Podcasts about Tassajara

Ryuko Laura Burges is a lay entrusted Dharma teacher in the Soto Zen tradition, teaches classes and lectures and leads retreats in Northern California. - that's from her SFZC bio. In this, her 3rd podcast, Laura tells a story from her latest book: Wisdom Stories of Tibet: Tales of Magic, Adventure, and Bravery. She also tells a Tassajara story and talks about her book on Recovery.

Was it a bunch of hippies who helped Suzuki found Tassajara and who filled the zendo in the city. I look at this briefly. There's a lot more I could say but I decided to think about how to approach the topic better. Then I talk about unusual experience. It ends with a riff on current events.

03/01/2025, Edward Brown, dharma talk at City Center. Edward Espe Brown shares teachings from Eihei Dogen's “Tenzo Kyokun”, and stories from practicing as tenzo (head cook) at Tassajara under the guidance of Shunryu Suzuki Roshi.

Bob Watkins and his wife Sandy arrived at Tassajara not long after we bought it and were there for nine months. We hated to see them go. Bob was the work leader in the first practice period and until he departed. Later he was ordained by Kobun Chino and with Kobun co-founded Hokkyoji in Arroyo Seco above Taos, NM. In this podcast I read a piece I wrote on Bob after he died in 2016. It includes many of his memories of Shunryu Suzuki and Kobun Chino.

I first met Jesse Wiens Chu at Tassajara about twenty years ago. Now he and his wife Catherine live around the corner. They both have extensive training in Buddhist practice and are NVC teachers - and more. Learn about them and their practice at babatree.org and check out their book Ongo and ongobook.com. Learn about all that and more in this podcast with Jesse. - dc

Peter Schneider began sitting at Sokoji in 1963. He was ordained as a priest by Shunryu Suzuki in 1970 and received transmission from Mel Weitsman. He was at Tassajara for the first years as office manager, then director for a few years, Suzuki's attendant. He and his wife Jane got together there. They lived in Japan many years and on their return to America, founded the Beginner's Mind Zen Center in Northridge, CA, part of LA. Peter, born in 1937, died on January 4, 2025. Go to their cuke page for more and for links to the cuke podcasts with them. cuke.com/people/schneider-jane-peter.htm

12/10/2024, Chikudo Catherine Spaeth, dharma talk at Tassajara.

Gene DeSmidt was a dear friend of mine and the SF Zen Center who died on October 30th. Gene was a creative builder who left behind a number of sound structures at Tassajara and Green Gulch. He was also a musician who helped me muchly in that realm. He was a great character and a humorous, generous, good-hearted person. Learn more at cuke.com/others/GDS.html and  gofundme.com/f/gene-desmidt-needs-your-help.  - dc

This podcast is a talk I gave and meeting with the All Beings Zen Sangha in Washington DC. On October 19th. Inryu Ponce-Barger is the teacher of this group and their website is allbeingszen.org. The focus of the group right now and therefore of the talk is the Sandokai, an ancient Chinese Zen poem that is chanted at the SF Zen Center. I talk about being at Tassajara when Shunryu Suzuki lectured on it and studying it with him. There's a page on cuke.com for the Sandokai: cuke.com/Cucumber%20Project/lectures/sandokai.htm  - DC

Silas Hoadley began studying with Shunryu Suzuki in 1964. He was highly involved with the founding of Tassajara. Suzuki had Silas giving lectures when Suzuki was ill toward the end of his life. He would have received transmission from Suzuki if Suzuki hadn't died too soon. Silas was a much beloved priest in the SFZC. In this podcast I read a 1994 interview with Silas and a scene with him from the upcoming Tassajara Stories. Check out more about Silas at cuke.com/people/hoadley-silas.htm

08/30/2024, Chikudo Catherine Spaeth, dharma talk at Tassajara.

08/28/2024, Pamela Weiss, dharma talk at Tassajara.

08/28/2024, Shundo David Haye, dharma talk at City Center. In this talk, given at Beginner's Mind Temple, Shundo reflects on a recent visit to Tassajara, which included the monthly Full Moon Ceremony and the Obon Ceremony. He encourages us to remember our place in the ongoing lineage of Buddhas and Ancestors.

08/27/2024, Jan Willis, dharma talk at Tassajara. In this talk, Jan Willis discusses the conditions around the time of Buddha's lifetime, and how the Buddhist community was created.

Kelly Bernard Chadwick grew up in and around Tassajara, the SFZC City Center, and Green Gulch Farm. He is my older son. His mother is my first wife, Daya Goldschlag, called Dianne back in 1973 when Kelly was born at Green Gulch Farm. Dianne has a Zen group now in Spokane Washington and Kelly is an arborist in Spokane and has a business there called Spirit Pruners - . In this podcast he talks about his youthful ZC memories but more about his recent experience of Tassajara where he takes a crew in the spring to trim trees. Deep stuff.

08/21/2024, Shundo David Haye, dharma talk at Tassajara. In this talk, Shundo explains the elements and significance of the Full Moon Ceremony to those who had participated in it on their arrival day at Tassajara, and encourages everyone to understand their role in creating and sustaining the monastery and the community.

Frazer Bradshaw was a student at Tassajara in the summers for years, starting off when he was still a student at the SF Art Inst. He'd made some experimental films and at Tassajara he made his first documentary, Tassajara: a Meditative Portrait at Tassajara in the late nineties. It's in his Vimeo section with 209 others and there's a link to it in the film/video section of cuke.com. He went on to make many other films. Check him out at frazerbradshaw.com or his film biz site, or on IMDB. Thanks Tano Maeda for letting me know about Frazer's Tassajara film which he featured in the 2003 (I think it was) Buddhist International Film Festival. Check out what Frazer has to say about Zen practice and film and Tassajara and more in this podcast.

07/03/2024, Gendo Lucy Xiao, dharma talk at Tassajara.

Tim Ream came to the SF Zen Center in the nineties. He has continued his Zen practice, alternating between practice periods and periods of environmental activism. He recently published a book Fallen Water: a Novel of Zen and Earth which has an alternate reality Tassajara and the surrounding wilderness as a setting. In this podcast he will talk about the book, his spiritual path and environmental activism and more.

Cindy Beavon came to the SFZC in 2007 going straight to Tassajara. She practiced at Zen Center until 2011 when she had an upsetting experience that made her feel unwelcome. She went back this year for the work interim and once again loved being there. She's a hospice nurse and a professional rock climber which became a deep and fulfilling practice for her. Hear all about it in this podcast with her.

Marc Lesser came to the SFZC in 1974. After ten years with the ZC and being the director of Tassajara, he got an MBA, continued his Zen practice while working with and founding some noble businesses. He founded ZBA Associates to help companies, notably Google, with mindfulness and emotional intelligence training and consultation. He is co-chair of the SFZC Elders Council, is teacher at Mill Valley Zen (millvalleyzen.com). His latest book of five is Finding Clarity. To learn more check him out at marclesser.net and listen to this podcast with him.

Amber Hoadley was the first baby at Tassajara in the Zen era. In this podcast she talks about growing up at Zen Center, mainly Green Gulch, and her parents, Kathy and Silas Hoadley who were a significant presence in Zen Center in those formative days. Amber also talks about her practice path and more. She will be hosting a memorial for Silas on Father's Day, June 16th from 3-7pm, at the Mostly Natives Nursery, 54 B St., Point Reyes Station, California.

Tom White is a friend of mine from Texas who visited me at Tassajara with his wife before the first practice period on their way to the Philippines to spend a couple of years there in the Peace Corps. While living on Whidbey Island in the NW US, he got involved with the One Drop Zendo founded by Shodo Harada from Sogenji in Japan. Here about all this and more in this podcast.

Tai Sheridan showed up at the SFZC in the late sixties. He practiced at Tassajara in 1971 and later at Green Gulch Farm. He was close to Mel Weitsman and the Berkeley Zendo for years. while He's written many books including Buddha in Blue Jeans that are available  for free as ebooks. Recently he created a distillation of his writings into five books available from cuke.com for free download. He encourages a donation to Cuke Archives if one is so inclined. To download these new books search for Tai Sheridan on cuke.com or go to the bibliography. To donate just click on the donate button on the home and many other pages of cuke.com and shunryusuzuki.com. Find out more at taisheridan.com and listen to this podcast.

Ned Hoke was on Esalen Inst. staff when Shunryu Suzuki led a two day workshop there in 1968. After that, Ned came to Tassajara in the summers as a student. He's been an acupuncturist for forty years. In this podcast he talks about that, we talk about Bolinas, he tells about bringing Suzuki's headstone up to the hogback.

03/24/2024, Eijun Linda Cutts, dharma talk at Green Gulch Farm. This talk by Eijun Linda Cutts was offered and dedicated to Caroline Meister, a Tassajara resident whose accidental death touched so many with sorrow. The talk looks at the Koan “Daowu's Condolence Call” Case 55 in the Blue Cliff Record, and the non-dual life of zazen and precepts.

Sheridan Adams, formerly Sheridan Ericson, came to Zen Center in 1965. She was at the first practice period at Tassajara. She practiced Vipassana at Spirit Rock and was involved with studying and encouraging diversity there and elsewhere for years. She's going to retire as a psychotherapist next year. As you will hear in this podcast, she's stayed on a spiritual path through the years.

Ep. 120 (Part 2 of 2) | Many time award-winning poet Jane Hirshfield has spent her life steeped in poetry and spiritual practice. Here, we feel almost as if we've been invited into her kitchen to talk about life, love, and especially about poems and how they offer us various answers to the abiding questions: who are we, what are we, what is our relationship to each other, what must we be grateful toward? Jane describes poems as vessels of discovery and poetry as taking your understanding and putting it into a form that is holdable, retrievable, transmissible. Poems can also be keys to unlock our despair, she explains, creating a crack in the darkness, a re-entrance to the possibility of wholeness. Jane's sublime poetry is many-layered; the same poem might be about human love or peace between nations, about the end of love or the fact that love never dies. Jane shares that her lifetime of questioning (her most recent book of new and selected poetry is titled The Asking) has boiled down to one question: How can I serve?An awareness of our interconnectedness with all beings, all of life, permeates her work, and Jane is driven to provoke action on contemporary, pressing issues of biosphere, peace, and justice, and help us navigate the tightrope between hope and despair. The conversation also turns to early feminism and the poetry of women mystics that Jane put together in a beautiful anthology called Women in Praise of the Sacred, covering 43 centuries of spiritual poetry by women. When asked about her longtime Zen practice, Jane said, “I needed to become more of a human being, understand a different way of living inside this life I had been given” to become a good poet. She tells us that both poetry and Zen are paths of discovery, exploration, and awareness, and both paths insist that we attend to this world fully. This is a warm, personal, deeply illuminating, and thought provoking conversation, and Jane reads several of her poems, revealing their depth and beauty. Recorded November 30, 2023.“I don't want a model of spirituality that excludes other forms of connection. Inclusion is the only path that makes sense.”(For Apple Podcast users, click here to view the complete show notes on the episode page.)Topics & Time Stamps – Part 2How can we become a magnet for creative imagination? (00:49) Artist retreats are the monastery of creativity (03:51)How Jane was drawn towards poetry, haiku, and Buddhist understanding early on (07:56)In 3-year retreat at Tassajara, writing wasn't permitted, and how poetry returned after the monastic years (12:40)Both poetry and Zen are paths that insist you attend to this world fully (14:12)Women poets throughout history and the story of Enheduanna, earliest known poet (18:07)Protofeminist movement in the Middle Ages: the Beguines (25:08)Reading of Mechthild of Magdeburg's poem, and how we carry a molecule of divine remembrance with us (26:56)Spiritual poems of male and female mystics, are they different? (30:12)Poems of the sacred rather than poems of suffering: dark nights of the soul come after moments of awakening as much as before (33:19)Spiritual poems often use the language of eros, and how inclusion of all forms of connection is the only path that makes sense (35:01) Women have found their voice…yet women have

John Steiner came to the San Francisco Zen Center in 1967 a few months before the first practice period at Tassajara and participate in that practice period. His involvement with peace and environmental work began before then and continues to this day as does his spiritual path. These days he's focusing on getting young people and minorities registered to vote. In this podcast he talks about how he got on the so-called spiritual path and the engaged one and more. This is the 2nd of two podcasts with John.

John Steiner came to the San Francisco Zen Center in 1967 a few months before the first practice period at Tassajara and participate in that practice period. I recall him and Bill Lane being the trash collectors and moving materials around. His involvement with peace and environmental work began before then and continues to this day as does his spiritual path. These days he's focusing on getting young people and minorities registered to vote. In this podcast he talks about all this and more. Next week we'll continue our dialogue with John, my dear bodhisattvic friend.

Rick Wicks went to Tassajara briefly in 1971 . He returned there to practice in 1974. In this podcast he tells about living in Sweden for decades, traveling extensively in Asia and Europe, being at Zen Center, and more. He's got a doctorate in economics and is a consultant in that realm. He's worn lots of different hats. He calls himself a successful autistic in the podcast. There's a great deal on and from him on cuke.com. 

Rhonda Johansen Karzag was at Tassajara with her parents for three summers when she was in elementary school. In this podcast she talks about what that was like for her and reads from an account of it she wrote for school when she was in the fourth grade. You can read it while listening if you go to her mother, Toni Johansen Weisberg's cuke page where there's a link to it - in her excellent young handwriting.

Stuart Lachs was at the first practice period at Tassajara. and has practiced  with many other groups through the years. including two years with Eido Shimano and eleven years with Walter Nowick. Check out his website Zen Perspectives: Commentaries on Zen and Society - https://lachs.inter-link.com and learn more about him in this podcast.

Jane Hirshfield is a renowned poet. She first came to the SF Zen Center, showing up at Tassajara in 1974 when I was head monk, a  good day for us both.  In this podcast she talks about her life as a poet, a Buddhist, a lover of life and this planet and all that is living.  She  reads from her recently published  The Asking: New and Selected Poems (from fifty years of poetry).

Ted Tripp heard Shunryu Suzuki speak at Stanford in 1967 and met him the next year at Tassajara where Suzuki let him stay longer in order for him to prepare himself to go to prison for anti-war activities. He's recently retired from teaching English at San Jose State and UC Santa Cruz.  He  says, "A solid foundation of dharma and ability to practice meditation is a good preparation for what comes next."

2023-09-03 | Dharma Talk | Practicing At Tassajara | Ann Lipscomb And John Cooley by Appamada

Charlie Pokorney is now a teacher at the Brooklyn Zen Center, He and his wife Sarah were  head teachers  at the Stone Creek Zen in  Sebastopol, CA, for 8 years. He was at  the SFZC, mainly Tassajara and Green Gulch farm for12 years during which time he and Timothy O'Conner Fraser got Shunryu Suzuki lecture audio and transcripts up on the SFZC website. He teaches at the Inst. of Buddhist Studies in Berkeley - and he's done a lot more but you can get  at least some of that from the podcast.

Robert Shuman was a student of Shunryu Suzuki in the San Francisco and at Tassajara  and then a student of Joshu Sasaki in LA and at Mt. Baldy and then of Philip Kapleau in Rochester.  He and his wife Hennie went to Raleigh to lead a Zen group long ago and they're still there now though their group hasn't met since Covid began.

In this enlightening episode, I engage in a meaningful (and productive) conversation with Marc Lesser. Marc is a multifaceted leader with roles as a CEO, executive coach, and Zen teacher. With an MBA from New York University, he has founded three companies and authored five books, notably "Finding Clarity". His passion for integrating mindfulness into leadership culminated in the "Search Inside Yourself" program at Google, an influential initiative that married emotional intelligence with mindfulness. Marc also brings unique insights from his ten-year residency at the San Francisco Zen Center and his stint as the director of Tassajara, the first Zen monastery in the Western world. His distinct blend of business expertise and Zen principles positions him as an exceptional figure in the spheres of mindful leadership and business strategy. The episode moves forward with a fascinating discussion about the concept of clarity. Contrary to common belief, Marc proposes that clarity is not just a state of complete understanding or transparency but also includes elements of mystery and the unknown. This ties into what he refers to as the "fifth discipline of leadership", emphasizing the practice of finding clarity within these nuances. Furthermore, Marc shares unconventional "anchors" or strategies that can assist individuals in finding clarity, including his unique 'no festering' rule. Key Discussion Points The importance of understanding clarity as a concept that incorporates mystery and not just a state of perfect lucidity. Unconventional strategies for finding clarity, including the 'no festering' rule. An exploration into the role of ego in compassion and accountability, demonstrating how curiosity can replace judgement and anger. The trap of ego and the role of confidence and deep listening in avoiding this trap. Lesser's views on the role of will in meditation, distinguishing between will and willpower. The transformative power of turning breakdowns into breakthroughs, accepting change and discomfort. There's also a mention of Ted Lasso that makes its way into our discussion – a discussion that is well worth your time. Enjoy. Links Worth Exploring Connect With Marc: Website | Facebook | X (née Twitter) | LinkedIn | Instagram The Book We Discussed: Finding Clarity: How Compassionate Accountability Builds Vibrant Relationships, Thriving Workplaces, and Meaningful Lives Marc's Other Books: Check them out here An Article That Channels A Touch Of Ted Lasso: Read It Here Related Conversation: Episode 473: Oscar Trimboli talks about Deep Listening Related Blog Post: Why You Need A Clarity Day (And How To Make It Happen) Thanks to all of the sponsors of this episode. You can find all of the sponsors you heard me mention on this episode on our Podcast Sponsors page. Want to support the podcast? Beyond checking out our sponsors, you can subscribe to the show wherever you listen to podcasts. Click on any of the links below to make that happen. Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Stitcher You can also click on this link to paste the podcast feed into your podcast app of choice. Thanks again for listening to A Productive Conversation. See you later. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this enlightening episode, I engage in a meaningful (and productive) conversation with Marc Lesser. Marc is a multifaceted leader with roles as a CEO, executive coach, and Zen teacher. With an MBA from New York University, he has founded three companies and authored five books, notably "Finding Clarity". His passion for integrating mindfulness into leadership culminated in the "Search Inside Yourself" program at Google, an influential initiative that married emotional intelligence with mindfulness. Marc also brings unique insights from his ten-year residency at the San Francisco Zen Center and his stint as the director of Tassajara, the first Zen monastery in the Western world. His distinct blend of business expertise and Zen principles positions him as an exceptional figure in the spheres of mindful leadership and business strategy.The episode moves forward with a fascinating discussion about the concept of clarity. Contrary to common belief, Marc proposes that clarity is not just a state of complete understanding or transparency but also includes elements of mystery and the unknown. This ties into what he refers to as the "fifth discipline of leadership", emphasizing the practice of finding clarity within these nuances. Furthermore, Marc shares unconventional "anchors" or strategies that can assist individuals in finding clarity, including his unique 'no festering' rule.Key Discussion Points The importance of understanding clarity as a concept that incorporates mystery and not just a state of perfect lucidity. Unconventional strategies for finding clarity, including the 'no festering' rule. An exploration into the role of ego in compassion and accountability, demonstrating how curiosity can replace judgement and anger. The trap of ego and the role of confidence and deep listening in avoiding this trap. Lesser's views on the role of will in meditation, distinguishing between will and willpower. The transformative power of turning breakdowns into breakthroughs, accepting change and discomfort. There's also a mention of Ted Lasso that makes its way into our discussion – a discussion that is well worth your time. Enjoy.Links Worth Exploring Connect With Marc: Website | Facebook | X (née Twitter) | LinkedIn | Instagram The Book We Discussed: Finding Clarity: How Compassionate Accountability Builds Vibrant Relationships, Thriving Workplaces, and Meaningful Lives Marc's Other Books: Check them out here An Article That Channels A Touch Of Ted Lasso: Read It Here Related Conversation: Episode 473: Oscar Trimboli talks about Deep Listening Related Blog Post: Why You Need A Clarity Day (And How To Make It Happen) Thanks to all of the sponsors of this episode. You can find all of the sponsors you heard me mention on this episode on our Podcast Sponsors page.Want to support the podcast? Beyond checking out our sponsors, you can subscribe to the show wherever you listen to podcasts. Click on any of the links below to make that happen.Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | StitcherYou can also click on this link to paste the podcast feed into your podcast app of choice.Thanks again for listening to A Productive Conversation. See you later.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Happiness Solved with Sandee Sgarlata. In this episode, Sandee interviews Marc Lesser. Marc Lesser is a CEO, executive coach, and Zen teacher. He founded and was CEO of 3 companies, and helped develop a mindfulness program inside of Google's headquarters. Marc was a resident of the San Francisco Zen Center for 10 years, and director of Tassajara, Zen Mountain Center, the first Zen monastery in the western world. He is the author of Finding Clarity. More information on Marc's Book, Finding Clarity  Connect with Sandee www.sandeesgarlata.com Podcast: www.happinesssolved.com www.facebook.com/coachsandeesgarlata www.twitter.com/sandeesgarlata www.instagram.com/coachsandeesgarlata  

In this episode, we cover compassionate accountability & facing difficulties head-on with Marc Lesser, author of Finding Clarity. He shares what it was like living in a Zen monastery for 10 years and the leadership lessons he learned while working in their kitchen. We also address strategies for conversations around high standards, accountability, agreements, and alignment; models for correcting negative self-talk; closing the gap between seemingly combative standards, such as speed vs. quality; and how to transition from avoiding conflicts to accepting them. Lastly, we close with a three-minute meditation that can help bring much-needed well-being into your workspace.ABOUT MARC LESSERMarc Lesser (@marclesser) is a CEO, executive coach, and Zen teacher. He founded and was CEO of 3 companies, and helped develop a mindfulness program inside of Google's headquarters. Marc was a resident of the San Francisco Zen Center for 10 years, and director of Tassajara, Zen Mountain Center, the first Zen monastery in the western world. He is the author of Finding Clarity."So to me it's really maybe about high standards and aligning around those standards. Avoiding those conversations is the problem and this is where I think the whole realm of emotions and emotional intelligence and self-awareness comes into play. Five emotionally intelligent engineers working together will produce much, much greater outcomes than people who are not really aligned, not really having those real conversations.”- Marc Lesser   Join us at ELC Annual 2023!ELC Annual is our flagship conference for engineering leaders. You'll learn from experts in engineering and leadership, gain mentorship and support from like-minded professionals, expand your perspectives, build relationships across the tech industry, and leave with practical prove strategies.Join us this August 30-31 at the Fort Mason Center in San FranciscoFor tickets, head to https://sfelc.com/annual2023SHOW NOTES:Marc's experience working / living in a zen monastery for 10 years (3:30)Leadership lessons learned from the monastery's kitchen (6:09)Exploring accountability & confronting conflict (8:37)Frameworks for conversations around high standards / accountability (10:26)How to incorporate compassionate accountability (13:53)Practices that help teams develop greater alignment (17:04)When leaders practice accountability w/ kindness (19:53)Model for correcting negative self-talk & how it impacts team alignment (21:23)Closing the gap between speed vs. quality, or other combative standards (24:22)Curiosity & flexibility as core values (26:49)Best practices for forming agreements (27:50)How to move from avoiding difficulties / conflicts to accepting them (29:57)Rapid fire questions (32:28)Marc's three-minute closing meditation (35:27)LINKS AND RESOURCESFinding Clarity - Marc Lesser's book that shows how, together, compassion and accountability play an absolutely critical role in transforming how we communicate in our work and family relationships.Think Again - Adam Grant, the bestselling author of Give and Take and Originals examines the critical art of rethinking: learning to question your opinions and open other people's minds, which can position you for excellence at work and wisdom in life.Peace Is Every Step - In this book Thich Nhat Hanh shows us how to make positive use of the very situations in our daily life that usually pressure and antagonise us. The most profound satisfactions, the deepest feelings of joy and completeness lie as close at hand as our next conscious breath and the smile we can form right now.These Truths: A History of the United States - Widely hailed for its “sweeping, sobering account of the American past” (New York Times Book Review), Jill Lepore's one-volume history of America places truth itself—a devotion to facts, proof, and evidence—at the center of the nation's history.This episode wouldn't have been possible without the help of our incredible production team:Patrick Gallagher - Producer & Co-HostJerry Li - Co-HostNoah Olberding - Associate Producer, Audio & Video Editor https://www.linkedin.com/in/noah-olberding/Dan Overheim - Audio Engineer, Dan's also an avid 3D printer - https://www.bnd3d.com/Ellie Coggins Angus - Copywriter, Check out her other work at https://elliecoggins.com/about/

ADZG 1112 ADZG Sunday Morning Dharma Talk by hogetsu Laurie Belzer

Marc Lesser is a speaker, workshop leader, and executive coach. He is the CEO of ZBA Associates, an executive development and leadership consulting company and has led mindfulness and emotional intelligence programs at many of the world's leading businesses and organizations including Google, SAP, Genentech, and Kaiser Permanente. Marc helped develop the world-renowned Search Inside Yourself (SIY) program within Google - a mindfulness-based emotional intelligence training for leaders. He was also the founder and CEO of the Search Inside Yourself Leadership Institute (SIYLI). He has authored 5 books. His most recent is: Finding Clarity (which we explore in depth in this conversation). Prior to his successful business and coaching career, he was a resident of the San Francisco Zen Center for 10 years, and director of Tassajara, Zen Mountain Center, the first Zen monastery in the Western world. For more on Marc please visit marclesser.netIn this episode:Marc's inspiring story about his somewhat non-traditional career path, and how he found the clarity and courage to pursue itThe importance of finding time to get quiet, and the practice of listening to our inner voice that may offer insight into what will contribute to deeper meaningThe role of compassion and an open heart when it comes to performance and accountabilityHow to receive feedback more skillfullyInsights from helping to build the world renowned Search Inside Yourself mindfulness and emotional intelligence at GoogleMarc's answer to the age old question, what's the least amount of meditation I  can do to get the most benefit?How to turn breakdowns, failures, and missteps into breakthroughsMoving from reactivity to responsiveness and how this can contribute to vibrant relationshipsSome of Marc's favorite practices for cultivating an open heart and greater compassion in life and leadership Please rate the show on iTunes!Did you enjoy this episode? Here are two others we think you will find inspiring:Parker Palmer Part Two: Reflections on the Power of Living With an Open HeartTal Ben-Shahar: Letting go of Perfection and Finding HappinessThanks for listening! Support the show

Marc Lesser is a CEO, executive coach, and Zen teacher. He founded and was CEO of 3 companies, and helped develop a mindfulness program inside of Google's headquarters. Marc was a resident of the San Francisco Zen Center for 10 years, and director of Tassajara, Zen Mountain Center, the first Zen monastery in the western world.During the interview, we discuss…compassionate accountabilitywhy compassionate accountability is important in the workplacewhat can Homer Simpson, the Buddha, and Alice in Wonderland can teach us about leadershipshifting how you think about “difficult people”making a social impactGet in touch after the interview…Website: https://marclesser.netLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marc-lesser-zbaTwitter: https://twitter.com/marclesserFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/marclesserzbaRead Marc's book, “Finding Clarity: How Compassionate Accountability Builds Vibrant Relationships, Thriving Workplaces, and Meaningful Lives” https://www.amazon.com/Finding-Clarity-Compassionate-Accountability-Relationships/dp/160868833XClaim your free gift!We're giving away a one-year membership to the world's #1 business book summary service for leaders! Our gift will help you stay on top of the latest ideas, decide which books to read next, and engage your teams.To get your gift:Leave a rating or review on your favorite listening channel.Take a screenshot of your review.Share the screenshot on LinkedIn, and mention either “Allison Dunn” or “Deliberate Directions” and the “Deliberate Leaders Podcast”.=============Allison DunnExecutive Business CoachDeliberate Directions + Executive Business Coaching + Training Center3003 W Main Street, Suite 110, Boise ID 83702(208) 350-6551Website https://www.deliberatedirections.comLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/allisondunnPodcast https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/deliberate-leaders-podcast-with-allison-dunn/id1500464675

What steps are you taking to build your emotional intelligence and mindfulness as a leader? An inspirational and mindful leader is aware of their own feelings and their teams' feelings and how they impact their effectiveness. To become this leader, you must intentionally build your relationships by being accountable and leading with compassion. In this episode of the Inspirational Leadership podcast, I speak with Marc Lesser, a CEO, executive coach, and Zen teacher known for his engaging, experiential presentations that integrate mindfulness and emotional intelligence practices and training. Before his business and coaching career, Marc was a resident of the San Francisco Zen Center for ten years, and director of Tassajara, Zen Mountain Center, the first Zen monastery in the Western world. He helped develop the world-renowned Search Inside Yourself program within Google – a mindfulness-based emotional intelligence training for leaders which teaches the art of integrating mindfulness, emotional intelligence, and business savvy for creating great corporate cultures and a better world. Listen in to learn how to become a better leader by building trust and connection with your team to make it easier to have difficult conversations. You will also learn the importance of bringing awareness and curiosity to your feelings and other people's feelings to become better at solving conflict. Key Takeaways: How to start appreciating your sacredness to become a better human and leader. How to understand other people's perspectives and our shared humanity with the 3-minute listening exercise. How to build trust and connection with your team to make it easier to have difficult conversations. How to become more aware of your patterns with conflict to notice when you overreact or underreact. How to create psychological safety in the workplace by bringing your vulnerability. Standout Quotes: “It takes some looking inward and some stopping in order to become aware of those beliefs we have beneath the surface.”- Marc [12:08] “Beginning an advanced lesson in working with conflict is separating the impact that someone's words or actions have on us and being curious about their motivation or intention.”- Marc [25:51]

Are you an overthinker? On this episode of the Live Greatly podcast Kristel Bauer sits down with former monk, developer of Google's mindfulness intelligence training and author of 'Finding Clarity', Marc Lesser, to discuss mindful leadership, how to navigate overthinking, the importance of curiosity, how to navigate difficult relationships and more.  Tune in now! Key Takeaways from This Episode: A look at mindful leadership Why you should be curious, not furious How to shift your thinking around “difficult people” and behaviors..and how to know if you are the difficult person The importance of not getting caught by your story How to deal with strong emotions Tips to build self-compassion  How to handle overthinking About Marc Lesser: Marc Lesser is a CEO, executive coach, and Zen teacher known for his engaging, experiential presentations that integrate mindfulness and emotional intelligence practices and training. He is the CEO of ZBA Associates, an executive development and leadership consulting company, with a client roster that includes Google, Twitter, Genentech, San Francisco Airport, Kaiser Permanente, Global Fund for Women, and Beneficial State Bank. He founded and was CEO of three highly successful companies and has an MBA degree in business from New York University. Prior to his business and coaching career, he was a resident of the San Francisco Zen Center for ten years, and director of Tassajara, Zen Mountain Center, the first Zen monastery in the Western world. Marc helped develop the world-renowned Search Inside Yourself program within Google – a mindfulness-based emotional intelligence training for leaders which teaches the art of integrating mindfulness, emotional intelligence, and business savvy for creating great corporate cultures and a better world. Deeply rooted in science, the program has been taught to thousands of executives worldwide. Marc founded and served as CEO for 5 years of the Search Inside Yourself Leadership Institute, which offers programs, tools and content on mindfulness-based emotional intelligence, empathy, compassion, resilience, leadership with training programs in over 50 countries. Marc's books include Finding Clarity: How Compassionate Accountability Builds Vibrant Relationships, Thriving Workplaces, and Meaningful Lives, Seven Practices of a Mindful Leader: Lessons from Google and a Zen Monastery Kitchen, Know Yourself, Forget Yourself, Less: Accomplishing More By Doing Less, and Z.B.A. Zen of Business Administration. His work has been featured in Entrepreneur, The New York Times, Huffington Post, and Mindful, and he has developed audio and video programs for Insight Timer, Simple Habit, and the Mindful Leadership Summit. Marc's blog is syndicated to many major websites, including Medium, Thrive Global, and Mindful.org. Marc's podcast Zen Bones: Ancient Wisdom for Modern Times features cutting-edge interviews, supportive tools for creating more meaningful work, and potent mindfulness practices to develop yourself, influence your organization, and change the world. Marc's Seven Practices of a Mindful Leader program is available as an online, on-demand course and as a live training. He has led mindfulness and emotional intelligence trainings in Asia, Europe, Canada, Australia, and throughout the United States, and has been a keynote speaker at Mindful Leadership Summits in Washington DC, Toronto, and Sydney. Learn more at  www.marclesser.net Instagram: @marclesser Linkedin:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/marc-lesser-zba/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/marclesser  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marclesserzba/  About the Host of the Live Greatly podcast, Kristel Bauer: Kristel Bauer is a corporate wellness expert, popular keynote and TEDx speaker, and the host of top-rated podcast, “Live Greatly,” a show frequently ranked in the top 1% for self-improvement.  Kristel is an Integrative Medicine Fellow & Physician Assistant with clinical experience in Integrative Psychiatry, giving her a unique perspective into optimizing mental well-being and attaining a mindset for more happiness and success in the workplace and beyond. With a mission to support companies and individuals on their journeys for more happiness, success, and well-being, Kristel taps into her unique background in healthcare, business, and media, to provide invaluable insights into high power habits, leadership development, mental well-being, peak performance, resilience, success, wellness at work, and a modern approach to work/life balance. Kristel decided to leave clinical practice in 2019 when she founded her wellness platform “Live Greatly” to share her message around well-being and success on a larger scale. Kristel is a contributing writer for Entrepreneur and she is an influencer in the business and wellness space having been recognized as a Top 10 Social Media Influencer of 2021 in Forbes. A popular speaker on a variety of topics, Kristel has presented to groups at Bank of America, General Mills, Northwestern University, Santander Bank, and many more. She has been featured in Forbes, Forest & Bluff Magazine, and Podcast Magazine, has contributed to Real Leaders Magazine, and has appeared on ABC 7 Chicago, WGN Daytime Chicago, and Ticker News. You can learn more at https://www.livegreatly.co/  To Book Kristel Bauer as a speaker for your next event, click here. Website: www.livegreatly.co  Follow Kristel Bauer on: Instagram: @livegreatly_co  LinkedIn: Kristel Bauer Twitter: @livegreatly_co Facebook: @livegreatly.co Youtube: Live Greatly, Kristel Bauer To Watch Kristel Bauer's TEDx talk of Redefining Work/Life Balance in a COVID-19 World click here. Disclaimer: The contents of this podcast are intended for informational and educational purposes only. Always seek the guidance of your physician for any recommendations specific to you or for any questions regarding your specific health, your sleep patterns changes to diet and exercise, or any medical conditions.  Always consult your physician before starting any supplements or new lifestyle programs. All information, views and statements shared on the Live Greatly podcast are purely the opinions of the authors, and are not medical advice or treatment recommendations.  They have not been evaluated by the food and drug administration.  Opinions of guests are their own and Kristel Bauer & this podcast does not endorse or accept responsibility for statements made by guests.  Neither Kristel Bauer nor this podcast takes responsibility for possible health consequences of a person or persons following the information in this educational content.  Always consult your physician for recommendations specific to you.

In today's Short Talk Judith Germain speaks to Marc Lesser about the importance of compassionate accountability in the workplace, particularly in the context of remote work. They discuss how bringing more emotion and emotional intelligence into the workplace can lead to better results and sustainability. They also discuss how managers should be more accepting of personal issues that may arise when working from home. Marc Lesser discusses the importance of having conversations about success, collaboration, and culture in the workplace, as well as the core tenants of Zen Buddhism and how they can be applied to the workplace. He also quotes Wendell Berry's "Be joyful though you've considered all the facts" as a reminder to find joy and compassion in the midst of challenges. Marc Lesser is a CEO, executive coach, and Zen teacher. He founded and was CEO of 3 companies, and helped develop a mindfulness programme inside of Google's headquarters. Marc is a director of Tassajara, Zen Mountain Center, the first Zen monastery in the western world. You can find out more about our guest and today's episode in this Maverick Paradox Magazine article here. ------ Maverick leadership is all about thinking outside the box and challenging the status quo. It's about having the courage to take risks and the confidence to lead in a way that is authentic and genuine. But amplifying your influence as a leader isn't just about having a strong vision or a big personality. It's also about having the right leadership capability and being able to execute on your ideas and plans. The consequences of not having the right level of influence as a leader can be significant. Without the ability to inspire and motivate others, you may struggle to achieve your goals and make a real impact. How Influential Are you? Take the scorecard at amplifyyourinfluence.scoreapp.com and see.  Judith's websites:  The Maverick Paradox Magazine - themaverickparadox.com Company Website - maverickparadox.co.uk Judith's LinkedIn profile is here, her Twitter profile (MaverickMastery) is here, Facebook here and Instagram here.  

Marc Lesser is a CSO, executive coach, and Zen teacher known for his engaging, experiential presentations that integrate mindfulness and emotional intelligence practices and training. He is the CEO of ZBA Associates, an executive development and leadership consulting company, with a client roster that includes Google, Twitter, Genentech, San Francisco Airport, Kaiser Permanente, Global Fund for Women, and Beneficial State Bank.He founded and was CEO of three highly successful companies and has an MBA degree in business from New York University. Prior to his business and coaching career, he was a resident of the San Francisco Zen Center for ten years, and director of Tassajara, Zen Mountain Center, the first Zen monastery in the Western world.Marc helped develop the world-renowned Search Inside Yourself program within Google – a mindfulness-based emotional intelligence training for leaders which teaches the art of integrating mindfulness, emotional intelligence, and business savvy for creating great corporate cultures and a better world. Deeply rooted in science, the program has been taught to thousands of executives worldwide. Building on the success of the Search Inside Yourself program, Marc founded and served as CEO for 5 years of the Search Inside Yourself Leadership Institute, which offers programs, tools and content on mindfulness-based emotional intelligence, empathy, compassion, resilience, leadership with training programs in over 50 countries.Marc's books include Finding Clarity: How Compassionate Accountability Builds Vibrant Relationships, Thriving Workplaces, and Meaningful Lives, Seven Practices of a Mindful Leader: Lessons from Google and a Zen Monastery Kitchen, Know Yourself, Forget Yourself, Less: Accomplishing More By Doing Less, and Z.B.A. Zen of Business Administration.

“The practice was literally saving my life.” In Part 2 of her way seeking mind talk, Sensei Amie Diller recounts heart-filled stories about her time as a resident at Tassajara […]