Are we born with empathy or is it a skill that can be taught? Dr. Orloff tells us that choosing empathy can transform some of our most difficult interactions. Also, studies have shown that an act of empathy can have a positive effect on our immune response. Orloff suggests that…

Poetry is a deep collaboration of language, music, psyche, and soul. A poet reveals to us the beauty, the sorrow, and even the humor of the world. It guides us in being ever curious and observant, helping us to notice even the smallest details of life. A ripening peach or…

Jane Hirshfield believes that poetry can play a transformative role in our lives. “What poems are doing is counterbalancing the mainstream tenor of our culture, which is to do, to be active, to be energetic and to prove one’s self… and one of the messages underlying all poems that move…

This far-ranging dialogue is full of stories that will inspire and delight. Levoy speaks about a sense of wonder as being the active ingredient in a passionate life, and how even suffering and restlessness can be explored with curiosity. He tells us that wonder can offer us the adaptive benefit…

The study of meditation has demonstrated that sustained, long-term practice can alter the brain markedly. These changes bring greater resilience and well-being. It’s said that even brief meditative practices can change areas of your brain involved with attention, body awareness, emotional regulation, and a sense of self. This deep dialogue…

Statistics show that only 10 to 20% of us will die without warning. That means most of us have a choice as to how to orient ourselves for the inevitable. Where we will die and, most importantly, how to spend time meanwhile. Next to birth, death is one of our…

Mark Nepo has discovered that writing and other forms of expression can be especially effective in assisting our spiritual growth. Nepo tells of his experience, how he loosens the knot of his limiting mind when it is swirling with assumptions and conclusions. “When I am stuck in my mind, when I…

For some faith is an outdated, even dogmatic idea. Namgyel sees it as “not something you have or don’t have, faith is a way of being in relationship to the world around you.” She refers to it as “faithing”. This dialogue takes a deep dive into the Buddhist principle of mutual causality…

The stories we tell ourselves about who we are, our childhood, our memories of the past, our life in the present, are like clothing we put on. These narratives provide us with endless hours of entertainment. Sometimes they’re horror stories and sometimes comedies. But do these tales tell us who…

“Strong force” is a term used in physics to describe the force that holds particles together in the atomic nucleus and the force that holds quarks together in elementary particles. As the name implies, this is the strongest force known in nature. Scientists know it exists but not how it works. Thurman…