The Meditation Freedom Podcast

MF 48 – Mindful communications with Gregory Heffron Gregory Heffron MFA owns and manages Green Zone Conversations Retreats. He is the only certified teacher of Mindful Communication authorized by author and Buddhist teacher Susan Chapman MA. He has been teaching Mindful Communication workshops with Susan since 2009, and has been a mindfulness meditation teacher in […] The post MF 48 – Mindful Communications with Gregory Heffron appeared first on Meditation Freedom.

MF 47 – Contemplating torture in solitary confinement with Johnny Perez Johnny Perez is a non-attorney advocate at the Urban Justice Center Mental Health Project (MHP), a civil legal services firm that provides legal and social work services to people with serious mental illness. At the Urban Justice Center, he is assigned to MHP's Safe […] The post MF 47 – Questioning solitary confinement and the Prison Industrial Complex with Johnny Perez appeared first on Meditation Freedom.

MF 46 – Reconnecting with Nature through Eco-Therapy with Laurel Vogel Laurel Vogel, M.A. received her degree in contemplative ecopsychology (A Psychology of Writing) in 2006, and is an ecotherapist, writer, Zen practitioner, and Nature Immersion group facilitator. She founded and runs the Holding Earth Sangha on Whidbey Island, and conducts Nature Immersion camps on […] The post MF 46 – Reconnecting with Nature through Eco-Therapy with Laurel Vogel appeared first on Meditation Freedom.

MF 45 – Stepping Out of The Busy-ness of Daily Life Into The Sanctuary of Our Heart with Bruce Davis Bruce is the author of  The Heart of Healing, Monastery without Walls ~ Daily Life in the Silence, My Little Flowers, Simple Peace ~ The Inner Life of St Francis of Assisi and The Calling of Joy. […] The post MF 45 – Stepping Out of The Busy-ness of Daily Life Into The Sanctuary of Our Heart with Bruce Davis appeared first on Meditation Freedom.

MF 44 – The Role of Mindfulness, Gratitude, & Peace Practice in Islam – Interview with Rose Hamid Rose Hamid is a Muslim American of Palestinian and Latin descent.  She was born in Buffalo NY, grew up in Cleveland OH, and has been living in Charlotte since 1987.  She grew up in the Catholic tradition […] The post MF 44 – The Role of Mindfulness, Gratitude, & Peace Practice in Islam with Rose Hamid appeared first on Meditation Freedom.

MF 43 – Guided Meditations to Help Develop a Regular Meditation Habit with OMG I can Meditate! co-founder Lynne Goldberg Lynne was stressed-out, sleep-deprived, type-A businesswoman, and ended up a renowned meditation coach. As she talks about in the interview, when she started meditating, no one would have labeled Lynne Goldberg “a natural”. Lynne had a series […] The post MF 43 – Guided Meditations to Help Develop a Regular Meditation Habit with OMG I can Meditate! co-founder Lynne Goldberg appeared first on Meditation Freedom.

MF 42 – A Lifelong Zen Meditation Practice with Sandy Haskin (This is a summary transcript, listen to the episode for the full conversation) Sandy Haskin practices Zen meditation with the Three Treasures Sangha of the Northwest. She currently lives and works in Spokane, Washington. She works as a Nurse Aide at a home for mentally […] The post MF 42 – A Lifelong Zen Meditation Practice and Perspective with Sandy Haskin appeared first on Meditation Freedom.

MF 41 – Best Wishes for 2016 and Many Timeless Moments (This is a summary transcript, listen to the episode for the full conversation) Reflection on the past year, and on what next year might bring. Looking to continue to explore meditation and mindfulness topics, and various contemplative practices, and insights that might lead us to a […] The post MF 41 – Best Wishes for 2016 and Timeless Moments appeared first on Meditation Freedom.

MF 40 – Sound Healing Meditation & Resonance with Mark and Denise (This is a summary transcript, listen to the episode for the full conversation) Interview was at the home of Mark and Denise, so it started casual. You will be hearing the wind chimes outside in their garden in the background, it was rather windy […] The post MF 40 – Sound Healing Meditation & Resonance with Mark and Denise appeared first on Meditation Freedom.

MF 39 – Bringing Stillness and Peace between Police and Community Cheri Maples is a dharma teacher, keynote speaker, and organizational consultant and trainer. In 2008 she was ordained a dharma teacher by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, her long-time spiritual teacher. For 25 years Cheri worked in the criminal justice system, as an Assistant […] The post MF 39 – How to Bring Peace between Police and Community appeared first on Meditation Freedom.

MF 38 – Nourishing Meditation Practice Remotely with Wild Mind Teacher and Founder Bodhipaksa Biography: Bodhipaksa is an accomplished teacher, published author, and founder of the popular Wildmind web site. He recently (Oct 2012) gave a TEDx talk on compassion (“The Surprising Secret of Unlocking Compassion”). He has been meditating and practicing Buddhism since 1982. He was ordained […] The post MF 38 – Nourishing Meditation Practice Remotely with Wild Mind Teacher and Founder Bodhipaksa appeared first on Meditation Freedom.

MF 37 – Awakening from the Illusion of Separation with Lama Surya Das Lama Surya Das is one of the foremost Western Buddhist meditation teachers and scholars, one of the main interpreters of Tibetan Buddhism in the West, and a leading spokesperson for the emerging American Buddhism. The Dalai Lama affectionately calls him “The Western […] The post MF 37 – Awakening from the Illusion of Separation with Lama Surya Das appeared first on Meditation Freedom.

MF 36 – The Value of Community and Extended Meditation Retreats Kristina and myself chat about what it is like to find community and giving yourself the gift of an extended meditation retreat. A summary transcript will appear below for this episode this week. The post MF 36 – The Value of Community and Extended Meditation Retreats appeared first on Meditation Freedom.

MF 35 – Why Authenticity and Getting Real Matters – with Mark Shapiro of the One & Only Podcast A former marketing director at Showtime Networks Inc., Mark left his six-figure corporate job and is on a mission to bring more authenticity to the world, with a goal to inspire and empower 100,000+ people to be true to themselves […] The post MF 35 – Why Authenticity and Getting Real Matters – Mark Shapiro of the One & Only Podcast appeared first on Meditation Freedom.

MF 34 – The Benefits (and Challenges!) of Self-Discipline in Cultivating a Meditation Practice (This is a summary transcript, listen to the episode for the full conversation) Kristina and I reflect on what it takes to cultivate self-discipline in our meditation practice. What are some of the challenges we have come across, and what are […] The post MF 34 – The Benefits of Self-Discipline in Cultivating a Meditation Practice appeared first on Meditation Freedom.

MF 33 – Simple and Highly Effective Ways to Reduce Destructive Behaviors like Gun Violence and Bullying in Schools using Mindfulness with Laura Bakosh About Laura Bakosh Laura obtained a Ph.D. in Transpersonal Psychology from Sofia University and has spent more than five years researching the academic and behavioral effects of mindful-awareness practices on children […] The post MF 33 – Simple and Highly Effective Ways to Reduce Destructive Behaviors like Bullying in Schools using Mindfulness with Laura Bakosh appeared first on Meditation Freedom.

Mindfulness in Schools and Education with Alan Brown Alan Brown is a Dean at Grace Church School in New York City, where he also leads the 9th-12th grade mindfulness program as well as the parent mindfulness program.  Alan has taught in both public and private settings as a humanities instructor, and has worked with many […] The post Ep 32 – Mindfulness in Schools and Education with Alan Brown appeared first on Meditation Freedom.

The post Ep 31 – From Rags to Riches to Opening the Heart with Jason Garner appeared first on Meditation Freedom.

Ven. Dr. Pannavati, a former Christian pastor, is co-founder and co-Abbot of Embracing-Simplicity Hermitage in Hendersonville, NC. A black, female Buddhist monk ordained in the Theravada and Mahayana traditions with Vajrayana empowerments and transmission from Roshi Bernie Glassman of Zen Peacemakers, she is both contemplative and empowered for compassionate service.  An international teacher, she advocates […] The post Ep 30 – Liberation from Mental Suffering with Buddhist Female Monk Ven Pannavati appeared first on Meditation Freedom.

The post MF 29 – Thoughts and Tips for Cultivating Gratitude appeared first on Meditation Freedom.

The post EP 28 – Silent Illumination – What is the function of serenity and stillness? appeared first on Meditation Freedom.

The post MF 27 – Amanda Gilbert – Meditation and Mindfulness Researcher at UCSF appeared first on Meditation Freedom.

In this post I would like to share some practical ideas for how you can easily bring meditation into your daily work life. This might be especially helpful if your current workplace does not have a dedicated meditation room, or higher level endorsement of this beneficial practice. I'll show you how you can incorporate, “mini”-meditations […] The post MF 26 – How to Easily Bring Meditation into Your Workplace! appeared first on Meditation Freedom.

MF 25 – Charlie Ambler from The Daily Zen Talks about his Meditation Journey Note: This is a summary (not a full transcript) of the interview. What brought you to a meditation practice? Charlie describes himself growing up as a rather impulsive and anxious. His grandmother (a music historian) interviewed John Cage, the composer at […] The post MF 25 – The Daily Zen Creator Charlie Ambler Talks about his Meditation Journey appeared first on Meditation Freedom.

Ep 24 – Guided Meditation with Kristina Rood and Ocean Wave Sounds Kristina used to do diet counseling, and has practiced Zen and TM meditation for a long time. She will be interviewed on this show one of these days, so she can expand on her meditation journey. Please use the comments area below to […] The post Ep 24 – Guided Meditation with Kristina Rood and Ocean Wave Sounds appeared first on Meditation Freedom.

Guided Meditation for Present Moment to Moment Attention and Awareness Cultivation with Sicco This episode deviates from the usual interview episode. Kristina and myself are in a time of transition. We're moving to another state, hence I thought this would be a bit easier to do than arranging an interview. This is also based on request […] The post MF 23 – Guided Meditation for Present Moment to Moment Attention and Awareness appeared first on Meditation Freedom.

Episode 22 – Solo episode about why I value meditation and mindfulness This is a summary (not a full transcript) of the interview Good morning, we just had a 4.1 earthquake out here in the Anza-Borrego desert, just as I was towards the end of my half hour meditation session. A reminder that we are […] The post MF 22 – Solo Episode about Recklessness as a way into Attention, Awareness, and Consciousness Practices appeared first on Meditation Freedom.

John Martin Zen Meditation Student John practices in the Zen Buddhist tradition of Robert Aitken (Diamond Sangha) This is a summary (not a full transcript) of the interview John was attracted to fundamentalist Christianity as a teen for a few years. It did not work for John. He abandoned all religion in his 20's living […] The post MF 21 – John Martin Zen Buddhist Student appeared first on Meditation Freedom.

Interview with Ed Earl – Mindfulness and Sustainable Design Ed Earl  is the principal of Priority 1 Projects, a construction project management firm.  Ed has 25 years of construction experience and an MBA from Stanford university.  He is pioneering a new approach to construction project management he terms “collaborative construction” which is based on open communication, […] The post MF 20 – Ed Earl Mindfulness Sustainable Design and Collaborative Construction appeared first on Meditation Freedom.

Interview with Melli O'Brien – Mindfulness Teacher in Australia Melli O'Brien is an internationally-accredited meditation and Satyananda yoga teacher and an MTIA-trained mindfulness teacher. Ms. O'Brien was selected by the Satyananda Mangrove Mountain Ashram (the largest ashram in the southern hemisphere) to teach their mindfulness retreats. She also blogs about mindful living at www.mrsmindfulness.com Below Melli explains what […] The post MF 19 – Melli O'Brien Mindfulness Teacher in Australia appeared first on Meditation Freedom.

Jeena Cho of the Resilient Lawyer Jeena Cho is co-founder of JC Law Group PC, a bankruptcy law firm in San Francisco, CA. She is also the author of the upcoming American Bar Association book, The Anxious Lawyer: An 8-Week Guide to a Happier, Saner Law Practice Using Meditation. She offers training programs on using mindfulness and meditation […] The post MF 18 – Jeena Cho – The Anxious Lawyer turns Mindful Laywer appeared first on Meditation Freedom.

Tania de Jong Tania de Jong AM is a leading Australian soprano, inspirational speaker, social entrepreneur, spiritual journeywoman and creative innovation catalyst. She founded Creative Universe, Creativity Australia, Music Theatre Australia, Pot-Pourri and The Song Room and works with diverse communities through the ‘With One Voice' choir social inclusion programs. Tania sings around the world […] The post MF 17 – Tania de Jong Australian soprano, social entrepreneur, business woman and motivational speaker appeared first on Meditation Freedom.

Tom Richter Yoga Instructor and Meditator Tom is a dedicated long-time Ashtanga Yoga, Pranayama and Meditation practitioner. He is a passionate Yoga teacher, inspiring Yoga business & life coach, and whole-food & healthy-living enthusiast, based in Germany. As a Yoga teacher, Tom believes in the benefits of learning yoga through the Mysore style self-practice classes. […] The post MF 16 – Tom Richter Ashtanga Yoga Instructor and Meditator appeared first on Meditation Freedom.

Michel Dion is a CPA and PMP who spent his life in the business world.  He has developed a website on project management, called Project-Aria.  The name of the website is a mix between his interest for music and project management.  He likes to live life fully and passionately.  Yet, someone he discovered meditation and […] The post MF 15 – Interview with Michel Dion – Headspace Meditation Practitioner and Leadership Expert appeared first on Meditation Freedom.

Interview with Kenley Neufeld of the Deer Park Buddhist Mindfulness Community. Kenley was ordained in 2005 by Thich Nhat Hanh as a lay-practitioner in the Order of Interbeing with the dharma name, True Recollection of Joy. Kenley received the Lamp of Wisdom, permission to teach, from Thich Nhat Hanh in 2012. This is a summary (not a […] The post MF 14 – Kenley Neufeld – Deer Park Buddhist Mindfulness Community appeared first on Meditation Freedom.

Interview with Lisa Hamilton of the “Conscious Runner”. “Running is my form of meditation, my meditation practice.” Lisa Hamilton  What brought you to a meditation practice? Trying to eliminate chaos in her life, and also in her mind, and connect to peace in a nutshell. You mention a natural disaster, hurricane Hugo in your book, […] The post MF 13 – Lisa Hamilton of the Conscious Runner – Running as Meditation Practice appeared first on Meditation Freedom.

Interview with Javier Perez-Karam Javier Perez-Karam grew up in Venezuela, and relocated to New York in 2002 to pursue a film-making career. In the process he discovered Meditation and Tibetan Buddhist Philosophy, and as he started incorporating the practice into his life, he has gained a new purpose with his film career as well as […] The post MF 12 – Film Maker and Meditation Instructor Javier Perez-Karam appeared first on Meditation Freedom.

Interview with “The One You Feed” Podcast host Eric Zimmer Eric Zimmer is host and founder of the, “One You Feed” podcast, which he and Chris Forbes work on together. On the podcast, he talks about which wolf we chose to feed. Eric has also worked with start-ups, doing Management and Software Development, is CEO, Tipping Point Renewable Energy, and […] The post MF 11 – Which Wolf is the One You Feed? With Eric Zimmer of the oneyoufeed Podcast appeared first on Meditation Freedom.

Interview with Dori Langevin, practitioner and teacher of Vipassana Buddhism. Dori works with groups and individuals using experiential mind-body-spirit approaches for healing and creating ceremonies for life passages including mindfulness, loving-kindness and compassion practices; guided imagery; artwork; ritual; psychodrama; emotional release work; and Holotropic Breathwork™. One special interest is the interface between mindfulness practice, addiction recovery […] The post MF 10 – Dori Langevin – Vipassana Meditation Teacher Interview appeared first on Meditation Freedom.

Interview with Carol Grever, author of My Husband Is Gay: A Woman's Guide to Surviving the Crisis, Glimpses: A Memoir in Poetry, When Your Spouse Comes Out: A Straight Mate's Recovery Manual, Memory Quilt: A Family Narrative. Carol is a straight spouse recovery expert, as well as a practitioner and teacher of Buddhism. This is a summary (not a […] The post MF 9 Carol Grever – When Your Spouse Comes Out – How Meditation Helped Heal appeared first on Meditation Freedom.

Interview with John Hancock, a practitioner of the Labyrinth, and advocate of building compassion into organizations, communities, and systems. This is a summary (not a full transcript) of the interview  How did you get into a spiritual practice? His father was Methodist minister, which is what he grew up with. He taught tolerance is great, […] The post MF 008 John Hancock – Walking the Labyrinth as Spiritual Practice appeared first on Meditation Freedom.

Interview with Sister Florence, a practicing Franciscan for 40+ years. She founded Kairos Contemplative and Meditation Retreat Center This is a summary (not a full transcript) of the interview  How did Sister Florence get started with a spiritual practice? She started reading about catholic needs for houses of prayer. She wanted to have a place […] The post MF 007 Sister Florence Franciscan with Kairos Retreat Center appeared first on Meditation Freedom.

Russell Kolts Compassion Focused Therapy Interview This is a summary (not a full transcript) of the interview with author and professor Russell Kolts Russell began with an intense study of Buddhism; reading, meditation, and doing retreats after three years, he realized that a compassionate, mindfulness practice had been life changing. He says that it was […] The post MF 006 Russell Kolts – Compassion Focused Therapy Interview appeared first on Meditation Freedom.

Mary Webster Vipassana Meditation Teacher Interview This is a summary of the interview with Vipassana teacher and practitioner Mary Webster Mary Webster talks about growing up as an introspective and day dreaming child. Later in life she picked a career in mental health nursing. She noticed her mind was in an either/or right/wrong mind set. […] The post MF 005 Mary Webster Vipassana Meditation Teacher Interview appeared first on Meditation Freedom.

Hal Rowe Student of Zen Buddhism Meditation Interview (Pictured above with his partner Debbie) Hal Rowe is currently a student of Zen Buddhism. He serves environmental causes, loves the outdoors, poetry, and describes his path into a Zen practice through reading Alan Watts as a late teen. He was influenced by Daoism and its appreciation […] The post MF 004 Hal Rowe Student of Zen Buddhism Meditation Interview appeared first on Meditation Freedom.

Eala Ruby Heart Human Soul Work and Meditation Interview Eala Ruby Heart Sitting and Walking Meditation Practitioner Interview Eala has immersed herself in the healing arts since 1987, taking it up professionally in 1991 and has been a student and daily practitioner of meditation and what she calls, “human soul work” since 1992. In addition […] The post MF 002 Eala Ruby Heart Human Soul Work and Meditation Interview appeared first on Meditation Freedom.

Author and meditator Gail Storey hiked the Pacific Crest Trail with her husband Porter Storey (Note: below is a summary, not the entire transcript of the interview) Gail Storey has meditated since the seventies, and has also authored 3 books.  The Lord's Motel, was praised by the New York Times Book Review as, “a tale […] The post MF 003 Author Gail Storey on the Spiritual Journey of the Pacific Crest Trail Hike appeared first on Meditation Freedom.

This is the first episode! In this episode, I go over the following: Why Meditation Freedom podcast How the title came about The format of the show Why this show was created A little bit about myself Introduction Before I get out of the way, and dive right into the first interview on the next […] The post MF 001 Introduction to Meditation Freedom Podcast appeared first on Meditation Freedom.