The Heart of the Matter

In this talk we explore five steps to untangle the tangles of our life—and free the heart and mind:
1. Turn towards your experience—to all that is arising in body, heart, and mind
2. Open fully and wholeheartedly to all what is present—saying ‘yes’ to what is
3. Open to and investigate how and where you are suffering (i.e., experiencing clinging, conflict, unhappiness, or sense of dissatisfaction)
4. Investigate your own role in creating or perpetuating your suffering (i.e., the ways in which you are in conflict with your experience, wanting things to be different than they are)
5. Seeing clearly your own role in your suffering provides insight that is freeing—when you see clearly, you can let go and live with greater freedom.

We finished by exploring Pema Chodron’s teachings of the Tibetan Buddhist concept of shenpa, or ‘being hooked’—and how it can help us find freedom through meeting our experience with acceptance and without judgment.

Reviews

Truths about the ways we make ourself stumble spoken simply and compassionately. Thank you Hugh

Splendid! Such an engaging and helpful talk.
Thank you so very much Hugh.

Very interesting talk about suffering. Lots to think about. Thank you. 🙏🏻

This was brilliant!! So many good nuggets I will definitely be listening to it again. Thank you Hugh!! 🙏🏾💖🙏🏾

The title says it all. Practical, helpful, and really essential content. It’s one to listen to again and again. Thank you, Hugh, for this talk 🙏❤️