Eve Decker's most recent Dharma talks (Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley)

(Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley) The Pali word 'dukkha', most often translated as 'suffering', in fact has multiple meanings depending on context. Join Eve Decker to take a look at this concept and some of the teachings on working skillfully with it.

(Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley) The truth of impermanence means, among other things, that gain and loss are part of the territory of life for us all. When we face unwanted loss, grief is natural. Join Eve Decker for an exploration of Buddhist inspired teachings on wisely engaging with impermanence, loss, and grief.

(Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley) The Three Characteristics of Existence

(Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley) Many of us have learned to motivate ourselves with self-criticism. At what price? Negative criticism is a form of aversion - one of the three "poisons" to well-being taught by the Buddha. We can practice and get better at motivating ourselves with self-compassion instead. Join me for an evening of exploration and practice with self-compassionate motivatio...

(Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley) Many of us learned, for multiple reasons, to ignore our own needs. While this may support being of service to others in the short term, in the long term we can burn out and become resentful if we don't know what our authentic needs are and endeavor to meet them. We are each our own primary caregiver, and how we meet and respond to our own version of Unive...

(Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley) Compassion for self, others, and the world is essential for well-being and freedom. This form of love often needs to manifest tenderly - and - just as often, needs to be fierce. Join Eve for a look at bringing together 'a sword and a lotus'.

(Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley) Self-Compassion requires us to cultivate capacities of presence with difficulty, kindness, and awareness of common humanity. But this doesn't mean that it always must be tender and internal. Often, our self-compassion requires us to be action-oriented and courageous. Join Eve for a look at these two forms of self-compassion and some ways to practice.

(Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley) During mindfulness practice, we might anchor our awareness through a focus on breath or body. We can also become mindfully aware of vedena, or feeling tone: whether we experience something as pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral. Becoming mindful of this mental function helps us interrupt our own reactivity, in order to both experience and offer greater level...

(Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley) Mindfulness helps us see our minds. Neuroscience and our own observations make clear that the natural negativity bias is there, and can be overridden in favor of intentional practices that increase contentment. Join Eve to explore two of these practices - appreciating others ('mudita' in Pali) and appreciating ourselves (noticing and savoring our innate a...

(Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley) The Dalai Lama said “The roots of all goodness lie in the soil of appreciation for goodness.” And the Buddha taught that the wholesome energies that support goodness are the stepping stones to freedom. Join Eve for a deeper look at appreciation for goodness, the ensuing increase of inner ease, and ways we can practice. With metta, Eve

(Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley) This week, join Eve Decker as we consider elevating 'wise joy' in our practice and life, as an essential source of energy and contentment.

(Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley) a look into a few of several practices that support us in deepening contentment.

(Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley) There are often things about ourselves that can be hard to forgive: the ways we have caused harm to others, the way we have caused or chronically cause harm to ourselves, and the ways we perceive ourselves as imperfect. Join us for an exploration of two possible paths that can lead to a greater sense of self-forgiveness.

(Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley) Join Eve Decker for an exploration of the why and how of increasing our capacity to experience and offer peace through mindfulness of thoughts. "As contemplation deepens, the seemingly solid, stable mind reveals itself to be a stream of mental acts flashing in and out of being, coming from nowhere and going nowhere, continuing in sequence without pause."-...

(Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley) Learning or deepening a capacity to meet our own difficult emotions with compassion rather than reactivity helps us move toward wise action or letting go, depending on what may be needed.

(Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley) Part 1 in a three part series on Mindful Self Compassion (MSC). Each session stands alone and/or you can participate in all three - each will have different, related information and practices.

(Spirit Rock Meditation Center)

(Spirit Rock Meditation Center)

(Spirit Rock Meditation Center)

(Spirit Rock Meditation Center)

(Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley) The Buddha taught that patience is the 'supreme virtue' - why is that?

(Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley) Eve looks at the what and how of the Buddha's teachings on integrity, and their essential role in our own freedom.

(Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley) The Brahma Vihara of cultivating happiness at the happiness of others.

(Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley) Join Eve Decker for an exploration of and practice with loving-kindness, the Buddha's teaching on cultivating well-being through warmth of heart.

(Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley) Eve Decker explores approaches to difficult emotions, using mindfulness and compassion. This work comes from the Mindful Self Compassion curriculum developed by Dr. Kristen Neff and Dr. Christopher Germer.