Episodes

  • Ep. 256 - The Ever-Changing Nature of Identity with Coral Short & Vincent Moore

    Ep. 256 - The Ever-Changing Nature of Identity with Coral Short & Vincent Moore
    May 20 2026
    Embracing the ever-changing nature of identity, queer somatic experiencing practitioner Coral Short discusses Buddhism’s place in polyamory, trans-embodiment, and more.Today’s podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self.In this episode, Coral Short and Vincent explore:Bringing Buddhist insights into polyamory Encouraging others to share their truthAnattā (non-self) and accepting the fluidity of identity and bodyPerformance art and celebrating community through joint creativityDigital dharma offerings and eco-somatic hikesThe importance of sangha and exploring what forms of Buddhism resonate with youThe book Transcending: Trans Buddhist VoicesTaking the practice off the mat and into the worldCoral’s performance art and the somatic element to many of their creative avenues The radical act of taking up the full space of your body This conversation was originally recorded on the Paths of Practice Podcast. Listen to more episodes HERE.“I think I am just at home in my body. I’ve been on testosterone, I’m off testosterone. I'm aging, I had a menopause party with my friends. I am constantly changing, hormones, aging, whether you like it or not everything is changing. This idea when I was younger of an attachment to gender, I remember teachers telling me this gender will shift, and watching gender shift as people age across genders and sexualities is fascinating.” –Coral ShortAbout Coral Short:Coral Short is a queer, non-binary, white settler born in 1973. They completed their Somatic Experiencing Practitioner (SEP) training in March 2023 with Dea Parsanishi. They specialize in working with LGBTQIA+ folks, recovery, activism, creativity, and all forms of radical sexuality.They are a graduated active Community Dharma Teacher at True North Insight in Tiohtià:ke/Montreal and co-lead a weekly Queer Sangha. Coral has been working with the Stretch Festival in Berlin for several years at the Somatische Akademie/ Village Berlin and at the Montreal Somatics Festival. They offer anti-racist courses, somatic workshops, and eco-somatic walks to international communities. They have been an organizer, activist, and artist for the last two decades.For more information about Coral, please visit the following website: https://www.coralshort.com/“Knowing that there is that freedom inside my body and that there’s sangha members who also know, people coming together and being like ‘this is possible’. We can be super gay and also in a state of bliss. It is possible to get these glimmers of joy in the body.” –Coral ShortAbout Vincent Moore:Vincent Moore is a creative and creative consultant living in San Francisco, California, with over a decade of experience in the entertainment industry and holds a graduate degree in Buddhist Studies. For years, he performed regularly at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre, an improv and sketch comedy theatre based in New York and Los Angeles. As an actor, Vincent performed on Comedy Central, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Late Show with Seth Meyers, Above Average, and The UCB Show on Seeso. As a writer, he developed for television as well as stage, including work with the Blue Man Group, and his own written projects have been featured on websites such as Funny or Die. Additionally, he received a Masters of Buddhist Studies from the Institute of Buddhist Studies with a Certificate in Soto Zen Studies and engages in a personal Buddhist practice within the Soto Zen tradition. Vincent is also the creator and host of the podcast, Paths of Practice, which features interviews with Buddhists from all over the world. Learn more on Vincent’s website HERE.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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    50 mins
  • Ep. 255 - Fierce Grace and the Many Faces of God, Satsang with Ram Dass and Friends Pt. 2

    Ep. 255 - Fierce Grace and the Many Faces of God, Satsang with Ram Dass and Friends Pt. 2
    May 15 2026

    Ram Dass and Uma Reed lovingly explore bhakti yoga, fierce grace, and the spiritual practice of seeing beyond incarnation to the soul in everyone.

    “I love you. We are in love. We ARE love.” –Ram Dass

    Recorded in 2008 at Studio Maui, this mini-series features Ram Dass and guests from his satsang. To start at Part 1, click HERE.

    In this episode, Uma Reed and Ram Dass share insights on:

    • The yoga of your life and all roads leading to God
    • Fierce Grace and reinterpreting ‘negative’ life events
    • How Uma met Maharaj-ji in blue light
    • Hinduism and the many faces of God
    • Working with the suffering that the mind introduces into our lives
    • Not mistaking ourselves with our incarnation
    • Singing, chanting, and being brought closer to God
    • Bhakti yoga and merging together with the beloved

    “Don’t mistake your self with your incarnation. I’m a nurse, I’m a doctor, I'm a student, I’m a yogi. You’re something in this incarnation, but, you really are a soul. You’re a spiritual being. If you are a soul, then you will see souls. If you be one, you will see one and just like that, officer of the law I saw a soul. Your children, souls. Your parents, souls. Your partners, souls. Your enemies, souls. Then, you live in paradise.” –Ram Dass

    Today’s podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self.

    About Uma Reed:

    Uma was first exposed to Hindu devotional chanting in the early 1970s, while studying meditation and spiritual practices with Ram Dass and various other teachers. Kirtan was a practice that touched her deeply, and as a devotee of Neem Karoli Baba, she often participated in kirtan gatherings with fellow devotees, as well as in other ashrams and spiritual communities. For years she held kirtan in her home, and for the past dozen years or so, she has led kirtan formally in yoga studios, spiritual centers, and retreat settings. She has taught workshops and led kirtan on numerous retreats and in satsang with Ram Dass and other spiritual teachers in the U.S. and abroad.

    “Finally I screamed out loud, 'I’ll do anything for God', and everything stopped and got very clear. There was this, almost like a rain, a very light sprinkle, and everything was completely peaceful. My mind was completely quiet. I opened my eyes and sitting in the room was Neem Karoli Baba. This was not a dream, not a vision, he was sitting there, bathed in blue light. I was looking at him and I noticed that he wasn't speaking out loud, but he was mouthing some words. I understood I was to repeat it with him. I realized he was saying Om Namah Shivaya.” –Uma Reed

    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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    43 mins
  • Ep. 254 - CALM with Trudy Goodman

    Ep. 254 - CALM with Trudy Goodman
    May 7 2026

    Teaching listeners to incline the mind towards peacefulness, Trudy Goodman offers practical ways to be calm and experience the blessings of tranquility.

    Today’s podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self.

    In this episode, Trudy Goodman holds a talk on:

    • Calm as a factor of enlightenment
    • Having an intimate connection with our own experience
    • Practical ways to calm down
    • Making our lives a living vigil of silence
    • Being in the holding presence of another
    • The mothering nature of mindfulness
    • How metta brings us self-compassion and calm
    • Inclining the mind towards practice and peacefulness
    • Witnessing the blessings of tranquility

    This was recorded at Spirit Rock and was originally published on Dharmaseed

    About Trudy Goodman:

    Trudy is a Vipassana teacher in the Theravada lineage and the Founding Teacher of InsightLA. For 25 years, in Cambridge, MA, Trudy practiced mindfulness-based psychotherapy with children, teenagers, couples and individuals. Trudy conducts retreats, engages in activism work, and teaches workshops worldwide and online. She is also the voice of Trudy the Love Barbarian in the Netflix series, The Midnight Gospel. You can learn more about Trudy’s flourishing array of wonderful offerings at TrudyGoodman.com

    “One person happily reported in our meeting, I asked, ‘What is happening in your practice? How are you doing?’ This person said, ‘Nothing, nothing is happening. It took 30 days, but finally nothing is happening.’

    This is calm. It’s really very neutral.” –Trudy Goodman

    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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    50 mins
  • Ep. 253 - Metta for Self and Others with Gil Fronsdal

    Ep. 253 - Metta for Self and Others with Gil Fronsdal
    May 1 2026

    Resting in the field of love that ‘just is’, Gil Fronsdal explores how to live for the benefit of both self and others.

    Today’s podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self.

    This week on the BHNN Guest Podcast, Gil Fronsdal explores:

    • Resting in the field of love without expectations
    • Love that does not require anything of others
    • Appreciating the simplicity of love through the simplicity of awareness
    • What the Buddha said about becoming a wise person
    • Living for the benefit of both self and others
    • The selfless nature of parenting
    • Understanding the circle of ‘we’ and the dynamics of family, society, and being a part of a whole
    • Taking time to be with reality rather than immediately responding and reacting

    This episode was originally recorded at a family retreat and published on Dharmaseed

    About Gil Fronsdal:

    Gil Fronsdal is the co-teacher for the Insight Meditation Center in Redwood City, California; he has been teaching since 1990. He has practiced Zen and Vipassana in the U.S. and Asia since 1975. He was a Theravada monk in Burma in 1985, and in 1989 began training with Jack Kornfield to be a Vipassana teacher. Gil teaches at Spirit Rock Meditation Center where he is part of its Teachers Council. Gil was ordained as a Soto Zen priest at the San Francisco Zen Center in 1982, and in 1995 received Dharma Transmission from Mel Weitsman, the abbot of the Berkeley Zen Center. He currently serves on the SF Zen Center Elders’ Council. In 2011, he founded IMC’s Insight Retreat Center. He is the author of The Issue at Hand, essays on mindfulness practice; A Monastery Within; a book on the five hindrances called Unhindered; and the translator of The Dhammapada, published by Shambhala Publications. You may listen to Gil’s talks on Audio Dharma.

    “Love that just is, it’s not something that requires something of others. It doesn’t require them to be any particular way, to perform, to reciprocate, love is just there.” –Gil Fronsdal


    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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    28 mins
  • Ep. 252 - Self-Defense and Zen Buddhism with Shaolin Martial Artist Paula Lazarz & Vincent Moore

    Ep. 252 - Self-Defense and Zen Buddhism with Shaolin Martial Artist Paula Lazarz & Vincent Moore
    Apr 23 2026
    Shaolin Martial Artist Paula Lazarz explores the alchemy of self-defense and Zen Buddhism to reach ultimate inner and outer balance in practice.Today’s podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self.In this episode, Paula Lazarz provides insights on:Developing a beginner's mind and a commitment to practiceIncluding the mystery of Zen for Kung Fu testingGuiding love in a martial arts environment How martial arts reflect the true nature within youInterweaving Zen practice with self-defenseFacing violence in the world and within ourselves Discovering more about our own anger and shadows Uniting our minds and bodies in a complete wayReleasing embedded cellular anger in order to practice more deeplyPracticing stillness just as much as we practice movementPaula’s ‘homecoming’ within monastic practice This conversation was originally recorded on the Paths of Practice Podcast. Listen to more episodes HERE.About Paula Lazarz:Paula Lazarz is a full-time Shaolin martial artist. She also served as an ordained priest in the Zen Buddhist lineage of Shunryu Suzuki for 10 years before giving up her robes in 2026. Her over two decades of study in the martial arts and Buddhist practice has been an exploration of the idea of the historical Shaolin Temple, culminating in Warrior’s Path Buddhist Academy. Paula studies the connection, both practical and historical, between Shaolin Kung Fu and Zen Buddhism. Her teaching and business philosophy places an emphasis on helping individuals of all ages gain physical, emotional, psychological and spiritual balance using the multi-faceted disciplines of Shaolin Kung Fu. Paula is a co-owner of Energy Fitness, Inc., Head Instructor at HealthKick Kung Fu and a Practice Leader at Ancient Dragon Zen Gate.About Vincent Moore:Vincent Moore is a creative and creative consultant living in San Francisco, California, with over a decade of experience in the entertainment industry and holds a graduate degree in Buddhist Studies. For years, he performed regularly at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre, an improv and sketch comedy theatre based in New York and Los Angeles. As an actor, Vincent performed on Comedy Central, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Late Show with Seth Meyers, Above Average, and The UCB Show on Seeso. As a writer, he developed for television as well as stage, including work with the Blue Man Group, and his own written projects have been featured on websites such as Funny or Die. Additionally, he received a Masters of Buddhist Studies from the Institute of Buddhist Studies with a Certificate in Soto Zen Studies and engages in a personal Buddhist practice within the Soto Zen tradition. Vincent is also the creator and host of the podcast, Paths of Practice, which features interviews with Buddhists from all over the world. Learn more on Vincent’s website HERE.“Martial art practice forces you to look at the dark side of humanity on a daily basis; you’re learning how to defend yourself against violence so you’re thinking about the reasons people get violent all the time. This is the Shaolin perspective: we know that if we only look at that all of the time that we might become an extremely aggressive person that doesn’t understand how to use it properly, that’s why there needs to be a balance in the training as well.” –Paula LazarzSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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    53 mins
  • Ep. 251 - Love is Not a Gated Community with Frank Ostaseski

    Ep. 251 - Love is Not a Gated Community with Frank Ostaseski
    Apr 16 2026

    Illuminating the power of boundless love, Frank Ostaseski explains how love dissolves perceived limits and transforms our relationship to fear, doubt, and desire.

    Today’s podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self.

    In this episode, Frank Ostaseski holds a session on:

    • How love enables us to do things we never imagined possible
    • Experiencing a love without limitations
    • Love as the background of all experiences and the very essence of our being
    • Making space for pain so that it can move
    • How love aligns us with the true purpose of our life
    • Differentiating between love and attachment
    • Soul friends who know how to be with us in times of grief and suffering
    • Developing a deep trust in an intelligence greater than our own
    • Living from the vantage point of boundless love

    “When the veils between the worlds get very thin, like birth and death, love shows itself very easily. It allows us sometimes to do things we never thought were possible.” –Frank Ostaseski

    About Frank Ostaseski:

    Frank Ostaseski, an internationally respected Buddhist teacher and pioneer in end-of-life care, has accompanied over 1,000 people through their dying process. Acclaimed author of The Five Invitations, Frank co-founded the first Buddhist hospice in America—The Zen Hospice Project. In 2005, he founded the Metta Institute, through which he has trained countless clinicians and caregivers, building a national network of educators, advocates, and guides for those facing a life-threatening illness.

    “Is there a greater gift we can give to ourselves or someone else than to receive them as is? Love is not a gated community. Every part of ourselves is welcome. ‘No part left out’, we say in zen. This is the receptive function of love. Once we know this treasure, there is no point in keeping it to ourselves. The ground of love is limitless. We don’t have to be stingy about it. We don’t have to think of love as a commodity that we trade with others. There is an endless supply of love, so we can endlessly give it away.” –Frank Ostaseski


    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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    20 mins
  • Ep. 250 - Pointing Out The Radiance with Trudy Goodman

    Ep. 250 - Pointing Out The Radiance with Trudy Goodman
    Apr 9 2026

    Trudy Goodman offers dharma teachings on conflict and kindness, helping us build a loving awareness of who we truly are.

    Today’s podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self.

    In this episode, Trudy Goodman holds a talk on:

    • How our thoughts shape our identity and can create mental prisons
    • Breaking free from fixed ideas about ourselves, others, and the world
    • Starting with ourselves: offering kindness to our inner critic
    • Uniting in our shared intention to cultivate loving-kindness
    • Living in a world of complexity without creating suffering in ourselves and others
    • The Tibetan practice of exchanging the self for another
    • Inspiration from children and appreciating the present moment
    • Making friends with our lives rather than living in conflict
    • Relating wisely to situations and forgiving ourselves for being imperfect

    This recording from a 2013 retreat at Spirit Rock was originally published on Dharmaseed

    About Trudy Goodman:

    Trudy is a Vipassana teacher in the Theravada lineage and the Founding Teacher of InsightLA. For 25 years, in Cambridge, MA, Trudy practiced mindfulness-based psychotherapy with children, teenagers, couples and individuals. Trudy conducts retreats, engages in activism work, and teaches workshops worldwide and online. She is also the voice of Trudy the Love Barbarian in the Netflix series, The Midnight Gospel. You can learn more about Trudy’s flourishing array of wonderful offerings at TrudyGoodman.com

    “We live in a very conditioned culture, probably every culture is to some extent. We see so clearly the various 'isms' that cause suffering. Racism, ageism, sexism, classism, all the gender stereotypes, homophobia, the list goes on and on. We’re studying here how to be present in loving awareness. When we’re not caught, there’s such a sense of possibility.” –Trudy Goodman

    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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    59 mins
  • Ep. 249 - The Strength to Continue with Gil Fronsdal

    Ep. 249 - The Strength to Continue with Gil Fronsdal
    Apr 1 2026

    Drawing on the wisdom of The Four Resolves, Gil Fronsdal discusses finding our own inner strength to remain committed to the path of practice.

    Today’s podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self.

    This week on the BHNN Guest Podcast, Gil Fronsdal illuminates:

    • Gil’s own introduction to Vipassana practice
    • How sickness, old age, and death motivated the Buddha
    • Spiritual support and determination at Zen monasteries
    • Why cultivating your own inner resolve is one of the greatest challenges on retreat
    • The Four Resolves of Buddhism: truth, wisdom, generosity, peace
    • How Vipassana practice is dependent on allowing the truth to reveal itself
    • Discovering truth in the smallest moments through mindful awareness
    • How everyday mindfulness builds the resilience needed for life’s most challenging moments
    • Letting our hearts be generous and stepping out of self-preoccupation
    • Surfing the ways of life without drowning: becoming one with the ocean

    This episode was originally published on Dharmaseed

    About Gil Fronsdal:

    Gil Fronsdal is the co-teacher for the Insight Meditation Center in Redwood City, California; he has been teaching since 1990. He has practiced Zen and Vipassana in the U.S. and Asia since 1975. He was a Theravada monk in Burma in 1985, and in 1989 began training with Jack Kornfield to be a Vipassana teacher. Gil teaches at Spirit Rock Meditation Center where he is part of its Teachers Council. Gil was ordained as a Soto Zen priest at the San Francisco Zen Center in 1982, and in 1995 received Dharma Transmission from Mel Weitsman, the abbot of the Berkeley Zen Center. He currently serves on the SF Zen Center Elders’ Council. In 2011, he founded IMC’s Insight Retreat Center. He is the author of The Issue at Hand, essays on mindfulness practice; A Monastery Within; a book on the five hindrances called Unhindered; and the translator of The Dhammapada, published by Shambhala Publications. You may listen to Gil’s talks on Audio Dharma.

    “It does take some inner resolve, determination, to keep hanging in here sometimes. It’s so easy to come down for tea, go to your room, go for a hike, all of which is appropriate at times, and inappropriate at others. What we’re asked here at Spirit Rock is more challenging than at a Zen monastery. It’s up to you much more. You have to find it in yourself.” –Gil Fronsdal

    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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    59 mins