Such Sweet Thunder Meditation Podcast.

Part 2. Here I guide us through a meditation where we take the phrase "May I Enjoy Things Just As They Are" through five different elements of experience. In doing this, we may notice the subtle ways we may develop resistances to this aspect of Boundless Joy. Meditation can be challenging at times. Occasionally we may experience things which surprise as a result. If you have any questions or conce...

PART 1 Here I guide us through a meditation where we take the phrase "May I Enjoy the Activities of Life Itself" through five different elements of experience. In doing this, we may notice the subtle ways we may develop resistances to this aspect of Boundless Joy.  Meditation can be challenging at times. Occasionally we may experience things which surprise as a result. If you have any questio...

Here I offer a guided meditation through the anatomy of the body as presented by Ven. Bhikkhu Analayo. In this practice we explore our experience of our body through the skin, flesh, and bones. With practice, this practice can lead one to a deeper sense of present moment awareness, and to recognize the not-self aspect of our physicality. Meditation can be challenging at times. Occasionally we...

Here I offer a guided meditation designed to bring one through five different modalities of feeling cared about: Feeling Included, Feeling Seen and Heard, Feeling Appreciated, Feeling Liked, and Feeling Loved. Based on the pioneering work of Rick Hanson, PhD.  Meditation can be challenging at times. Occasionally we may experience things which surprise as a result. If you have any questions or...

Here I guide us through a map of experience seen and experienced through the lens of playfulness. Some of the benefits of such a practice: one may begin to see that each moment is a rich, multi-dimensional field which is often hijacked by our inner critic, experiencing the joy inherent in the experience of play, and cultivating a skill in which one can walk through this map with a many different e...

Here I offer a guided meditation by offering the gift of lovingkindness in the form of phrases, first to ourselves then to a group of four people: Ourselves, loved ones, neutral people, and challenging people. By offering lovingkindness to the archetypal representatives of each of these relationships, we have a unique opportunity to see how we relate differently, and thus, offer and receive loving...

In this guided meditation we explore what it feels like to receive kindness from another, and then offering that kindness out to a loved one. A beautiful journey through appreciation, kindness, gratitude, and open hearted generosity.  Meditation can be challenging at times. Occasionally we may experience things which surprise as a result. If you have any questions or concerns in regards to th...

In this guided meditation I gently bring us into our own sense of struggle. When we connect with our own desire for the present moment to be different in some way, we can more easily see it in others. We are then guided into experiencing a loved one in the midst of their struggle, and holding space for the struggle. In that compassionate space, healing in born.  Meditation can be challenging...

Join meditation teacher Chris Luard for a very special dharma talk: “Joy for challenging people and times”  In this talk Chris will discuss the powerful, unifying qualities of Boundless Joy, one of the four immeasurable qualities of the heart.  Facebook and Instagram Live Chris has been practicing meditation for 35 years and has been successfully teaching meditation worldwide since 2009,...

Here I offer a guided meditation by offering the gift of lovingkindness in the form of phrases, first to ourselves then to people who we feel no sense of attraction or aversion for. Then we move into a visualization where we radiate lovingkindness energy out to drench ourselves and our loved ones in the warm energy of lovingkindness. The longer we stay in the experience of lovingkindness, the more...

Here I offer a guided meditation by offering the gift of lovingkindness in the form of phrases, first to ourselves then to people who we feel challenged by. Then we move into a visualization where we radiate lovingkindness energy out to drench ourselves and our loved ones in the warm energy of lovingkindness. The longer we stay in the experience of lovingkindness, the more our neurons wire and fir...

Join Chris Luard for our next Wisdom talk on Joy! This talk is titled: “The Joy of Play. The Play of Joy.” In this talk Chris will cover the benefits and techniques of joy meditations, and how we might bring them to our everyday life.   Facebook Live!  Chris has been practicing meditation for 35 years and has been successfully teaching meditation worldwide since 2009, giving talks, facil...

In this guided meditation we take a very deep dive into the experience of the physical body. By anchoring awareness in mindfulness of the body we become more sensitive to our experiences and emotions, often giving one a way into working with challenging emotions before falling into reactivity.  Meditation can be challenging at times. Occasionally we may experience things which surprise as a r...

Join meditation teacher Chris Luard for a special Dharma Talk: Joy. A Boundless Quality of the Heart. In this talk Chris will discuss pragmatic practices which can be used to open our hearts to this ever-present quality. Chris has been practicing meditation for 35 years and has been successfully teaching meditation worldwide since 2009, giving talks, facilitating retreats, and have authored two bo...

In this podcast I guide a meditation designed to allow us to feel into the positive, nourishing qualities of gratitude, lovingkindness, and generosity. We then soak in these mindstates, allowing our neurological pathways to lean into a permanent state of lovingkindness.  Meditation can be challenging at times. Occasionally we may experience things which surprise as a result. If you have any q...

Here I guide a traditional mindfulness practice with an emphasis on noting Vedana: pleasant, unpleasant, and neutral feeling tones, as they arise in the body. This gives us an awareness as to which sensations give rise to reactive emotions. When awareness of this process is cultivated, we can see and interrupt the chain reaction, giving us an opportunity to step out of reactivity and respond skilf...

Welcome to Joy! A Dharma Talk Join Chris Luard for his upcoming series on Boundless Joy! (Mudita) In this talk Chris will be discussing how to practice Joy in difficult times, the difference between Joy and Toxic Positivity, and offering a guided meditation. Chris Luard has been studying and practicing meditation for over 35 years. He has received training in Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism, Secul...

Here I offer a guided meditation by offering the gift of lovingkindness in the form of phrases, first to ourselves then to loved ones. Then we move into a visualization where we radiate lovingkindness energy out to drench ourselves and our loved ones in the warm energy of lovingkindness. The longer we stay in the experience of lovingkindness, the more our neurons wire and fire together, allowing t...

It is difficult to overestimate the importance of body scanning practice. It provides many benefits, such as lowering our stress, strengthening the immune system, strengthening our present moment awareness and improved emotional intelligence. Here I guide a very detailed, systematic journey through the breath, body, and sound. I hope you will enjoy!  Meditation can be challenging at times. Oc...

“Monks and nuns, when one thing is developed and cultivated, the mind becomes tranquil, thought and examination subside, and all wholesome qualities which pertain to true knowledge reach fulfillment by development. What is that one thing? Mindfulness of The Body”  The Buddha In this practice we cultivate a deep awareness and understanding of the body. In this understanding we may become intim...

Here I guide a meditation designed to allow us to locate the voice of our inner critic. By holding the voice of the inner critic in attention, we begin to see through that voice and allow our natural state of Joy to flow.  Meditation can be challenging at times. Occasionally we may experience things which surprise as a result. If you have any questions or concerns in regards to this, or other...

Here I take us through a guided meditation designed to allow us to cultivate the open heart of compassion. We start with ourselves and gradually widen the circle of compassion and care to include loved ones, strangers, challenging people, and to the entire world.  Meditation can be challenging at times. Occasionally we may experience things which surprise as a result. If you have any question...

It is lovingkindness meditation with a twist. In a second stage of the practice we are invited to take a deep dive into the felt sense of lovingkindness, which allows our neurological pathways create lasting traits out of passing states of Lovingkindness. This is a great practice to use to balance out our inherent negativity bias.  Meditation can be challenging at times. Occasionally we may e...

In this guided meditation we are encouraged to explore offering compassion to those people in our lives for whom we feel a sense of struggle towards. By offering compassion to people who we may not like, we begin to widen our circle of compassion to include everyone, and true sense of unity and healing previously unknown may become accessible. Meditation can be challenging at times. Occasionally w...

Here I guide a brief meditation where one experiences gratitude and appreciation from the gifts of kindness received, and then shares the kindness to strangers. This is a great practice to combine with a "pay it forward" daily routine!  Meditation can be challenging at times. Occasionally we may experience things which surprise as a result. If you have any questions or concerns in regards to...