As you may already know, Vietnamese Zen master, poet and peace activist Venerable Thich Nhat Hanh passed away earlier this week at the age of 95. It would be difficult to overstate the tremendous impact Thich Nhat Hanh had on modern Buddhism. Kn...

We live in a rapidly changing world. From the ongoing global pandemic to the alarming climate crisis, there are powerful forces playing out every day.  I believe that contemplative practice has a unique role to play in the healing of our he...

Today is the Winter Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, the day that marks the balance point between seasons, between dark and light. As the year draws to a close, I’ve been reflecting a lot on the shifting tides of our lives and how to align o...

Dear friends, Big news: I'm writing a new book!For years I've wanted to create a practical guide for developing inner resources to meet the challenges of our times. The book is tentatively called "Training the Heart: Skills for a Changing World."Each...

Dear friends,With the holidays just around the corner, many people I know are beginning to feel anxious about family gatherings. While we can’t control other people’s behavior, we can have some say over how we show up.Before I get into practical tips...

I was in my early 20s, struggling to find my way, when I asked one of my meditation teachers: “What can I hope to get from this practice?”His answer startled me. “Nothing. This practice isn’t about what you get; it’s about what you let go of.”Mainstr...

I’ll never forget what my friend Lee said to me many years ago.It was the end of an amazing summer that we had spent working as interns at a Jewish spiritual retreat center in the Catskills.I had been moving around a lot at that time in my life, and...

Last call: my live, online course, “Say What You Mean,” starts Tuesday, September 28.Happy Autumn!Today's the first day of fall, which means that my annual 12-week online course is just around the corner. I’ve taught thousands of people to communicat...

I’ve had a few conversations with close friends lately about the state of our world. While life offers so much to be joyful and appreciative for, and while humankind has made genuine progress worthy of celebration, the affects of the pandemic, t...

There’s an old story about a wood cutter who lived near a great forest. He worked with his axe at an unrivaled pace, until one day he noticed he’d cut fewer trees than the last. The trend continued—each day it took longer to cut enough wood to f...