Learning meditation is nothing less than a study in ourselves. The more we understand ourselves, the more the door opens to the infinite wisdom that is always available to us. 

What if breaking free from your compulsive habits wasn’t about willpower—but understanding what drives them? In this episode, I explore how our minds create and maintain compulsive patterns—from smoking and eating to scrolling online—and how meditation can help us uncover the stress and anxiety that fuel them. You’ll learn practical ways to replace destructive habits with nourishing ones, create space for choice, and gently guide yourself toward freedom and balance.

Often we can feel like a small boat in a big storm, unsure of where the next waves are coming from. The most powerful thing we can learn to do is hold our ground. It changes everything. 

We can't change people.  I understand that this is difficult for us to get our heads around. But it is also the key to our happiness. 

One of my students had a big blow-up with his wife. He came to me to tell me his story of what had happened. I encouraged him to understand that he can overcome the problems he is making for himself and see things from a wider perspective. 

What if a good night’s sleep wasn’t as far away as it feels?

In this episode, I share simple, science-backed habits that can make it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep—from the light you’re exposed to, to what you eat, to the environment you create around you at night. I’ll walk you through small changes that can make a big difference, along with the powerful role relaxation plays in preparing your mind for rest. If you’ve been struggling to sleep well, these gentle shifts might be exactly what you need.

Most people can’t manage 15 minutes in a room by themselves. Imagine 44 years in solitary confinement. Could you do it?

No two minds are the same. We must get to know our mind so that we can see how our particular mind works. As we do this, we become more and more able to take control of our lives. 

We all know the mind that is on all day, taking us off into all different sorts of directions. What we may not be so aware of is the other mind that we have access to. 

Sometimes I just wish I could turn my mind off and have a holiday from it. Often we are at the mercy of our minds that even when we find that the teachings strike a chord inside us, and move us more than anything we have ever experienced, still we hold back.

Love is a word that we use quite freely. However, most of us are unaware that the way we love is more like a business contract than love. If we want to be happier, looking at our habits in love can be liberating. 

In working with our minds, we decrease our stress and our anxiety. However, the practice goes even more in-depth and opens up a deeply blocked part of ourselves. 

When someone hurts us, how do we cope? The obvious answer is that we shut down and protect ourselves. But what if the way forward is different?

What can we do when someone hurts us? Is there a way to heal it differently? Absolutely there is. It’s as powerful as it is radical. 

Having an open heart leads to a happier life. The more loving we are, the richer our lives are and the happier we become. How do we open our hearts?

What is the difference between loneliness and solitude? How can we be alone and feel well and happy in ourselves? This is what I discuss in today’s podcast. 

In this final instalment on relating differently to our suffering differently, I discuss the role that wisdom and insight has in enabling us to take mastery of our lives. 

Sometimes when we are suffering, it is all we can think about. However, through working with our minds differently, we can alleviate some of this suffering. In today's podcast, with the example of some New Zealand rabbits, I show you how.

There is often an imbalance in our minds. As humans, we tend to focus on struggles and difficulties without naturally giving as much attention to what is working. By facing the world slightly differently, we can dramatically shift how we manage the times when we are suffering. 

What if the very thing you’re holding onto is the thing that’s keeping you stuck?

In this episode, I explore why letting go feels so terrifying—and why it’s one of the most liberating skills we can ever learn. You’ll hear how fear-based attachment keeps us gripping tightly to relationships, careers, identities, and even objects that no longer serve us. I talk about the courage it takes to release what’s familiar, the freedom that comes with spaciousness, and how small daily acts of letting go can build the inner strength to face bigger fears. When you discover that you can survive the unknown, your suffering begins to loosen—and your happiness has room to grow.

Many of us are struggling. We still can’t see an end in sight to the pandemic. Is there a way to manage this suffering differently? This is what I discuss in today’s podcast. 

Within our friendships, trust can be complicated. We want to have friends, and people we can talk with however trusting new people in our lives is not always straightforward. In today’s podcast, I answer a question from one of my students about the issue of trust and friendships. 

Slowing down is hard. There are so many ways we can distract ourselves, ways that for many of us didn’t exist when we were growing up. There is no doubt that we are becoming more and more disconnected from the ability to be with ourselves. Today I discuss this and suggest a strategy for turning this around. 

Each day that we do this work, we are looking at different ways to address everyday issues. This takes courage and determination. And sometimes, it requires finding different ways of seeing things around those we love. 

How do we know that we are making progress on this path? What can we expect to see? In today’s podcast, I discuss what progress looks like and what changes you will start to see in yourself.