Ep 166: Real Change with Sharon Salzberg
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Ep 166: Real Change with Sharon Salzberg
Episode 166: Show Notes
Join us for a special re-airing of an inspiring episode featuring Sharon Salzberg, a renowned New York Times best-selling author and teacher of Buddhist meditation. In this captivating interview, Sharon takes us on a profound journey through her life, revealing the transformative power of meditation in the face of adversity.
Starting with her daily meditation routine, Sharon shares how her difficult childhood played a pivotal role in shaping her into one of the most influential meditative teachers in the United States and the western world. She opens up about the loss of her mother, her estranged relationship with her father, and the profound impact her immigrant grandparents had on her upbringing.
As the conversation deepens, Sharon discusses her discovery of philosophy and meditation during her college years, and her transformative travels to India, where she encountered enlightening experiences and wise teachers. Returning to the United States, she embarked on a mission to establish a center in Barre, facing numerous challenges as she blended Eastern teachings with Western ways of living in a brand new community.
Throughout the episode, Sharon delves into the significance of mindfulness, meditation, and Metta (loving-kindness), sharing anecdotes and wisdom acquired from her extraordinary journey. The discussion also touches on how the pandemic has affected her teaching and how she has adapted to a rapidly evolving world.
Don't miss this opportunity to revisit Sharon Salzberg's incredible story of resilience and discovery. Tune in today to immerse yourself in the profound wisdom of one of the most influential meditation teachers of our time.
Key Points From This Episode:
Introducing today’s guest, Sharon Salzberg.
Sharon describes her meditation practices.
Hear about Sharon’s childhood in more detail.
Sharon details the night her life changed when her mother was rushed to hospital.
We ask Sharon about her spiritual and religious foundations as a child.
The journey Sharon took to become a teacher.
How choosing a philosophy course in college would ultimately change Sharon’s life.
Sharon tells us about her teacher and mentor, Trungpa Rinpoche.
Hear about Sharon’s experiences in India.
What Metta is and how it works.
Sharon’s experiences opening her center in Barre.
What the history of meditation waves can teach us about where meditation is going.
How Sharon stays relevant as an influential meditation teacher.
Principles mentioned in Sharon’s book, Real Change.
How Sharon sees links between Thai sex trafficking and poor farming conditions.
Why Sharon believes Thai violence is linked to a public health problem.
Ways meditation can help you get good at life.
Sharon tells us about her interactions with Buddhist teacher U Pandita.
What Sharon thinks of when she turns her thoughts to success.
Tweetables:
“In my practice, there’s the formal period of practice, where you may be sitting, you may be walking, you may be lying down. But it's just a period of dedication for these 10 minutes or 20 minutes or an hour.” — @SharonSalzberg [0:05:41]
“What I did have was a voice within. At some point, at about nine, it made it clear to me that there was another way of being.” — @SharonSalzberg [0:11:58]
“Mindfulness is a way of trying to get closer to your experience. Of having your awareness be less cluttered. Less filled with fears or future projections, so you can more accurately see what your experience really is.” — @SharonSalzberg [0:36:08]
“Metta is like filling your body with the sense of warmth and caring, and then you offer it, ultimately, to all of life, including yourself.” — @SharonSalzberg [0:37:32]
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode: