The Heart of Humility: In this talk, Shell dives into the idea of "humility" - a word fraught with shame in the English language - and explores how, through the teachings and the practice, we can start to view humility more and more as a pathway to love, genuineness,... by Shell Fischer's Podcast

42 min listen

20-Minute Meditation: Metta (Loving-Kindness): During a recent "Noble Silence" night at Shell's meditation class, she was asked to record the metta (loving-kindness) meditation that she offers. This recording includes a brief explanation, followed by the meditation. Enjoy! by Shell Fischer's Podcast

25 min listen

Facing the 8 Worldly Winds: According to the Buddhist teachings, there are 8 main “anxieties” or “hang-ups” that take up an enormous amount of our emotional energy, and keep us trapped in a cycle of pain, frustration, and suffering. These 8 are praise and blame,... by Shell Fischer's Podcast

49 min listen

Right Speech - The 3rd Spoke of the Wheel of Dharma: During this talk Shell begins to explore the sila (or virtue, moral conduct) section of the Noble 8-Fold Path, which is considered the foundation of the whole path, what it’s built upon. Without an essential grounding in sila, our practice can... by Shell Fischer's Podcast

48 min listen

The 9th Parami (Metta): Living With Loving-Kindness: Metta, a sense of unconditional friendliness, is said to be the very ground of our spiritual life, and also the most powerful practice, in that it can overcome all the states that accompany the biggest delusion and source of our suffering – that of... by Shell Fischer's Podcast

45 min listen

Right Mindfulness - The 7th Spoke on the Wheel of Dharma: Mindfulness is whole-body-and-mind awareness of the present moment. When we are mindful, we are fully present, without judgment, with exactly what’s happening, right now. We’re not lost in the past or future … not tangled up in daydreams,... by Shell Fischer's Podcast

47 min listen

Khanti: The Blessings of the Sacred Pause: In the Buddhist practice, patience (khanti) involves three essential aspects: gentle forbearance, calm endurance of hardship, and acceptance of the truth. As the teachings tell us, the more and more we practice and really get to know and understand... by Shell Fischer's Podcast

44 min listen

The Consequences of Karma: In our modern western lexicon, the word “karma” is often employed as a kind of derogatory term that implies that someone who is experiencing some negative consequences is somehow getting their just reward, or cosmic punishment. Yet in the Buddhist... by Shell Fischer's Podcast

48 min listen

Allowing Space for Sadness: “Listen to Sadness. Sadness is important. Sadness has something to teach you. It stands in opposition to an entire culture that tells people that happiness is the highest, best, and sometimes only permissible emotion, and that sadness is an obstacle... by Shell Fischer's Podcast

44 min listen

The Gift of Thanks-Giving: As the Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh tells us, “Suffering is not enough.” Yes, the First Noble Truth tells us that there is suffering, but our practice is not to live and dwell there; it is to cultivate a kind of lightness, joy, and ease in our... by Shell Fischer's Podcast

48 min listen

What Does It Mean to Take Refuge?: In anticipation of an annual Refuge Ceremony, Shell offers this talk on what it means to Take Refuge (find sanctuary) in what are called the 3 Jewels of Practice: 1. Buddha: (who we are not worshiping in any way, but honoring as an example of what is... by Shell Fischer's Podcast

41 min listen

Right View - The 1st Spoke on the Wheel of Dharma: If you can imagine that the Noble Eightfold Path is a kind of ancient spiritual GPS that the Buddha mapped out for us … then the first spoke in the wheel – Right View (samma dhitti) is like being able to zoom our inner screen all the way out to... by Shell Fischer's Podcast

44 min listen

Falling Awake: How We Can Work With Sleepiness in Our Practice: There are a multitude of reasons why we fall into sleep or a kind of dreaminess or even a sense of “nothingness” during meditation, and it’s helpful to know what these are so that we can use our practice to work with these states, and discover... by Shell Fischer's Podcast

48 min listen

The Sound of Silence: “If we had a keen vision and feeling of all ordinary human life, it would be like hearing the grass grow and the squirrel's heart beat, and we should die of that roar which lies on the other side of silence.” ~ George Eliot This talk explores how... by Shell Fischer's Podcast

47 min listen

Finding Balance By Setting Boundaries: The teachings show us that setting healthy boundaries with others is an incredibly important skill that can help us to live with more balance, joy, and ease in our lives - but of course, this isn’t always easy. Students often ask: “The teachings... by Shell Fischer's Podcast

58 min listen

Walking Meditation: Instructions, Guided Practice, Q&A: Though it’s considered an integral part of our formal meditation practice, walking meditation is something that is often not well-known in the West, or practiced, and can seem odd when we first try it. Yet, it can not only help the body refresh and... by Shell Fischer's Podcast

43 min listen

Tranquility: The 5th Factor of Awakening: As we deepen our meditation practice, it is crucial for us to learn how to develop the powerful quality of Passaddhi, also translated as “calm,” “tranquility,” “serenity,” or “composure.” This soothing, cooling quality of mind and... by Shell Fischer's Podcast

45 min listen

The Gift of the 5 Remembrances: In the Pāli canon, the Buddha asks us to practice reflecting each day on what are called “The 5 Remembrances” as they relate to the truth of annica (impermanence). Over time, and with practice, reflecting upon these 5 things can help us to more... by Shell Fischer's Podcast

45 min listen

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Falling Awake: How We Can Work With Sleepiness in Our Practice

Falling Awake: How We Can Work With Sleepiness in Our Practice

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