Jonathan Foust

This talk explores how to apply the Golden Rule in the context of mindfulness practice.   You’ll learn how this timeless guidance ties into the practice of compassion (Karuna), interconnectedness (Dependent Origination), loving kindness (Metta) and non-harming (Ahimsa).

This talk, from an IMCW Spring retreat, explores what happens when you deeply relax and pay attention to your moment-to-moment experience.   You’ll learn about the process of settling attention in the here and now, how to recognize the characteristics of what is changing the subtlety of how you are relating to change and paying attention to awareness itself.

This talk explores how the most simple mindfulness practices point to liberation.   You’ll learn about the destination of cultivating present-moment awareness, understanding the nature of impermanence, recognizing inter-dependence and the power of non-attachment.

Dr. Greg Madison is the founder of “The Living Process” and in this interview we explore the fusion Focusing and how somatic inquiry runs through the traditions of yoga and meditation. I share a good bit on my personal history as well as exploring a wide variety of topics such as somatic inquiry and non-dual practices. The Living Process is a series of conversations with people who are interested in how humans process their feelings, their thinking, and their way of being with others, especially using Focusing but also other experiential and existential practices.   The Living Process on YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLx3FqA70kQWuHCHmEiZnkn1VcrRIPbcvk   All about Dr. Greg Madison:  https://www.gregmadison.net/about-greg/

This talk from 2022 explores the doorways from moving from fear and pain to a sense of ease and freedom.   You’ll learn how the conditioned self is dedicated to survival and self-preservation, the role of pain in waking up, how embodied presence opens new doorways to freedom and some thoughts on how to be present in these tumultuous times.

What does it mean to live a life of integrity?   You’ll learn the importance of defining your North Star and explore some helpful models that can help you refine what worked, what didn’t work and what most calls you forward in the year ahead.   I also share a few highlights from my 2024 Annual Review.

More on how to keep you keel in the water when navigating uncertainty.   You’ll learn some practical strategies for finding ‘refuge,’ a place of presence, particularly accessing Wisdom - clear seeing, Compassion - a heart that can hold it all, Presence - the space of awareness itself, and Skillful Action - strategies for staying deeply present in the midst of change.

This talk explores how you might cultivate greater steadiness in turbulent times.   You’ll learn some practical tools for finding refuge in present-moment awareness, in cultivating Witness Consciousness and in watching the flow of phenomena with awake awareness and an open heart. 

This talk explores how tapping into gratitude can truly transform your life. You’ll learn how you can overcome your innate instinct toward self-centeredness and self-preservation and how you can change this in a way that can cultivate a greater sense of connectedness, resourcefulness and if nothing else, seriously stimulate your pre-frontal cortex.

This talk explores happiness as your essential nature. You’ll learn how the intention to be truly happy cultivates clarity, wisdom and the realization of the inter-connectedness of your life.  This talk is live from the Unitarian Universalist Church in Arlington, VA in 2016.

This talk explores how to find the equilibrium between skillful action and skillful release.   You’ll learn how much of meditation practice (and life) calls for focus and sustained attention. But too tight a grip on focus can lead to missed opportunities, fresh insights and new possibilities. Learning to rest in presence can open intuitive faculties - when properly balanced.

This talk is a continuation of how to bring aliveness to your practice.    You’ll learn some inner practices as well as the invaluable qualities of finding like-minded people and the impact community can have on being more awake in your life.  

This talk explore how to cultivate inspiration in your practice, particularly when it gets challenging.   You’ll learn why we stop practicing and a variety of tips, tricks and techniques for keeping your practice alive, vibrant, interesting and engaging. 

This talk is from the fifth evening of a week-long Vipassana Retreat. You’ll learn how meditation increases your sensitivity to how you hold on, how the intention to let go can set in motion a process that brings you in direct contact with the mystery — and how letting go and letting be are required to wake up to the nature of reality.

Here’s my interview with the wonderful Shawn Parell, a wonderful teacher, guide and passionate student of the dharma. We discuss the evolution of practice, the power of somatic awareness, how to balance daily life with deep practice and how meditation can be a wonderful tool for self-discovery. For more about Shawn and her offerings, go to  www.shawnparell.com, Instagram @ShawnParell for weekly meditations and prompts for practice and lots more. 

This talk explores some of the mistaken beliefs about the practice of meditation. You’ll learn how meditation is not a quick fix for your problems, is not about escaping reality and how this practice is both an art and science … and can dramatically transform your life.

This talk explores the art of new beginnings.   You’ll learn how important it is to embrace your first reaction when things change, how to soften and release the past, how to open to new possibilities and how to engage into what most calls you forward.

This talk explores mindful strategies for overcoming procrastination. You’ll learn different ways we put things off, what gets in the way of the flow state, what flow feels like and for me, the most important question for sparking creative juices.   Jeff Fajains, Phd, offers a 30 Day Creative Momentum  and helps creators bring their ideas to life.  More on Jeff here:  https://jefffajans.com/

This talk explores how to work with acute anxiety.   You’ll learn how to identify the triggers that cause feelings of overwhelm and some strategies for working panic, whether it be for yourself or when you accompany another when waves of intense anxiety arise.

This talk explores the fundamental elements of fear and how to release what is between you and feeling free.   You’ll learn about the essential nature of anxiety, the cause and the release of suffering through the transformative practices of awakening the Wise Heart.