The Mindful Athlete

Did you know that you can improve your mindfulness skills anytime, anywhere—even while working out? In fact, incorporating mindfulness into your training can significantly improve your fitness and athletic performance. Staying in the right mindset is ... Read more

Music and Healing in Cambodia

  For generations, Khmer Buddhists in Cambodia and in global diaspora (including right here in Long Beach) have nourished musical practices that allow for healing in the wake of loss. The canonical Pali chant for recognizing that this life is sh... Read more

trees with sunlight

Find Your Peace in Nature

“If I really wanted to pray I′ll tell you what I′d do. I′d go out into a great big field all alone or in the deep, deep woods and I′d look up into the sky—up—up—up—into that lovely blue sky that looks as if there was no end to its blueness. And then I... Read more

Ukraine: Creating Healing Out of Crisis

I was lounging on a couch at my friend’s place in Hermosa Beach after a relaxing day when my ritualistic evening email check announced that my home country of Ukraine was under attack by Russia. A few minutes later, my friend from Ukraine wrote to me ... Read more

buddha

Wise Ancestors of the Future

I have some good news to share with you: you are not your fault. The Insight Meditation teacher and author Wes Nisker is fond of saying this. And the even better news is that it is true.  You are not your fault, you didn’t pick out your DNA. You... Read more

Pride and Prejudice

This is pride month, which celebrates and honors the beauty and innate dignity of all LGBTQI+ folks and the power of queer community. Pride celebrates the great progress our society has made in the long struggle with centuries of accumulated harm and ... Read more

Awakening Joy

James Baraz loves teaching about awakening joy, sharing the practices that helped him in his own life. Our suffering is not just individual, often it is collective - mass shootings, racism, poverty, war. Whatever the causes of suffering, turning the h... Read more

A Pride Month Invitation

June is Pride month, pride can be defined as consciousness of ones own dignity…  In the LGBTQueer+ affinity group, you are invited to share your stories, the joys and sorrows of coming out - being accepted or sometimes rejected by family and findi... Read more

Developing Kindness and Contentment

Many Buddhist practitioners and meditators are familiar with the practice of Lovingkindness, or “Mettā.” In the Mettā Sutta, the teaching from which Lovingkindness practice arises, the Buddha lays the foundation for developing kindness and contentment... Read more