Background:
Sharon Salzberg is a central figure in the field of meditation, a world-renowned teacher and NY Times bestselling author. She has played a crucial role in bringing meditation and mindfulness practices to the West and into mainstream culture since 1974, when she first began teaching. She is the co-founder of the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, MA and the author of over ten books including NY Times bestseller, Real Happiness, her seminal work, Lovingkindness, Real Love, and her latest release Real Change: Mindfulness to Heal Ourselves and the World. Acclaimed for her humorous, down-to-earth teaching style, Sharon offers a secular, modern approach to Buddhist teachings, making them instantly accessible. She is a regular columnist for On Being, a contributor to Huffington Post, and the host of her own podcast: The Metta Hour. For more, visit www.SharonSalzberg.com.
In this episode Sharon and I discuss themes related to her new book Real Change including:
How to deal with strong emotions using mindfulness
Working with anger in a skillful way, harnessing it's benefits for action while not getting overwhelmed by it
Finding joy today, in the face of these tumultuous times
Why joy is a strategy for resilience
Equanimity and how to find a sense of balance even in the face of tremendous challenges like the pandemic, election stress, or other adversity
Moving away from us and them thinking by embracing common humanity
Finding compassion for people we may disagree with or not like
People, references, and resources mentioned: