Not too long ago I attended an online retreat with Joseph Goldstein, cofounder and guiding teacher at the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts. I've sat with Joseph on retreats before, but what really struck me this time were the repetitive patterns playing out in my mind and body, whether it was getting lost in stories and caught up in self-judgment, or simply being distracted by physical pain—all pretty common experiences on a meditation retreat.

In today’s episode, I sit down with Joseph, who recently emerged from a 3-month silent retreat himself, to ask him some questions that have been at the top of my mind. We’ll talk about the value and challenges of a long retreat, the wisdom of investigation and curiosity, and why we need to make more room for joy and humor on retreat and off. At the end of our conversation, Joseph will lead us in a brief mindfulness meditation to re-ground ourselves in the present moment.

—James Shaheen, editor-in-chief of Tricycle: The Buddhist Review.

Tired of Pretending to Be Me

In this practice from Mindful founding editor Barry Boyce, we investigate the relationship between our heart and mind. What our heart feels is influenced by what our mind perceives, which is sometimes one of the reasons developing kindness, a loving heart, and compassion can be so challenging. The quality of the warmth and openness in our heart emerges not just from generating warmer feelings, but from developing a clearer view of what we’re seeing and how we’re processing the world. Once we’re aware of our preconceptions, we can loosen our grip on what we think we know and explore what’s true.&nbsp; Show Notes: Find more from Barry Boyce here: &nbsp; &nbsp;   And more from Mindful here:    Let us know what you thought of this episode of 12 Minute Meditation by leaving a review or by emailing .

12 Minute Meditation: A Practice to Explore What's True with Barry Boyce

Celebrating my first International Dawn Chorus Day in Nairobi, where I'm usually woken up by Pied Crows, House Sparrows and Hadadas...and very audible traffic noise in the distance. So, I'm sharing a mixed chorus from one of my most memorable camping expeditions in Kitobo Forest, away from city noise pollution. Ideally dawn chorus is majorly orchestrated by birds but this is not always guaranteed. This day we were woken up by a mix of Black and white Colobus Monkeys and Red-capped Robin-chats, which made a beautiful dawn chorus. Enjoy every little bit of nature's music wherever you are. 
#naturesoundrecording #wildlifeacoustics #zoomh1 #internationaldawnchorusday #dawnchorusday #dawnchorus #blackandwhitecolobusmonkey #redcappedrobinchat #birdsong #wildsong #kitoboforest #kenya




Black and white Colobus Monkeys

The soundscapes are incredibly lush and beautiful in Mexico's Yucatan peninsula. The dry forests on the border with Guatemala are home to immense biodiversity. Longer version at: https://youtu.be/G9f-ZkW86BM

Nature and wildlife sounds recorded in Mexico

The sounds of nature and wildlife around Mayan ruins in Mexico's Yucatan peninsula. Long version at https://youtu.be/6J9p7AxxfL4

The sounds of Mayan ruins

When we’re caught in the throes of an emotion like sadness, loneliness, or anger, shifting our awareness into the body allows us to experience the ever-changing nature of these strong and often unpleasant emotions. This practice will help you get used to the feeling of paying attention to difficult emotions in the body with curiosity and without judgment. Show Notes Find more from Sharon Salzberg here:   And more from Mindful here:   Let us know what you thought of this episode of 12 Minute Meditation by leaving a review or by emailing .

12 Minute Meditation: Staying with Awareness of Difficult Emotions with Sharon Salzberg

On Saturday, 12 November 2022, South Australia, including the whole Adelaide region, experienced an uncharacteristic extended storm of unusual intensity. Several storm fronts, arriving from the NW over St Vincent's Gulf, hit Adelaide and the Fleurieu Peninsula. The storm has been described as "one of the strongest thunderstorms in recent memory",* causing flash flooding, wind gusts exceeding 100 km/h that tore down huge gum trees (many of which crushed houses, cars, and electricity lines), as well as flattening giant electricity pylons, leaving around a hundred thousand people without power. 

This recording, made in the Adelaide Hills (near Norton Summit), captures a sample of the first and mildest storm wavefront that day. (The recording begins at 10:30 in the morning. This abridged version selects two excerpts from the longer recording, chosen because of the poignant presence of bird calls audible between the peals of thunder. The highlighted parts of the spectrogram in the track image indicate the passages from the longer recording that were selected for this abridged version.) The microphones sheltered from the fairly light rain underneath a 'sweet pittosporum' or 'native daphne' tree (Pittosporum undulatum), native to southeastern Australia, but a 'declared plant' in South Australia ('a woody weed invading native local vegetation', due to widespread ornamental planting).

Travelling farther south immediately after this recording, I was able to intercept the next two storm wavefronts, which were far more intense. Although the storm was utterly awesome and spectacular (lightning bolts plunging into fields, exploding thunder tearing the atmosphere apart), it was impossible to find any spot from which to record the storm, because it brought with it an abundant lashing downpour of rain and wild tree-tossing winds. All the shelters in the state forests had iron rooves: the rain battering the rooves was deafening, drowning out even the peals of thunder.

In the end, I could only just sit and experience it. Which, after all, is the very best thing to do, with Nature. (Most of the time, at least. Not recommended when it gets this violent. Although I have to say that this was truly a very beautiful and awe-inspiring experience; and, personally, I'm very glad to have been out there to witness it. I'm also contemplating possible recording solutions, in case this ever happens again... Enraptured by thunderstorms as a spatial music of nature. All that I have said, here, is the simple truth.)
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*https://www.weatherzone.com.au/news/why-the-adelaide-storm-was-so-intense/925471
https://www.sapowernetworks.com.au/data/313806/12-november-storm-update-from-sa-power-networks/
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/11/18/australias-indigenous-people-call-for-seat-at-table-at-cop27
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Recorded with respect upon the land of the Kaurna people.

@Bandcamp

2022.11.12 Storm above the Hills. Late Spring. (Excerpt)

An inquiry of genuine happiness and wish for loving kindness, for oneself, for others, and for the world around you. How can you channel the resources from around you to support you in your aspirations towards genuine happiness?

A loving kindness aspiration happiness led by Eve Ekman

Loving Kindness Towards Genuine Happiness

This recording was awarded the Silver Fox 2018. The Silver Fox is the overall winner of the annual competition of the Wildlife Sound Recording Society. This is the long version of the recording - the competition entries are allowed to be max. two minutes long.
Recorded 2017 at the Amazon Refuge Lodge in Loreto, Peru. 2 x AT4022 omnis in an Olson Wing array.

WSRS Silver Fox Award 2018 - Afternoon by the Lodge

Calming the Anxious Mind

About a half-hour later than the previous track, below. Things change slightly throughout the morning.

12 Minute Meditation: A Practice to Explore What's True with Barry Boyce

mindful.org

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