Wild Heart Meditation Center

In this episode Mikey Noechel offers a talk on the first factor of the eightfold path, which is right view. He specifically discusses the view of karma and the four noble truths. 

In this episode Mikey Noechel offers a guided meditation on compassion for all beings. We begin with wishing compassionate phrases to a friend, then towards ourselves, then towards a neutral person, then a difficult person and finally to all beings everywhere.Compassion meditation phrases we use are:May you be open with the pain and difficulties in your life.May you care for the pan and difficulties you in your life.You be free from suffering. 

On the final night of the Spring Retreat, Andrew & Mikey discuss the Noble Eightfold Path. Enjoy!

On the fifth night of the Spring Retreat, Mikey offers a talk on the "Flower Sermon". He highlights the importance of the simple, experiential wisdom, that comes from being fully attentive to the here and now. 

On the 4th evening of the WH Spring Retreat, Andrew offers a talk on the Five Hindrances. These five visiting tendencies that obscure the luminous mind - craving, aversion, lethargy, restlessness, and doubt. Enjoy!

On the third night of the recent Wild Heart residential retreat, Mikey tells the story of Angulimala. A story of pain, suffering, and confusion, as well as, a story of redemption, forgiveness and great compassion. Enjoy!

On the second night of WH's Spring Retreat, Andrew offers a talk on "The Way to the End of Suffering". He shares personal reflections, the life story of the Buddha, and offers a teaching on the 4 Noble Truths.

From the recent, Wild Heart Spring Retreat, at Heartwood Refuge in North Carolina, Mikey offers a talk on "Happiness in the Here & Now" on the first night of the retreat. He speaks to the difference between "Hedonic Happiness" and "Genuine Happiness" and the importance of finding a type of contentment that comes from relating to the world with wisdom and compassion, instead of trying to attain happiness through worldly pursuits.

In this episode Mikey Noechel discusses MN 62 "The Greater Discourse of Advice to Rahula". This discourse can be viewed here:https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.062.than.html

Guest Teacher, Martine Batchelor, joins us to talk about renunciation. She talks about breaking free from habits, not just our behavioral habits, but our mental habits of reactivity. Enjoy!

In this episode Kit Canlas offers a talk on sukkha or otherworldly happiness. 

In this episode, Andrew reflects on the five hindrances - sensual desire, aversion, lethargy, restlessness, and doubt - and how, if given adequate attention, they are noble companions in the development of wisdom and compassion.

In this episode Mikey Noechel offers a talk and meditation on loving kindness for addiction recovery. Mikey explores how loving kindness can be used as a method to approach addiction as well as how to develop a recovery support community.Loving Kindness phrases:May you be filled with loving kindnessMay you be wellMay you be peaceful and at easeMay you be happy 

There is the happiness of temporary satisfaction that comes from worldly pursuit - sensory pleasure, material gain, praise, validation, and acknowledgment - and then there is the happiness that comes from the removal of craving and clinging to the world - being at peace within oneself. The Buddhist path aims towards the highest happiness. Andrew discusses "The Highest Happiness" in this episode.

In this episode Mikey Noechel offers a talk and meditation on equanimity. Equanimity is the quality of living in the middle of life's extremes of pleasure and pain, gain and loss, praise and blame, fame and ill repute. 

In this episode, Andrew talks about "why" we practice mindfulness. Adopted from Shinzen Young's teaching, Andrew offers a description of some of the basic skills that we develop through a daily mindfulness practice - focus, sensory clarity, & equanimity.

In this episode Mikey Noechel discusses ways to meet Mara or difficult mind states with compassion. 

In this episode, guest teacher, Chris Benitez from Albuquerque Insight Meditation Center discusses "Imposter Syndrome". Enjoy!

In the episode Mikey Noechel offers a guided meditation of the five remembrances which are:I am subject to aging, have not gone beyond aging.I am subject to illness, have not gone beyond illness.I am subject to death, have not gone beyond death.I will grow separate from all that is dear to me.I am the owner of my actions, heir to my actions, born of my actions, related through my actions, and have my actions as my arbitrator. Whatever I do, to that will I fall heir.The phrases we use for this meditation are:“breathing gently, I lovingly remember, this body is aging” “breathing gently, I lovingly remember, this body is subject to sickness”

This is a special episode from the Buddhist Recovery Podcast with Dave Smith. Andrew's long-time friend and teacher, Dave Smith, interviews him about all things Buddhism and Recovery. enjoy!