My work since 2006 through UCLA’s Mindful Awareness Research Center (uclahealth.org/marc) emphasizes making mindfulness teachings accessible to all, regardless of background, yet without losing depth practice. In recent years I have been teaching on Natural Awareness— the effortless, objectless, and spacious side of awareness practices. Socially engaged Buddhism is a thread woven through many of my talks-- how can we end suffering both internally and externally? Having worked with teens and young adults for many years, some of the talks are geared to young people. Finally as a mom of a tween, I'm deeply inspired by the transformative power of daily life and family practice.
This talk from the Spirit Rock Family Retreat explores what joy is, what gets in the way of joy, and how to cultivate it: intend, savor, and recall. We also focus on how mudita or appreciative joy shows up and can be called upon to help us with tricky family situations such as comparison or disappointment. Joy is accessible to us all!
This talk explores the core teaching of letting go and how it relates to profound states of well-being. We learn about Natural Awareness-- the luminous quality of the mind-- and try a few "Glimpse practices" to access it. Diana then shows us how Natural Awareness practice can help us navigate the complex, challenging, and heart-breaking times in the world today.
We explore how to be aware of body sensations from a "Somatic Mindfulness" or body-based perspective, as well as get guidance on how to mindfully work with physical pain
This foundational talk on mindfulness offers insight into why and how to practice mindfulness, the science behind it, what makes meditation difficult, the qualities of a mindful mind, and the fruits of the practice.
Diana and Donald each speak for about 20 minutes. Diana focuses especially on relational metta practice in daily life, including with parenting. Donald speaks of the aspiration, as the great Tibetan teacher Shabkar, emphasizes, on having one’s life and practice be one. He then focuses on the different dimensions of individual metta practice in daily life. The two talks are followed by a period of discussion.
This guided session explores multiple ways to send metta to self: From a benefactor, through our body, to different times in our life, and to aspects of ourselves.
In this talk we explore the roots of self-judgment, and the ways in which mindfulness, loving kindness, and the recognition of our shared humanity and inner goodness can work together to alleviate the critical mind. This talk was given at a metta retreat so it pays particular attention to using metta to heal the inner critic when obstacles arise .
This short talk and guided practice introduces us to "dry metta", the metta practice which is focused on intention building and changing our inner narrative. It invites us to repeat simple phrases without any intention or need to feel the quality of metta. It's a lovely simple way to practice that takes the pressure off metta!
This talk explores the way wisdom develops and focuses on the three characteristics of impermanence, suffering, and not self. It touches on not clinging, dropping bananas, two arrows, and how love fits into it all.
This foundational talk on mindfulness offers insight into why and how to practice mindfulness, what makes meditation difficult, the qualities of a mindful mind, and the fruits of the practice.
In this session we explore the 4 components of Self-Compassion: mindfulness, kindness, shared humanity, and recognition of our inner goodness. Then we practice Self-Directed Loving Kindness.
This talk, given on the opening night of a retreat for beginners, explores what mindfulness is, some science behind it, helpful attitudes for retreat, including patience and kindness, and ways of supporting yourself on retreat.
Given at the Spirit Rock Family Retreat, this talk addresses the importance of love in a world filled with hatred. We explore how choosing love over hate directly relates to our parenting as well as to the larger suffering in the world. Some of the points include: hatred hurts, love feels great; hatred is uncurious, love seeks to understand; hatred clouds the mind, love brings wisdom. A helpful talk for any of us struggling to bring our practice to these current times.
This talk explores what natural awareness is– the open spacious, luminous end of the spectrum of awareness. In particular we cover how natural awareness is connected to letting go and how we can experience waking up/nibbana for everyone
In this talk and guided meditation we explore two different types of lovingkindness. Dry is thought-based and Wet is emotion-based. Learn the differences and practice the two types.
Sex is an incredibly important topic for many people, but is rarely talked about in the insight meditation lineage. This talk first explores the Theravadin Buddhist teachings on sex as they relate to monastics and lay people and then offers tools for bringing our dharma practice to sexual activity. We start with the “don'ts”, looking back at the canonical teachings on sex, and investigate the third precept— refraining from sexual misconduct—as a foundational for integrity in sexual activity. We then move to the “do’s”: how in these times might the dharma teachings offer wisdom to the realm of sex? The key— mindfulness for embodiment, self-awareness, communication, and presence.
What is Natural Awareness? This talk gives context for accessing and playing with a type of mindfulness that is open, spacious, luminous, and boundless. Natural awareness connects us to "awareness of awareness." The talk begins with an explanation of the spectrum of awareness (using some entertaining props) and includes on the spot glimpse practices.
This short meditation describes how we use RAIN to work with our emotions. RAIN includes: Recognize, Allow, Investigate, Nurture, and Not Identify with. We also practice with RAIN on the spot, working with any difficult emotion that is present.
The family retreat 2023 at Spirit Rock focused on the Eightfold Path. This talk was on Samadhi-- or Wise Cultivation through Mindfulness and Meditation and was specifically geared to parents. How can parents practice mindfulness right in the heat of in daily life? Can we practice when we’re getting kids ready for school or putting them to bed, or fighting with our teen or when we're worried about them? Mindfulness can offer incredible tools to support parents in staying present, connected, awake, and in right relationship with our children, partners, and self.
In this meditation, we review other ways of practicing loving kindness to get access to a feeling of kindness and then practice sending kindness out in all directions. We connect with the radiant, vast, boundless aspects of loving kindness.
In this talk we explore the core tools that we can use when we are struggling with difficult emotions, whether on retreat or in daily life. These tools are Mindfulness (of course): we learn how to be present with our emotions, practice RAIN, and meet our difficult thoughts and emotions with a fearless heart. The second tool is Wisdom: how can we "enlist the wisdom mind" to help us when we are lost in a challenging emotion.The third is Love: how we bring self-compassion and kindness to ourselves and our difficulties when we most need it. Lastly, Awareness Itself: Recognize the part of us that is stable, free, and luminous even in the midst of difficult emotions. Includes real-life examples.
In this meditation we explore "Wet" and "Dry" Loving Kindness. Dry loving kindness is primarily thoughts-based, using repetition of phrases to change your inner "soundtrack." Wet loving kindness is an emotion-based practice where we try to evoke the feeling of kindness and explore what gets in the way. In this guided meditation we try both types.
This talk includes the ingredients needed for deepening practice and finding freedom. It explores how our practice can begin with concentration, add insight into the mix, requires a sprinkling of self- love, and when cooked, opens to the nature of awareness itself. Added bonus: A few quotes from Ted Lasso.
This recording includes a 51 minute overview introducing the theory and practice of loving-kindness. Then a 20 minute guided loving-kindness meditation focusing on easy person and self.
Most parents are exhausted, over-committed, guilty, and burnt out. This talk explores how to increase our capacity for self-care using principles of the dharma. We explore the challenging voices that prevent us from being self-compassionate, and how we can work with them. We then talk about how to increase "outer self-care" -- practical things parents can do, and then "inner self care"-- increasing joy as a radical act and finding a depth of well-being no matter what is happening in life.
This session offers an overview of equanimity, the quality of even-mindedness, balance, and non-reactivity. We discuss how it is cultivated, hear some stories about it, and do a guided equanimity practice.
Since so many of us struggle with self-judgment, what practices and tools will help us find more self-compassion and cultivate more joy? In this talk we explore the roots of self-judgment, and the ways in which mindfulness, loving kindness, and the recognition of our shared humanity and inner goodness can work together to alleviate the critical mind and promote joy and resilience.
This first day instructions guides students who are just starting out with their practice. We learn to find our meditation anchor and work with distraction.
This talk explores the basics of mindfulness from the perspective of attention, attitude, and intention. It touches briefly on the five hindrances and includes a story about an exploding egg. Good for beginners!
For those interested in natural awareness, this session includes several short meditations called Glimpse Practices to help us access our expansive, luminous nature.
Using guided imagery, we practice loving kindness expansively. We start with ourselves and ultimately include the whole world. The lake is a metaphor, image, and guide.
This talk details the Spectrum of Awareness Practice-- a map for exploring how many types of awareness meditations fit together. We explore how to move from narrow, focused awareness, through an investigative awareness, to open awareness, and to natural awareness-- an open, spacious, awareness of awareness.
This talk overviews multiple ways of practicing from focused awareness to flexible awareness to natural awareness. Specifically we deal with cultivating concentration and how it can benefit our mindfulness practice.
How is wisdom cultivated and how does it manifest itself through our mindfulness practice? And how is love cultivated-both through mindfulness and heart-based practices? And how do they fit together?
Added Bonus: The Bodhisattva Archetype!
This talk explores how we can counteract self-judgement through mindfulness, the cultivation of positive emotional states, and the recognition of our shared humanity. It also weaves in teachings of natural awareness, inner goodness, and the importance of stepping into our power in the world.
This talk introduces the basics of mindfulness. IT also explore different ways of being aware. We can view awareness practices on a spectrum from focused awareness, to flexible awareness, to natural awareness. The talk goes along with the July 9, 2018 Guided Meditation.
In this talk, Diana weaves together stories from her own spiritual journey with what she sees as universal aspects of the spiritual path. She talks about obstacles that arise on the path, learning to love ourselves more deeply, the power of liberating insights, and the journey to resting in Natural Awareness.
This talk explores different ways we experience awareness. Starting with focused attention to choiceless awareness to natural awareness, where we rest in the luminous qualities of our mind.
This introduction to mindfulness explores the elements that make mindfulness work: attitude, attention and intention. It includes many parenting examples!
This talk weaves together the theme of courage--in our practice and our lives--with stories about Ven. Sayadaw U Pandita who passed away in April, 2016. Diana shares personally about her complex and powerful experience as his student.
This talk overviews the larger mindfulness movement--the science, the ways mindfulness has been incorporated into society, and the definitions. The second half explores the practical elements of mindfulness and how to practice it.
This talk weaves together the theme of self-compassion with how to work with hindrances that arise when we practice. We explore working with our minds, cultivating kindness for ourselves, and the recognition of our shared humanity.
This talk explores the benefits of mindfulness, the scientific research behind it, and the obstacles that get in the way as we practice. The talk also covers how mindfulness can be used to cultivate more self-compassion. Good for beginners.
This talk explores the three components of self-compassion: 1. mindfulness to deal with self-critical thinking; 2. loving kindness, to increase our sense of love for ourselves; 3. and shared humanity, the recognition that we are not alone.
This talk, given at a retreat for educators, is geared toward people who wish to share mindfulness with others. It is about how to teach from an embodied presence connected to mindfulness, how to recognize it, what gets in the way, and how to repair it.
This talk, given opening night of the first annual Mindfulness in Education retreat and Training, overviews the current state of mindfulness in education in the U.S.
We explore the different ways of delivering mindfulness to teachers and kids, some of the key questions and future visions.
An introductory talk on mindfulness given on a beginners retreat. We learn the basics of mindfulness, what gets in the way, and how to deepen and cultivate it.
This talk explores the importance of taking care of ourselves, inner cycles of reflection and contemplation, and how our work on the cushion can impact the world. We learn the importance of joy and finding your own unique expression of service.
This talk discusses the current research in mindfulness, including the areas of physical health, attention, mental health, self-compassion, and brain research.
This talk explores the relationship of metta to vipassana, how to deepen your metta practice, and how lovingkindness can become the fundamental ground of your being.
A talk for beginners exploring the difficulties we encounter when we practice (the mud) and the joyful benefits we'll discover as we find more and more freedom (the gold).
This talk explores Metta as a purification practice – a slow unlayering of the heart. Lots of tips for when we get stuck and how to make it very practical and applicable to our lives.
We explore how practice on the cushion translates personally, relationally, and socially. We emphasize compassion, acting without expecting results, and working with anger. Good for activists!
Geared for younger people, this talk explores the 10 paramis--perfections of virtue--patience, integrity, loving-kindness, determination, generosity, etc., as they are cultivated in practice and manifested in life.
