Awake in the World Podcast

In this week’s Best Of episode, Michael explores the ethic of not stealing, (asteya). The Zen master Dōgen offers a beautiful translation: “The self and the things of the world are just as they are. T...

1 Feb 40min

In this week’s Best Of episode, Michael reflects on satya, the practice of honesty. Satya isn’t an abstract ideal, it’s a lived experience that arises in real time through our relationships and daily ...

25 Jan 36min

Michael sits down with physician and abortion provider Pat Smith for a thoughtful conversation on the principle of non-harming. Together, they explore the space where ethics meet politics, how our bel...

17 Jan 38min

In this week’s episode, we explore a deceptively simple question: How do you be interconnectedness? It’s drawn from the first video in Michael’s online course, "Embodying Ethics & Vows in Modern Life...

11 Jan 40min

In this talk, Michael explores anatta (not-self) and emptiness as lived practices rather than abstract ideas. He shows how our thinking is often shaped by storytelling and emphasizes the role of sitti...

4 Jan 1h

Using the metaphor of time travel, Michael explores the inner journey described by the 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th limbs of yoga. Rather than traveling through years or lifetimes, this “time travel” moves ...

28 Dec 202557min

Michael invites the sangha to take a good look at the elephant in the room by sharing their habits, strong emotions, and patterns of reactivity while exploring the “Lookout Tower” and “Riding the Wave...

21 Dec 20251h 8min

In this podcast episode, Michael discusses the relationship in our daily lives between form and formlessness as it relates to creativity and karma. Wisdom is not separate from who we are. It’s like be...

12 Dec 202547min