After Death, A New Year

Like the sun inexorably returning from the darkest point of the year, something deeply regenerative resides within the earth and in the depths of imagination found inside the human heart. -Michael Meade Dearest Readers, As you know many ... Read more

Author: Trudy Goodman, PhD

Ram Dass is Loving Awareness

In Ram Dass’s room this past Sunday, amidst quiet chanting and harmonium, with his devoted companion Dassima and caregivers nearby, Ram Dass took two deep breaths and was gone from his body. In the days that have followed in his household, the... Read more

Author: Trudy Goodman, PhD

Counting Blessings

I pray you not to love classifications: The thing is like a river, from source to sea-mouth One flowing life. -Robinson Jeffers December solstice marks the longest night and shortest day of the year. The sun seems to sta... Read more

Author: Trudy Goodman, PhD

Has InsightLA impacted your life this year?

#GivingTuesday is the perfect opportunity to embody love this holiday season. When you give to InsightLA by making a one-time gift or becoming a monthly donor, you’re supporting a community that’s become a refuge for so many! We invite you t... Read more

Author: Trudy Goodman, PhD

Listening

He didn’t say much; he didn’t have to. The quality of his listening itself was so warm and loving, everyone would relax in his presence. Like my father, my beloved Uncle Jim was wise and focused; he could see the humor in all of our various li... Read more

Author: Trudy Goodman, PhD

Quenching the Fires

Jack and I just co-taught a meditation retreat at Spirit Rock with no electricity - until the very last evening. Imagine no hot water and no heat; it was 37 degrees when we woke up before dawn in the cold moonless black velvet night. Turning off my ... Read more

Author: Trudy Goodman, PhD

Makeup on Empty Space

Excerpted from Anne Waldman’s poem, “Makeup on Empty Space” I am putting makeup on empty space rouge blushing on empty space I am putting makeup on empty space pasting eyelashes on empty space painting the eyebrows of empty space pili... Read more

Author: Trudy Goodman, PhD

Only go straight, don’t-know!

My first teacher Dae Soen Sa Nim taught us to practice mindfulness with simple Zen phrases: “Only go straight, don’t-know!” He encouraged us all to “Keep this don’t-know mind, try, try for 10,000 years, non-stop.” This was the beauty of his dedicati... Read more

Author: Trudy Goodman, PhD

Retreat to the Future

I’m about to enter a meditation retreat at the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies in rural central Massachusetts with one of my dharma heroes, Bhikkhu Analayo. Since 1975, the Insight Meditation Society, IMS, with its Retreat Center, the Study Center... Read more

Author: Trudy Goodman, PhD

A Powerful Week

This is a week of spiritual streams converging in the autumnal equinox and the Jewish New Year beginning Sunday eve. Monday was the time in the earth’s annual cycle around the sun when day and night are equal in length, a moment of perfect balance where... Read more