The Road Home with Ethan Nichtern

Latest Episodes:

Ep. 94 - America Burnout: The 2024 US Election and The Three Aspects of Compassion Jan 23, 2024

Show notes

Ethan gives his "hot takes" as an active participant and casual observer of American politics on the severely compromised state of American democracy. He addresses the idea that we are all burnt out on America, and discusses the three aspects of compassionate action, and why, for the benefit of ourselves and others, getting off our screens and into simple participatory action is key.

For more info on Ethan visit EthanNichtern.com and DharmaMoon.com

Also, check out Dhar ma Moon's upcoming free event: Meditation and Beginner's Mind with David Nichtern and Duncan Trussell.

For an easily downloadable, self-paced video course to establish a mindfulness meditation practice, check out Foundations of Mindfulness.

Ep. 93 - Dharma Dads, Courage, Curiosity and a World in Crisis with Oren Jay Sofer Jan 16, 2024

Show notes

Ethan is joined by author, teacher, Nonviolent Communication trainer and Somatic Experiencing practitioner Oren Jay Sofer. They discuss being "dharma dads," not having enough time to practice meditation with a kid, how to make classic teachings modern, Oren's new book Your Heart Was Made For This, and Oren's complex experience of being a Jewish and Buddhist American in the wake of the atrocities in Palestine and Israel.

Oren has practiced meditation in the early Buddhist tradition since 1997, beginning his studies in Bodh Gaya, India with Anagarika Munindra and Godwin Samararatne. He is a long-time student of Joseph Goldstein, Michele McDonald, and Ajahn Sucitto, and a graduate of the IMS - Spirit Rock Vipassana Teacher Training, and current member of the Spirit Rock Teachers Council.

Oren is the author of Say What You Mean: A Mindful Approach to Nonviolent Communication, a practical guidebook for having more effective, satisfying conversations. He is also co-author of two books on teaching mindfulness to teens and adolescents: The Mindful Schools Curriculum for Adolescents and Teaching Mindfulness to Empower Teens. His latest book is called, Your Heart Was Made for This: Contemplative Practices to Meet a World in Crisis with Courage, Integrity, and Love

For more info on Ethan visit EthanNichtern.com and DharmaMoon.com, and check out the Yearlong Buddhist Studies Program with Ethan and an amazing faculty!

Ep. 92 - Right Livelihood, Enoughness, Capitalism and Buddhism with Shelly Tygielski Jan 10, 2024

Show notes

Ethan is joined by friend, author, meditation teacher, and mutual aid activist Shelly Tygielski. They discuss the grind of modern work life, the experience of Enoughness, alternative economic models and the power of mutual aid.

Shelly runs a popular Instagram feed, @mindfulskatergirl. As a philanthropist and social activist, Shelly Tygielski has been hailed by individuals ranging from President Joe Biden to Arianna Huffington and Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn to Maria Shriver. She is the founder of the global, grassroots mutual aid organization, Pandemic of Love. Her work has been featured in over 100 media outlets, including CNN Heroes, The Kelly Clarkson Show, CBS This Morning, the New York Times and Washington Post. She is the Executive Producer and co-host, of the television show "All Hands on Deck." Shelly is a trauma-informed mindfulness teacher and is currently pursuing a doctorate in Philanthropic Leadership from Indiana University's Lilly School of Philanthropy. For more info on Shelly, visit

For more info on Ethan visit EthanNichtern.com and DharmaMoon.com

Also, check out the New Year's Eve Intention Setting Gathering and Dharma Moon's Yearlong Buddhist Studies program

Ep. 91 - Crucial Questions: Buddhism and God? Jan 04, 2024

Show notes

Ethan discusses the question of "God" from a Buddhist perspective, examining the ideas of theism, atheism, and non-theism. He delves into ways the concepts of God, gods, and goddesses are already relevant to Buddhist thought, and also talks about the salvation that does and doesn't happen at a Taylor Swift concert.

For more info on Ethan visit EthanNichtern.com and DharmaMoon.com

Also, check out the upcoming free online lecture (Jan 9): Right Livelihood - What Buddhism Can Learn From Capitalism and Dharma Moon's Yearlong Buddhist Studies program (starts Jan 23rd).

For an easily downloadable, self-paced video course to establish a mindfulness meditation practice, check out Foundations of Mindfulness.

Ep. 90 - Quitter's Day: Resolution, Intention and Aspiration Dec 30, 2023

Show notes

Ethan discusses the difference between resolution, intention and aspiration as we head into the New Year, along with the wellness phenomenon of "Quitter's Day."

For more info on Ethan visit EthanNichtern.com and DharmaMoon.com

Also, check out the upcoming free online lecture: Right Livelihood - What Buddhism Can Learn From Capitalism and Dharma Moon's Yearlong Buddhist Studies program .

For an easily downloadable, self-paced video course to establish a mindfulness meditation practice, check out Foundations of Mindfulness.

Ep. 89 - The Astrology of 2024 (What the ---- is Going On??!!) with Juliana McCarthy Dec 26, 2023

Show notes

Ethan is joined by friend, bestselling author, dharma practitioner and astrologer Juliana McCarthy. They discuss the odd scientific precision of astrology and this moment in astrological history, which McCarthy calls arguably "the most significant astrological moment in human history."

Juliana runs a popular Instagram feed, @etherealculture. She gives talks regularly and leads various workshops and retreats. If you're interested in online talks, videos, and class, visit her Patreon page here. She also wrote a book called, The Stars Within You: A Modern Guide to Astrology, published by Roost Books and distributed by Penguin Random House. Learn more about it here.

For more info on Ethan visit EthanNichtern.com and DharmaMoon.com

Also, check out the New Year's Eve Intention Setting Gathering and Dharma Moon's Yearlong Buddhist Studies program

Ep. 88 - Sharon Salzberg - Finding Stability in an Unstable World Dec 20, 2023

Show notes

In this episode, Ethan talks with his friend, mentor and teacher Sharon Salzberg about the power of studying Buddhism within a supportive community for working with one's mind and other's effectively and compassionately at a time of turmoil. Ethan also presents a deep overview of Dharma Moon's Yearlong Buddhist Studies Program which begins on Tuesday, Jan 23, 2024.

For more info visit EthanNichtern.com and DharmaMoon.com. For more info on Sharon Salzberg, please visit SharonSalzberg.com

Ep. 87 - 2023 "Wrapped" - Contemplating and Reflecting on The Year Dec 15, 2023

Show notes

In this episode, Ethan discusses the importance of reflecting in meditation on the past (the past year, in this case) as a means of working with our karma or habitual patterns before we set resolutions or intentions for the time ahead. He also wonders, as a parent, how so many Encanto and Taylor Swift songs made it onto his streaming service playlists for the year in review.

For more info visit EthanNichtern.com and DharmaMoon.com.

Ep. 86 - DRAIN Meditation and Coping Skills For The Apocalypse with Lou Sharma Dec 11, 2023

Show notes

Ethan is joined by friend and Yearlong Buddhist Studies teaching colleague Lou Sharma to discuss her funny pandemic invention called DRAIN meditation, the pros and cons of the strategies we employ to deal with ourselves when the world is on fire, and the pitfalls of corporate life and trying to teach both mindfulness and ethics in the corporate world. For more info visit EthanNichtern.com and DharmaMoon.com

Lou Sharma is a meditation teacher and brand strategy consultant based in Charlotte, NC. She has practiced meditation for over 15 years, and studied Buddhism within Tibetan Buddhist traditions, including the Magyu lineage of Lama Tsultrim Allione. She is a graduate of Dharma Moon's Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Training and she is also part of the teaching faculty for Dharma Moon's Yearlong Buddhist Studies program

Ep. 85 - Is Dialogue Even Possible? Dec 05, 2023

Show notes

In this relaunch of the podcast, Ethan explores the dangers of trying to have emotional conversations in algorithm-driven online spaces, and explores the relationship between perception, emotion, and concepts when we try to listen to ourselves, listen to each other, and hold space for the atrocities of the world. Visit http://ethannichtern.com for more info and visit http://dharmamoon.com for online programs, free events, meditation teacher trainings, and to here more about the Yearlong Buddhist Studies Program.

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