241: Secular Meditation

Almost every style of meditation I've learned has been presented as "secular," but very quickly there is a Hindu chant, a photo of some old guru with a beard, or some other paraphernalia that looks and feels a lot like organized religion to me. I'm very interested in all world religions, but when I'm learning to meditate, I'd rather do that on its own.

If you feel the same, you'll enjoy this week's Yoga Talk Show with author and meditator, Rick Heller.
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What You´ll Learn:

• How problems with Rick's vision problem and chronic pain spurred his initial interest in meditation
• How "mindfulness" can be defined as paying attention to what is going on in the present moment with an attitude that is welcoming and non-judgmental
• Why "loving kindness" meditation can be a great starting point for people who struggle to calm their mind
• How to differentiate meditative activities like gardening or walking from meditation practices and meditation as a skill
• Why meditation classes are often empty while yoga asana (pose-based) classes are usually full

Links & Resources:

• Rick's Site
• Rick's Book
• Vipassana Meditation International

ABOUT OUR GUEST

Freelance journalist and meditation instructor Rick Heller has reported for the Lowell Sun and other New England newspapers and has been published in Buddhadharma, UUWorld, Tikkun, Free Inquiry, Faith Street, The Humanist, and Boston magazines. He has contributed short stories to Fantasy and Science Fiction.

Rick is the facilitator of the Humanist Mindfulness Group and has led meditations sponsored by the Humanist Community at Harvard since 2009. He has also attended workshops and retreats at the Cambridge Insight Meditation Center, the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies, and the Insight Meditation Society.

He holds a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from MIT, a master's degree in public policy from Harvard University, and a master's degree in journalism from Boston University.

His book, Secular Meditation, is available on Amazon.

Learn more at: www.rickheller.com

Nutritional Tip:

• Mushroom Prep

Got Questions?

• Send me a voicemail here: http://www.YogaBody.com/AskLucas
• Or write to us: podcast@yogabody.com

Like the Show?

• Leave us a Review on iTunes: http://www.yogabody.com/reviews

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