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The joke used to be that every time Michael opened his mouth what he said was archived here. We couldn’t be more grateful for that now because it is one of the best ways Michael’s teachings will live on.
The Awake in the World Podcast is the heart of the Community Library. Talks are on a wide-range of topics, including: bringing mindfulness and meditation practice into daily life; personal and community issues regarding mental health; and social change.
This podcast has been created so that anyone can have instant access to Michael’s teachings. It has been made possible due to generous donations from members of the community. In the six years that the podcast has been available, over half a million people have pressed play as a way to be more—like the name says—awake in the world.
Each podcast is between 30-60 minutes long. As always, you’re encouraged to follow along weekly as part of your practice. The podcasts were recorded at live events so you might hear coughing, airplanes, cars, sirens, laughter, and peoples’ questions—all part of the intimate experience.
Heaven Realms, Hell Realms, And Protection
First day of retreat Michael talks about walking meditation, bowing, and practice tips for going deeper on retreat. The talk ends with a beautiful description of Samadhi and how concentration can protect us.
Jewish Prayer
Rabbi Miriam Margles leads beautiful morning prayers (in Hebrew & English) during the Jewish-Buddhist retreat exploring the intersection of practices & teachings from both traditions, co-taught with Michael.
Opening To Fear
During a Jewish-Buddhist retreat Michael speaks about fear of failure, fear of disappointing others and being scared of missing out. He begins by talking about the death of writer Oliver Sacks.
Mindfulness Of Breathing Part 9 – Turning the Body Into A Ballast
Final talk about relaxing the breath to settle the mind. Noticing how when we go on line to “rest” we end up over-stimulating ourselves and lose track of what we feel and our emotions become unstable.
Mindfulness Of Breathing Part 8 – I Want to Know What it’s Like to be Unified
Making space in our hearts for empathy, forgiveness and non-reactivity to emerge. How to practice with your breath when you feel crazy. Samadhi is the opposite of feeling fragmented.
Mindfulness Of Breathing Part 7
Did you cut my shoelaces? Q & A about different forms of meditation for different people. Michael tells some funny stories about his son and practicing mindfulness in family. He also talks about mindfulness at work.
Mindfulness of Breathing Part 6
Michael talks on finding the sane part of the breath, seeing how all thoughts pivot around a construct of “me,” and how to cultivate a non-reactive mind. Also, the way there are many conditions that give rise to depression or
Mindful Breathing Part 5 (Anapanasati)
Michael goes into detail about emptiness, working with shame, connecting with the emotional body in order to transform traumatic scars, and how to connect with the depth of the breathing body with concentration and safety. Also, how reconciliation does not
Mindful Breathing Part 4 (Anapanasati)
Michael maps out how meditation based on concentration can bring intense pleasure and joy (piti) and how for some students these levels of concentration (jhana) can reveal deeper levels of holding and/or old trauma. Then he details how trauma works:
Stabilizing Ourselves In The Digital Age
A public lecture about the effect of phones, the internet, and digital media on our minds and relationships. Michael offers very practical tools for managing our minds in an era of information overload.
Mindful Breathing Part 3 (Anapanasati)
Michael maps out the first two levels of concentration (jhanas); the importance of not being too awake; and a very different approach to working with strong emotions like anger but leaving it alone.
Mindful Breathing Part 2 (Anapanasati)
Michael explains the first level of concentration that emerges when the mind settles (first jhana). Also: distinguishing concentration from mindfulness in the Buddhist and Yoga Sutra traditions.
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