The Road Home podcast with author and teacher is Ethan Nichtern is a contemporary exploration of Buddhist teachings and conversation with thought leaders interested in Psychology, Art, Culture, and Politics through the lens of mindfulness practice. Since 2002, Ethan has taught meditation and Buddhist psychology classes and workshops around the United States and online. He is the author of multiple books, including The Road Home: A Contemporary Exploration of The Buddhist Path. He is currently the head of the Yearlong Buddhist Studies Program for Dharmamoon.com. More info at EthanNichtern.com
On the latest episode of The Road Home podcast, Ethan was joined by friend Noel Coakley . A brilliant and kind psychotherapist and Dharma teacher, Noel has a style as a spiritual thinker and teacher all his own. They discussed his journey into working with the mind, his interest in relational mindfulness and psychology, how The Beastie Boys got him into the Dharma, and what it's like to teach Buddhist meditation at a Bluegrass festival. Ethan also tried to rope Noel into Ethan's controversial theory that Siddhartha Gautama demonstrated the path of awakening for an individual with an avoidant attachment style. Finally, we discussed Noel's teaching work and his new book, Wake Up Sleepy Buddha . (Last year, with your subscriptions, we were able to release more episodes than any previous year. This was only possible with your support. Please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber here .) Noel Coakley has more than thirty years of experience as a meditation practitioner and dharma teacher, primarily within the Yungdrung Bön and Tibetan Buddhist traditions. For the past fourteen years, he has also worked as a licensed psychotherapist, integrating contemplative practice with contemporary Western psychology. His work focuses on making authentic Buddhist teachings approachable without diminishing their depth, helping people find a clear and welcoming path beyond introductory mindfulness. Through meditation retreats, classes, clinical work, and now his book Wake Up Sleepy Buddha, Noel bridges traditional Buddhist wisdom with modern life through direct experience, practical application, and plainspoken language. Learn more at: www.wakeupsleepybuddha.com/about (Episode available wherever you get your "pods," Apple , Ethan's Website , Substack and every other pod place). (Last year, with your subscriptions, we were able to release more episodes than any previous year. This was only possible with your support. Please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber here.) Show Notes and More cool resources: The quote which titles this podcast is from an interview between Wes Nisker and Psychologist Jack Engler. Check out our sponsor platform, A Mindful World ! A new free video course from Ethan on Metta (lovingkindness) meditation is now available at this link. Sign up for our Fall retreat at the Garrison Institute at this link . Sign up for the August online visualization meditation workshop here . Paid subscribers to The Road Home will receive occasional extras like guided meditations, extra podcast episodes and more! The Thursday Meditation Group happens each week at 8am ET on Thursdays, and guided audio meditations are released monthly. Another bonus podcast for paid subscribers discussed the obstacle of resistance to meditation practice, and Ethan also offered instruction in Metta meditation toward yourself. These are all available to paid subscribers. You can also subscribe to The Road Home podcast wherever you get your pods (Apple, Ethan's Website, etc). You can now order personally signed copies of Ethan's books at his website . You can also subscribe to The Road Home podcast wherever you get your pods ( Apple , Ethan's Website , Substack and every other pod place).
Recently I was talking to my friend Dr. Chris Willard , and he mentioned a desire to have a conversation about the effects of patriarchy on men, and especially younger men, from both a psychological and spiritual perspective. Like myself, Chris is a progressive Buddhist dad, and like me, he cares about helping people develop a more emotionally attuned approach to life. Chris has a particular clinical focus on working with younger people, including younger boys and men. What followed was a wide-ranging (and only slightly rambling, but hey, it's a podcast!) conversation that explored the current (troubled) state of masculinity from a spiritual, psychological, scientific, cultural and political perspective. Dr. Christopher Willard , (Psy. D.) is a clinical psychologist, author and consultant based in Massachusetts. He has spoken in forty countries, and has presented at two TEDx events. He is the author of twenty books, including Alphabreaths , Growing Up Mindful, Feelings are Like Farts, and The Neuroscience of Negotiation. His thoughts on mental health have been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, mindful.org , cnn.com , and elsewhere. He teaches at Harvard Medical School. Subscribe now (Episode available wherever you get your "pods," Apple , Ethan's Website , Substack and every other pod place). Last year, with your subscriptions, we were able to release more episodes than any previous year. This was only possible with your support. Please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber here . Show Notes and More cool resources: Check out our sponsor platform, A Mindful World ! A new free video course from Ethan on Metta (lovingkindness) meditation is now available at this link. Sign up for our Fall retreat at the Garrison Institute at this link. Sign up for the August visualization meditation workshop here . Paid subscribers to The Road Home will receive occasional extras like guided meditations, extra podcast episodes and more! The Thursday Meditation Group happens each week at 8am ET on Thursdays, and guided audio meditations are released monthly. Another bonus podcast for paid subscribers discussed the obstacle of resistance to meditation practice, and Ethan also offered instruction in Metta meditation toward yourself. These are all available to paid subscribers. You can also subscribe to The Road Home podcast wherever you get your pods (Apple, Ethan's Website, etc). Subscribe now You can now order personally signed copies of Ethan's books at his website . You can also subscribe to The Road Home podcast wherever you get your pods ( Apple , Ethan's Website , etc).
After a brief memorial to the late Tenzin Robert Thurman , Ethan welcomes author and seeker Erica Bassani to discuss her new book, Women in Love with the Divine . Erica's book explores what it means to be a woman committed to a relationship with the sacred in today's world. On a quest to answer this question for herself, Erica Bassani shares stories from her encounters with a dozen women spiritual teachers from Buddhist, Taoist, Hindu, Christian, Muslim, Jewish, and Nondual traditions. They discuss her own spiritual journey, beginning with the study of the earliest Buddhist teachings, and explore her encounters and interviews with women wisdom holders from a wide variety of traditions. Erica Bassani is a writer based in Italy, and the author of the recently released Women in Love with the Divine . A graduate of the Academy of Storytelling in Turin, she spent a year living in a Theravadan Buddhist monastery at the age of 23. Since then, she has turned to female spiritual teachers from diverse traditions to help her navigate her inner journey. She created the Women Awakening Project —an initiative that highlights the wisdom of female spiritual role models and explores spiritual practice through the lens of women's experiences—to share their wisdom and create a bridge between generations of seekers. Bassani is also the Italian translator of The Four Noble Truths of Love by Susan Piver. Subscribe now (Episode available here now, or wherever you get your "pods," Apple , Ethan's Website , and every other pod place after 11am ET on Wednesday May 27th). Last year, with your subscriptions, we were able to release more episodes than any previous year. This was only possible with your support. Please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber here. Show Notes and More cool resources: Check out our sponsor platform, A M indful World! A new free video course from Ethan on Metta (lovingkindness) meditation is now available at this link . Sign up for our Fall retreat at the Garrison Institute at this link. Sign up for the August visualization meditation workshop here . Paid subscribers to The Road Home will receive occasional extras like guided meditations , extra podcast episodes and more! The Thursday Meditation Group happens each week at 8am ET on Thursdays, and guided audio meditations are released monthly. Another bonus podcast for paid subscribers discussed the obstacle of resistance to meditation practice , and Ethan also offered instruction in Metta meditation toward yourself . These are all available to paid subscribers. You can also subscribe to The Road Home podcast wherever you get your pods ( Apple , Ethan's Website , etc). Subscribe now You can now order personally signed copies of Ethan's books at his website . You can also subscribe to The Road Home podcast wherever you get your pods ( Apple , Ethan's Website , etc).
In this solo episode, Ethan takes on the practice of "acceptance." He gets into the nitty gritty of how frequently we spiritual folks misinterpret the meaning of acceptance, turning it into an unhealthy bypass of what we're actually experiencing. By doing so, we miss the transformative (and not at all passive!) possibilities of what practicing acceptance can truly do for ourselves and others. He offers a three-step practice for working with acceptance, and applies this to practicing acceptance of both painful and pleasant circumstances. Along the way, he discusses the tantric concept of "one taste" and analyzes why we get caught up saying "someone pinch me" when good things happen to us. (Episode available here now, or wherever you get your "pods," Apple , Ethan's Website , and every other pod place after 12pm ET on Tues June 9th). Last year, with your subscriptions, we were able to release more episodes than any previous year. This was only possible with your support. Please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber here. Show Notes and More cool resources: Check out our sponsor platform, A M indful World! A new free video course from Ethan on Metta (lovingkindness) meditation is now available at this link . Sign up for our Fall retreat at the Garrison Institute at this link. Sign up for the August Daylong Retreat on Visualization Meditation at this link. Paid subscribers to The Road Home will receive occasional extras like guided meditations , extra podcast episodes and more! The Thursday Meditation Group happens each week at 8am ET on Thursdays, and guided audio meditations are released monthly. Another bonus podcast for paid subscribers discussed the obstacle of resistance to meditation practice , and Ethan also offered instruction in Metta meditation toward yourself . These are all available to paid subscribers. You can also subscribe to The Road Home podcast wherever you get your pods ( Apple , Ethan's Website , etc). You can now order personally signed copies of Ethan's books at his website .
Ethan welcomes teachers and authors devon and nico hase to discuss their new book, This Messy, Gorgeous Love: A Buddhist Guide to Lasting Partnership . Devon and nico are a rare pair in the Dharma world. Each from a varied background and students of multiple traditions of wisdom, they bring two varied and brilliantly contemporary approaches to their practice and teaching. In this flowing conversation, they discuss with Ethan some of the secrets of lasting intimacy, keys to fighting well and three styles of engagement with conflict, attachment theory in relationship to the spiritual path, and the postmodern dilemma of studying deeply in multiple traditions of wisdom without being superficial or distractable about one's approach to the path. Definitely worth a listen! devon + nico hase serve as guiding teachers of the online dharma community Refuge of Belonging . They teach at the Insight Meditation Society, Spirit Rock, and other centers, offer online and in-person retreats, and speak with students in one-on-one sessions. They are the co-authors of How Not to Be a Hot Mess and This Messy, Gorgeous Love: A Buddhist Guide to Lasting Partnership (2026) . Find out more at www.devonandnicohase.com Last year, with your subscriptions, we were able to release more episodes than any previous year. This was only possible with your support. Please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber here. Show Notes and More cool resources: Check out our sponsor platform, A M indful World! A new free video course from Ethan on Metta (lovingkindness) meditation is now available at this link . Sign up for our Fall retreat at the Garrison Institute at this link. Paid subscribers to The Road Home will receive occasional extras like guided meditations , extra podcast episodes and more! The Thursday Meditation Group happens each week at 8am ET on Thursdays, and guided audio meditations are released monthly. Another bonus podcast for paid subscribers discussed the obstacle of resistance to meditation practice , and Ethan also offered instruction in Metta meditation toward yourself . These are all available to paid subscribers. You can also subscribe to The Road Home podcast wherever you get your pods ( Apple , Ethan's Website , etc). You can now order personally signed copies of Ethan's books at his website . You can also subscribe to The Road Home podcast wherever you get your pods ( Apple , Ethan's Website , etc).
Ethan welcomes author, meditator, entrepreneur and organic farmer Bryan Welch for a heart-opening conversation about grief, loss, and loving someone who can't be saved. In his gripping new memoir, The Gift of a Broken Heart , Bryan movingly recounts his own journey through deep grief at the loss of his 25-year-old son to addiction. The book describes, in searing detail, the pain of parents grappling with an adult child's mental illness and, finally, his death in the throes of the disease. As Bryan begins to recover from devastating parental grief, he becomes aware that his new vulnerability gives him unexpected feelings of warmth, kinship and compassion toward his fellow human beings. Check out this insightful and inspiring conversation wherever you get your podcasts . Bryan's substack is here . His book can be ordered here . (episode available here now, or wherever you get your "pods," Apple , Ethan's Website , etc after 3pm ET on Wednesday April 29th). Last year, with your subscriptions, we were able to release more episodes than any previous year. This was only possible with your support. Please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber here. Show Notes and More cool resources: The piece Ethan wrote about losing his childhood friend to addiction is here . Check out our sponsor platform, A M indful World! A new free video course from Ethan on Metta (lovingkindness) meditation is now available at this link . Sign up for Ethans May 2nd Windhorse Meditation workshop at this link . Paid subscribers to The Road Home will receive occasional extras like guided meditations , extra podcast episodes and more! The Thursday Meditation Group happens each week at 8am ET on Thursdays, and guided audio meditations are released monthly. Another bonus podcast for paid subscribers discussed the obstacle of resistance to meditation practice , and Ethan also offered instruction in Metta meditation toward yourself . These are all available to paid subscribers. You can also subscribe to The Road Home podcast wherever you get your pods ( Apple , Ethan's Website , etc). You can now order personally signed copies of Ethan's books at his website . You can also subscribe to The Road Home podcast wherever you get your pods ( Apple , Ethan's Website , etc).
Hey friends, in this solo episode of The Road Home, I continue my occasional foray into some of the more interesting and important questions that come up while we study and practice with Buddhist themes, questions that don't always get directly addressed. So what do we even mean when we say "The Mind?" Seems to be a pretty important question if one of the keys to becoming a more grounded and attuned—and dare I say happy—person is to practice something called MINDfulness. In this episode I look into some of the various definitions of mind, how mind relates to the world and to other people in it, the relationship between mind and matter, and what working with this hard-to-define space of self-reflective awareness has to do with your wellbeing, anyway. Enjoy, and stay tuned for a few awesome interviews I've done recently in the coming weeks! The Road Home is available here now, or wherever you get your "pods," Apple , Ethan's Website , etc after 3pm ET on Mon, May 11). You can order signed copies of Ethan's books sent to you directly from his website as well. Check out all the latest free events and offerings from our sponsor A Mindful World as well! Last year, with your subscriptions, we were able to release more episodes than any previous year. This was only possible with your subscriptions. Please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber here. Paid subscribers to The Road Home will receive occasional extras like guided meditations , extra podcast episodes and more! The Thursday Meditation Group happens each week at 8am ET on Thursdays, and guided audio meditations are released monthly . Another bonus podcast for paid subscribers discussed the obstacle of resistance to meditation practice , and Ethan also offered instruction in the RAIN method for working with emotions with self-compassion . These are all available to paid subscribers. You can also subscribe to The Road Home podcast wherever you get your pods ( Apple , Ethan's Website , etc). You can also subscribe to The Road Home podcast wherever you get your pods ( Apple , Ethan's Website , etc). If you're looking for a great in-person retreat, check out our annual Fall retreat at the Garrison Institute Sep 30 - Oct 5. More cool resources: Check out our sponsor platform, A M indful World! A new free video course from Ethan on Metta (lovingkindness) meditation is now available at this link . Sign up for a free discussion on why you might want to consider attending a meditation retreat this year on June 11th!
Ethan welcomes yoga/mindfulness teacher Oneika Mays — the author of the great new book S it With Me — for a fascinating conversation on her personal path through mindfulness, yoga, and wellness practices. The conversation also focuses on Oneika's crucial and transformative work bringing these practices into the prison-industrial complex as she became the first full time mindfulness coach at Rikers Island Correctional Facility and her newly released book, which centers on these experiences. Ethan and Oneika discuss the meaning of metta and restorative practices in an unjust hell realm solely focused on punishment. Weaving serious conversation with playfulness, they also discuss their love for the spiritual music of Stevie Wonder, and they ponder whether The Cure could qualify as "Goth Bodhicitta." Oneika Mays is a yoga and meditation teacher and storyteller who leads with joy, passion, and wisdom. With deep roots and knowledge in Buddhist and yogic teachings, Oneika delivers practical application and authentic connection through her teaching. Oneika has been practicing yoga for more than 20 years, and teaching yoga and meditation for more than a decade. She has used her knowledge to support social justice nonprofits and historically excluded communities. She served as the Mindfulness Coach at Rikers Island Correctional Facility for 4 years, and volunteered there for over a decade total. She teaches at Yoga International, Embodied Philosophy, New York Insight and leads retreats at Kripalu. Oneika's literary debut, Sit With Me: A No-BS Journey to Mindfulness and Meditation (HarperOne, March 2026) explores metta practice as a tool for personal and collective liberation. Connect with her at www.oneikamays.com . Oneika's substack is here . Last year, with your subscriptions, we were able to release more episodes than any previous year. This was only possible with your support. Please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber here. More cool resources: Check out our sponsor platform, A M indful World! A new free video course from Ethan on Metta (lovingkindness) meditation is now available at this link . Sign up for Ethans May 2nd Windhorse Meditation workshop at this link . Paid subscribers to The Road Home will receive occasional extras like guided meditations , extra podcast episodes and more! The Thursday Meditation Group happens each week at 8am ET on Thursdays, and guided audio meditations are released monthly. Another bonus podcast for paid subscribers discussed the obstacle of resistance to meditation practice , and Ethan also offered instruction in Metta meditation toward yourself . These are all available to paid subscribers. You can also subscribe to The Road Home podcast wherever you get your pods ( Apple , Ethan's Website , etc). You can now order personally signed copies of Ethan's books at his website .
Hey friends, this is the first episode of The Road Home in a bit. Please remember to check out and sign up for the upcoming Windhorse (Confidence) meditation workshop on Saturday May 2nd (1-5pm ET) via A Mindful World . It should be a great mini-retreat with a helpful practice that anyone can use, anytime, anywhere to be brave and show up to all those difficult moments in life. This week, in a solo talk, Ethan revisits the theme of The Eight Worldly Winds from his last book Confidence (you can always have Ethan send you a signed copy of Confidence or his other books ). He specifically hones in on the valid experience of longing for success and fearing failure, and how the practice of confidence involves the willingness to fail repeatedly. Did you know, by the way, that even the great tennis players of all time only win (very) slightly over half the total points they ever play? Embrace your longing before you listen. The Road Home is available here now, or wherever you get your "pods," Apple , Ethan's Website , etc after 3pm ET on Tues, April 21). Last year, with your subscriptions, we were able to release more episodes than any previous year. This was only possible with your subscriptions. Please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber here. Paid subscribers to The Road Home will receive occasional extras like guided meditations , extra podcast episodes and more! The Thursday Meditation Group happens each week at 8am ET on Thursdays, and guided audio meditations are released monthly . Another bonus podcast for paid subscribers discussed the obstacle of resistance to meditation practice , and Ethan also offered instruction in the RAIN method for working with emotions with self-compassion . These are all available to paid subscribers. You can also subscribe to The Road Home podcast wherever you get your pods ( Apple , Ethan's Website , etc). You can also subscribe to The Road Home podcast wherever you get your pods ( Apple , Ethan's Website , etc). If you're looking for a great in-person retreat, check out our annual Fall retreat at the Garrison Institute Sep 30 - Oct 5. More cool resources: Check out our sponsor platform, A M indful World! A new free video course from Ethan on Metta (lovingkindness) meditation is now available at this link . Sign up for Ethan's May 2nd Windhorse Meditation workshop at this link .
"Intuition doesn't seem to act aggressively." -Josh Ritter Ethan welcomes his friend, contemporary folk musician and novelist Josh Ritter for a conversation about creativity, inspiration, spirituality and art-making. They discuss where great ideas come from, how the "protocols" of practice influence both creativity and the spiritual path, and the meaning of relative and ultimate truth found within Josh's song " Truth is a Dimension (Both Invisible and Blinding) " off Josh's most recent album I Believe in You, My Honeydew . They also discuss the mental health of an artist, and how fatherhood can lead you to very mixed opinions of Disney movies. Josh Ritter is a renowned singer, songwriter, musician, artist and best-selling author. One of today's most thoughtful and prolific voices, he has released twelve studio albums and was named one of the "100 greatest living songwriters" by Paste Magazine. His newest album 'I Believe in You, My Honeydew' is out now. About his music, The Guardian has said: "Ritter's painstakingly simple but crafted songs establish his own identity in a terrain marked out by Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen." Two-plus decades into his celebrated career, Ritter has written music that has transcended generations including luminaries such as Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, and Bob Weir covering his songs. Josh's substack is here . Last year, with your subscriptions, we were able to release more episodes than any previous year. This was only possible with your support. Please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber here. Paid subscribers to The Road Home will receive occasional extras like guided meditations , extra podcast episodes and more! The Thursday Meditation Group happens each week at 8am ET on Thursdays, and guided audio meditations are released monthly. Another bonus podcast for paid subscribers discussed the obstacle of resistance to meditation practice , and Ethan also offered instruction in the RAIN method for working with emotions with self-compassion . These are all available to paid subscribers. You can also subscribe to The Road Home podcast wherever you get your pods ( Apple , Ethan's Website , etc). You can now order personally signed copies of Ethan's books at his website . You can also subscribe to The Road Home podcast wherever you get your pods ( Apple , Ethan's Website , etc). More cool resources: Check out our sponsor platform, A M in dful World! A new free video course from Ethan on Metta (lovingkindness) meditation is now available at this link . Check out the free roundtable discussion on Mindfulness and Organizational Leadership at this link . Sign up for Ethans May 2nd Windhorse Meditation workshop at this link . Show Notes: Check out Josh's recent interview with NPR's World Cafe mentioned in the podcast at this link .
Sometimes life breaks your heart. Right now, the world is breaking most of our hearts. And if it isn't breaking your heart, you're not paying attention. But what does a broken heart have to do with the awakened state of mind? In this solo episode of The Road Home podcast, Ethan examine the two main aspects of our consciousness - thinking mind and feeling mind. Feeling mind might be better understood as our "Awakened Heart,"which is a not-quite-literal translation of the term Bodhicitta. Most of the time, when life or the world exposes our heart fully, we desperately want to turn away from that tenderness. Because a vulnerable heart hurts, it brings up all the specific ways we feel wounded by our past, and also by the world "out there." But our great power, and our genuine awakening, lies in turning toward Bodhicitta, or what Pema Chodron calls the "soft spot." Let's get into "soft spot," shall we? There's really no other choice in the end. Join Ethan for a very "heartfelt" episode of The Road Home this week. Last year, with your subscriptions, we were able to release more episodes than any previous year. This was only possible with your subscriptions. Please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber here. Paid subscribers to The Road Home will receive occasional extras like guided meditations , extra podcast episodes and more! The Thursday Meditation Group happens each week at 8am ET on Thursdays, and guided audio meditations are released monthly. Another bonus podcast for paid subscribers discussed the obstacle of resistance to meditation practice , and Ethan also offered instruction in the RAIN method for working with emotions with self-compassion . These are all available to paid subscribers. You can also subscribe to The Road Home podcast wherever you get your pods ( Apple , Ethan's Website , etc). You can now order personally signed copies of Ethan's books at his website . You can also subscribe to The Road Home podcast wherever you get your pods ( Apple , Ethan's Website , etc). More cool resources: Check out our sponsor platform, A M indful World! A new free video course from Ethan on Metta (lovingkindness) meditation is now available at this link . Check out the free roundtable discussion on Mindfulness and Organizational Leadership at this link . Sign up for Ethans May 2nd Windhorse Meditation workshop at this link .
In classic Buddhism, there is often a meaningful emphasis on going very deep into the spiritual life, often through leaving the world behind for long periods of time and even becoming a lifelong yogi or monk. Is this the only way to move toward full awakening? There is often a lesser emphasis on a different path to awakening, the so-called "householder"— the student of mindfulness and awakening who doesn't want to—or simply can't— leave this world behind, but wants to turn their practice directly toward all aspects of their life in a contemporary setting. Ethan welcomes back Lou Sharma , a meditation teacher (and partner in the new A Mindful World community) for a open discussion of whether or not the path of the householder can also lead to awakening. This is a conversation for anyone who wants to engage with relationships, career, creative life, and social justice pursuits with more mindfulness, compassion and wisdom amidst all the hustle, bustle and chaos of life in the thick of the modern world. Lou Sharma is a mindfulness meditation teacher based in Charlotte, North Carolina. She has practiced meditation for over 15 years, as part of her ongoing studies of Buddhism within Tibetan Buddhist traditions, including the Magyu lineage of Lama Tsultrim Allione. Last year, with your subscriptions, we were able to release more episodes than any previous year. This was only possible with your subscriptions. Please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber here. Paid subscribers to The Road Home will receive occasional extras like guided meditations , extra podcast episodes and more! The Thursday Meditation Group happens each week at 8am ET on Thursdays, and guided audio meditations are released monthly. Another bonus podcast for paid subscribers discussed a mindful take on intuition , and Ethan also offered instruction in the RAIN method for working with emotions with self-compassion . These are all available to paid subscribers. You can also subscribe to The Road Home podcast wherever you get your pods ( Apple , Ethan's Website , etc). You can now order personally signed copies of Ethan's books at his website . You can also subscribe to The Road Home podcast wherever you get your pods ( Apple , Ethan's Website , etc). Check out our sponsor platform, A M indful World! A new free video course on a classic Buddhist contemplation called The Five Remembrances is available at this link . Check out the free roundtable discussion on Mindfulness and Organizational Leadership at this link . Sign up for the May 2nd Windhorse Meditation workshop at this link .
What's wrong with democracy these days? Can it be rescued? Can it be made more mindful? Can we work together to build something better? What's the role of compassion in building community? What's the role of conflict in building community? Why do yoga and mindfulness communities often seem so averse to taking a stand and diving into different political or communal issues head on? Why does our world treat politics as some sort of childish, dirty game, like reality tv, instead of sacred duty? For the 250th anniversary of 1776, can somebody write a formal Declaration of INTERdependence? Professor, teacher and author Jeremy David Engels—author of the brand new book A Mindful Democracy — just wrote one, and Ethan welcomed him to The Road Home podcast to discuss it, and more. Jeremy David Engels, Ph.D. , is the author of six books, including the new On Mindful Democracy: A Declaration of Interdependence to Mend a Fractured World (Parallax, 2026), and the creator of the Zen and the Art of Democracy Substack . He is the Liberal Arts Endowed Professor of Communication and Ethics at Penn State University, co-founder of Yoga Lab, and a longtime mindfulness and yoga teacher. His work reimagines democracy as a communal practice rooted in care, deliberation, and shared responsibility, emphasizing mindfulness as a core civic skill. His essays have appeared in the Washington Post, Yoga Journal, Yoga Magazine, and The Conversation. Last year, with your subscriptions, we were able to release more episodes than any previous year. This was only possible with your subscriptions. Please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber here. Paid subscribers to The Road Home will receive occasional extras like guided meditations , extra podcast episodes and more! The Thursday Meditation Group happens each week at 8am ET on Thursdays, and guided audio meditations are released monthly. Another bonus podcast for paid subscribers discussed a mindful take on intuition , and Ethan also offered instruction in the RAIN method for working with emotions with self-compassion . These are all available to paid subscribers. You can also subscribe to The Road Home podcast wherever you get your pods ( Apple , Ethan's Website , etc). You can now order personally signed copies of Ethan's books at his website . You can also subscribe to The Road Home podcast wherever you get your pods ( Apple , Ethan's Website , etc). Check out our sponsor platform, A M indful World! A new free video course on a classic Buddhist contemplation called The Five Remembrances is available at this link . Note: the name of the book mentioned by Ethan authored by Thich Nhat Hanh where Thay explored the morality of the bombing of Hiroshima using specific Buddhist questions is Good Citizens.
Ethan tackles an age-old dharma question: how do we generate compassion for those who do harmful things? Should we even try, or does that make things worse? In the age of ICE lawlessness, totalitarian governments, and coming to terms with toxic relationships of all kinds, this question intensifies. This conversation often feels misunderstood. Whether the perpetrator is a dictator, a difficult ex, or a manipulative boss—or whether the harm is something we ourselves have caused—the question of building compassion and opening the bodhisattva's heart often delivers more confusion than clarity. Using a memory of hearing a college lecture by the long-imprisoned Tibetan monk Palden Gyatso , Ethan offers a simple (but never easy) three-step model of how to go about the difficult process of acknowledging and transforming the negative karma related to harmful actions. In 2025, with your subscriptions, we were able to release more episodes than any previous year. This was only possible with your subscriptions. Please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber here. Paid subscribers to The Road Home will receive occasional extras like guided meditations , extra podcast episodes and more! The Thursday Meditation Group happens each week at 8am ET on Thursdays, and guided audio meditations are released monthly. Another bonus podcast for paid subscribers discussed a mindful take on intuition , and Ethan also offered instruction in the RAIN method for working with emotions with self-compassion . These are all available to paid subscribers. You can also subscribe to The Road Home podcast wherever you get your pods ( Apple , Ethan's Website , etc). You can now order personally signed copies of Ethan's books at his website . You can also subscribe to The Road Home podcast wherever you get your pods ( Apple , Ethan's Website , etc). Check out our sponsor platform, A Mindful World! A new free video course on a classic Buddhist contemplation called The Five Remembrances is available at this link .
Ethan talks to author, scholar and teacher Dr. Rima Vesely-Flad about her insightful new book The Fire Inside: The Dharma of James Baldwin and Audre Lorde . Mixing scholarship, memoir, and a deep reverence for the spiritual insights of two of the greatest writers and thinkers of the 20th century, Dr. Vesely-Flad's newest work approaches Buddhist teachings from an angle that is deeply human, literary, and personal. How did these two great authors touch on such dharmic topics as the truth of suffering, relative and ultimate reality, and much more? Fans of literature and Buddhism will enjoy this conversation and new book deeply. This conversation belongs to one of Ethan's favorite categories: "Things you didn't know were Buddhist." In 2025, with your subscriptions to The Road Home, we were able to release more episodes than any previous year. This was only possible with your subscriptions. Please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber here . Rima Vesely-Flad, PhD, is the author of Black Buddhists and the Black Radical Tradition: The Practice of Stillness in the Movement for Liberation (NYU Press, 2022) and Racial Purity and Dangerous Bodies: Moral Pollution, Black Lives, and the Struggle for Justice (Fortress Press, 2017). She is the founder of the Initiative for Black Buddhist Studies and the recipient of grants from the Fetzer Institute, the Henry J. Luce Foundation, the Fredrick P. Lenz Foundation, the Crossroads Program, and the US Department of State Fulbright program. You can follow her work at www.blackbuddhiststudies.org . Paid subscribers to The Road Home will receive occasional extras like guided meditations , extra podcast episodes and more! The Thursday Meditation Group happens each week at 8am ET on Thursdays, and a guided audio meditations are released monthly. Another bonus podcast for paid subscribers discussed a mindful take on intuition , and Ethan also offered instruction in the RAIN method for working with emotions with self-compassion . These are all available to paid subscribers. You can also subscribe to The Road Home podcast wherever you get your pods ( Apple , Ethan's Website , etc). You can also subscribe to The Road Home podcast wherever you get your pods ( Apple , Ethan's Website , etc). Free RAIN Meditation Workshop on February 12th via A Mindful World! A new free video course on a classic Buddhist contemplation called The Five Remembrances is available at this link . Check out all the cool offerings at our podcast sponsor A Mindful World !
What is the relationship between Metta (lovingkindness practice) and developing, or rediscovering, a childlike innocence? How can Buddhist meditation help both kids and adults with emotional regulation and resilience? Is there anything about the way kids meet thoughts and emotions that we grown-ups can learn from? And, as Ethan wonders, are all children Democratic Socialists? Ethan welcomes dear mentor and friend Sharon Salzberg —now author of a children's book called Kind Karl (and it's an excellent one)—for a discussion about kindness, mindfulness, and rediscovering our innocence. Sharon Salzberg is one of America's leading spiritual teachers and authors. A practitioner of Buddhist meditation for over fifty years, she is a co-founder of the Insight Meditation Society. Paid subscribers to The Road Home will receive occasional extras like guided meditations , extra podcast episodes and more! In 2025, with your subscriptions, we were able to release more episodes than any previous year. This was only possible with your subscriptions. Please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. The Thursday Meditation Group happens each week at 8am ET on Thursdays, and a guided audio meditations are released monthly. Another bonus podcast for paid subscribers discussed a mindful take on intuition , and Ethan also offered instruction in the RAIN method for working with emotions with self-compassion . These are all available to paid subscribers. You can also subscribe to The Road Home podcast wherever you get your pods ( Apple , Ethan's Website , etc). 2026 Yearlong Buddhist Studies program starts tomorrow! Find out about the 2026 Yearlong Buddhist Studies program at this link ! A new free video course on a classic Buddhist contemplation called The Five Remembrances is available at this link . Check out all the cool offerings at our podcast sponsor Dharma Moon . Free video courses co-taught by Ethan and others, such as The Three Marks of Existence , are also available for download at Dharma Moon .
Ethan continues recent conversations on tech , mindfulness and dharma to examine how much of our karma (ie "habit energy" according to the late master Thich Nhat Hanh) is determined by pre-chosen and manipulative algorithms. How can we use our mindfulness practice to understand the internal and external forces influencing our patterns of behavior, and use our dharma practice to create more gaps of genuine awareness, gaps in which our intention and agency create a space for right action, or at least not doing exactly what the seemingly almighty algorithm wants us to do? In 2025, we were able to release more episodes than any previous year. This was only possible with your subscriptions. Please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber here . Find out about the 2026 Yearlong Buddhist Studies program—which begins next Tuesday—at this link ! Find out about the Advanced Buddhist Studies program—which begins next Wednesday—at this link ! Paid subscribers to The Road Home will receive occasional extras like guided meditations , extra podcast episodes and more! The Thursday Meditation Group happens each week at 8am ET on Thursdays, and guided audio meditations are released monthly. Another bonus podcast for paid subscribers discussed a mindful take on intuition , and Ethan also offered instruction in the RAIN method for working with emotions with self-compassion . These are all available to paid subscribers. You can also subscribe to The Road Home podcast wherever you get your pods ( Apple , Ethan's Website , etc). You can also subscribe to The Road Home podcast wherever you get your pods ( Apple , Ethan's Website , etc). A new free video course on a classic Buddhist contemplation called The Five Remembrances is available at this link . Check out all the cool offerings at our podcast sponsor Dharma Moon . Free video courses co-taught by Ethan and others, such as The Three Marks of Existence , are also available for download at Dharma Moon .
Ep. 164 - What is Engaged Buddhism? A Conversation with Roshi Joan Halifax
59 min
At a recent event in support of Dharma Moon's Yearlong Buddhist Studies program on January 6th, Ethan was joined by the great Roshi Joan Halifax, to discuss the practice, history and theory of Engaged Buddhism. Why is this integrated approach to the dharma so crucial now? Ethan begins with an impassioned plea after the ICE murder of the Renee Good in Minneapolis to come together as sangha and practice engaged dharma this year. And every time the thought arises "I could do something but it won't really make any difference," please label that thought thinking. Roshi Joan Halifax is Founder, Abbot, and Head Teacher of Upaya , a center which focused on Engaged Buddhism in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Her vision for the Zen Center embraces comprehensive Buddhist studies, meditation, service, dharma art, and environmental action as integrated paths cultivating peace and interconnectedness. She is also the author of multiple books including Standing at The Edge and Being With Dying . In 2025, with your subscriptions, we were able to release more episodes than any previous year. This was only possible with your subscriptions. Please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber below Paid subscribers to The Road Home will receive occasional extras like guided meditations , extra podcast episodes and more! The Thursday Meditation Group happens each week at 8am ET on Thursdays, and a guided audio meditations are released monthly. Another bonus podcast for paid subscribers discussed a mindful take on intuition , and Ethan also offered instruction in the RAIN method for working with emotions with self-compassion . These are all available to paid subscribers. You can also subscribe to The Road Home podcast wherever you get your pods ( Apple , Ethan's Website , etc). You can also subscribe to The Road Home podcast wherever you get your pods ( Apple , Ethan's Website , etc). Find out about the 2026 Yearlong Buddhist Studies program at this link ! A new free video course on a classic Buddhist contemplation called The Five Remembrances is available at this link . Check out all the cool offerings at our podcast sponsor Dharma Moon . Free video courses co-taught by Ethan and others, such as The Three Marks of Existence , are also available for download at Dharma Moon .
Ethan welcomes back bestselling author and Buddhist Astrologer Juliana McCarthy ( Ethereal Culture , The Stars Within You ) to dive headfirst into a discussion of the momentous year ahead. They break the discussion into four areas: spiritual practice, creative practice, technology and politics. Juliana predicts big personal and collective moments ahead in February, April and especially in July 2026, including a massive revolutionary placement of planets that coincides directly with July 4th, the 250th anniversary of the signing of the American Declaration of Independence (Which Ethan wishes was called the Declaration of Interdependence!). Juliana also talks about why "thick karma" is not a problem. These conversations are always fun, and this one might have been the most impactful of them all. Enjoy! In 2025, with your subscriptions, we were able to release more episodes than any previous year. This was only possible with your subscriptions. Please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Paid subscribers will receive occasional extras like guided meditations , extra podcast episodes and more! The Thursday Meditation Group happens each week at 8am ET on Thursdays, and a guided audio meditations are released monthly. Another bonus podcast for paid subscribers discussed a mindful take on intuition , and Ethan also offered instruction in the RAIN method for working with emotions with self-compassion . These are all available to paid subscribers. You can also subscribe to The Road Home podcast wherever you get your pods ( Apple , Ethan's Website , etc). Check out about upcoming live events like a New Year's Eve Intention-Setting workshop and a live talk with Ethan and Roshi Joan Halifax January 6th! You can also subscribe to The Road Home podcast wherever you get your pods ( Apple , Ethan's Website , etc). Find out about the 2026 Yearlong Buddhist Studies program at this link ! A new free video course on a classic Buddhist contemplation called The Five Remembrances is available at this link . Check out all the cool offerings at our podcast sponsor Dharma Moon . Free video courses co-taught by Ethan and others, such as The Three Marks of Existence , are also available for download at Dharma Moon .
After a heavy weekend on Earth, Ethan discusses violence and gun violence via the mass shootings at his alma mater of Brown University and the Jewish community in Sydney at Bondi Beach, along side the movie One Battle After Another and the murders of Rob Reiner and Michele Singer. Ethan contemplates the first precept (to refrain from killing) as both a personal and a political practice. He also argues that the American love of "free speech" and our widespread addiction to guns are directly at odds with each other, and as a society, we must either choose guns or speech and can't have both. How can our mindfulness practice lead us toward an actual end to violence? Can it? Or will it just be "one samsara after another?" Please support the podcast via Substack and subscribe for free or with small monthly contributions. Additional links and show notes are available there . Paid subscribers will receive occasional extras like guided meditations , extra podcast episodes and more! The Thursday Meditation Group happens each week at 8am ET on Thursdays, and a guided audio meditations are released monthly. Another bonus podcast for paid subscribers discussed a mindful take on intuition , and Ethan also offered instruction in the RAIN method for working with emotions with self-compassion . These are all available to paid subscribers. You can also subscribe to The Road Home podcast wherever you get your pods ( Apple , Ethan's Website , etc). You can also subscribe to The Road Home podcast wherever you get your pods ( Apple , Ethan's Website , etc). Find out about the 2026 Yearlong Buddhist Studies program at this link ! Check out about upcoming live events like a New Year's Eve Intention-Setting workshop and a live talk with Ethan and Roshi Joan Halifax January 6th! A new free video course on a classic Buddhist contemplation called The Five Remembrances is available at this link . Check out all the cool offerings at our podcast sponsor Dharma Moon . Free video courses co-taught by Ethan and others, such as The Three Marks of Existence , are also available for download at Dharma Moon .
