Awake in the World Podcast

In this Best of episode of Awake in the World Michael gives advice and practical tips for dealing with some of the struggles that come up during sitting practice, such as sleepiness, rumination, or difficult emotions like anger. The Business of our mind can both humble and motivate us to practice and letting go of our viewpoint to engage in experience. Recorded on January 22, 2008.

In this episode Michael continues his discussion of The Five Powers of the Mind and offers some thoughts on tradition and yoga, the interpretation of the word faith, ethics, and the strong need for self-care. Recorded August 14, 2009. The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teaching...

In this Best of Awake in the World podcast episode Michael discusses Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras with an emphasis on The Five Powers of the Mind (outlined in the first pada, line 20). He touches on the fundamental teaching of Right speech and subtle forms of violence, and focussing on bringing new interpretation to old lessons while appreciating our surroundings and not getting caught up in the story...

Michael talks about how our work should be energetic, industrious, diligent and skilful. We should live within our means and keep good company. When you really, really want something, you might ask: How central is this for becoming a good version of myself? Recorded at Centre of Gravity on March 1, 2014. The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supp...

Michael unpacks teachings from the Buddhist tradition on how to make a living, and how to make ethical decisions around money in a financial world that revolves around extraction and exploitation. Recorded at Centre of Gravity on March 1, 2014. The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive o...

In this Best of Awake in the World episode about the Heart Sutra, Michael explores how it functions to counter what John Cage calls “the authoritarian structures” of our minds, including the tendency to create “frames” and contract around our sense of separateness. Recorded on March 31, 2009. The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, maki...

Michael leads a 15 minute guided meditation class with the focus on grounding and bringing distractions back into the beginning of the inhale, relaxing the eyes, and feeling the sensations of breathing in the nostrils without visualizing the breath. Recorded January 17, 2017 in Victoria, B.C. The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, maki...

Michael gives a talk on the ways illness strengthens our heart. He guides us through simple breath techniques to start, then to expand into finer, granular insight for strong concentration as our meditation practice becomes long-term. He tells the story of how Dongshan was ready to die. He said goodbye to everyone. They wept and wept. Then he jumped out of the casket and gave them a teaching about...

Michael teaches the 2nd foundation of mindfulness and how all of our experiences comes down to pleasant and unpleasant feeling tone in the body and how important it is that we know how to feel the unpleasant. He also speaks about anger and how a heightened awareness in the middle of our original pain can free us. Meditation Facilitation Training, Vancouver, 1hr. The Awake in the World podcast is b...

In this Best of Awake in the World podcast episode Michael explores the “post-negation” section of the Heart Sutra, focusing on the lines, “with no hindrance in the mind. No hindrance, therefore no fear.” He describes hindrances as mental barriers, the walls constructed by the mind, and introduces the idea of creating a “no landing zone,” a space where thoughts are not allowed to settle or take ho...

Guest speaker, Dr. Lauren Corman gives a gripping talk on animals and non-violence, given during a 12-day intensive at Centre of Gravity, Recorded on July 19, 2012. Through classes in the area of Critical Animal Studies, which engages an intersectional approach to, "the question of the animal." Dr. Corman's interdisciplinary scholarship draws on animal rights/liberation, post-humanist, feminist, c...

In this Awake in the World podcast Michael begins by stating that “this practice is a matter of life and death” and describes how yoga can help us see our patterns of conditioning, and help us to embrace both the light and the dark aspects of our lives. Recorded on January 23, 2007. The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it poss...

In this Best of Awake in the World episode Michael explores the difference between mindfulness and being self-conscious, Shantideva's practices for exchanging your self with others, and suggestions for long-term practice. Recorded on March 12, 2013. The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's arch...

In this Best of Awake in the world episode Michael leads a thirty-minute guided meditation focuses on noticing and letting go of commentary. Recorded on November 4, 2008. The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.co...

in this Best of Awake in the World podcast episode based on a koan (Case Forty-five from the Gateless Gate) this talk explores the complex ways that we create a self and create an “other,” and how the two processes can be deeply intertwined. Recorded on October 12, 2008. The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us...

In this “Best Of” episode, we revisit a powerful conversation where Michael breaks down the fundamentals of Jhana practice (the 4 stages of deep concentration). He explores the inner “maps” that guide absorption and offers insight into how practitioners can move into increasingly profound states. As stillness deepens, the familiar reference points we use to understand our lives begin to fall away,...

In this Best of episode Michael explores the magic mantra that concludes the Heart Sutra, one of the most famous teachings in the Buddhist tradition. In this one-hour talk, he reflects on how this ancient mantra points to a profound shift in the way we meet our lives. Through stories, reflections, and practical insights, Michael discusses how the teachings of the Heart Sutra help us transform fear...

On Silent Retreat Michael Stone explores the Zen koan “Why Can’t the Tail Pass Through” along with thoughts on hope, optimism, and despair. He describes “mindfulness as a political tool” and how we don't need a revolution, we need “embodied, moment-to-moment rebellion.” True North Insight, 45 min. The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters,...

One of the last days of the 6 month Precepts course. Following chanting the Heart Sutra, five students present on the five ethical values of the course, and then Michael discusses three ways of thinking about ethics. And how to look at a flower and smile. Recorded on April 7, 2011. This episode is an excerpt from Michael’s online course, "Embodying Ethics & Vows in Modern Life," which transforms B...

In this episode, Michael explores the intersection of mindfulness and situational ethics, unpacking how awareness can guide us through the complex moral landscapes of everyday life. Drawing from a 2015 lecture in an earlier version of his online course, Embodying Ethics & Vows in Modern Life, exploring in practical detail the two wings of the practice: calming (samatha) and insight (vipassana) Wit...

In this week's episode, we continue our deep dive into The Five Ethics with a modern exploration of brahmacharya, often translated as the wise use of energy. What does this ancient ethical guideline have to do with our sexuality, relationships and personal boundaries? We are joined by Jessy Wollen, a Certified Sexual Health Educator and founder of Shift Education, for a frank and compassionate con...

Michael interviews Simone Moir, Registered Psychotherapist, on the precept of aparigraha (non-greed) and the practice of generosity. They discuss what comes up around possessiveness, addiction and obsession, embracing impermanence, the importance of relationship and knowing the importance of boundaries. From the 5th video in Michael’s online course, "Embodying Ethics & Vows in Modern Life," a nine...

In this week’s Best Of episode, Michael explores the ethic of not stealing, (asteya). The Zen master Dōgen offers a beautiful translation: “The self and the things of the world are just as they are. The gate of freedom is open.” At its heart, this teaching is about being content with what we have. Another way to say it is this: not taking anything that isn’t freely given. Recorded in 2011. From th...

In this week’s Best Of episode, Michael reflects on satya, the practice of honesty. Satya isn’t an abstract ideal, it’s a lived experience that arises in real time through our relationships and daily lives. At the core of all meaningful practice is a commitment to honesty; without it, principles like non-violence or non-greed can’t fully take root. Recorded in 2011. From the 3rd video in Michael’s...

Michael sits down with physician and abortion provider Pat Smith for a thoughtful conversation on the principle of non-harming. Together, they explore the space where ethics meet politics, how our beliefs and values shape the way we move through the world, and the role formal meditation can play in clarifying ethical life choices. This excerpt comes from the second video in Michael’s nine-week onl...