Turning toward the Dharma by reflecting on the refuge of the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha and the possibility of a kind of happiness and well-being born of mindfulness that is free and open.

The right attitude for meditation is one that is free of greed, aversion and delusion. The talk also explores the functions of mindfulness, attention and wisdom.

Because we don't understand what brings us true happiness, we often find ourselves trying to control or resist our experience, in a futile attempt to find relief. Seeing more clearly and working skillfully with our difficulties brings us true peace and calm.

Why and how mindfulness of the body reveals so much so clearly as we untangle the knots.

The Buddha said that our path of awakening is like swimming upstream - in relationship to the habits of society and the habits of our own minds. So our deep motivation needs to be supported by accurate information. The 4 Noble Truths is a basic context/description of life, suffering and freedom that serves to support and inform all our various methods of practice.

The talk explores the story of Prince Siddartha's encounters with the Four Heavenly Messengers - old age, sickness, death and those who have 'gone forth' in search of the highest happiness. Woven with personal stories and the examples of contemporary masters, the talk also offers practical advice on how to use the experience of the Four Messengers as our teachers and inspiration in practice.

Our thinking mind, when unnoticed, spreads out into imaginary worlds about an imaginary version of ourselves. How mindfulness helps us recognize the various trances our mind spins.

Many of us have internalized the message that we are not ok. To begin to be free of this distorted view, we need to understand how it became formed and why it no longer serves us. It is important to bring humor and kindness to this practice.

What obstructs us and what helps us on our journey to awakening. How these two clearly explained aspects of our experience alternatively trap us and free us over and over again, as we invite their interplay.

Seclusion - viveka in Pali - is a theme the Buddha was asked about: "Teach me...release, emancipation, seclusion for beings." This talk explores various aspects of this word viveka: seclusion of body, seclusion of mind, seclusion from suffering - and how these are manifest in the retreat setting and mindfulness practice.