Video: Politico sits down (and breathes) with Congressman Tim Ryan

Video: Politico sits down (and breathes) with Congressman Tim Ryan
Watch the International Symposia for Contemplative Studies online
For this rock frontman, Pema Chödrön’s teachings are “dynamite”
New Leaves - Deeper Truths
Turning Wheel Media call for submissions

Posted: 24 May 2012 07:00 AM PDT

We introduced you to Congressman Tim Ryan (right) at the Creating a Mindful Society conference, held last October in New York City. The congressman was a keynote speaker, and with good reason: few are as visible and vocal about the value of bringing mindfulness practice's many benefits to the American people. (Ryan is also the author of the new book, A Mindful Nation; watch the book's trailer here.) Now, Politico.com's Patrick Gavin (left) has sat down with Ryan, to learn about the Congressman's personal mindfulness practice, and why (and how) we might all give it a shot.

For more about Tim Ryan and A Mindful Nation, see our July issue, which will start appearing on newsstands in about a week or so. In it you'll find a triple feature review of A Mindful Nation, Richard Davidson and Sharon Begley's The Emotional Life of Your Brain, and Chade-Meng Tan's Search Inside Yourself — as well as a Q&A with the Congressman by the Shambhala Sun's Andrea Miller.

To read the report that accompanies Patrick Gavin's Politico video, click here: Game Changer: Meditating with Tim Ryan.

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Watch the International Symposia for Contemplative Studies online

Posted: 24 May 2012 06:00 AM PDT

Last month, scientists, humanities professors, and Buddhist teachers gathered in Denver for the first International Symposia for Contemplative Studies, a four-day conference aimed at exploring "the correlates and consequences of contemplative practice." Researchers from distinct but overlapping fields were able to share their research and network with potential collaborators to further the growth of the contemplative studies field.

Video of the nearly 30 speakers, including Jon Kabat-Zinn, Sharon Salzberg and Congressman Tim Ryan, is now available online here. For a full account of the conference, read this in-depth review by sociologist Karin Weyland.

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For this rock frontman, Pema Chödrön’s teachings are “dynamite”

Posted: 23 May 2012 03:00 PM PDT

After sharing Miley Cyrus's words of meditation-advocation this morning, here's another interesting quote, albeit from the other side of the music-world spectrum: "Get [Terence] McKenna, get Alan Watts, get [Allen] Ginsberg, get the great Buddhist teachers. Pema Chödrön is still alive. She has incredible insight. She's lived the Western life. She has grandchildren. She understands, but she's an ordained Buddhist nun. If you have the opportunity to see her speak, do."

That's Ian Astbury of the goth/punk/rock band The Cult — who've mounted a comeback with a new album called Weapon of Choice — sharing with SPIN magazine his "common-sense guidelines for enlightenment." …Read the full interview here. And of course, to learn first-hand what Astbury's talking about, see our special Pema Chödrön Spotlight page of her best writings from the Shambhala Sun. (And look for an exclusive excerpt from Pema's new book, Living Beautifully, in our November 2012 magazine.)

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New Leaves - Deeper Truths

Posted: 23 May 2012 02:00 PM PDT

Field Maple
Keep in! the teacher at the back of the line of children called, gently, as they scuttled excitedly from the school yard onto the pavement this morning. Ah sunshine! I shared a little in their excitement remembering teacher telling us to Keep in as we scramble out of school to go on a ramble. Two by two, hand in hand and one behind the other. Just once a year we went into the woods during school time to...ramble. I loved those days.

The new leaves on the Field Maple caught my eye. They shine. Then as other leaves grow they lose their shine, mature and mellow. As is the way of things. One sees this process everywhere. Easy to think in sad terms. Perhaps in terms of passing time and all that brings in an everyday way. Of aging; decay and eventual shriveling up and ceasing to be. But I think not. Not today. There is something eternal in the scuttling excited children as with the new leaves. (And also equally true with the shriveled leaf.) There is certainly a depth to existence which is not diminished by mere passing of physical time.

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Teachings On The True Nature Of Self

As much enlightenment and wisdom (from Alan Watts and Michael Tsarion) as i could cram into 10 minutes. With music by Dream Canvas - myspace.com/dreamcanvas - and Astralasia - myspace.com/astralasia + www.astralasia.co.uk.

Video Rating: 4 / 5

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Turning Wheel Media call for submissions

Posted: 23 May 2012 01:00 PM PDT

Turning Wheel Media, published by the Buddhist Peace Fellowship, will be highlighting issues of food justice in the upcoming month of July. In a call for submissions published at their website today, Turning Wheel wants readers to submit their own "prose, poetry, photographs, interviews, video, audio, and multimedia work" by June 15, 2012 for possible inclusion in the publication.

According to their website, Turning Wheel welcomes "submissions from Buddhist, spiritual, and secular perspectives, though we will usually prioritize work grounded in Buddhadharma. We will also prioritize work with strong analysis of racism, gender and sexuality justice, ableism, capitalism / class war, and internationalism."

You can read Turning Wheel's submission guidelines here. Send your submissions to: submissions@turningwheelmedia.org

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