The Buddha's teaching on "no separate, solid, permanent self" guides us toward our interbeing, as Thich Nhat Hanh names it. We are made of innumerable causes and conditions, and the "self" changes as those conditions change. This teaching is a valuable antidote to the illness of individualism that plagues many western societies, but for many women, it also has a "near enemy"-- codependence. How do we, as women, embrace and live this truth while not allowing codependence to drag us into unhealthy dependencies, and relationships where we feel overly responsible for others happiness? This talk explores the balance between interconnection, and healthy boundaries and non-harming of oneself through sacrificial self-denial.

Dharma talk and guided practice. Anxiety is a contraction and therefore a form of suffering. Sometimes anxiety is the appropriate response to a situation, but there are skillful ways to navigate this experience. This talk and practice examines how we can learn to soothe the body and the mind using somatic exercises and our imagination to bring expansiveness to anxiety's contracted state.

What is happiness? We think that when things are going well, happiness is here and everything will be fine. When conditions are unpleasant, we feel we have failed. But the universe is creative in its unfolding, and happiness can come in different ways than we expect.

Dedication of Merit is a ritual found throughout the Buddhist community. This talk explores the deeper meaning and purpose of this practice. Merit is generated every time we sit down and the ritual of dedication reminds to connect outward to the world at large, to humans and the more than human world, in an act of generosity. Instructions for how to dedicate the merit is included, as well as a Q&A at the end.

Impermanence: a cornerstone of dharma teachings and a place to live from and come back to no matter where we are in our practice. Impermanence can bring us into contraction or expansiveness. It ultimately points to our own impermanence, and what we need to wake up to before we die.

Impermanence is a cornerstone of Dharma teachings and a place to live from and come back to no matter where we are in our practice. Impermanence can bring us into contraction or expansiveness. It ultimately points to our own impermanence, and what we need to wake up to before we die.

Stories of the first Buddhist women: Their stories, teachings, and awakening poems are inspirational. They also offer us a tether from what we are doing as a women's Dharma community to an ancient lineage that has been going strong since the time of the Buddha.

Concentration: This dharma talk is the last in a series on the Eight Fold Path. It includes techniques for quieting the mind (shamata), the nature of concentration, and the necessary elements to reach concentrated states in a sustainable way. Also included is a description of the Jhanas (high states of concentration) and the value of experiencing these states to help strengthen faith. Brief Q & A at the end included.

Mindfulness (Sati): Part 7 of a series on the Eightfold Path, this talk discusses Sati, or mindfulness, as a state of mind and a way of being. The complexity of mindfulness is explored (vedanas, wholesome desire) as well as the ultimate simplicity of remembering our truest self through practice of paying attention, alertness and contact with experience. Q & A at the end is included.