Self-help with Melvin McLeod & Mental Health with Jeff Warren

The podcast is shifting to bi-weekly, starting with this episode, allowing us to prepare a slew of new projects coming your way. Today, Lion’s Roar publisher Ben Moore speaks with Canadian meditation teacher and co-author of Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics, Jeff Warren, about founding the Consciousness Explorers Club and engaging mental health through the lens of spiritual practice. But…

How to Be Sick with Pema Khandro Rinpoche & Toni Bernhard

Buddhist teachers Toni Bernhard and Pema Khandro Rinpoche have known chronic illness firsthand. In this conversation—especially relevant in the coronavirus era—they talk personally about relating to health and sickness through the Buddhist lens, and Bernhard describes the teachings that continue to help her find peace even 20 years after being diagnosed with a life-changing illness.

Buddha & Baseball with Don Lopez / Walking Meditation with Oren Jay Sofer

Big-league baseball is on hold thanks to the coronavirus, but a new book by Dr. Don Lopez captures the feel of the game in Buddha Takes the Mound: Enlightenment in 9 Innings. Rod Meade Sperry talks to him about the book, which combines Lopez’s love of baseball and Buddhism. Then, a chance for fresh air:…

Rap Artist Born I Music & the Album 11:11

Longtime Buddhist practitioner, mindfulness teacher, and hip hop artist Born I Music talks to Rod Meade Sperry about how he and his family are using mindfulness to cope with the shutdown due to coronavirus, how he came to learn and teach meditation, and how that practice has informed his newest album, 11:11. Includes a track from the forthcoming album.

Arthur Russell’s Posthumous Album “Iowa Dream” with Steve Knutson

Rod Meade Sperry talks to Audika Record’s Steve Knutson about musician Arthur Russell's posthumous album "Iowa Dream" on the Lion's Roar Podcast.

Grief & Gratitude with Koshin Paley Ellison & Robert Chodo Campbell

Koshin Paley Ellison and Robert Chodo Campbell are Zen monks who live in New York City, where the death toll is reported to have risen to more than 10,000. They’re the founders of the New York Zen Centre for Contemplative Care, which helps caregivers, family, patients, and clinicians cope with illness and death by using meditation and…

The Upaya Zen Center’s Response to Coronavirus

Roshi Joan Halifax is the founder, head teacher and abbot of Upaya Institute and Zen Center. In an interview with LionsRoar.com editor Rod Meade Sperry, she talks about how the center adapted to the threat of coronavirus by switching in-person programs and events to online platforms. Then, a quick practice to navigate the illness and fear brought on by…

Dharma in a Pandemic Era with Roshi Josh Bartok and Oren Jay Sofer

Social distancing has become the new buzzword but it doesn’t mean you need to stop caring and communicating in a social way. Buddhadharma editor Tynette Deveaux talks to mindfulness teacher Oren Jay Sofer about how and why we can deepen our understanding of our relationship to ourselves, one another, and the world – an approach that the COVID-19…

Meals That Heal the Heart and Practices for Living in the COVID-19 Era

Food writer and practicing Buddhist Elissa Altman lays out five ways to appreciate more of your meal, even if it means making peace with not having your favorite ingredients. But first, Bonnie Myotai Treace shares three powerful reflections and practices to help us stay open-hearted and connected as we cope with widespread fear and uncertainty.

Aligning the Body and Mind with Oren Jay Sofer

The Buddhist community is reckoning with coronavirus as many brick-and-mortar centers temporarily shut down. Rod Meade Sperry of Lion’s Roar shares a piece on what we can do to help. But first, a basic meditation to align the body and mind from Vipassana teacher Oren Jay Sofer.