The Garrison Institute Presents: The Common Good

Latest Episodes:

Meditation with Sharon Salzberg: Loving Kindness Meditation Jun 08, 2026

Show notes

In this 10-minute guided meditation, Sharon invites you to gather your attention and energy toward the practice of loving kindness. Through the use of select phrases, you'll have an opportunity to direct your heart's energy toward those around you, toward yourself, and ultimately toward all creatures and beings.

You can find more meditations and contemplative resources like this at GarrisonInstitute.org, along with information about our Contemplative-Based Resilience initiative and other programs supporting those who serve our communities.

You can find more meditations and contemplative resources like this at ⁠GarrisonInstitute.org⁠, along with information about our Contemplative-Based Resilience initiative and other programs supporting those who serve our communities.

Follow the podcast at ⁠https://www.garrisoninstitute.org/podcasts/⁠

Josh Korda: Buddhism and Recovery in an Age of Isolation Jun 01, 2026

Show notes

Buddhist teacher Josh Korda of Dharma Punx NYC joins Steve Varley for a wide-ranging conversation on addiction recovery, meditation, neuroscience, and the search for meaningful community in modern life. Josh reflects on his own path to sobriety, leaving a successful advertising career after 9/11, and helping build a contemplative community for outsiders and seekers. Together they explore the overlap between Buddhist practice and modern psychology, the dangers of “corporate mindfulness” divorced from human connection, and how nature and spiritual friendship are essential for breaking the repetitive cycles of the mind. A powerful conversation about healing, purpose, and what genuine spiritual practice looks like today.

We’d love to hear your thoughts about the podcast, please send us a note at podcasts@garrisoninstitute.org to let us know what you think.

Produced by The Garrison Institute and The Podglomerate.

Cynthia Bourgeault and David Frenette: Centering Prayer and Nondual Consciousness May 18, 2026

Show notes

In this special in-person conversation recorded at the Garrison Institute, Cynthia Bourgeault and David Frenette explore the transformative practice of Centering Prayer, nondual consciousness, and the spiritual legacy of Father Thomas Keating. Drawing from decades of teaching, retreat leadership, and personal friendship with Keating, Bourgeault and Frenette reflect on prayer not as escape, but as a path toward compassion and deeper participation in reality. Intimate and searching, yet grounded, this conversation offers a rare opportunity to hear two influential contemplative teachers thinking together in real time about what it means to awaken, let go, and fully inhabit the world.

We’d love to hear your thoughts about the podcast, please send us a note at podcasts@garrisoninstitute.org to let us know what you think.

Produced by The Garrison Institute and The Podglomerate.

David Abram: Ecological Consciousness and the More than Human World May 04, 2026

Show notes

Cultural ecologist David Abram explores the “more-than-human world,” challenging the human-centered mindset of the Anthropocene and calling for a return to ecological humility. In this rich conversation, Abram weaves philosophy, indigenous wisdom, and lived experience to reveal our deep reciprocity with Earth—from the air we breathe to the bodies we inhabit. He unpacks concepts like consanguinity, mutuality, and the ethics of interdependence, offering a powerful critique of modern disconnection. Drawing on his journey as a sleight-of-hand magician and encounters with traditional healers, Abram highlights the lost role of mediators between human and nonhuman realms.

We’d love to hear your thoughts about the podcast, please send us a note at podcasts@garrisoninstitute.org to let us know what you think.

Produced by The Garrison Institute and The Podglomerate.

Joanna Macy: Interdependence and the Great Turning Apr 20, 2026

Show notes

In this conversation recorded not long before her death in 2025, activist and systems thinker Joanna Macy joins Jonathan at a Garrison Institute Pathways to Planetary Health forum to discuss how we can stay present and purposeful in a time of ecological and social crisis. Drawing on Buddhism, systems theory, and decades of activism, she shares insights on interdependence, non-linear thinking, and what she calls “the Great Turning”—the shift from a destructive industrial growth society to a life-sustaining world. Macy speaks candidly about despair, climate grief, gratitude, and the courage to feel deeply without becoming paralyzed.

We’d love to hear your thoughts about the podcast, please send us a note at podcasts@garrisoninstitute.org to let us know what you think.

Produced by The Garrison Institute and The Podglomerate.

Meditation with Sharon Salzberg: Movement-Oriented Meditation Apr 13, 2026

Show notes

In this eight-minute guided meditation, Sharon invites us to explore a walking meditation or gentle movement, with our eyes open, bringing a light awareness to our bodies and the world around us.

Follow the podcast at ⁠https://www.garrisoninstitute.org/podcasts/⁠

Judy Lief: Buddhist Practice in Life and Death Apr 06, 2026

Show notes

In this episode, Judy Lief—a longtime student of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche and a leading voice in bringing Tibetan Buddhist teachings to the West—reflects on a life shaped by curiosity, unexpected turns, and deep contemplative practice. She shares her early search for meaning, her transformative path into Buddhism, and decades of work editing and preserving Trungpa Rinpoche's teachings. Judy explores how practice shows up in real life—from ordinary moments to end-of-life care—helping us stay present, face uncertainty, and connect with others more genuinely.

We’d love to hear your thoughts about the podcast, please send us a note at podcasts@garrisoninstitute.org to let us know what you think.

Produced by The Garrison Institute and The Podglomerate.

Jeremy Lent: Ecological Civilization and the End of Extractive Capitalism Mar 23, 2026

Show notes

What would it take to redesign society so all life can thrive? In this episode, systems thinker Jeremy Lent explores the vision of an ecological civilization—one rooted in interconnectedness, justice, and the commons. He traces how today’s extractive, growth-driven economy emerged, why it behaves like a self-perpetuating “Wendigo” system, and how even promising technologies get captured by its logic. Jeremy introduces the “Three Horizons” framework for navigating transformation, and outlines principles for a regenerative future: decentralization, equity, cooperation, and distributed ownership. From Daoist philosophy to modern complexity science, this conversation bridges ancient wisdom and cutting-edge systems thinking.

We’d love to hear your thoughts about the podcast, please send us a note at podcasts@garrisoninstitute.org to let us know what you think.

Produced by The Garrison Institute and The Podglomerate.

John Fullerton: Regenerative Economics and Living Systems Capitalism Mar 09, 2026

Show notes

What would it mean to redesign capitalism so it works like a living system? In this powerful conversation, John Fullerton—former Wall Street executive and founder of the Capital Institute—shares his journey from high finance to becoming a leading voice in regenerative economics. Drawing on ecological science, systems thinking, and ancient wisdom traditions, he explains why today’s economic model—rooted in mechanistic, reductionist thinking—is driving climate breakdown, inequality, and social fragmentation. Fullerton outlines the core principles of regenerative economics, including holistic wealth, empowered participation, resilient systems, and the vital role of the commons.

We’d love to hear your thoughts about the podcast, please send us a note at podcasts@garrisoninstitute.org to let us know what you think.

Produced by The Garrison Institute and The Podglomerate.

Rebecca Henderson and Jamie Bristow: Reimagining Capitalism with Mindful Leadership Feb 23, 2026

Show notes

What would it mean to transform education—and capitalism—with love? In this conversation, economist Rebecca Henderson (author of Reimagining Capitalism in a World on Fire) and leading policy advisor Jamie Bristow explore how mindfulness and inner development can reshape business, politics, and leadership. Drawing on their experience at Harvard Business School, the UK Parliament, and the global inner development movement, they examine why changing systems requires changing hearts—and why love and power must work together. From shareholder value to human flourishing, from individual awareness to institutional reform, this episode maps the emerging field connecting contemplative practice with economic transformation.

We’d love to hear your thoughts about the podcast, please send us a note at podcasts@garrisoninstitute.org to let us know what you think.

Produced by The Garrison Institute and The Podglomerate.

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