What Does Current Science Have to Say About the Mindfulness Revolution?

by Dr. Joe Loizzo

I recently had the pleasure of connecting (in person!) with contemplative neuroscientist David Vago and some of our mutual friends at the inaugural meeting of the International Society of Contemplative Research (ISCR) he founded with Nalanda Institute board member Doris Chang and others. Set on the lovely campus of the UC San Diego, the meeting brought together Buddhist scholars, neuroscientists, social justice researcher-activists and clinical researchers to explore the future of interdisciplinary dialogue and inquiry in the fast-growing field of contemplative science and practice.

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Wisdom is the Heart of Compassion: A Teaching by Venerable Robina Courtin

by Nalanda Institute

Recently, the Compassion Year Live Learning cohort in Nalanda Institute’s Contemplative Psychotherapy Program (CPP), had the good fortune to receive an impactful teaching by the wise, warm, and fiercely compassionate Venerable Robina Courtin. Here is an excerpt of the class, which included a robust question and answer period (not shown here). In her generous talk, Venerable Robina shares how the Gradual Path in the Nalanda tradition embraces both wisdom and compassion, the two wings of a bird that allow our practice to take flight.

Please enjoy this powerful teaching.

The Power of Community

by Dan Donohue

As I look back on the year, there’s a theme that keeps coming up for me — the importance of community. As we emerge into what’s often referred to as the post-pandemic new normal, it’s ever more vital that we come together to support one another and work with intention to bring about the compassionate society we want to live in. The word ‘community’ is used a lot these days so I wanted to share some thoughts on what this word has come to mean for me.

When I first found my way to Buddhism and heard about the three treasures — Buddha, Dharma and Sangha — I have to admit that sangha or community didn’t really resonate with me. I came to Buddhism because I was suffering. All you other people? You’ll need to help yourselves. Well you can imagine my surprise at a ceremony for trans day of remembrance, when asked to look deep inside myself and write down what it is that I need to be resilient I had written: Community. What does that mean? How did that happen? Continue reading →

Co-Creating Community: Celebrating the Arts of Compassion (And Learning How to Be Hybrid in a Changing World)

by Geri Loizzo

Editor’s note: Read on and then enjoy all of the videos from this special in-person event.

The laws of impermanence teach us that things are changing all the time — a teaching that has been especially apparent in the time of covid. Like all institutions of learning, Nalanda Institute has had to adapt to the change from in-person contact to online classes. For many of us, keeping a feeling of connection and intimacy in the little square boxes of Zoom has posed a challenge, even as the benefits of becoming more accessible to new friends connecting around the globe have been felt and greatly appreciated. While not IRL (in real life), you could say this new accessibility has provided more opportunities to experience a wider variety of the courses and daily meditation offerings IRT (in real time). Still, for some, the yearning for an in-person experience has been brewing for quite some time!

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Overcoming Difficulties with Others…

by Dan Donohue

On November 15th 2022, Dr. Joe Loizzo and Elazar Aslan, co-authors and co-developers of the Boundless Leadership award-winning book and program, offered a 90-minute webinar in which they shared three counter-intuitive steps (and the science behind these steps) to improving our relationships. The webinar also included a guided compassion meditation — a key ingredient to improving our social interactions. Joe and Elazar also took questions from the audience and discussed real world answers to questions such as ‘How do I feel compassion for coworkers that are mean and aggressive?’ and ‘How do I recover from feelings of shame after being put down by a coworker or boss?’

This short class introduced just a few aspects of becoming a Boundless Leader. The Boundless Leadership program was developed to help people optimize their whole being — mind, heart and body — to make better decisions, engage more deeply with others and overcome internal fears that limit their ability to realize their full potential, whether at work, or in their personal lives.

The Boundless Leadership program begins anew January 2023.
Learn more and register
Save 20% with our Earlybird discount if you register by November 30th!

Finding a Space for Gratitude

by Heather Shaw

It has not been the best year of my life.

Much of it was spent with a partner battling stage 3 cancer — juggling the regular responsibilities of a family, a job and one very active puppy (which seemed like a good idea at the time) with an added dimension of constant uncertainty and unease. I tried to do everything, and yet so many things came undone. My mother passed away this summer, without a will or even power of attorney, and my father fell apart as a result, emptying their home of every last bit of everything that held a memory and announcing he was relocating from Chicago to my home in Portland, OR immediately because as an only child I was “all that was left.” My left hip was pronounced “severely, prematurely arthritic” and in need of a replacement. Sometime around January, my eleven year-old daughter stopped sleeping — period — and I found myself creating elaborate bedtime routines that invariably always ended in a campout on my bedroom floor so as not to disturb anyone else in the family (an exhausted compromise at best).

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3 Steps to Overcome Difficult Work Scenarios

By Elazar Aslan

Boundless Leadership

Who hasn’t suffered with a difficult colleague, an aggressive boss, an overly demanding client or a toxic work environment?

Our conditioned response to these situations is typically with an “us vs. them” bunker mentality where we attack and defend or shut down and withdraw, bound by the implicit rules of civility at work or the fear of financial repercussions. These common patterns cause much anguish and loss of confidence in our abilities as the results are rarely positive.

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The Heart of Who We Are

by Caverly Morgan

We all long to be happy. Not happy as in glee but deep contentment. We all long to feel at ease, to know that we’re okay, that life is okay, to be at peace. And we’re deeply habituated to look for this happiness outside us, to grasp and scramble for an experience that, at best, ends up being fleeting, then something we long for again. We forget that this experience we long for is already seated in the heart of who we are—and that it’s always here.

Have you ever touched this peace, this contentment, this deep knowing of who you truly are and then struggled because you recognized the degree to which the world around you didn’t reflect this experience of our true nature?

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Contemplative Psychotherapy Program Open House

by Nalanda Institute

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On August 21, 2022 Nalanda Institute hosted an online informational session about our upcoming offerings in the Contemplative Psychotherapy Program (CPP) starting this fall.

It was a wonderful gathering of prospective students, alumni and faculty. Dr. Joe Loizzo (founder and academic director) provided an overview of the Mindfulness, Compassion and Embodiment years and how they fit into our overall offerings.

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Sharing Wisdom on the Great Return to Work

by Nalanda Institute

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On June 22, 2022, Nalanda Institute for Contemplative Science along with the Wharton Center for Leadership and the Wharton Center for Human Resources hosted a panel discussion called The Great Return to Work: Ensuring Individual and Organizational Wellbeing in the New Normal.

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