The Road Home with Ethan Nichtern

What is resentment? Why is it so corrosive? How can we work with our resentments? How can we overcome a victim mentality while still protecting ourselves, protecting others, and protecting truth? In this solo episode, Ethan uses a classic Tantric Buddhist contemplative slogan from the Lojong mind training tradition that translates as either “Always meditate on whatever provokes resentment” or “stay close to your resentment.” Enjoy the listen!     Ethan's most recent book, Confidence: Holding Your Seat Through Life's Eight Worldly Winds was just awarded a gold medal in the 2025 Nautilus Book Awards. You can visit Ethan's website to order a signed copy. Please allow two weeks from the time of your order for your copy to arrive. Please support the podcast via Substack and subscribe for free or with small monthly contributions. Paid subscribers will receive occasional extras like guided meditations, extra podcast episodes and more! The Meditation Group starts up again on May 15th, and a special podcast/meditation on “Intuition” was be released to paid subscribers this month. You can also subscribe to The Road Home podcast wherever you get your pods (Apple, Spotify,Ethan's Website, etc). Check out all the cool offerings at our podcast sponsor Dharma Moon, including the Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Training program beginning June 13th, 2025. Free video courses co-taught by Ethan and others, such as The Three Marks of Existence, are also available for download.

In a spontaneous episode, Ethan discusses grief and loss while processing multiple events. At a recent compassion meditation retreat, colleague and friend René Fay gave a presentation where she discussed the need to “Microdose Grief,” to take it in little by little so that we can honor the small moments of loss to develop familiarity with the experience when the big waves come. Through remembering the life and the recent death of a dharma friend, Ethan explores a famous buddhist quote about impermanence (“The Cup Is Already Broken”) and explores how grief can be used as a tool for popping our hearts and minds outside of the confines of linear time, into the spontaneous presence and open-heartedness of what the Zen masters call “Being Time.” This episode of The Road Home is dedicated to the memory of Ralph De La Rosa, who was a friend (and a guest on the podcast) who passed away suddenly on May 10, 2025. Ralph was a dharma teacher and trauma therapist, as well as the author of three books which each explored Internal Family Systems and Somatic Therapy in relation to Tantric Buddhist thought: Outshining Trauma, Don't Tell Me To Relax, and Monkey is the Messenger. For resources for processing Ralph's passing, you can follow the information posted in the youtube video, or reach out to Ralph's assistant, Amanda Ludwig. Visit Ethan's Substack for the show notes that include the prophetic and poignant last Dharma talk that Ralph gave the day before he/they passed away.  Support The Road Home: Please support the podcast via Substack and subscribe for free or with small monthly contributions. Paid subscribers will receive occasional extras like guided meditations, extra podcast episodes and more! The Meditation Group starts up again on May 15th, and a special podcast/meditation on “Intuition” will be released to paid subscribers this Friday, May 2nd. You can also subscribe to The Road Home podcast wherever you get your pods (Apple, Spotify,Ethan's Website, etc). Check out all the cool offerings at our podcast sponsor Dharma Moon, including the Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Training program beginning June 13th, 2025. Free video courses co-taught by Ethan and others, such as The Three Marks of Existence, are also available for download.

How can we embrace the limitations of time and the certainty of death and create real fulfillment that thrives on an honest assessment of our human predicament? These are the questions at the heart of this episode. Ethan welcomes back bestselling author and journalist Oliver Burkeman for a discussion of finitude, death, limitations, productivity, and dueling concepts of the meaning of meditation.  Oliver Burkeman is the author of Meditations for Mortals: Four Weeks to Embrace Your Limitations and Make Time for What Counts, and the bestselling Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals, is now available. Oliver wrote a long-running weekly column on psychology for The Guardian, "This Column Will Change Your Life," and his work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Psychologies, and New Philosopher. Learn more about him at oliverburkeman.com, and subscribe to his regular newsletter, The Imperfectionist. Please support the podcast via Substack and subscribe for free or with small monthly contributions. Paid subscribers will receive occasional extras like guided meditations, extra podcast episodes and more! The Meditation Group starts up again on May 15th, and a special podcast/meditation on “Intuition” will be released to paid subscribers this Friday, May 2nd. You can also subscribe to The Road Home podcast wherever you get your pods (Apple, Spotify,Ethan's Website, etc). Check out all the cool offerings at our podcast sponsor Dharma Moon, including the Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Training program beginning June 13th, 2025. Free video courses co-taught by Ethan and others, such as The Three Marks of Existence, are also available for download. 

In this episode, Ethan does what at least 40 people have asked him to do (special shout-out to Michele S. in Iowa who convinced him to devote a whole podcast episode to it!) - share his thoughts, as a Buddhist, on Season 3 of the Max streaming series The White Lotus. To do so, he explains three different ways to look at the concept of “Dharma Art,” along with a discussion of the three realms. He also ponders why pop culture seems to so rarely depict the act of meditation itself with any experiential accuracy. Note: a few moderate spoilers (though not major ones) are in the podcast, but the first twenty minutes primarily concern Dharma Art and The “God Realm.” Please support the podcast via Substack and subscribe for free or with small monthly contributions. Paid subscribers will receive occasional extras like guided meditations, extra podcast episodes and more! The Meditation Group starts up again on May 8th, and a special podcast/meditation on “Intuition” will be released to paid subscribers this Friday, May 2nd. You can also subscribe to The Road Home podcast wherever you get your pods (Apple, Spotify, Ethan's Website, etc). Check out all the cool offerings at our podcast sponsor Dharma Moon. Free video courses co-taught by Ethan and others, such as The Three Marks of Existence, are also available for download.

In this episode, Ethan links a crucial set of instructions from mindfulness meditation teachers of the past regarding how we carry our posture to what it means to show up in this world at a time of chaos. He discusses the instructions on mindfulness meditation from the “warrior” tradition of enlightened society, as well as decoding the qualities of the instruction to maintain a “strong back, and a soft front.” Please support the podcast via Substack and subscribe for free or with small monthly contributions. Paid subscribers will receive occasional extras like guided meditations, extra podcast episodes and more! Check out all the cool offerings at our podcast sponsor Dharma Moon. Free video courses co-taught by Ethan and others, such as The Three Marks of Existence, are also available for download.

After tariffs were broadly imposed by the current American regime (including, apparently on uninhabited islands populated mostly by penguins) causing a nearly unprecedented crash of the stock market, and after attending the lovely and unexpectedly massive protest marches that took place on April 5, Ethan ponders how to deal with extreme states of mind with a world on a roller coaster marked by fear and greed. The key, he says, is to be able to differentiate between arising mental emotions and the awareness that contains and welcomes them, and then to continuously generate compassion for all human beings. He offers two simple questions we can each ask ourselves when we encounter intense states of mind as humanity's roller coaster ride become increasingly topsy turvy—and perhaps increasingly hopeful—in the months ahead. Please support the podcast via Substack and subscribe for free or with small monthly contributions. Paid subscribers will receive occasional extras like guided meditations, extra podcast episodes and more! Check out all the cool offerings at our sponsor Dharma Moon. Free video courses, such as The Three Marks of Existence, are also available for download. Notes: To find further explanation of the eight worldly winds, check out Ethan's latest book Confidence: Holding Your Seat Through Life's Eight Worldly Winds or the adapted essay in Lion's Roar Magazine.

In light of revelations about the theft of countless authors' work by one A.I. company (guess which one), Ethan finally talks about a topic he's been requested to cover for a while: Buddhist views on artificial intelligence. He begins by positioning the conversation within the frame of View and Intention, asking the question of what "technology" is and why and how we even want it to progress, along with proposing the sacredness of human labor, wisdom and creativity as a basic Buddhist principle, as well as a principle of right livelihood. He also includes a Buddhist understanding of the meaning of consciousness, and why AI might never meet the standard. Please support the podcast via Substack and subscribe for free or with small monthly contributions. Paid subscribers will receive occasional extras like guided meditations, extra podcast episodes and more! Check out all the cool offerings at our sponsor Dharma Moon. Free video courses, such as The Three Marks of Existence, are also available for download. Notes: To see some of the energy usage date on artificial intelligence, see this link To see which author's works have been pirated, see The Atlantic's list here. To read about The "Suzuki Roshi" Chatbot, read here. An alternate translation of Suzuki Roshi's famed quote to his students is:  “Each of you is perfect the way you are ... and you can use a little improvement.”  

Ethan delves further into right action during a time of protest and chaos, using the recent examples of Tesla cars and cybertrucks being set on fire as a launching point. In The Power of Choice episode, he looked into the five precepts as guidelines for empowered and skillful action. In this episode, he looks into actions of mind as our guide: whether our actions are furthering our fixation on the three poisons of greed, hatred and delusion, or whether they are helping us liberate from those confused mentalities. Can we set samsara on fire instead? Ethan also makes a bad dad joke about using Tesla technology to make fart noises happen on a meditation retreat when our mind wanders or we need to wake up. Please support the podcast via Substack and subscribe for free or with small monthly contributions. Paid subscribers will receive occasional extras like guided meditations, extra podcast episodes and more! Check out all the cool offerings at our sponsor Dharma Moon, including the Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Training, starting March 21 (this week!). Free video courses, such as The Three Marks of Existence, are also available for download.

Ethan delves into the Bodhisattva teachings on happiness, benefitting beings, and “idiot compassion,” or what happens when compassion becomes an ego construction. How do we tell the difference between helping others in a nourishing way, on the one hand, and doing things for others that we really don't want to do that leave us burnt out and resentful? And what do you do if no one thanks you for the amazing charcuterie plate you made for them? Please support the podcast via Substack and subscribe for free or with small monthly contributions. Paid subscribers will receive occasional extras like guided meditations, extra podcast episodes and more! Check out all the cool offerings at our sponsor Dharma Moon, including the Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Training, starting March 21 (next week!). Free video courses, such as The Three Marks of Existence, are also available for download.

Ethan welcomes bestselling author and Dharma teacher Susan Piver for a discussion of the groundlessness of our current world framed through her new book Inexplicable Joy: On The Heart Sutra. If you'd like to read a translation of this classic Buddhist text, you can find that on Ethan's Substack. Susan Piver is the New York Times bestselling author of many books, including The Four Noble Truths of Love: Buddhist Wisdom for Modern Relationships and The Buddhist Enneagram: Nine Paths to Warriorship. Her most recent book is Inexplicable Joy: On the Heart Sutra. Susan has been a student of Buddhism since 1993, graduated from a Buddhist seminary in 2004 and began to teach meditation in 2005. In 2014, she founded The Open Heart Project, an online dharma center with nearly 20000 members. Please support the podcast via Substack and subscribe for free or with small monthly contributions. Paid subscribers will receive occasional extras like guided meditations, extra podcast episodes and more! Check out all the cool offerings at our sponsor Dharma Moon, including the Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Training, starting March 21. Free video courses, such as The Three Marks of Existence, are also available for download. 

Ethan discusses the classic origins of the worldview of "Materialism," as well a framework developed by the Tibetan teacher Chogyam Trungpa called "The Three Lords of Materialism" for looking at how we can notice our tendency to chase peak experiences in the arenas of the physical world, intellectual experience, and of course, our spiritual paths. Please support the podcast via Substack and subscribe for free or with small monthly contributions. Paid subscribers will receive occasional extras like guided meditations, extra podcast episodes and more. Check out all the cool offerings at our sponsor Dharma Moon, including the Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Training, starting March 21. Free courses, such as The Three Marks of Existence, are also available for download. Also check out free upcoming events with Professor Robert Thurman and David Nichtern on March 4th!

Ethan discusses a classic Buddhist concept, sīla (or shila), through the lens of knowing where to place our attention and action, knowing "what to cultivate and what to reject." Choices shift energy and energy can build power, and that power can be the difference between awakening and confusion. Ethan also argues, using the five precepts (or five mindfulness trainings) as a guide, that this might be the key to building new powerful systems in the world. He also examines a rule for social change involving only 3.5% of us making different, more awakened choices. Imagine if only a few percent of us shifted our energy from harmful systems into something healthier. Check out all the cool offerings at our sponsor Dharma Moon, including the Yearlong Buddhist Studies program (The first 6-Week module, Entering The Path, is open to all) and  Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Training, starting March 21. Free courses, such as The Three Marks of Existence, are also available for download. Also check out free upcoming events with Duncan Trussell and Robert Thurman.

Ethan is joined for an insightful discussion about Dharma Art with Academy Award-winning film editor and Buddhist meditator Andrew Buckland. They discuss the practice of filmmaking and creativity more generally, as well as Andrew's path, the film A Complete Unknown, the Bob Dylan biopic which was Andrew's latest editing project. Finally, they discuss why working in the film profession sometimes feels like "A Cesspool of Ego." Check out all the cool offerings at our sponsor Dharma Moon, including the Yearlong Buddhist Studies program (The first 6-Week module, Entering The Path, is open to all and starts January 28, 2025) and  Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Training. About Andrew Buckland ACE: Andrew is an Academy Award winning film editor who won the Oscar for his work on FORD v FERRARI alongside Michael McCusker ACE.   He received his B.F.A. in Film from Purchase College and landed his first job on Alan Pakula's THE DEVIL's OWN as an apprentice editor. Since then Andrew has been a part of the editorial teams on many high-profile films including Mike Nichol's CLOSER and CHARLIE WILSON'S WAR. Andrew subsequently directed two documentary films THE LONG WALL HOME and SOMOS WICHI, which won the 2012 Documentary Expose Award at The Peace OnEarth Film Festival, Chicago USA. Andrew began his collaboration with James Mangold on KNIGHT AND DAY and THE WOLVERINE, and later edited FORD v FERRARI, and INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY. Other credits include Co-Editing Tate Taylor's THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN and Additional Editing GET ON UP. His most recent collaboration with James Mangold is editing A COMPLETE UNKNOWN.  

Ethan is joined for an insightful discussion about Entering the Study of Buddhism with the faculty of Dharma Moon's Yearlong Buddhist Studies program. Check out all the cool offerings at our sponsor Dharma Moon, including the Yearlong Buddhist Studies program (The first 6-Week module, Entering The Path, is open to all and starts January 28, 2025) and  Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Training. About the Faculty: Lou Sharma has been part of the Buddhist Studies faculty for four years. LSheou is interested in the ways mindfulness can empower more compassionate cultures of work, inspired by 10+ years of experience as a corporate researcher and brand strategist. Jackie Stewart is a meditation teacher and mindfulness advisor based in NYC. She is currently a student of Mingyur Rinpoche, and serves as a practice leader in his international community, Tergar.  Maho Kawachi was born and raised in Tokyo, Japan, Maho first encountered meditation and Buddhism in downtown Manhattan in 2000. She became an avid practitioner in 2008 and has over a decade of experience, practice, training, and certification credentials including completion of the Interdependence Project Teachers Training, Mindful Meditation Teachers Certified Program, and Mindful Mentor Training.  Heather Shaw  has been a student/teacher of yoga and meditation, steeped in the traditions of Tibetan Buddhism, as well as Western psychotherapy and neuroscience since 1998. Eric Gerard is an actor from Chicago,and also serves as the Co-Owner and Artistic Director at Blackbox Acting, a school that aims to prepare artists for their careers through a holistic approach.  

Ethan offers a lovingkindness (metta/maitri) meditation for all who are effected by the climate crisis, and discusses why when global crises require our action, our practice might be a privilege, but it's also a necessity. The climate crisis recognizes no borders, and we are truly all in this together. Just a few links to help and get involved with the Los Angeles wildfires are: Global Empowerment Mission, Mutual Aid LA, and our friends at Pandemic of Love' Volunteer Sign Up form. Check out all the cool offerings at our sponsor Dharma Moon, including the Yearlong Buddhist Studies program (starts January 28, 2025) and Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Training.

Ethan discusses the difficulty with keeping a meditation practice going that is relevant for those who are new to practice as well as those who have been finding their seat for many years. He offers five keys to making your practice more sustainable this year. Check out all the cool offerings at our sponsor Dharma Moon, including the Yearlong Buddhist Studies program (starts January 28, 2025) and Mindful Meditation Teacher Training. Check out the free talk on Engaged Buddhism with Ethan Nichtern and Shannon Watts on January 7th. Get on Ethan's monthly email list here. Order his new book Confidence here.

Ethan is joined again by friend, bestselling author, dharma practitioner and astrologer Juliana McCarthy. They discuss the various movements in astrology in 2024 and 2025 from a mindful perspective. Juliana gives her optimistic take on what is to come, calling Mid 2025 onward "Not A New Chapter, But A Whole New Book," why Ethan is praying for Star Trek aliens,and they discuss world events and how the US might avoid what appears to be an astrological repeat of The French Revolution. Juliana runs a popular Instagram feed, @etherealculture. She gives talks regularly and leads various workshops and retreats. If you're interested in online talks, videos, and class, visit her Patreon page here. She also wrote a book called, The Stars Within You: A Modern Guide to Astrology, published by Roost Books and distributed by Penguin Random House. Learn more about it here. Check out all the cool offerings at our sponsor Dharma Moon, including the Yearlong Buddhist Studies program (starts January 28, 2025) and Mindful Meditation Teacher Training. Join Ethan for our annual New Year's Eve Contemplation Practice Gathering on December 31 at 3-4pm ET. Check out the free talk on Engaged Buddhism with Ethan Nichtern and Shannon Watts on January 7th. Get on Ethan's monthly email list here. Order his new book Confidence here.

Ethan is joined by Dharma Moon founder and award winning musician/composer David Nichtern for a true moment of Nichternity. They engage in a wide-ranging discussion (the only kind they know how to have) about Wicked, Ariana Grande, Ethan's issue with musicals, the death of the UnitedHealthcare CEO, the Kaliyuga or "dark ages," fear of impermanence, building an awakened environment of art and culture, and, finally, the elusive concept called "Enlightened Society."  David Nichtern is a senior Buddhist teacher who has been practicing and teaching meditation for over 40 years. He is the author of the critically acclaimed books Awakening From the Daydream: Reimagining The Buddha's Wheel of Life and Creativity, Spirituality & Making a Buck. He mentors individual students both in person and online, and leads meditation teacher training programs around the world. He is also a four time Emmy-winning and two time Grammy-nominated composer and producer, as well as the founder of Dharma Moon Records and 5 Points Records. Check out all the cool offerings at our sponsor Dharma Moon, including the Yearlong Buddhist Studies program (starts January 28, 2025) and Mindful Meditation Teacher Training.  free talk on "Dragon at The Oasis" with Sat Hon and David Nichtern on December 19th. Join us for our annual New Year's Eve Contemplation Practice Gathering on December 31 at 3-4pm ET. Check out the free talk on Engaged Buddhism with Ethan Nichtern and Shannon Watts on January 7th. Get on Ethan's monthly email list here. Order his new book Confidence here.

Ethan is joined by health journalist and podcaster Derek Beres to discuss the dominance of misinformation in the health, wellness and spiritual spaces, and how we might be able to understand and converse with the people—and the parts of ourselves—that have gone "down the rabbithole." Derek Beres is a multi-faceted author, speaker, and podcaster based in Portland, Oregon. He has served in senior editorial positions at a number of tech companies and has years of experience in health, science, and music writing. He regularly speaks on science and media literacy. Derek is the co-host of the Conspirituality podcast. Check out all the cool offerings at our sponsor Dharma Moon, including the Yearlong Buddhist Studies program and Mindful Meditation Teacher Training. Check out the free talk on What is Karma? with Ethan and Sah D'Simone on December 11th. free talk on "Dragon at The Oasis" with Sat Hon and David Nichtern on December 19th. Join us for our annual New Year's Eve contemplation practice gathering on December 31 at 3-4pm ET Get on Ethan's monthly email list here. Order his new book Confidence here.

Ethan discusses the addiction concept of "rock-bottom" and how that concept can be transposed onto the worldview of individualism and individual power. In what ways, from a Buddhist standpoint, is individualism healthy and necessary? In what ways is it confused? Can we transition to a more collective or community-oriented worldview, and what is the role of the sangha in all this? Check out all the cool offerings at our sponsor Dharma Moon, including the Yearlong Buddhist Studies program and Mindful Meditation Teacher Training. Check out the free talk on What is Karma? with Ethan and Sah D'Simone on December 11th.free talk on "Dragon at The Oasis" with Sat Hon and David Nichtern on December 19th. Get on Ethan's monthly email list here. Order his new book Confidence here.

Ethan shares thoughts in the aftermath of the shocking (to him, at least) results of the US presidential election. Check out all the cool offerings at our sponsor Dharma Moon, including the Yearlong Buddhist Studies program and Mindful Meditation Teacher Training. Check out the free talk on Grief and Heartbreak, "The Gift of a Broken Heart" with Brian Welch on November 14th and the free talk on What is Karma? with Ethan and Sah D'Simone on December 11th. Get on Ethan's monthly email list here. Order his new book Confidence here.

Ethan talks to author, Dharma teacher, and scientist Cortland Dahl about his new book A Meditator's Guide To Buddhism. They discuss research on short meditation sessions, mindful living, and touch on the meaning of "guru" in the modern world. Check out all the cool offerings at our sponsor Dharma Moon, including the Yearlong Buddhist Studies program and Mindful Meditation Teacher Training. Check out the free Talk on Karma with Ethan and Sah D'Simone on December 11th. Get on Ethan's monthly email list here. Order his new book Confidence here. Cortland Dahl, Ph.D. is a leading expert on mindfulness, meditation, and the science of wellbeing. His eclectic background includes long periods of solitary retreat in the Himalayan foothills of Nepal and the translation of ancient Tibetan meditation manuals, as well as cutting-edge research on the science of wellbeing and the creation of an acclaimed meditation app. He is a scientist, author, translator, entrepreneur, and meditation teacher, but his true passion is using ancient wisdom and modern science to help people flourish.

Reeling from the events of the last 10 days in Western North Carolina (which directly and tragically affected two friends who have been on The Road Home podcast), as well as close friends directly affected by the bombing and aggression in the Middle East, Ethan returns to some basic thoughts on the truth of our interdependence, and the limits of looking at our path from an individual perspective.  If you'd like to make a donation to Pandemic of Love to directly help their mutual aid work in Western North Carolina/Asheville, please Venmo @PandemicofLove  as they give $250 grants to vetted families in immediate need of basic supplies. If you'd like to make a donation to the rebuilding of podcast guest and friend Deborah Eden Tull's home, please do so via Gofundme.com If you'd like to help relief efforts in Beirut and beyond, please visit Doctors Without Borders. Check out all the cool offerings at our sponsor Dharma Moon, including the Yearlong Buddhist Studies program and Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Training, starting October 11. Get on Ethan's mailing list here.  

Ethan looks at the nature of anxiety as a special-case emotion and offers a short dharma talk on working with anxiety, then guides a 15-minute lovingkindness with supportive visualization practice for working with any anxiety we might be feeling during election season or beyond. Check out all the cool offerings at our sponsor Dharma Moon, including the Yearlong Buddhist Studies program and Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Training, starting October 11. Buy Confidence: Holding Your Seat Through Life's Eight Worldly Winds wherever books are sold in paperback, audiobook or e-book! Visit https://ethannichtern.com to join Ethan's maililng list and see his latest offerings!

Ethan talks to author, meditation teacher, scientist and lawyer Anu Gupta about his new book Breaking Bias: Where Stereotypes and Prejudices Come From--and the Science-Backed Method to Unravel Them. They discuss Anu's life, how bias brought him to the brink of taking his own life, and his extensive work with organizations getting to the roots of internalized biases. They get into bias from both a Buddhist philosophical and scientific perspective. Finally, discuss the current state of America in terms of bias, as well how prejudice might be affecting our experience of the upcoming elections. Check out all the cool offerings at our sponsor Dharma Moon, including the Yearlong Buddhist Studies program and Mindful Meditation Teacher Training. Check out the free The Journey of Becoming a Meditation Teacher with Rebecca D'onofrio and David Nichtern on Thurs Sep 19! Anu Gupta is a human rights lawyer, scientist, scholar of bias, meditation teacher, and the founder and CEO of BE MORE with Anu, an e-learning company that trains professionals across corporate, nonprofit, and government sectors to advance inclusion and wellness by breaking bias. His work has reached 300+ organizations, training more than 80,000 professionals and impacting over 30 million lives. 

Ethan provides a dharma talk on the (originally Jungian) idea of The Shadow and the current popularization of "Shadow Work." He explores the ways that Tantric Buddhism offers to work with our more difficult and suppressed experiences, as well as the concept of treating our most difficult experience as "beautiful monsters." Check out all the cool offerings at our sponsor Dharma Moon, including the Yearlong Buddhist Studies program and Mindful Meditation Teacher Training. Check out the free The Journey of Becoming a Meditation Teacher with Rebecca D'onofrio and David Nichtern! Visit https://ethannichtern.com for books, upcoming events, classes, and to get on his monthly email list! You can get a copy of Ethan's new book Confidence: Holding Your Seat Throught Life's Eight Worldly Winds in paperback, audiobook, or e-book!

Ethan provides a dharma talk on why practicing self-compassion can be so tricky and so "blocked." He offers some helpful tips you might not have considered (or maybe you have!) for practicing lovingkindness and compassion, both on the meditation seat and in life in general. Check out all the cool offerings at our sponsor Dharma Moon, including the Yearlong Buddhist Studies program and Mindful Meditation Teacher Training. Check out the free Imposter Syndrome event on September 3 with Duncan Trussell and David Nichtern! Visit https://ethannichtern.com for books, upcoming events, classes, and to get on his monthly email list!

Ethan talks to teacher Shawn J. Moore, aka The Mindful Rebel, aka "Part Buddha, Part Biggie" about his somewhat unique path to mindfulness and dharma, and about the meaning of holding space, allowing yourself to just be, and transformational leadership. Check out all the cool offerings at our sponsor Dharma Moon, including the Yearlong Buddhist Studies program and Mindful Meditation Teacher Training. Check out the free Imposter Syndrome event on September 3 with Duncan Trussell and David Nichtern! About the Guest: Residing at the intersection of leadership and mindfulness, Shawn J. Moore creates sacred spaces for stillness and self-inquiry to help social impact leaders align their strengths, intentions, and impact. Through his integrative approach, he holds transformative containers for self-renewal, personal discovery, and capacity-building that ease clients on their journey towards peace, clarity, and freedom. Shawn is committed to empowering change-makers to become embodied leaders – unified in mind, body, and heart – with the tools to mindfully pause, reconnect to their inner knowing, make strengths-driven decisions, and lead the change they believe the world needs. Shawn has an intuitive way of weaving all that he has learned on his path to help those on the inner journey of discovery – including meditation, sound healing, yoga nidra, and coaching, all through the lens of Buddhist philosophy. 

Ethan provides a dharma talk on the relationship between Self, Non-Self, Guilt and Remorse, and delves into a classic teaching called the "four powers" for how we meet our habitual stuck places and negative behavior with an eye toward gradual transformation. Check out all the cool offerings at our sponsor Dharma Moon, including the Yearlong Buddhist Studies program and Mindful Meditation Teacher Training. Check out the free Imposter Syndrome event on September 3 with Duncan Trussell and David Nichtern! Visit https://ethannichtern.com for books, upcoming events, classes, and to get on his monthly email list!

Ethan talks to one of his key teachers along the path, Dr. Gaylon Ferguson about Beginner's Mind, Original Mind and the relationship between Zen and Tantric Buddhism drawing from Dr. Ferguson's new book Welcoming Beginner's Mind: Zen and Tibetan Buddhist Wisdom on Experiencing Our True Nature. Check out all the cool offerings at our sponsor Dharma Moon, including the Yearlong Buddhist Studies program and Mindful Meditation Teacher Training. Check out the free Imposter Syndrome event on September 3 with Duncan Trussell and David Nichtern! Dr. Gaylon Ferguson, PhD, was core faculty in Religious and Interdisciplinary Studies for fifteen years at Naropa University. A senior Buddhist teacher, he has led mindfulness retreats since 1976 and is the author of the new book Welcoming Beginner's Mind (2024), Natural Wakefulness, and Natural Bravery.  

Ethan continues his insights into our political moment after VP Kamala Harris ascends to candidacy. He reviews five practices for engagement with this season (reducing media intake, increasing volunteering and engagement, mindfulness meditation, body practice, and rest) and explores the Buddhist idea of "not one not two" for how we can experience unity at this time without cult thinking or purity testing. Check out all the cool offerings at our sponsor Dharma Moon, including the Yearlong Buddhist Studies program and Mindful Meditation Teacher Training. Check out the free Imposter Syndrome event on September 3 with Duncan Trussell and David Nichtern! Please remember to pick up a copy of Confidence: Holding Your Seat Through Life's Eight Worldly Winds out everywhere!

Ethan wades into the 2024 American election, first sharing some thoughts on recent events, the dystopian state of American media, and finally, five practices we can each do to feel more connected and empowered and less panicky as the crucial election approaches. And yes, he's an optimist about American democracy. Check out all the cool offerings at our sponsor Dharma Moon, including the Yearlong Buddhist Studies program and Mindful Meditation Teacher Training. Please remember to pick up a copy of Confidence: Holding Your Seat Through Life's Eight Worldly Winds out everywhere!

Ethan and David Nichtern discuss the priniciple and practices of Windhorse meditation, and how to ride the energy of one's life and emotions, especially when showing up to do something that is hard to do. This is the second part of their recent conversation. The first part appeared on David's Creativitiy, Spirituality and Making a Buck podcast.  Please remember to pick up a copy of Confidence: Holding Your Seat Through Life's Eight Worldly Winds out everywhere! Check out all the cool offerings at our sponsor Dharma Moon, including the upcoming Course with Ethan on Confidence and Windhorse Meditation! David Nichtern is a senior Buddhist teacher who has been practicing and teaching meditation for over 40 years. He is the author of the critically acclaimed books Awakening From the Daydream: Reimagining The Buddha's Wheel of Life and Creativity, Spirituality & Making a Buck. He mentors individual students both in person and online, and leads meditation teacher training programs around the world. He is also a four time Emmy-winning and two time Grammy-nominated composer and producer, as well as the founder of Dharma Moon Records and 5 Points Records.

Ethan and Marianne Williamson discuss her unique spiritual journey, her new book The Mystic Jesus: The Mind of Love, and her wisdom regarding the intersection of spiritual practice and political engagement. Her book is available everywhere in all formats now! Please remember to pick up a copy of Confidence: Holding Your Seat Through Life's Eight Worldly Winds out everywhere! Check out all the cool offerings at our sponsor Dharma Moon, including the upcoming Course with Ethan on Confidence and Windhorse Meditation! Marianne Williamson: For more than four decades, Marianne Williamson has been a leader of spiritually progressive circles. She is the author of 16 books, four of which have been #1 New York Times best sellers. Her website: https://marianne.com Williamson founded Project Angel Food, a non-profit organization that has delivered more than 18 million meals to ill and dying homebound patients in the Los Angeles area since 1989. The group was created to help people suffering from the ravages of HIV/AIDS. She has also worked throughout her career on poverty, anti-hunger and racial reconciliation issues. In 2004, she co-founded The Peace Alliance and supported the creation of a U.S. Department of Peace. Williamson ran for the democratic nomination for the Presidency of the United States in both 2020 and 2024.

Ethan and activist and author Shannon Watts recently had a conversation on confidence, gender and activism on IG live.  Please remember to pick up a copy of Confidence: Holding Your Seat Through Life's Eight Worldly Winds out everywhere! Check out all the cool offerings at our sponsor Dharma Moon, including upcoming Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Training starting June 14.  Shannon Watts: The founder of Moms Demand Action, Shannon Watts was named one of TIME's 100 Most Influential People, Glamour's Woman of the Year and Forbes 50 Over 50. Watts served as a full-time volunteer leader for Moms Demand Action for 11 years. Under her watch, the organization accumulated over 10 million supporters and established a chapter in every state. Volunteers have stopped the NRA's priority legislation in statehouses 90 percent of the time every year for the past decade; passed over 500 gun safety laws across the country; changed corporate policies; educated millions of Americans about secure gun storage; and elected thousands of gun sense candidates to office, including hundreds of its own volunteers. She is also a self-proclaimed "Type A Buddhist."

Ethan interviews two teachers and co-authors of the bold new book How We Ended Racism: Realizing A New Possibility in One Generation, Justin Michael Williams and Shelly Tygielski. The conversation bridges optimism and pragmatism, along with inner and collective work. Take a listen! Justin Michael Williams brings people together across divides with a multigenerational message of hope, empowerment, and unity. He is an award-winning speaker, Grammy®-nominated recording artist, and author of Stay Woke: A Meditation Guide for the Rest of Us. For more, visit justinmichaelwilliams.com. Shelly Tygielski is a trauma-informed mindfulness teacher, speaker, and activist. She founded the CNN Hero-featured global grassroots organization Pandemic of Love, is the co-host and executive producer of the television series All Hands on Deck, and is the author of Sit Down to Rise Up. For more, visit shellytygielski.com. Check out their new book How We Ended Racism: Realizing A New Possibility in One Generation wherever you get your books. Please remember to pick up a copy of Confidence: Holding Your Seat Through Life's Eight Worldly Winds out this week! The book is now out in Paperback, E-book, and Audiobook! Check out all the cool offerings at our sponsor Dharma Moon, including upcoming Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Training starting June 14. Check out Ethan's Four Week Summer Course in July-August "Confidence and Windhorse."

Ethan continues to explore the themes of his new book by discussing self-confidence, no-self, working with praise and criticism, and humility with Jaimal Yogis and Lou Sharma.  Please remember to pick up a copy of Confidence: Holding Your Seat Through Life's Eight Worldly Winds out this week! Check out all the cool offerings at our sponsor Dharma Moon, including upcoming Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Training starting June 14. Sign up for the free online lecture with David Nichtern on May 28 on "Teaching Meditation and The Role of The Teacher." Jaimal Yogis is an award winning author of nonfiction and fiction books for children and adults - including his memoir SALTWATER BUDDHA and most recently the bestselling Scholastic series CITY OF DRAGONS.   Lou Sharma is a meditation teacher and brand strategy consultant based in Charlotte, NC. She has practiced meditation for over 15 years, and studied Buddhism within Tibetan Buddhist traditions, including the Magyu lineage of Lama Tsultrim Allione. She is a graduate of Dharma Moon's Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Training program.

Ethan continues to explore the themes of his new book by looking at the first of the "four powers of confidence." Why does the practice of compassion help us overcome insecurity and show up when life gets hard? What are the three elements of compassion?  Please remember to pick up a copy of Confidence: Holding Your Seat Through Life's Eight Worldly Winds out this week! Check out all the cool offerings at our sponsor Dharma Moon, including upcoming Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Training starting June 14. Sign up for the free online lecture with David Nichtern on May 28 on "Teaching Meditation and The Role of The Teacher."

Ethan continues to explore the themes of his new book by looking at how the discussion of confidence can be seen as a discussion of our rleationship to Fear and Hope. He explores the roots of Confidence is ancient Buddhism, as well as just beginning to unpack the ideas of the eight worldly winds, experiences that every human must face. Check out all the cool offerings at our sponsor Dharma Moon, including upcoming Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Training starting June 14. Sign up for the free lecture with David Nichtern and Duncan Trussell on "Deepening Your Practice to Teach: The Journey from Meditation Practitioner to Meditation Guide."  Also check out  upcoming in-person retreats in May and June. Pre-Order Ethan's new book, Confidence: Holding Your Seat Through Life's Eight Worldly Winds to be released May 21, wherever you get your books. Sign up for the free virtual release party with Jaimal Yogis and Ethan Nichtern on May 23!

Ethan begins to explore the themes of his new book by looking at how our meditation practice can help us to work with the crucial and elusive experience of confidence. He explores our attitude of how we enter into the meditation session and engage with our own sense of worthiness as our minds, and our lives, knock us around. How do we learn to "Hold our Seat" in the midst of a messy mind and a world on fire. Check out all the cool offerings at our sponsor Dharma Moon, including upcoming Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Training starting June 14. Sign up for the free lecture with David Nichtern and Duncan Trussell on "Deepening Your Practice to Teach: The Journey from Meditation Practitioner to Meditation Guide."  Also check out  upcoming in-person retreats in May and June. Pre-Order Ethan's new book, Confidence: Holding Your Seat Through Life's Eight Worldly Winds to be released May 21, wherever you get your books. Sign up for the free virtual release party with Jaimal Yogis and Ethan Nichtern on May 23!

Using the recent solar eclipse (and a few suprising responses to Ethan celebrating it) as a jumping off point, Ethan looks at the worldviews of scientific materialism and animism, Ethan looks at the role of magic in developing a grounded but awe-inspired approach to our spiritual practice. Check out all the cool offerings at our sponsor Dharma Moon, including upcoming Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Training starting June 14. Also check out  upcoming in-person retreats in May and June. Pre-Order Ethan's new book, Confidence: Holding Your Seat Through Life's Eight Worldly Winds to be released May 21, wherever you get your books.

How do you go from a life in fashion to being a well-known and respected spiritual teacher and icon? Ethan is joined by friend, teacher and author of the brand new book Spiritually, We (out now) for a discussion of Sah's path into meditation, Buddhism, developing his own movement-based practice system and becoming a teacher and healer. Check out all the cool offerings at our sponsor Dharma Moon, including upcoming Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Training starting June 14. Also check out  upcoming in-person retreats in May and June. Sah D'Simone is a spiritual revolutionary, artist, and the internationally bestselling author Spiritually Sassy. He's known for hosting the top-rated Spiritually Sassy Show podcast and for creating the Somatic Activated Healing (SAH) Method™. Sah works in the Spiritual Care Department at Cedars-Sinai Hospital and is a guest lecturer at Columbia University. His remarkable contributions to homeless youth in Venice Beach, California earned him the CARE award from the city and county of Los Angeles.  Pre-Order Ethan's new book, Confidence: Holding Your Seat Through Life's Eight Worldly Winds to be released May 21, wherever you get your books.