Blog

Like sharpening a knife, training awareness to see clearly involves a number of skills that refine over the course of practice. In this talk, I share some of my favorite ways of cultivating a calm and open state of embodied presence. Included: Short Guided Meditation. NEW TRAINING: The Chinese word for spirit is “shen.” In […]

In this episode, I am excited to share an introductory talk about our second module in our Yin Yoga + Qi Cultivation training: Refining Metal | The Wisdom of Qi Cultivation. In October, we’ll be teaching this module LIVE, exploring the energetic and meditative dimensions of Qi Cultivation. The Chinese word for spirit is “shen.” […]

Elisa Malinverni returns to the podcast to talk about her book, Yoga For Recovering Addicts. In this episode we explore some common manifestations of the “grasping mind.” We discuss the dynamics of perfectionism, impostor syndrome, screen addiction and more. Elisa’s book available on Amazon: Yoga for Recovering Addicts – Stories of Hope and Ways of […]

Recorded on August 14, 2023, I give an upcoming preview of new Yin Yoga classes and training Terry and I will be offering in Fall ‘23.  Yin Yoga + Qi Cultivation Trainings:  NEW THIS FALL: Refining Metal | The Wisdom of Qi Cultivation (20hr Yin Yoga Training) NOW On-Demand: Gathering Earth | The Foundations of […]

Recorded on August 7th, 2023, Josh offers some thoughts on practicing with deliberate slowness. This talk includes reflections on the spirit of improvisation with simple practices like “walking hands” and “half-breath” meditation. ******************************************************************** Practicing Yin: Join our newsletter, Practicing Yin, and get your copy of Josh’s new FREE ebook, The What, Why and How of Yin Yoga along […]

Recorded on July 31st, 2023, Josh offers reflections on the convergence of personal and collective dukkha. In the face of such challenges, our commitment to practice nurtures the resilience and sensitivity of the heart. ******************************************************************** Practicing Yin: Join our newsletter, Practicing Yin, and get your copy of Josh’s new FREE ebook, The What, Why and How of […]

In this talk, I share three points of advice for anyone embarking on a silent meditation retreat, either at a center or from home. My advice comes down to: 1) set the schedule and forget time, 2) kiss the moment, and 3) notice the negative. I hope this talk supports your practice. Special thanks to […]

In this episode, I had the great pleasure of speaking with Don Goewey (Executive Director of the De Mello Spirituality Center). We discuss DeMello’s significance as a spiritual figure of the 20th century, and how he offers a unique view of eastern and western spirituality. Don and I reflect on DeMello’s dharma, the experience of […]

In this talk, I discuss practice as a form of improvisation and suggest ways of working with “forms” of practice as a way of developing one’s skills at improvisation. I conclude with a Sufi story about a duckling, leaving open the question of how improvising in practice reveals our true nature.  ******************************************************************** Practicing Yin: Join […]

In this talk, I reflect how, on a vipassana meditation retreat in Myanmar, I became compulsively obsessed with finding the perfect height for my meditation cushion; I explore what this behavior reveals about the “clinging” mind.” “An attachment is an emotional belief that without a person, thing or experience you can’t be happy.” – Anthony […]

In this episode, I speak with my friends and colleagues Linda Modaro and Nelly Kaufer about their wonderful new book, Reflective Meditation. We talk about many themes of their approach to meditation, including: listening, journaling, and improvisation.  Reflective Meditation is now available in print and as an e-book in the United States, and for a […]

In this talk, I share a patchwork of dharma reflections, exploring some everyday conundrums and synchronicities – appreciating the sublime in the innocence of a niece and a godson. ********************************************************************** Practicing Yin: Join our newsletter, Practicing Yin, and get your copy of Josh’s new FREE ebook, The What, Why and How of Yin Yoga along with two Free […]

The questions that have gripped me for the last twenty or so years of my practice are these: What is the relationship between yoga practices and Buddhist meditation, and what does Qi cultivation, as described within Chinese Medicine, have to do with yoga and meditation?  In the opening talk for our new course, Yin Yoga […]

In this short practice from our all NEW Yin Yoga and Qi Cultivation Training, Josh introduces the foundational dynamic of Yin Pranayama which optimizes the biochemistry of the blood for better distribution of oxygen to the cells, tissues and organs, gathers the Qi in the lower Dan Tian or Hara, and supports the healthy functioning […]

In this five-minute talk, I describe the ALL NEW Yin Yoga Training and Continuing Education immersion that Terry and I are launching this June. In this training we will integrate four acupuncture point formula for supporting adrenal, fascial, Qi and spiritual health with the practices of Yin Yoga and Qi Gong. Perfect for any Yin […]

As part of a Mother’s Day reflection, I recount the harrowing story of getting robbed in the middle of the night on a train in India, and how a “spiritual” mother appeared to both save me and subsequently change the course of my life. I conclude with a meditative prompt for honoring and appreciating our […]

In this dharma reflection, Josh draw’s on his and others’ observations of bird life in the natural world, and weaves these reflections into a broader meditation about the role of images and reflections in the practice of the dharma. NEW – Yin Yoga and Qi Cultivation Training (4 Weeks, June 2023) ********************************************************************************************* Practicing Yin: Join […]

The students were discussing the famous statement uttered by Lao Tzu: “Those who know do not say; those who say do not know.” When their teacher arrived he offered some helpful analysis in the form of a simple dialogue.  In this talk, Josh reflects on this wonderful story and its implications for meditation practice.  NEW […]

The Buddha once said: “Nothing whatsoever should be clung to as ‘I’ or ‘mine’.” In this talk, analyze this statement as an important signpost on the map of practice.  As Georg Feuerstein put it: “The sense that ‘I’ can go beyond where ‘I’ am right now is the place from which to start your practice.” […]

In this talk, Josh continues to unpack the experience of waking up, exploring how consciousness often awakens to being entangled with some part of experience (usually thoughts), and to explore what it’s like when consciousness relaxes into itself, embracing the entire field of perception. A free guided meditation accompanies this talk here: Practice Etude – […]

In this dharma talk, I reflect on a teaching from my dharma mentor Jack Engler: “the entirety of the spiritual path is a path of mourning.” This talk is an attempt to explore that reflection in light of the practice and experiential dynamics that occur when we let go of grasping at views, perceptions, orientations […]