Mindfulness+ with Thomas McConkie

Episode 25: The Preciousness of Death Jan 03, 2024

You’ve heard something like this before—without death, we could never know the preciousness of life. When a loved one falls ill, suddenly our relationship with them is imbued with an entirely new quality. But what happens when the loved one who falls ill isn’t human? What if it’s a lake whose life we mourn? In this season finale, Thomas shares about a close friend of his who initiated him in death, and Great Salt Lake, who is now in dangerous decline. He invites us all to reconsider what personhood is, and what it might mean to open our hearts to the lands that sustain us.

If you feel fed by the show, please support Mindfulness+ by sharing with a friend, leaving a review or making a tax-deductible donation to Lower Lights School of Wisdom. We’re grateful for your support!

Want more guidance from Thomas? Come to our monthly online practitioners retreat. Have a practice question for Thomas? Leave a voicemail Voicemail. We would love to hear from you.

Also, check out Thomas’s new book here

Episode 24: Divine Confusion Dec 27, 2023

Confusion gets a bad rap. When we feel clear, when we know who we are and where our life is headed, we often suppose that this is a desirable way to be. On the other hand, when we feel confused, it’s as if we can’t quite relax. There’s a queasiness in our body that we long to get rid of. But what if clarity and confusion are just two facets of a single gem? What if we need confusion to truly be clear, and clarity to unlock the power of “divine confusion?” Have a listen to this episode and see if your relationship to confusion doesn’t start to shift straight away.

If you feel fed by the show, please support Mindfulness+ by sharing with a friend, leaving a review or making a tax-deductible donation to Lower Lights School of Wisdom. We’re grateful for your support!

Want more guidance from Thomas? Come to our monthly online practitioners retreat. Have a practice question for Thomas? Leave a voicemail Voicemail. We would love to hear from you.

Also, check out Thomas’s new book here

Episode 23: How to Be Love Dec 20, 2023

A colleague of mine recently asked me, “How do we be love?” As soon as he asked, I felt any intellectual response buckle under the weight of his question. There were no words. But I walked around with the question, and let it in deep. The following meditation arose out of that inquiry, which I’m honored to share with you here.

Love and Blessings on your day. -Thomas

If you feel fed by the show, please support Mindfulness+ by sharing with a friend, leaving a review or making a tax-deductible donation to Lower Lights School of Wisdom. We’re grateful for your support!

Want more guidance from Thomas? Come to our monthly online practitioners retreat. Have a practice question for Thomas? Leave a voicemail Voicemail. We would love to hear from you.

Also, check out Thomas’s new book here

Episode 22: The Metalineage of At-One-Ment (part II) Dec 13, 2023

What is Metalineage? Gloria Pak returns to the studios for part II of this lively conversation. How can we take the best from all our influences without sacrificing what we take to be essential? How can the lineages and traditions that speak to us individually bring one another to a greater fullness? The conversation culminates with a question for all of us: how is metalineage living through you? How will you express your highest values in this life, leaving nothing good behind?

If you feel fed by the show, please support Mindfulness+ by sharing with a friend, leaving a review or making a tax-deductible donation to Lower Lights School of Wisdom. We’re grateful for your support!

Want more guidance from Thomas? Come to our monthly online practitioners retreat. Have a practice question for Thomas? Leave a voicemail Voicemail. We would love to hear from you.

Also, check out Thomas’s new book here

Episode 21: At-One-Ment Dec 06, 2023

This is a special episode. Gloria Pak visits the Mindfulness+ studio in Cambridge, Massachusetts to engage Thomas in a conversation about his recent book, At-One-Ment: Embodying the Fullness of Human Divinity. What does it mean to belong to a tradition? What does it mean to leave a tradition? If we’ve left, are there meaningful ways to continue to embody and bring forth the best of the lineages that form us? How do we engage in our “local-ness” while also making way for the universal wonder of Spirit? Listen in to this soulful exploration of a new kind of spirituality that is showing up on our planet.

If you feel fed by the show, please support Mindfulness+ by sharing with a friend, leaving a review or making a tax-deductible donation to Lower Lights School of Wisdom. We’re grateful for your support!

Want more guidance from Thomas? Come to our monthly online practitioners retreat. Have a practice question for Thomas? Leave a voicemail Voicemail. We would love to hear from you.

Also, check out Thomas’s new book here

Episode 20: Of Hell Realms and Gods Nov 29, 2023

In an immature contemplative practice, we tend to assume that the whole point is to learn to draw as much pleasure from each meditation session as we possibly can. As we become more experienced, however, we learn that it is natural to traverse many “realms” throughout the day and throughout our lives. The question becomes, can we remain as fully awake in the realm of the gods as we can in the depths of hell.

If you feel fed by the show, please support Mindfulness+ by sharing with a friend, leaving a review or making a tax-deductible donation to Lower Lights School of Wisdom. We’re grateful for your support!

Want more guidance from Thomas? Come to our monthly online practitioners retreat. Have a practice question for Thomas? Leave a voicemail Voicemail. We would love to hear from you.

Also, check out Thomas’s new book here

Episode 19: Updrafting: The Art of Hitching a Free Ride Nov 22, 2023

If meditation practice hinged solely on the effort we put into it, the hours and minutes we logged each day, we’d be in trouble. Sooner or later, we would exhaust ourselves from all our diligent efforting. But the deeper we move into this practice, the more we become aware of effortless practice—the free ride that Nature provides, if we know how to catch that updraft.

If you feel fed by the show, please support Mindfulness+ by sharing with a friend, leaving a review or making a tax-deductible donation to Lower Lights School of Wisdom. We’re grateful for your support!

Want more guidance from Thomas? Come to our monthly online practitioners retreat. Have a practice question for Thomas? Leave a voicemail Voicemail. We would love to hear from you.

Also, check out Thomas’s new book here

Episode 18: Groundlessness Nov 15, 2023

It is no secret that the Millennial and Gen Z cohort are losing their religion and seeking new ways to feel wonder and awe. But what is it about traditional religion that repels some? In a word, it may be certitude. What would it look like to honor all that our ancestors knew and realized, while being more open than ever to the Mystery and Unknowing of human life? The upcoming generations seem to be asking these questions intuitively, embodying new forms of wisdom on our planet. Listen to Little Moon’s moving anthem to an emergent spirituality: https://open.spotify.com/track/37N7VOw3uyycrCbiB8cDIa?si=d068dfcd57434c25

If you feel fed by the show, please support Mindfulness+ by sharing with a friend, leaving a review or making a tax-deductible donation to Lower Lights School of Wisdom. We’re grateful for your support!

Want more guidance from Thomas? Come to our monthly online practitioners retreat. Have a practice question for Thomas? Leave a voicemail Voicemail. We would love to hear from you.

Also, check out Thomas’s new book here

Episode 17: The Meditation Teacher Who’s Right For You Nov 08, 2023

Sooner or later, if we get at all serious about integrating contemplation into our day to day life, we start to wonder what it would look like to have a bona fide teacher to guide us on the path. In this episode, Thomas articulates some of the principles that he has found most helpful in working with teachers of his own, as well as offering students guidance in calling in the right teacher at the right time.

If you feel fed by the show, please support Mindfulness+ by sharing with a friend, leaving a review or making a tax-deductible donation to Lower Lights School of Wisdom. We’re grateful for your support!

Want more guidance from Thomas? Come to our monthly online practitioners retreat. Have a practice question for Thomas? Leave a voicemail Voicemail. We would love to hear from you.

Offerings: Join Thomas for a 3-day workshop in Salt Lake City, Utah, January 5-7, 2024. For registration and details, click here.

Also, check out Thomas’s new book here

Episode 16: The Art of Waiting Nov 01, 2023

Waiting is something we end up doing just about everyday of our lives. And what makes waiting so difficult? Perhaps it’s the belief that if we could only be done waiting, then we would finally feel better. Given the situation, it would be wise to cultivate the art of waiting. That is, when we learn to bring our highest awareness to the experience of waiting, we discover that we will never need to wait again!

If you feel fed by the show, please support Mindfulness+ by sharing with a friend, leaving a review or making a tax-deductible donation to Lower Lights School of Wisdom. We’re grateful for your support!

Want more guidance from Thomas? Come to our monthly online practitioners retreat.

Also, check out Thomas’s new book here

Have a practice question for Thomas? Leave a voicemail Voicemail. We would love to hear from you.

Episode 15: Heartfulness Oct 25, 2023

“Mindfulness” is a word. And words have their power. When we call this practice “mindfulness”, it sets us up to have a particular kind of experience which in some ways, can be limiting. In this extended meditation, Thomas uses the word “heartfulness” to turn the tables and open up a new dimension of experience that perhaps you wouldn’t have expected—the boundless Reality and Intelligence of the Heart.

If you feel fed by the show, please support Mindfulness+ by sharing with a friend, leaving a review or making a tax-deductible donation to Lower Lights School of Wisdom. We’re grateful for your support!

Want more guidance from Thomas? Come to our monthly online practitioners retreat.

Also, check out Thomas’s new book! https://www.amazon.com/At-One-Ment-Human-Divinity-Thomas-Wirthlin-McConkie/dp/1953677169/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1XK028CQKCUQV&keywords=atonement+mcconkie&qid=1698159281&sprefix=atonement+mcconki%2Caps%2C73&sr=8-1

Have a practice question for Thomas? Leave a voicemail Voicemail. We would love to hear from you.

Episode 14: Unique Self Oct 18, 2023

One of the great joys of contemplative life is that it teaches us to be who we actually are. By holding our attention inwardly, rather than being scattered about by a million different things, we nourish the best, most unique parts of ourselves. As the unique self comes into being, it becomes a gloriously original expression of Creation through which we can offer our fullest gifts to everyone and everything.

If you feel fed by the show, please support Mindfulness+ by sharing with a friend, leaving a review or making a tax-deductible donation to Lower Lights School of Wisdom. We’re grateful for your support!

Want more guidance from Thomas? Come to our monthly online practitioners retreat.

Have a practice question for Thomas? Leave a voicemail Voicemail. We would love to hear from you.

Episode 13: Soothing the Inner-Toddler Oct 11, 2023

When we are children, we get upset countless times a day. If we don’t get to play with the toy we want, if we don’t get to have a sugary snack on demand, we cry, we protest, we pout, we mope. In these moments, we need soothing from our caregivers to help our bodies reset. It turns out, we’re not so different as adults. We also get upset many times a day. The difference is that as adults, we often disconnect from the body through various avoidance strategies rather than just hold our “inner-toddler” through the pain. But we can change! We can learn to hold ourselves, to soothe ourselves during these emotional storms. And when the storm breaks, which it always does, we find a new degree of mastery over ourselves and all of life.

If you feel fed by the show, please support Mindfulness+ by sharing with a friend, leaving a review or making a tax-deductible donation to Lower Lights School of Wisdom. We’re grateful for your support!

Want more guidance from Thomas? Come to our monthly online practitioners retreat.

Have a practice question for Thomas? Leave a voicemail Voicemail. We would love to hear from you.

Episode 12: The Gift of Pure Listening Oct 04, 2023

When we think about getting to know somebody, our minds often go to spending time with them, asking them questions about their life, about what they value, what they love. But the beloved Sufi poet, Rumi, offers us a surprising nugget of wisdom in this regard: you truly get to know another by what you are able to say in their presence. Check out the show and start to put this timeless wisdom into practice today.

If you feel fed by the show, please support Mindfulness+ by sharing with a friend, leaving a review or making a tax-deductible donation to Lower Lights School of Wisdom. We’re grateful for your support!

Want more guidance from Thomas? Come to our monthly online practitioners retreat.

Have a practice question for Thomas? Leave a voicemail Voicemail. We would love to hear from you.

Episode 11: The Taste of Freedom Sep 27, 2023

Every few episodes, Thomas likes to take a break from the content and storytelling and get right into practice. Here he explores the way we can access a fundamental sense of freedom and joy by shifting attention in a slightly new direction. It’s so easy to do you almost won’t believe it.

If you feel fed by the show, please support Mindfulness+ by sharing with a friend, leaving a review or making a tax-deductible donation to Lower Lights School of Wisdom. We’re grateful for your support!

Want more guidance from Thomas? Come to our monthly online practitioners retreat.

Have a practice question for Thomas? Leave a voicemail Voicemail. We would love to hear from you.

Episode 10: The Courage To Do Nothing Sep 20, 2023

Busyness is the fashion in our modern world—the default mode of being. No matter how much we’re doing, we can always do more. At least, that’s what many of us are taught to think. But what happens when we become willing to sit and do nothing? What if we don’t assume that doing something all the time is inherently productive or good? More radically, what if doing nothing is at the very heart of actually doing something real with your life? Start cultivating the courage to do nothing right now, and discover what beautiful places it will take you!

If you feel fed by the show, please support Mindfulness+ by sharing with a friend, leaving a review or making a tax-deductible donation to Lower Lights School of Wisdom. We’re grateful for your support!

Want more guidance from Thomas? Come to our monthly online practitioners retreat.

Have a practice question for Thomas? Leave a voicemail Voicemail. We would love to hear from you.

Episode 9: Grace and Works Sep 13, 2023

Do we transform through consistent, effortful practice, or are we transformed by something more mysterious that we can’t control and can’t even properly understand at the end of the day? Even framing this question in terms of either/or causes us to miss the mark. Thomas shares in this episode an unexpected transformation he recently experienced in the kitchen, seemingly in spite of his years of meditation practice. Listen in and start to appreciate how profoundly things are already working out at the deepest level.

If you feel fed by the show, please support Mindfulness+ by sharing with a friend, leaving a review or making a tax-deductible donation to Lower Lights School of Wisdom. We’re grateful for your support!

Want more guidance from Thomas? Come to our monthly online practitioners retreat.

Have a practice question for Thomas? Leave a voicemail Voicemail. We would love to hear from you.

Episode 8: Every Idea You Have Is Inaccurate Sep 06, 2023

Have you ever noticed how many ideas you have about, well, everything? We can hardly help but form opinions, beliefs, even dogmas about virtually every aspect of life. In this episode, Thomas recounts meeting his first teacher, and the freedom he felt when his teacher nonchalantly declared that any thought he has about anything is fundamentally inaccurate. What role do thoughts and beliefs have in life if they’re all just “inaccurate?” Listen in to get a taste of this delightfully fertile polarity.

If you feel fed by the show, please support Mindfulness+ by sharing with a friend, leaving a review or making a tax-deductible donation to Lower Lights School of Wisdom. We’re grateful for your support!

Want more guidance from Thomas? Come to our monthly online practitioners retreat.

Have a practice question for Thomas? Leave a voicemail Voicemail. We would love to hear from you.

Episode 7: Great Loss, Great Gain Aug 30, 2023

Often when we’re faced with a challenging decision, we have the experience of feeling stuck, or frozen, because we just can’t decide which direction is right for us. Thomas suggests in this episode that a powerful remedy for the feeling of stuckness in life is to more fully open up to the experience of loss. When we are willing to experience the inevitable loss that any given decision entails, we simultaneously open ourselves to the inevitable gain that comes from living the life we’ve chosen to live.

If you feel fed by the show, please support Mindfulness+ by sharing with a friend, leaving a review or making a tax-deductible donation to Lower Lights School of Wisdom. We’re grateful for your support!

Want more guidance from Thomas? Come to our monthly online practitioners retreat.

Have a practice question for Thomas? Leave a voicemail Voicemail. We would love to hear from you.

Episode 6: Life Abundant: A Meditation on Vitality Aug 23, 2023

It is a common misunderstanding in our society that meditation is primarily a practice of learning to relax. While relaxation is very much one of the fruits of this practice, it is just the beginning of the profound gifts that flow from open mind and open heart. In this episode, Thomas leads a longer meditation and points out one of the qualities that naturally arises in awake awareness—the feeling of Life itself.

If you feel fed by the show, please support Mindfulness+ by sharing with a friend, leaving a review or making a tax-deductible donation to Lower Lights School of Wisdom. We’re grateful for your support!

Want more guidance from Thomas? Come to our monthly online practitioners retreat.

Have a practice question for Thomas? Leave a voicemail Voicemail. We would love to hear from you.

Episode 5: Reverse Meditation: A Conversation with Andrew Holecek Aug 16, 2023

Andrew Holecek is an author, speaker, and humanitarian who offers seminars internationally on meditation, lucid dreaming, and the art of dying. Andrew’s books include Dreams of Light, Dream Yoga, and Reverse Meditation. He hosts the popular Edge of Mind podcast and is the founder of the Night Club community, a support platform for nocturnal meditations

In this episode, Thomas and Andrew discuss lucid dreaming, dream yoga, pain, neuroscience, all in the context of what Andrew calls “reverse meditation.” What is reverse meditation? In a word, it is bringing unwanted experience directly to the path of meditation. Listen in for new insights and some guided practice.

Also, you can find Andrew’s new book from Sounds True here.

Please support Mindfulness+ by sharing with a friend, leaving a review or making a tax-deductible donation to Lower Lights School of Wisdom. We’re grateful for your support!

Episode 4: The Struggle to Not Feel Aug 09, 2023

Thomas reprises the ever-present theme of vulnerability in this episode. As we mature in life, our capacity to tolerate more disturbing experience tends to mature as well. We start to realize how much energy we’ve spent avoiding certain experiences that have been with us all along. Mindfulness practice reveals to us a deeper capacity we have to stay present and awake to whatever is arising. In this way, we begin to let go of the struggle to not feel.

If you feel fed by the show, please support Mindfulness+ by sharing with a friend, leaving a review or making a tax-deductible donation to Lower Lights School of Wisdom. We’re grateful for your support!

Want more guidance from Thomas? Come to our monthly online practitioners retreat.

Have a practice question for Thomas? Leave a voicemail Voicemail. We would love to hear from you.

Episode 3: Kindness of Rhythm Aug 02, 2023

We all come with a particular disposition—a way we like to be and move in the world. Contemplative practice helps us attune to these subtle, soulful rhythms and move with greater kindness in our journey. Give yourself some space for this episode. Find a place where you can relax and just be. Savor the experience of coming home.

If you feel fed by the show, please support Mindfulness+ by sharing with a friend, leaving a review or making a tax-deductible donation to Lower Lights School of Wisdom. We’re grateful for your support!

Want more guidance from Thomas? Come to our monthly online practitioners retreat.

Have a practice question for Thomas? Leave a voicemail Voicemail. We would love to hear from you.

Episode 2: More Than Enough Jul 26, 2023

Sometimes in life it can feel like what we need, what we’re searching and striving for is so hard to come by. Mindfulness practice reveals to us exactly the opposite truth: it does not take much at all to relax into a mindset of “more than enough.” Fully embodied, open-hearted and open to life, the contentment and fulfillment we believed was somewhere in the far-off future reveals itself to be always here and now.

Want to practice with Thomas? Join on Zoom from anywhere in the world for a monthly mini-retreat. Feeling called to a really deep dive? Join his 7-day intensive training in Scholls, Oregon from August 10th-17th.

Episode 1: The Tenderness of Life Jul 19, 2023

In this and every moment, life invites us into a brand new experience at the edge of our knowing and our capacity. Too often we pretend like we know who we are and where we’re going. We then miss out on the precious experience of tenderness, where life reminds us that we have never, in fact, been here before. In this raw, exposed state, the possibilities are infinite.

Want to practice with Thomas? Join on Zoom from anywhere in the world for a monthly mini-retreat. Feeling called to a really deep dive? Join his 7-day intensive training in Scholls, Oregon from August 10th-17th.

Season 6 Trailer Jul 12, 2023

Hello, Mindfulness+ fans! We're excited to let you know that Season 6 is coming next week!

In the meantime, if you're looking for other supports to practice, Thomas offers a monthly mini-retreat on Zoom. And if you really want to go deep, join Thomas and Lower Lights for a 7-day retreat in Scholls, Oregon, August 10th-17th. Learn more here.

Sneak Peak at Season 6: Going to Boston! Jun 01, 2022

How do human beings transform and become what we’re meant to become? Thomas is taking this question to graduate school at Harvard University to ask some of the best minds in the world what practices can support us in living the good life.

Drawing from ancient understandings from the Wisdom traditions to modern insights in developmental psychology and neuroscience, Thomas will continue to offer intimate, guided tours of cosmos, soul and psyche from his new headquarters in Boston!

Want to practice with Thomas? Join on Zoom from anywhere in the world for a monthly mini-retreat. Feeling called to a really deep dive? Join his 7-day intensive training in Scholls, Oregon this August.

Bonus Episode: Yoga Nidra with Kelly Boys May 25, 2022

Kelly is a mindfulness trainer and author of The Blind Spot Effect: How to Stop Missing What’s Right in Front of You. She has developed mindfulness trainings in diverse places from the United Nations to San Quentin Prison. In this conversation, Kelly exudes dharma from every pore and offers a direct taste of the ancient practice of Yoga Nidra. This one is a special treat.

Want to leave a voicemail for the team? Ask Thomas a practice question? Request a special topic for a future episode? Click here.

Episode 25: Mother of All Beings Apr 27, 2022

In our season finale, Thomas pays tribute to the recently deceased dharma master, Dr. Daniel Brown. Brown’s work is a superb example of Eastern practice meeting the psychological sophistication of the West. In this episode, taste what it means to re-parent the self, what it means to become the Mother of all beings.

Episode 24: Earth Day Apr 20, 2022

It’s common in the modern world to speak of the need to “return to nature.” But from a contemplative perspective, we are Nature. We cannot leave nature, but we can forget who we are. When we remember our nature, we naturally take better care of ourselves, and better care of the planet that sustains us all.

Episode 23: Fearlessness Apr 13, 2022

So often in life, we tell ourselves that fear is a problem—that fear stops us from doing the things we most want to do. What about the wisdom of fear, though? Thomas shares a story of his friend who has made a living of encountering his fear everyday for over 40 years now. The result? Not a lack of fear, but the courage to act with fear fully present. Fearlessness.

Episode 22: Hosts, Hostages and Vagrants Apr 06, 2022

What did the early Buddhists of China mean when they said, “Be the host of every situation?” In this episode, Thomas explores a sutra that likens mindful awareness to a “host” allowing innumerable “guests” to come and go through the inn. The trick: to let the guests who want to stay, stay, and to let the guests who want to go, go.

Episode 21: The Moving Target of Unknowing Mar 30, 2022

The mind prefers to have answers. When we don’t have answers, we feel anything from low-grade anxiety to full-blown panic. If we pay close attention to life, we find that no sooner do we know one thing than we realize there are even more things we don’t know. In short, the experience of “unknowing” is inescapable. What if, instead of spending all our energy avoiding the discomfort of unknowing, we opened up to it? What if unknowing is a gateway leading us to a new way of being human?

Episode 20: Giving Is Receiving Mar 23, 2022

From an ordinary point of view, giving and receiving are opposites. In the “real world,” you give a little in order to get a little. Not so on the path of transformation. From a deeper perspective, giving and receiving are one reality, one movement. Listen to a moving account of citizens of the world giving to Ukraine with no hope of receiving something in return. In the words of Jesus, “if you lend money only to those who can repay you, why should you get credit?”

Episode 19: Divide and Conquer Mar 16, 2022

“Overwhelm” is a technical term in mindfulness. It refers to the experience of not being able to mindfully process sensory experience moment to moment. When life gets too intense, our suffering multiplies. In this episode you can deepen your learning on the classic practice of “divide and conquer”: notice where the most overwhelm is occurring, make skillful adjustments, and you’re back in the game. For anyone serious about not suffering, this episode is a boon.

Episode 18: Hearing the Cries of the World Mar 09, 2022

When we open up to the suffering on the planet, we soon realize that we, the “small self”, are not nearly big enough to contain it all. To really hold suffering in our heart and help to relieve it, we must get bigger—a move from the relative to the Absolute. In Buddhism, there is a Bodhisattva, or awakened being, who models just this: Kuan Yin (Chinese translation). Her name means “she who hears the cries of the world.” As a new war wages in Ukraine, it is an especially important moment to learn to get Big, to hold it together; to hear the cries of the world.

Episode 17: Building Heaven Mar 02, 2022

At a time in the not-so-distant past, you might have been involved in the building of a cathedral that took so long to complete, you would have never seen the finished product of your labors. Nevertheless, your participation was absolutely vital. This is a fascinating metaphor for the new reality humanity is giving rise to moment by moment. Thomas calls it “building heaven.”

Episode 16: Hold Stroke Feb 23, 2022

When life throws challenges at us, it tests our capacity to be open, clear and present. Thomas recounts his glory days as a high school swimmer in this episode to point out a helpful technique for practicing when the going gets tough. If we’re clear where our mindful awareness tends to break down, we can “train to remain” in a more intelligent way.

Episode 15: No Gaining Idea Feb 16, 2022

If you think about virtually everything you do in a given day, you may come to a realization: “I do what I do because I want to get something out it.” We work to earn money, we exercise to stay fit, we meditate to feel good…it seems harmless enough. But there is a more subtle path available to us as human beings. In Suzuki Roshi’s words, we can live our lives with “no gaining idea.” When we have no gaining idea, we taste what it means to express our true nature—to be truly alive.

Episode 14: Effectively Selfish Feb 09, 2022

It’s not often you call someone “selfish” and mean it as a compliment. But prepare to be liberated from your misconceptions about what healthy selfishness actually is! In this episode, Thomas offers insights from the field of developmental psychology and coaches you on how to be the best kind of selfish in your life. You’ll be glad you listened. Interested in learning more about development? For information about an opportunity to join Thomas’s cohort program, go to www.lowerlightswisdom.org/spectra.

Episode 13: Who am I? An interview with Dr. Terri O’Fallon Feb 02, 2022

One of Thomas’s great pleasures in hosting Mindfulness+ is the opportunity to introduce listeners to some of the teachers who have changed his life. On today’s show, Dr. Terri O’Fallon shares a few of the dazzling delights from the field of human development. Terri is a renowned expert in this area, known for her spiritual depth, vision, and kindness. She ultimately points us to the great mystery, “who am I?” Learn about her latest offerings at stagesinternational.com. For information about an opportunity to join Thomas’s cohort program, go to www.lowerlightswisdom.org/spectra.

Episode 12: Sit Like a Mountain Jan 26, 2022

If you’ve been practicing meditation for some time, you may have heard the instruction somewhere along the way to “sit like a mountain.” But what does that mean? Is it just a nice metaphor? Thomas takes us right to the heart of our mountain nature in this episode, where there is always, right here, an abiding peace, stillness and stability.

Episode 11: Metalineage Jan 19, 2022

Spirituality and human transformation are taking exciting turns in the 21st century. Never before have so many traditions been intersecting, influencing and evolving one another. How can we meet this moment with courage and curiosity? Thomas lays out a vision of “metalineage” in this episode—a way in which all of humanity can realize greater fullness and freedom. For a deeper dive, check out this immersive online experience, Gospel Meets Dharma: The Dance of Buddhism and Christianity in the 21st Century.

Episode 10: “Only phonies don’t get enlightened.” Jan 12, 2022

Mindfulness practice is simple as it is difficult: we need to be willing to feel what we’re actually feeling. Easier said than done! In this episode, Thomas shares the experience of his grandmother’s recent passing, all that he wasn’t willing to feel, and what came on the other side of being honest with himself.

Episode 9: New, Gone Jan 05, 2022

In this episode, Thomas offers an extended, beginning-of-the-year meditation, inviting you to appreciate what has already passed—what is gone. The more fully we learn to welcome the “gone”, the greater the birth of something new in our lives.

Episode 8: On Being Complete Dec 29, 2021

To be a human being is to be incomplete—in process. No matter where we are in this moment, we are undoubtedly on our way to becoming something else, something new. How, then, do we manage the anxiety of being “in suspense and incomplete”? Thomas points to the part of us that is already complete in this episode, even as we are becoming something more.

Also, check out this new online course, Gospel Meets Dharma: The Dance of Buddhism and Christianity in the 21st Century.

Episode 7: What Survives Dec 22, 2021

For those of us who live in the Northern Hemisphere, we’re right on the other side of the winter solstice. Traditionally, this is a time when we hunker down, take an inventory on our lives perhaps, and sense into what survives the enveloping dark. When we pay close attention, we’re comforted to discover the light that the darkness never overcomes. Also, check out Thomas’s new online course, Gospel Meets Dharma: The Dance of Buddhism and Christianity in the 21st Century.

Episode 6: Stop Lying Dec 15, 2021

The path of waking up and growing up can be excruciating, even as it can be gentle and forgiving. We continue the meditation on Advent in this episode with a reading from the Gospel of Thomas. “Stop lying”, Yeshua says. What could this mean? Is there a truth we haven’t been willing to hear, or speak? Also, check out Thomas’s new online course, Gospel Meets Dharma: The Dance of Buddhism and Christianity in the 21st Century.

Episode 5: Extraordinary Happiness Dec 08, 2021

In the Buddhist tradition, we make the distinction between “ordinary” and “extraordinary” happiness. Extraordinary happiness, simply put, is a happiness beyond conditions. Thomas shares about this teaching in the context of Advent, a time when we can bring more awareness to our “distorted values” and let in greater Light. Also, check out Thomas’s new online course, Gospel Meets Dharma: The Dance of Buddhism and Christianity in the 21st Century.

Episode 4: Sons and Daughters of Infinity Dec 01, 2021

What does the “+” in “Mindfulness+” mean again? Thomas takes us even deeper into the territory it points to in this episode. Drawing from the words of Aurobindo, he invites us beyond the “surface mind’s” idea of reality into something altogether Unnameable.

Episode 3: Lessons from a Healer Nov 24, 2021

In this episode, Thomas invites his very first meditation teacher, David Timpson, to share about his meditation practice, his medical practice, and the profound power of the intentions of our heart. The conversation is a beautiful window into how mindfulness can transform us over the decades. Prepare to be inspired!

Episode 2: Your Basic Goodness Nov 17, 2021

We take a quantum leap on the spiritual path when we learn to really trust our basic goodness. The challenge: layer after layer of socialization, education, and shame tend to obscure our connection to this goodness. What can we do? Listen to today’s episode for insights and practices to “return to innocence.”

Episode 1: Waves of Impermanence Nov 10, 2021

We’re back! Thank you for joining us for a brand new season. Thomas kicks off the festivities with a close reading of a timeless text from the Mahayana Buddhist tradition. In this episode you can learn to relax your inner control freak (okay, for some of us it’s more like an outer control freak) and let go more fully into the natural ebb and flow of life.

Episode 24: Raising All of Creation Sep 09, 2020

Welcome to the season finale, Mindfulness Plussers! In the midst of hurricane force winds and blackouts across Salt Lake Valley, Thomas offers a deep view on parenting. Ultimately, when we’re totally present, we raise Creation itself.

Episode 23: Spontaneous Awakening Sep 02, 2020

Have you ever had the experience of trying to meditate, only to find yourself constantly frustrated that you’re endlessly distracted? Have no fear!

Thomas offers a simple, proven remedy to turn this deficit into a great strength. Your practice will never be the same. Also, join us for our home retreat, Sep. 12th: https://lowerlightswisdom.org/upcomingevents/home-retreat-a-day-of-sacred-living

Episode 22: The Relative and The Absolute (corrected) Aug 28, 2020

Suzuki Roshi said it well to his students: “Each of you is perfect the way you are ... and you can use a little improvement.” What delightful play! Let’s dive into this paradox together.

If we are only aware of the Relative, our practice becomes pressurized and grim. But if we get stuck in the Absolute, well, in Zen terms, we start to stink. Where is the Middle Way? Also, join us for our home retreat, Sep. 12th: https://lowerlightswisdom.org/upcomingevents/home-retreat-a-day-of-sacred-living

Episode 21: The Path Aug 19, 2020

What we sometimes refer to as “the path”, that is, the process of transformation, has been expressed in different ways in the Wisdom traditions throughout history. We can learn a great deal from the similarities—and differences—in these formulations that seem to be pointing to very similar territory.

Listen in as Thomas compares snippets from St. Teresa’s “Interior Castle” and Master Guo An Shi Yuan’s commentary on the Oxherding Pictures of Zen Buddhism. What a joy to walk this path!

Episode 20: Shiva / Shakti Aug 12, 2020

In this practice, there are two currents always at play: that of Transcendence, that which moves beyond all form, and Immanence, that which embraces all form.

In Hinduism, these principles are deified as Shiva (Transcendence) and Shakti (Immanence). In the end, these currents are not two—they are different movements of the same Divine Reality. Listen in today’s episode to the story of Ramana Maharshi and the very intimate way in which the Divine danced his life.

Episode 19: Schrödinger’s Glacier Aug 05, 2020

It’s time for another extended guided meditation on Mindfulness+! Thomas shares a quote from the famous physicist, Erwin Schrödinger, and invites listeners to participate in the great Mystery that mystics and sages across the ages have invited us into: What is the self? Who is aware? What is it that is aware in this very moment of the words on this screen? Come fill your heart in this exploration.

Episode 18: What Pain Makes Possible Jul 29, 2020

Mindfulness practices teaches us to relate to the discomforts of life in a dramatically new way. Conventionally, all we want to do as biological organisms is to get comfortable and stay comfortable. But when we look closely, we realize that pain is not just something we can learn to tolerate, it is a kind of grace, opening us up to a world beyond suffering.

Episode 17: Heat Wave Jul 22, 2020

We’re in the dog days of summer in Salt Lake City. Thomas shares a modern mindfulness parable on a broken air conditioner and working with discomfort. He guides listeners in becoming experts at diagnosing the suffering in their own body-mind. In the end, it is never one’s “own” body-mind. Any suffering we alleviate in “ourselves” is an alleviation of suffering for all beings everywhere in all worlds.

Episode 16: A Rare Chance Jul 15, 2020

We live in a day and age where high quality teachings are available to anyone who is interested in the path of meditation. And yet, there remains something unique, even “rare” about the opportunity to meet and be inspired by a living master in the flesh.

In this episode Thomas invites you to deepen your appreciation of the precious seed that is planted when we have such an encounter. In turn, you can set your intention on being that encounter for someone else on their own path of Transformation.

Episode 15: The One Who Knows Jul 08, 2020

In human life, we naturally confront the question again and again, “What do I do now? Where do I go next?” Or more broadly, “what do I do with my life?”

Thomas draws from the deep well of Zen in this episode to take on these often bewildering questions. From a Zen perspective, the solution is so simple, we tend to look right past it.

Episode 14: No Body, No Mind Jul 01, 2020

These last 12 days, Thomas has been staring a lot at his son and contemplating newborn consciousness. Which is lucky for you!

In this episode, Thomas leads an extended guided meditation, inviting you back into primordial, formless presence, aka the experience of a newborn baby. In fact, we all have the capacity to rest in this open field of formless awareness—we simply forget!

We hope you’ll enjoy this practice of remembrance.

Episode 13: Cosmic Assistance Jun 24, 2020

Do you have a sense of what it means to “listen from the ear of the Heart?” When we do listen from this new place within ourselves, the results can be dramatic.

Listen as Thomas recounts a recent encounter with the Imaginal Realm—what Cynthia Bourgeault calls the “realm of cosmic assistance.”

Episode 12: Wisdom Mother Jun 17, 2020

What would it mean to see things as they truly are? Is it even possible to do so? Thomas draws from an ancient Buddhist verse to explore this Mystery in this episode.

The Prajnaparamita Sutra describes the “Wisdom Mother” continuing to “instruct her enlightened children about the true nature of What is.” Take a breath, relax the body, open the Heart, and explore this practice of “Perfect Wisdom” with us.

Episode 11: The Mindful Review Jun 10, 2020

In a previous episode, Thomas said that “the Dharma is all about second chances.” In this episode, he goes into much greater detail. Namely, he asks how we can learn to bring a greater degree of mindfulness to the most difficult experiences of our lives.

For anybody serious about decreasing their own suffering and that of others, this practice is an invaluable tool!

Episode 10: Duende Jun 03, 2020

“Duende”, a term coined by the Spanish poet, Lorca, describes the power of art to whisk us away into a world of “invisibles.”

In this episode, Thomas mixes poetry and Dharma to invite you into a new realm full of magic and mystery. Is “duende” really a thing? Try on this practice and decide for yourself!

Episode 9: Appropriateness May 27, 2020

Appropriateness—an admittedly unsexy term, but with very sexy implications! Appropriateness has everything to do with showing up freshly in each moment of life and doing something we’ve never done before because we’ve never encountered precisely this same moment. As our mindfulness practice deepens, we respond to the moment less from our habituated programs of the past and more from a place where we surprise even ourselves.

Episode 8: Eternity In An Hour May 20, 2020

What could it mean to see the “World in a Grain of Sand”, or to live “Eternity in an hour”? In this extended meditation, Thomas points out the “Ground of Being”, a classic territory in contemplative practice.

Episode 7: “Their Need Is Overwhelming” May 13, 2020

The soul’s need is overwhelming. There are no lengths it would not go to to get the sustenance it needs to flourish.

In these days of quarantine, take a moment—take many moments—to come back to yourself and be honest about what really drives you. What really feeds you. Then risk it.

Watch these ibexes for inspiration.

Episode 6: Gain and Loss May 06, 2020

In these Covid times, we have all lost things that we didn’t plan to lose. Many of us probably spend more energy than we’d like fearing further loss. In this episode, acquaint yourself with the fear that surrounds the experience of loss and learn to include it more fully in the wholeness (and holiness) of your life.

Episode 5: The Great Gesture Apr 29, 2020

Life is full of second chances. The Dharma is all about second chances. Just now, if you didn’t meet the last moment with full presence and full awareness, life will offer you the next moment to get it right. It’s as if Reality itself is not content until you fully receive the “Great Gesture”, right now. Always right NOW.

Episode 4: Neurodiverse Apr 22, 2020

It’s World Autism Month! In honor of all of our neurodiverse loved ones, Thomas shares a story of a dharma teaching from his brother, Joseph, who is on the autistic spectrum.

Join us in this episode for a practice inspired by one of the many superpowers that people with autism have to offer to the world.

Also, if you have any leads on helping Joseph make new and meaningful connections, please email us at info@mindfulnessplus.org.

Episode 3: A Single Care Apr 15, 2020

In these times of quarantine, it can be easy to get bogged down in one care, one concern, one worry after another. When we enter that “mind” of fretting, there is no end to our troubles.

How about cashing in all of the cares in the world for one single care? Would you do it? Would it even be possible to stop worrying and let something else within us tend to all of our cares? Come and see!

Episode 2: Bacteria Apr 09, 2020

Living bacteria were first observed through a microscope in the year 1670. This discovery led to the development of Germ Theory and a revolution in human health.

There is another kind of subtle infestation in human experience that deprives us of an inherent sense of freedom and joy. But there’s good news! We all have the capacity to disinfect; to become healthy and whole again. This discovery too has led to a whole new order of human happiness.

Episode 1: Divinity School Apr 01, 2020

We’re launching season 4 one month earlier than scheduled in support of your practice and in order to meet the current global crisis in full awareness.

We find ourselves—all of humanity—suddenly thrust into a “school of hardship.” What qualities will we “gather” during this time? What garden will we grow? Let your in-tention guide your a-ttention and see who you become.

Next live practice call will be Wednesday, April 1st, 7-8pm Mountain Time!

To register: https://lowerlightswisdom.org/upcomingevents/2020/4/causal-collective

Bonus Episode: Collective Awakening Oct 16, 2019

We cannot wake up alone. We need each other. In this post-season bonus episode, Thomas and his wife, “Glo”, share some of their experiences and insights working and living in “cohort life.”

For those Mindfulness+ listeners who are interested in really taking their practice to a new orbit, check out the Spectra program at lowerlightswisdom.org/spectra.

Episode 24: Dana Oct 10, 2019

To be alive is to be in exchange with all things—an endless round of giving and receiving. When we receive something precious, we naturally move to reciprocate and give back to it.

For the season 3 finale, we invite you to support Mindfulness+ in whatever way you can and help us continue to provide this resource for the happiness of all beings.

Donate at www.mindfulnessplus.org/donate.

Episode 23: The Way of Effortless Mindfulness with Loch Kelly Oct 02, 2019

Loch Kelly, one of the great teachers of our time, shares his insights and open-hearted awareness with the Mindfulness+ community in this opening and enlightening interview.

He has a new book by Sounds True, The Way of Effortless Mindfulness—a superb handbook for any sincere student. Do you want to save yourself a lot of grief and unnecessary strife in your meditation practice and in life? Then pay close attention to what Loch has to share.

Learn more at lochkelly.org

Episode 23 (video): The Way of Effortless Mindfulness with Loch Kelly Oct 02, 2019

Loch Kelly, one of the great teachers of our time, shares his insights and open-hearted awareness with the Mindfulness+ community in this opening and enlightening interview.

He has a new book by Sounds True, The Way of Effortless Mindfulness—a superb handbook for any sincere student. Do you want to save yourself a lot of grief and unnecessary strife in your meditation practice and in life? Then pay close attention to what Loch has to share.

Learn more at lochkelly.org

Episode 22: Too Small To Live Sep 25, 2019

The great poet, David Whyte tells us, “What you can plan is too small to live.” In what ways might the smallness of your planning being blinding you to a deeper grace, a greater truth?

Explore this theme on today’s episode.

Also, if you appreciate Mindfulness+ and what it does for you, then please donate!

https://www.mindfulnessplus.org/donate

Episode 21: Your Original Face Sep 18, 2019

In this longer meditation, Thomas guides listeners into an exploration of their timeless, boundless nature. Sound trippy? You’ll find it’s as easy as breathing to show “your original face before your parents were born.”

Episode 20: My Grandfather, The Lotus Sep 11, 2019

Who are we really? And what ideas do we have about ourselves and others that keep us distant from them, keep us isolated?

In this special episode, Thomas tells a story of an encounter he had with his grandfather recently, and the unexpected moment of Presence that shone through 26 years of estrangement.

Episode 19: Range Sep 04, 2019

We seem to intuitively admire the capacity for range in human beings, e.g. singers who can hit the high and the low notes, actors and actresses who can do tragedy as well as they can do comedy.

What does it mean from a mindfulness perspective to have significant “experiential range?” In this episode we explore the concept and of course, delve into the terrain together through practice.

Episode 18: Fits and Starts Aug 28, 2019

We’ve all heard about the glamorous side of a mindfulness practice: reduced stress, elevated mood, better relationships and more. But what about acknowledging the genuinely terrifying side of practice?

As we deepen in our awareness practice, our fear tends to increase exponentially. Paradoxically, it is in this fear that we can find our greatest freedom.

Episode 17: The Doors of Perception Aug 21, 2019

William Blake wrote, “If the doors of perception were cleansed every thing would appear to man as it is: Infinite.”

How do we cleanse these doors? How do we come to see the Infinite? Get a taste, right here.

Episode 16: An interview with Donald Altman, author of the new book, Reflect Aug 14, 2019

Donald Altman, M.A. LPC, is a psychotherapist, award-winning writer, former Buddhist monk and teacher.

He joins us on Mindfulness+ to discuss his path of transformation and new book on mindfulness, “Reflect.” For more information about Donald, click here. Or, order his book.

Episode 15: The Perfection of Wisdom Aug 07, 2019

Forgiveness can be a difficult quality to cultivate. Maybe among the hardest.

In this episode, Thomas draws from Christian and Buddhist Wisdom texts to offer insight into what true forgiveness might consist of.

Episode 14: Bear Down, Ease Up Jul 31, 2019

You may have noticed that in meditation, as in life, sometimes it’s helpful to exert effort, and other times, effort just gets in the way. We need to let go, ease up.

In this episode, Thomas guides a longer meditation, pointing out the moments when it might be most helpful to “bear down and ease up.”

Episode 13: The Life and Legacy of Father Thomas Keating Jul 24, 2019

Father Thomas Keating (1923–2018) was a uniquely gifted human being and great Soul.

In this episode, Thomas McConkie reflects on Father Thomas’s legacy, as well as invites listeners into a direct experience of the Silence that in Keating’s words, is “God’s first language.”

Episode 12: A Dharmic Conversation with Vicki Kennedy-Overfelt Jul 17, 2019

In this conversation, Thomas talks to his longtime dharma friend, Vicki Kennedy-Overfelt, about finding a home on the spiritual path, effort and effortlessness, and ultimately, the supreme wholeness and holiness that each one of us is.

Learn more about Vicki and her community at:

mindfulnessutah.com

Episode 11: Transmuting Lead Into Gold Jul 10, 2019

You’ve heard about the practice of alchemy—transmuting base metals into gold. This serves as a beautiful metaphor for how we can relate to challenging experience in our day to day life.

We can become an alembic—the alchemical vessel—that can withstand enough heat and pressure to transform our most challenging life experiences into pure gold.

Episode 10: The Emptying of Hell Jul 03, 2019

When it comes right down to it, we practice paying attention here at Mindfulness+ because we suffer. All human beings are born into suffering. The Good News is that the Wisdom traditions offer us insight and support into walking out of suffering together.

Listen in for some practical advice on how to “empty out hell” in your own life and others.

Episode 9: Taking Refuge Jun 26, 2019

This week we dive a bit deeper into practice by taking refuge in the presence of a being whom we deeply trust.

When we connect to this deep source of trust and love, we find these profound qualities and gifts arising at the center of our very own being.

Episode 8: Awareness Deficit Disorder Jun 19, 2019

When we understand how the attentional system of the mind works, it becomes much easier to train the skill of mindfulness.

Explore in this episode the two very distinct qualities of consciousness we can exercise in order to be more mindful.

Episode 7: Hallelujah Jun 12, 2019

One of the essential principles we learn in a mindfulness practice is that abiding happiness and joy centers on how we relate to experience, not the experience itself.

Listen to this story of an unexpected ray of joy beamed from none other than Leonard Cohen himself.

Episode 6: Immeasurable Expanse Jun 05, 2019

So much of human life is governed and divided by the lines and boundaries we somewhat arbitrarily draw across our experience.

Join Thomas as he takes flight (literally) across these lines and off into the immeasurable expanse.

Episode 5: Trust May 29, 2019

John T. Kesler, founder of Integral Polarity Practice and longtime mentor of Thomas joins us in season 3 for an exploration of still point practice.

In this conversation, John and Thomas explore the practice of Trust and its role in living an inspired and contemplative life. You won’t want to miss this!

Listen to a previous interview with John from Season 1, Living an Inspired Life

Episode 4: Wildfire May 22, 2019

It is a fact of human life that often, maybe even many times a day, we’ll experience significant disturbance that starts as a spark that sets off a wild blaze.

In this episode Thomas offers practical advice and guidance for not letting these sparks connect to tinder. As we deepen this practice, we realize that living in a state of happiness beyond conditions is a real possibility in this very life.

Episode 3: Balancing the Senses May 16, 2019

Until we start paying attention on purpose, we usually don’t realize how much of our awareness is tied up in seeing and thinking. In this longer guided meditation, you can learn to gently balance your awareness across the senses. The result is a state of enlivening and joyful Presence.

Episode 2: Spring Clean May 08, 2019

Mindfulness is a counter-instinctual practice–it gives us strength to turn toward the aspects of our lives that we would prefer to avoid.

Like sunshine disinfecting a musty cellar, the light of awareness purifies those parts of our mental/emotional lives that fester. It’s time to spring clean!

Episode 1: Soulcraft May 01, 2019

Welcome to season 3 of Mindfulness+!

Thomas opens the new season in the afterglow of a soul-stirring gathering in Spring City, Utah. He shares a poem from Adi Al-Riga that has informed his practice and soul work over the last 20 years. May this episode remind you of your own passion.

Bonus: New! Causal Collective: Live Practice Zoom Call Jan 31, 2019

Starting February 6th, you can join a live call with Thomas and Mindfulness+ listeners from all over the world. Thomas will guide meditations, offer insights on different techniques and approaches, as well as discuss questions with participants. Come get your Zen on with a new online community. Register at http://mindfulnessplus.org

Episode 26: You Are the Zendo Dec 27, 2018

It’s such a human thing to wait for the right conditions and suppose that once things are finally the way we like them, we’ll be happy. In this final episode of season 2, Thomas invites the “Kingdom of Heaven” to be now, and for the Zendo to always be open.

Episode 25: Come Into Being Dec 20, 2018

The present moment often seems rather dull and unremarkable to the ego. But when we learn to pay attention, to taste the flavor of all that is passing in order to give rise to this moment, then life presents itself as extraordinary. Donate at www.minfulnessplus.org.

Episode 24: Fitness Dec 11, 2018

What can the Governator, Arnold Schwarzenegger, teach us about mindfulness practice? Quite a bit, actually. Thomas describes two critical dimensions of practice in this episode: liberation and virtue. Like Arnold, you can learn to exercise different muscles for that perfectly symmetrical build.

Episode 23: The Moon Dec 04, 2018

In this episode Thomas whisks us back to early 19th century Japan for an aesthetic feast in the form of a haiku. This is a poem that captured his imagination as a teenager when he was starting out on the path. Perhaps it will capture yours too.

Episode 22: Gross, Subtle, Causal Nov 27, 2018

The three natural states are described metaphorically in Hinduism as waking, dreaming and deep sleep. But what is the practical value of becoming familiar with these states, even proficient? One possible answer that Thomas suggests is Freedom and Love. Join this guided tour and see for yourself.

Episode 21: Thanks-Giving Nov 20, 2018

Our monthly, extended guided meditation to help you get in your groove for Thanksgiving. At the deepest level, we’re not grateful for things so much as we are gratitude itself; always thanks-giving through our very being.

Episode 20: Wandering Mind, Unhappy Mind Nov 15, 2018

It seems almost common sense to believe that our happiness depends on what kinds of experiences we’re having in life. “Not so!” say a number of prominent researchers in the field of positive psychology. It turns out that how focused we are on the task at hand is the real predictor of how happy we feel. Learn the concepts, exercise your happiness muscles in this show. And please support us at www.minfulnessplus.org.

Episode 19: Wisdom of the Twin Nov 08, 2018

I’m so happy to introduce Dr. Lynn Bauman to the Mindfulness+ community. Lynn is a renowned scholar and seasoned spiritual practitioner in his own right. In our conversation, I ask him about his conversion experience to Wisdom when he was young as well as some of his feelings about the Gospel of Thomas, for which he is widely known as a preeminent translator. Get his book here.

Episode 18: Who Is Aware? Oct 31, 2018

We have a deeply ingrained habit of being glued to every single little thing that pops up in our environment. This is a good survival pattern, but crazy-making for the modern mind bombarded by pop-up ads and spammy thoughts. Learn to un-glue your attention from all this fluff and rest in the source of attention. You’ll feel freer, lighter, and have more love to offer the world if you do. Donate to support our nonprofit show at mindfulnessplus.org!

Episode 17: No Problem Oct 24, 2018

A longer, more luxurious meditation this month for all you Mindfulness Plussers. What happens when we don’t assume that life is one problem after another to be solved? What do we become aware of when there’s nothing to complain about, no problem to be found? Find out in this episode. And please support this nonprofit podcast by donating at mindfulnessplus.org!

Episode 16: Generosity Oct 17, 2018

When we get something for free, no matter how valuable it is, we tend to value it less. When, on the other hand, we receive a gift deeply and offer something back in return, we relate to the gift in a whole new way. You’re invited to explore your relationship to the Dharma in this episode, and to donate to Mindfulness+ to support our future programming! Visit mindfulnessplus.org.

Episode 15: Become All Flame Oct 10, 2018

Check out this episode for a morsel of timeless wisdom from the Desert Mothers and Fathers. We can spend our whole lives struggling and striving, trying to be good enough; trying to earn love. If we will, however, we can become all flame!

Episode 14: A Tour of the Human Brain(s) Oct 04, 2018

If you are under the impression that the human body has precisely one brain, you are not alone. Modern Western culture has been studiously ignoring our other two brains for hundreds of years. Take a tour through your many brains in this episode and reacquaint yourself with all you forgot you knew!

Episode 13: A Whole Heap of Joy Sep 26, 2018

One of the earliest teachings of Buddhism remains as insightful today as it was thousands of years ago: if we can learn to separate the tangle of sensory experience into organized piles, we gain insight into our true nature, which is Freedom, and Joy.

Episode 12: Effortless Mindfulness Sep 20, 2018

Our monthly extended meditation: practicing without effort. Enjoy this guided tour of awareness while doing any activity you please. Maybe don’t try to operate any heavy machinery on your first listen!

Episode 11: Beginner's Mind Sep 12, 2018

In this episode Thomas revisits a classic teaching–beginner’s mind–and adds a polarity spin: The more deeply you plunge into the ocean of possibility, the more powerfully you find yourself living an inspired life and engaging in the world.

Episode 10: Simultaneity Sep 05, 2018

Generally, we experience life in a linear way unfolding through time–something happens in this moment, it fades into the past and we make our way into the future. But there are moments where the experience of time can fade away altogether in to a richness to full to speak of. Far from an esoteric experience, we humans were made to know Eternity. Listen in on this intimate episode and see if you can’t already taste the timeless.

Episode 9: Seeking Mind Aug 30, 2018

We all know the familiar dopamine rush of buying some consumer good, or getting into a new relationship. If we’re not paying close attention, we can easily come to believe that new objects and relationships are the very things that make us happy in life. The classic Buddhist teaching of Seeking Mind teaches us otherwise. Ultimately, we can come to a place of No Seeking where Happiness and Love reveal themselves to be the very essence of who we are.

Episode 8: P.I.E. Aug 21, 2018

We’re reviving an old tradition at Mindfulness+. Once a month, a lengthier meditation on a germane topic. This month’s meditation is PIE, or, Positions, Interests and Essence. This practice is in learning to love others as your very own Being.

Episode 7: The Opposition Aug 15, 2018

A friend of mine recently emailed from the campaign trail in Texas and said she’d been meditating with her staff to help manage the stress. She wrote, “I’d really like to center our meditations on the idea of approaching the ‘opposition’ humanely and with love.” Ahhhh, full stop. What a very beautiful thing to want. In response, I offered a few classical passages and a meditation to brings us more fully into this experience of other-as-self.

Episode 6: Gospel of Thomas Aug 08, 2018

The Gospel of Thomas is a surprisingly mind-jogging text that reads more like a collection of Zen koans than a book from the Christian canon. In this episode, Thomas (not to be mistaken with Thomas) shares a saying from this ancient text and ties it to a classical Buddhist teaching. In this episode, as in life, you are invited to be happy, whole, and complete.

Episode 5: Surfing Life Aug 01, 2018

Our seeking mind rejects the present moment outright and says, “not yet”. "One day I will be happy, one day I will wake up. But not yet." Awakened mind, on the other hand, simply says, “Perfect.” Thomas shares a parable from the sands of Venice Beach, California and invites Mindfulness+ listeners in this episode to surf their life.

Episode 4: Immensity of Life Jul 25, 2018

Language is a tool that can clarify experience and deepen our insight. At worst, it can also pull the wool over our eyes, tricking us into believing that we know much more than we actually do. When we learn to pick language up as a useful tool and put it down when its job is done, we can enter into deeper presence, wonder. We can enter into the immensity of Life.

Episode 3: Burning Bush Jul 18, 2018

When we go chasing after extraordinary experience, we block the flow of grace that is always available. Paradoxically, relaxing deeply into the present moment and not seeking anything special is the surest way to invite a special experience. Enjoy storytelling, poetry and eyes-open meditation in this dynamic episode.

Episode 2: Pig Hearts, Angel Wings Jul 11, 2018

Life can feel effortful. Frustrating and effortful at times. The practice of mindfulness is powerful because it can help us learn to ride invisible waves; help us move with the flow of Nature rather than against it. In this episode, Thomas shares a rather shocking story about pig hearts and what that means for living a life of “Doing not Doing.”

Episode 1: Interdependence Day Jul 05, 2018

This week in the United States we celebrate independence. There are so many beautiful things about independence. And yet, like all things, it can go too far. Too much independence leads to an illusion that we are alone in the world, and have accomplished what we have all on our own. At Mindfulness+ we celebrate Interdependence Day, a Buddhist-inspired practice that invokes a sense of gratitude and humility for all the conditions that sustain and support us.

Episode 42: Tithe Your Attention May 16, 2018

In traditional Christian practice, congregants pay a tithe–one tenth of their earnings to support the church. How can we put this time-tested practice to work toward waking up? In this episode, Thomas explores the possibility of tithing your attention as a way of honoring the source of your spiritual sustenance. It’s not to be missed!

Episode 41: Money May 09, 2018

A continuation of the lessons on the Energy Centers, i.e. Money, Sex, Fame, Power. This week Thomas discusses extreme monetary wealth as an unrecognized form of obesity in modern culture. Learn to recognize in this episode how much awareness you unnecessarily commit to feeling more secure, and reconnect with a profound sense of security at the heart of this very moment.

Episode 40: Practicing in Prison Jan 31, 2018

I take a moment in this episode to reflect on my brothers and sisters who are incarcerated and the inspiring way they’ve practiced since I joined their sangha as a guest teacher back in 2015. In this episode you’re invited to notice the places in your life where you don’t feel free. Don’t settle for anything less than freedom. Mindfulness is a practice of liberation and you were born to be free.

Episode 39: Security, Pleasure, Esteem, Power Jan 17, 2018

In this episode, Thomas deepens the conversation on Energy Centers by describing the theory behind them as well as pointing them out in a very practical and personal way. You will gain insight during this episode into the areas of your life that call for more awareness and compassion.

Episode 38: Money, Sex, Fame, Power Jan 17, 2018

This episode opens up a series on how to bring mindful awareness to those areas in our lives that tend to pull us down and compromise our higher values. If we want to grow up, we’ve got to grow down. In order to express our most profound gifts and capacities as human beings, we have to pay special attention to our foundations; get back to the basics.

Episode 37: Shinzen Young, Part 2 Jan 10, 2018

Continuing the conversation from last episode, Shinzen talks more specifically about what we can each do to achieve not just good results, but dramatic and life-changing results from our mindfulness practice. Visit Shinzen.org and unifiedmindfulness.com to learn more about his highly innovative work.

Episode 36: Shinzen Young, Part 1 Jan 05, 2018

Join us with special guest, Shinzen Young, to learn from his over 50 years of experience in meditative practice. Shinzen is regarded as one of the great pioneers in bringing the best of Western science and Eastern contemplation into a deeper union. It is hard not to learn 10 new things every time this guy opens his mouth. Visit Shinzen.org and unifiedmindfulness.com to learn more about his work.

Episode 35: Body, Mind, Spirit Yoga Dec 27, 2017

It's that time again–a longer, deeper guided meditation to support your ongoing practice. In this episode, Thomas leads a body-mind-spirit yogic "stretch" to help you inhabit ALL OF YOU a little more fully, freely, and joyfully.

Episode 34: Freedom in the Chains Dec 13, 2017

Holocaust survivor, Viktor Frankl, famously quotes that "when we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves." It is a beautiful mantra for our mindfulness practice. We often think about freedom and happiness in terms of escaping from certain conditions. Frankl inspires us not to escape FROM oppressive conditions, but to escape INTO them; to fully meet them, allow them to inform us, and respond from a deeper truth.

Episode 33: Judge More Lest ye be Judgmental Dec 06, 2017

Many a well-intentioned meditator has tried to get at the roots of the judging mind to no avail. It seems the more mindful we become, the more we're aware of our petty, judgmental, always-evaluating minds. But do not despair! In this episode, Thomas makes a key distinction for listeners between judging and being judgmental. When we realize that our judgments are never the final truth, we open up to a new space in our awareness that can appreciate life much, much more. We can even appreciate all of the judgments that so effortlessly bubble up in awareness.

Episode 32: Sacred Smartphoning Dec 06, 2017

There is no small amount of anxiety around the impact technology is having on human life. From a mindfulness perspective, many believe that technology is decreasing our attention spans and intensifying the monkey-mind effect we all suffer from to some extent. But what if technology is just a reflection of our inner state–not the cause of our ADHD but merely an effect? Furthermore, what if we used technology to deepen and express our mindful awareness instead? What kind of world would that be? Discover how you can get technology working FOR your practice in this new episode.

Episode 31: Living an Inspired Life Nov 29, 2017

John Kesler joins us in the studio to share insights into mindfulness, developmental psychology, and the art of living an inspired life. His practice, what he calls Integral Polarity Practice, is an elegant model that deeply integrates the most profound wisdom from both Eastern and Western traditions. Enjoy the beautiful teaching that flows through John without his saying a word, and learn more about his work at theippinstitute.com.

Episode 30: Still Point Buffet Nov 29, 2017

A continuation of last week’s episode, Thomas leads an extended guided meditation on still point practice, pointing out different qualities in awareness the way a chocolate connoisseur would skillfully point out different flavors and notes in an exotic cacao bean. Find a place to settle in and enjoy a tour of the True Self! Also, check out lowerlightsslc.org for additional resources to support your practice.

Episode 29: Still Point Nov 29, 2017

Let’s face it–we are all creatures of habit. And although habit creates efficiencies in life and helps us get things done, it can also trap us in patterns of behavior that create suffering for ourselves and others. In this episode, Thomas introduces the practice of finding the “still point.” When we live in the still point, our habits start to soften and give way to greater creativity, spontaneity, and skillful action in the moment. With practice, we can all learn to live as an effortless flow of grace.

Episode 28: Freedom From Addiction Nov 15, 2017

We tend to talk about addiction in our culture as though only some of us are “addicts.” Mindfulness practice reveals to us that we are all, in fact, vulnerable to addiction. In this episode you can learn to understand the underlying dynamics of addiction, made especially clear in the Buddhist tradition, and start living a life of greater freedom and happiness beyond conditions. Now who wouldn’t want that?

Also, check out lowerlightsslc.org ,

Episode 27: The Zen of You and Me Nov 15, 2017

This week I talk to Diane Hamilton of Two Arrows Zen Center about her new book, The Zen of You and Me. Diane epitomizes how beautifully a mature mindfulness practice can show up in an elegant, integrated and dynamic human being. Listen in as we talk meditation, adult development, working with pain and difference, and becoming your biggest self. She leads us in a closing meditation that is signature Diane “Musho” Hamilton.

Episode 26: Heartfulness Nov 15, 2017

In a mindfulness practice, eventually we realize the importance of opening the heart. Whereas “Mindfulness” stresses making empowering distinctions in awareness, “Heartfulness” implies sensing into the unity that lies beneath all the differences, otherwise known as “Love.” Thomas shares an intriguing piece of scientific research in this podcast and offers a practice to help you start living more fully from your heart today. Also, check out lowerlightsslc.org to learn about offerings to deepen your practice.

Episode 25: Practicing Presence Nov 08, 2017

Once a month Thomas chooses a particular theme that has come up in discussions and offers a longer guided meditation around it. Enjoy this month’s extended meditation that will help you not just be more present in daily life, but actually have the experience of being Presence.

Episode 24: Your Porous Nature Nov 08, 2017

It’s so easy to go through life believing that we are alone and separate. Listen to this podcast as Thomas relates some touching examples of just how connected we really are. Connection is not without its risks, of course–with true intimacy always comes vulnerability. But we find that vulnerability is a small price to pay for the experience of participating in the great flow of Life.

Episode 23: Reclaiming Your Body Nov 08, 2017

Sir Ken Robinson, in a stirring and hilarious Ted Talk, jokes that university professors relate to their bodies as though they were simply vehicles for getting their heads around from meeting to meeting. The rest of us are not far off. In this episode you will learn about both the challenge and opportunity of remaining embodied throughout adult life. Thomas offers a simple guided meditation for unsticking awareness from the head and healing this classical body-mind split.

Episode 22: Community of Practice Oct 30, 2017

Have you wondered how mindfulness as a practice can transform you? Or what the benefits of practicing in community versus practicing alone are? Join us for our first video broadcast on Mindfulness+ to discuss these questions with three long-time members of the Lower Lights Sangha (Igor and Madison Limansky, and Gloria Pak). Each of them shares in a very personal way what mindfulness practice has meant to them and why the time is NOW for you to really commit to practice.

Episode 21: Mantra Oct 30, 2017

Once a month, Thomas guides a longer meditation to give you an opportunity to go a little deeper and discover new territory in your mindfulness practice. Find a quiet place for this episode where you can sink in and let go. Thomas gives instruction on the basics of using a mantra (a word or syllable repeated to increase concentration) as well as a taste of expansive flavors of concentration.

Episode 20: Negativity Bias Oct 25, 2017

Would it surprise you to learn that your brain has evolved over millions of years, only to misrepresent reality? To systematically exaggerate danger and underestimate reward? Neuropsychologist, Rick Hanson, argues exactly this point. Why does it matter? He says that positive experiences slip off our brains like “teflon” and negative experiences grab on like “velcro.” This is good for purposes of survival but bad for quality of life. Start turning the tables on this tilted evolutionary game with mindfulness. Learn to soak in positive experiences and start to recognize what a rewarding world it really is. You’ll be happy you did.

Episode 19: 1 Degree Oct 25, 2017

Mindfulness can be a challenging practice. All too often we get discouraged and feel like “I’m never going to get to where I need to be.” Listen to Thomas’s words of encouragement in this episode: No matter how challenging the practice or how challenging your life–in any given moment you are just a one degree shift in awareness from freedom.

Episode 18: Medicalized Mindfulness: Caution: Side Effects Oct 25, 2017

Mindfulness practice is more popular than ever in Western culture. But how has mindfulness been westernized, not necessarily for the better? In this episode, listen to Thomas as he discusses the medicalization of mindfulness: “Take 10 minutes of body scan 3 times a week and call me in two months.” He stresses the all-important relationship with a skillful teacher combined with finding the right technique to make significant progress on the path.

Episode 17: Turkey, Cranberry Sauce, Pain Body Oct 19, 2017

The holiday season is upon us. While this time of year offers so much connection and time with loved ones, it can also be a very challenging time as the people we love most often push our buttons the most reliably. Learn in this episode how to take challenging relationships and metabolize them like so much savory stuffing and pumpkin pie.

Episode 16: You’re Not Doing It Right! Oct 19, 2017

For such a life-changing practice that requires very few resources to become proficient at, I’ve had to ask myself over the years why so many students wash out and stop practicing mindfulness. One reason is that we often lack the skills to work through the nagging voice in our head that tells us we’re doing it wrong. Listen in and whip your inner bully into shape!

Episode 15: Donald Trump and the Taoist Farmer Oct 19, 2017

We’re one day after the elections here and many of us are needing a stiff dose of Taoism to lift our battered spirits. Is this election good news or bad news for us all? You say, when you tune into Mindfulness+.

Episode 14: Reverence for Life Oct 14, 2017

As a soulful follow-up to last week's program, Thomas takes listeners on the first ever extended guided meditation on Mindfulness+. Find a place to settle in, and exercise your muscle of awe, wonder and gratitude in this luxurious meditation on the "Gift of Life."

Episode 13: Boundless Vitality for the New Year Oct 14, 2017

Happy New Year, Mindfulness Plussers! To help power your next trip around the sun, Thomas guides a meditation to help you tap into the boundless vitality that animates each and every living thing. In this episode you'll get familiar with mindful awareness of the body, working with thoughts and emotions, as well as entering into transcendent qualities through the causal body, or pure awareness. Flip the on switch to life NOW.

Episode 12: Solstice: The Blooming, Singing Dark Oct 14, 2017

For those in the northern hemisphere, this is the time of year when the sunlight fades and the nights grow longer and longer. Metaphorically, darkness calls up all kinds of challenging human experiences: discomfort, anxiety, fear, even panic. Listen to Thomas in this episode as he applies mindfulness basics to working with challenging experiences. When we relax and really receive experience, even challenging experience, a new kind of wisdom and creativity is born.

Episode 11: Mindful Eating Oct 13, 2017

Eating is tied to some of our most primitive impulses–survival, pleasure-seeking, even power. In this episode, bring a snack and enjoy as Thomas guides you in a mindful eating experience that we're sure you'll find delectable.

Episode 10: Lower Lights Sangha Oct 13, 2017

Mariners throughout history have used the "upper lights"–stars, moon and sun–to guide them across the open oceans. But it is the final stretch of the journey into harbor that is often the most perilous. Thomas shares in this episode the meaning of "lower lights", how we can be lights to one another on the path, as well as the crucial role of sangha in mindfulness practice.

Episode 9: The Matrix Oct 12, 2017

Do you want to take the blue pill, or the red pill? In this episode Thomas draws an analogy from the sci-fi thriller, The Matrix, and shows how we can feel profound freedom, extracting ourselves from the real life matrix through a mindfulness practice. You won't want to miss this mind-bending episode on Mindfulness+!

Episode 8: Healing Oct 12, 2017

Mindfulness practice can be difficult to commit to, especially when we notice that our experience while meditating is not always blissful. Listen to this episode as Thomas sheds new light on how to work with challenging experiences. Rather than a problem to be solved (or avoided), you'll learn to turn towards and open up to challenge, catalyzing a powerful process of healing in the body and the mind.

Episode 7: Vipassana Oct 12, 2017

We've talked about the "+" in "Mindfulness+", but what about the "Mindfulness" in "Mindfulness+"? Listen in for a fascinating description of what the word vipassana, the original word for mindfulness, actually means. In Mindfulness+ fashion, Thomas then guides the listener into a rich experience of what this practice points us to–greater clarity, deeper fulfillment, and profound freedom.

Episode 6: Positive Feedback Loops Oct 11, 2017

In this episode, Thomas guides the listener into a style of meditation that people have been practicing for thousands of years–shamatha, or calm abiding meditation. For style points, he breaks down the basic mechanics of this technique, explaining the basic mechanism–the feedback loop–that makes it so effective. Listen in, and feel your stress melt away as you learn to ride this natural wave of bliss and concentration.

Episode 5: Look Up! Oct 11, 2017

In this episode, Thomas talks about the common issue of "collapse" in mindfulness practice as well as life. Through a vivid metaphor of hiking the Narrows in Zion National Park, he extends an invitation to open up your awareness to its natural spaciousness and enjoy the beauty that abounds.

Episode 4: Why The Breath Oct 11, 2017

Many people equate focusing on the breath with mindfulness practice itself. In this episode, Thomas explains the practical reasons why the breath has come to be regarded as a foundation in practice. But he takes it a step further and describes 3 fundamental skills that breathing–and indeed countless other techniques–can help us build. With his signature cherry on top, he guides a soothing meditation that will soften your body and sharpen your mind.

Episode 3: What's the + in Mindfulness+ Oct 11, 2017

Is it just a catchy name, or is there something behind the "+"? Thomas introduces the study of adult development in this show and explains how different kinds of mindfulness are beneficial to us at different times in life. To conclude, he guides a meditation that is specifically designed for adults who feel tormented by their monkey mind. Go ahead, listen. Tame that monkey.

Episode 2: Everything You Need is Right Here Oct 11, 2017

One of the most common physical symptoms many of us experience in the modern world is exhaustion. Never have humans had so much freedom to pursue their goals and dreams. And never have humans paid a higher price for this constant seeking. Join Thomas as he guides us through a simple mindfulness practice that can profoundly revitalize the body, mind and spirit.

Episode 1: The Awareness You Are Oct 11, 2017

Mindfulness is all the buzz these days. But what is mindfulness? And how can mindfulness benefit you personally? Join Thomas McConkie in this inaugural podcast introducing the practice of mindfulness. Thomas shares how he got into the practice almost 20 years ago and how, by doing simple daily exercises, you can reap profound benefits from this age-old practice.

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