Season 3, Episode 2: The Magic of the Natural World and Caring Kindness Practice with Dr. Joe Parent
Human beings have basically been in a battle with nature, trying to mechanize our world and ironically make it unnatural. With that separation and the mechanical approach to life, our minds have become mechanical as well. It has become, 'how do I get from here to there the fastest, the most conveniently—how do I get this all done?' We're ahead of ourselves. We never experience the present moment. —Dr. Joe Parent
In the first interview of season 3, we’ll be hearing from Dr. Joe Parent, a meditation and mindfulness teacher who wrote A Walk in the Wood: Meditations on Mindfulness with a Bear Named Pooh with his sister Nancy Parent.
This book features the beloved Winnie the Pooh character, and was inspired by the practice of forest bathing. Joe and I discuss a few of the book’s key offerings on how to be present in our lives through the practice of mindfulness, and how the natural world supports us in this endeavor.
Then, for the second half of this episode, we will experience a meditation practice for ourselves. Joe will guide us through a profound meditation called tonglen, an accessible practice to connect to our own hearts and facilitate an Earth connection.
Episode links:
A Walk in the Wood: Meditations on Mindfulness with a Bear Named Pooh