Episode 53 · Series 3 — A Year of Body, Speech & Mind With Ruth Wolever, Richard Rosen, and host Alejandro Chaoul-Reich Pranayama, or the ancient practice of breath control in yoga and other meditative traditions, plays a crucial role in linking body and mind. Modern research also suggests that certain breathing techniques can promote physical wellbeing, and perhaps even aid in preventing and managing lung ailments such as those associated with COVID-19. The fifth in a series of 2021 Science & Spirituality Dialogs on wellness of body, breath, and mind, this online broadcast is part of a free yearlong online program. Learn more

Episode 52 · Series 3 — A Year of Body, Speech & MindWith Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche Are you voicing your words from a space of vibrant, open awareness? Or, from a place of pain? Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche explains how to know when pain speech is active in you; how to connect with it; and ultimately, how to transcend it. This broadcast is part of “A Year of Body, Speech, and Mind,” a free 2021 online program of live teachings, practices, and science & spirituality dialogs. Learn more

Episode 51 · Series 3 — A Year of Body, Speech & Mind With Cyndi Lee · Dr. Jeff Dussek · Geshe Tenzin Wangyal · Alejandro Chaoul-Reich This conversation brings together leaders in contemplative science, integrative medicine, and Tibetan meditation to explore how embodied awareness supports healing, resilience, and meaningful change in daily life. Through personal stories and grounded practice insights, the dialogue turns toward the body as a source of wisdom, the voice as a bridge between inner and outer worlds, and the mind as a space of openness, compassion, and creative response. The guests reflect on pain, health, burnout, and belonging through the lenses of Tibetan yoga, neuroscience, emotional awareness, and micro-practices drawn from lived experience and years of research. What emerges is a simple but challenging invitation: to meet experience directly — in the body, in relationship, and in community — and to allow practice to shape how we move into the future. Featured themes include: Embodied awareness, somatic presence, and mind–body integration Pain, illness, and healing within contemplative and medical contexts Tibetan yoga, meditation, and everyday micro-practices Emotional awareness, compassion, and nervous-system regulation Contemplative science, neuroscience, and lived spiritual practice Listen, subscribe, and explore more conversations and resources at cybersangha.net.

Episode 50, Series 3: "A Year of Body, Speech & Mind" Featuring: Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche Our true self is an open, vibrant state of clear awareness. But whenever negative emotions are triggered in us, we tend to dissociate from who we truly are and to take on a ‘pain body,’ or pain-related identity. In a live Internet broadcast, Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche explains how to know when our pain body is active; how to connect with it; and ultimately, how to transcend it.

Meditation can contribute to our emotional health. At the same time, a level of emotional balance is necessary for us to move past our worries and agitation and rest deeply in meditation. In the third of a series of 2021 Science & Spirituality Dialogs, invited panelists explore the close relationship between emotional balance and meditation, and discuss how psychological interventions can complement meditation practice. The dialog is part of a free yearlong online program related to body, speech, and mind. Learn more

As we deepen our familiarity with resting in a state of spacious awareness, the obstacles and obscurations of our habitual patterns naturally dissolve into the openness of our true nature and our positive qualities spontaneously arise. In a live Internet broadcast, Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche guides us in resting deeply in awareness of inner spaciousness.

Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche offered a spontaneous online teaching and guided meditation as part of the Month of Speech. This broadcast is part of “A Year of Body, Speech, and Mind,” a free 2021 online program of live teachings, practices, and science & spirituality dialogs. Learn more

Episode 46, Series 3: "A Year of Body, Speech & Mind" Featuring: Judith Simmer-Brown, Shirley Telles, Geshe Tenzin Wangyal, and host Alejandro Chaoul-Reich In the second of a series of 2021 Science & Spirituality Dialogs on wellness of body, breath, and mind, invited panelists discuss the importance and benefits of focused breathing in contemplative practices such as yoga and Buddhist meditation. The dialog is part of a free yearlong online program related to body, speech, and mind. Learn more

Episode 45, Series 3: "A Year of Body, Speech & Mind" Featuring: Lorenzo Cohen, Sat Bir Singh Khalsa, Geshe Tenzin Wangyal, and Alejandro Chaoul-Reich In the first of a series of 2021 Science & Spirituality Dialogs on wellness of body, breath, and mind, invited panelists discuss the mind-body connection in movement-based practices such as hatha yoga, kundalini yoga, and Tibetan yoga (tsa lung trul khor). How can such physical practices serve us in transforming our state of mind? How can the research inform our practice? The dialog is part of a free yearlong online program related to body, speech, and mind, known in the Tibetan tradition as the “three doors to enlightenment. Learn more

Episode 44, Series 3: "A Year of Body, Speech & Mind" Featuring: Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche What challenges are you facing right now? How well are you dealing with them? Whether you’re reacting in anger or accommodating your circumstances with serenity and joy, how you respond has everything to do with your sense of who you are. In a Facebook Live broadcast, Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche explains how to distinguish your “pain identity” from your genuine self, and guides a meditation to help you find more serenity through awareness of stillness of the body. He also discusses suggested “homework” for the weeks to come.

Episode 43, Series 2: "Bring Body, Speech & Mind to Life" Featuring: David R. Vago, Ph.D., Amishi Jha, Ph.D., Geshe Tenzin Wangyal, and host Alejandro Chaoul-Reich, Ph.D. Can we live more fully just by paying more attention? Our panelists discuss the science behind attention, how mindfulness can help us achieve our greatest potential and strategies for being more present in each moment. Using metaphors from Dr. Jha’s recent bestselling book, Peak Mind, the panelists will discuss three subsystems of attention: the flashlight (selective focus), floodlight (receptive attention), and juggler (executive functioning). They will also discuss the similarities and differences between neuroscientific and Buddhist models of attention, plus recent findings from lab-based and field studies of contemplative training.

Episode 42, Series 2: "Bring Body, Speech & Mind to Life" Featuring: Menpa Phuntsok Wangmo, Dr. Sat Bir Singh Khalsa, Geshe Tenzin Wangyal, and Alejandro Chaoul Join us for the public premiere of a recorded science/spirituality dialog featuring Menpa Phuntsok Wangmo, Dr. Sat Bir Singh Khalsa, Geshe Tenzin Wangyal, and moderator Alejandro Chaoul. The talk was first presented to an in-person audience at the Serenity Ridge Retreat Center (plus private online audience) during Serenity Ridge Dialogues, October 2022. Certain breathing practices, such as the tsa lung exercises of the Tibetan Bön Buddhist tradition, can serve as a powerful tool for balancing the elements and winds of one’s body, speech and mind. Tibetan doctor and dzogchen practitioner Menpa Phuntsok Wangmo discusses the five elements from the perspective of Tibetan medicine, as well as the importance of breathing practice in balancing the elements and healing illness. Breath researcher and Kundalini practitioner Dr. Sat-Bir Khalsa Singh describes much of the research done on breathing practices and their health benefits. Dzogchen master Geshe Tenzin Wangyal describes the five elements from the perspective of the dzogchen tradition of Tibetan Bön Buddhism and responds to related research into the Tibetan breathing practices of tsa lung and trul khor (Tibetan yoga). This dialog is a must watch for pranayama and tsa lung practitioners, as well as for those interested in the correlations between breathing practice and the five elements and their potential health benefits. It is presented here as part of the Month of Speech in the yearlong program “Bring Body, Speech & Mind to Life.” Learn more about the yearlong program.

Episode 41, Series 2: "Bring Body, Speech & Mind to Life" Featuring: Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche “Speech” refers here not only to the words we speak, but also to the energy carried by our voice and our breath. The teachings, discussions, and practices of this month explore using speech, mantra, other forms of sound, and/or breathing practices to support us to connect with the pure, unceasing awareness of our true nature. Through allowing our voice to rest in silence, we draw attention to inner silence and continue to release effort that separates us from being fully present. A doorway to deep inner peace, resting in silence allows the light of pure awareness to dawn, awareness that illuminates the source of positive qualities within us and all beings. It helps us to realize our true voice. In advance of his teaching, Rinpoche encourages creating a bit of space for meditation in your house — in a quiet, peaceful location where you can feel some sense of warmth and connection to yourself. You might provide a comfortable cushion to sit on, and a candle or stick of incense. A supportive outer space can support your inner space during meditation.

Episode 40, Series 2: "Bring Body, Speech & Mind to Life" Featuring: Leslie Eisenberg, Ph.D.; Tawni Tidwell, Ph.D.; Geshe Tenzin Wangyal; and host Alejandro Chaoul-Reich, Ph.D. We all aim to live well, but little is understood about how to die well. Our expert panelists discuss research into tukdam, a post-death meditative state in which the bodies of advanced meditation practitioners show delayed signs of decomposition for as many as three weeks or longer. What insights into the dying process can this research provide for both the dying and their support communities? What are its implications for living and practicing well? What is the role of the physical body in meditation?

Episode 39, Series 2: "Bring Body, Speech & Mind to Life Featuring: Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche “Body” refers here not only to our physical body and the tangible world around us, but also to our individual sense of identity as a human being. The teachings, discussions, and practices explored during the Month of the Body help us to connect to the door of the body, clearing obstacles to health and well-being through movement and stillness. Resting our awareness in the stillness of the body opens the door to the clear, open, unchanging experience of our true nature and awakens clear, positive action. In advance of his teaching, Rinpoche encourages creating a bit of space for meditation in your house — in a quiet, peaceful location where you can feel some sense of warmth and connection to yourself. You might provide a comfortable cushion to sit on, and a candle or stick of incense. A supportive outer space can support your inner space during meditation.

Episode 37, Series 2: "Bring Body, Speech & Mind to Life Featuring: Jon Kabat-Zinn, Geshe Tenzin Wangyal, and host Alejandro Chaoul-Reich Even when pain is unavoidable, suffering is optional. The practices of both mindfulness and dzogchen are renowned for changing how we relate to psychological, emotional, and physical pain, thereby easing our pain-related suffering and even lessening or eliminating the pain itself. Our esteemed presenters all share a deep, abiding interest in easing pain through meditation practice and in the research supporting its effectiveness. The CyberSangha broadcast is part of the Month of the Mind in “Bring Body, Speech & Mind to Life,” a free yearlong program of live teachings, practices, and science & spirituality dialogs. Learn more

Episode 36, Series 2: "Bring Body, Speech & Mind to Life Featuring: Mauricio Obón Dent, Menpa Phuntsog Wangmo, Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, and Alejandro Chaoul-Reich Does the value of exercise grow when we do it mindfully, purposefully? Is medicine more powerful when combined with mantra recitation and visualization? How can a lifestyle that prioritizes good nutrition, healthy sleep habits, and regular exercise prevent disease and enhance spiritual practice? Join us for this engaging dialog for answers and inspiration. The CyberSangha broadcast is part of “Bring Body, Speech & Mind to Life,” a free yearlong program of live teachings, practices, and science & spirituality dialogs. Learn more

Episode 36, Series 2: "Bring Body, Speech & Mind to Life” Featuring: Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche Mind refers here to our disturbing emotions and other distracted movements of the mind, as well as to the vast, open nature of mind — the source of all positive qualities — and the capacity to distinguish the difference. As we deepen our familiarity with resting deeply in a state of spacious awareness, the obstacles and obscurations of our habitual patterns naturally dissolve into the openness of our true nature, and our positive qualities spontaneously arise from this source to benefit others. In advance of his teaching, Rinpoche encourages creating a bit of space for meditation in your house — in a quiet, peaceful location where you can feel some sense of warmth and connection to yourself. You might provide a comfortable cushion to sit on, and a candle or stick of incense. A supportive outer space can support your inner space during meditation.

Episode 35, Series 2: "Bring Body, Speech & Mind to Life” Featuring: Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche Speech refers here not only to the words we speak, but also to the energy carried by our voice and our breath. The teachings, discussions, and practices of this month explore using speech, mantra, other forms of sound, and/or breathing practices to support us to connect with the pure, unceasing awareness of our true nature. Through allowing our voice to rest in silence, we draw attention to inner silence and continue to release effort that separates us from being fully present. A doorway to deep inner peace, resting in silence allows the light of pure awareness to dawn, awareness that illuminates the source of positive qualities within us and all beings. It helps us to realize our true voice. In advance of his teaching, Rinpoche encourages creating a bit of space for meditation in your house — in a quiet, peaceful location where you can feel some sense of warmth and connection to yourself. You might provide a comfortable cushion to sit on, and a candle or stick of incense. A supportive outer space can support your inner space during meditation.

Episode 34, Series 2: "Bring Body, Speech & Mind to Life” Featuring: Stephan Rechtschaffen, M.D.; Wenli Liu, M.D.; Geshe Tenzin Wangyal; and Alejandro Chaoul-Reich, Ph.D. What are the latest trends in natural wellness modalities? How effective are they, really? How important is the mind-body-spirit connection to well-being and longevity? This engaging dialog builds on the June 28, 2022, CyberSangha conversation, “Natural Paths to Longevity.” Our knowledgeable panelists explore topics ranging from wellness retreats and intermittent fasting to Blue Zones projects — built environments that that support an active, high-quality lifestyle among community members.