Advertise on podcast: Paths of Practice: Conversations on Journeys into Buddhism

Allison “Alli” Simon (she/her) is a 5th generation Angeleno and a dedicated advocate for social justice, healing, and wellbeing. She is the Executive Director and Co-Founder of Black Being, a certified yoga instructor (500 RYT Yoga Alliance), and a meditation facilitator (InsightLA and IMTA). With over a decade of personal practice and teaching experience, Alli centers her work on increasing access to self-care practices, particularly for historically marginalized communities and those working in social justice spaces. Her work integrates meditation, yoga, and healing justice to address the mental, emotional, and physical toll of caretaking and systemic inequities. Collaborating with national and global brands, Alli’s teachings reflect her belief in creating a more compassionate and heart-centered world. When not leading classes or retreats, she enjoys long meditation retreats, traveling, and spending time with her family and her rescue dog, Squirrel. For more information about Alli and the resources mentioned in this episode, please visit the following linkshttps://blackbeingla.org/https://www.youtube.com/@BlackBeingLAhttps://www.allisimon.com/ We talked about:*Early experiences with meditation and yoga, sitting with others, grief, and maintaining an openness while finding what fits *Language, holding space for those averse to religion, and serving as a bridge among different communities and cultures *Black Being, access and "being," and serving the South Central Los Angeles community *Tarot, black dharma teachers, Bhante Buddharakkhita, and co-leading a BIPOC retreat for the first time *And the importance of taking what you need and leaving the rest as well as the encouragement to teach what saved your life and share how the dharma saved you

Helen Tworkov is founding editor of Tricycle: The Buddhist Review, the first and only independent Buddhist magazine, and author of Zen in America: Profiles of Five Teachers (North Point Press; 1989). She first encountered Buddhism in Asia in the 1960s and has studied in both the Zen and Tibetan traditions. Since 2006 she has been a student of the Kagyu and Nyingma Tibetan master Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, and has assisted him in the writing of In Love with the World: A Monk's Journey Through the Bardos of Living and Dying (Spiegel and Grau; 2019) and Turning Confusion into Clarity: A Guide to the Foundation Practices of Tibetan Buddhism (Shambhala Publications; 2014). For more information about Helen and the resources mentioned in this episode, please see the links below: Lotus Girl: My Life at the Crossroads of Buddhism and America (On sale in paperback on November 10, 2026) https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250321534/lotusgirl/ A World of Difference: Finding Peace and Freedom in Times of Fear and Chaos (On sale on Feb 23, 2027) https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/yongey-mingyur-rinpoche/a-world-of-difference/9781538779538/?lens=balance https://www.helentworkov.com/ https://tricycle.org/ We discussed: *Horses, the sunbeam of awareness, serving as an attendant for Pema Chödrön, and the trust and confidence that comes from practicing within a lineage  *Trestling tomatoes, learning to accept yourself as you are, essence love, and the teaching that "there is no perfect in samsara" *America and individualism, enlightenment, taking refuge, Lotus Girl, and planting dharma seeds in the White House *And the importance of making sure you are on your own path and to really acknowledge where you are right now

Amod Sandhya Lele has taught Asian religion and philosophy at Harvard University, Boston University, Colorado College, and Stonehill College, and is now associate director of the Ethics Institute at Northeastern University. He has been published in many scholarly journals, including the Journal of Buddhist Ethics. He also writes for a general audience on the Indian Philosophy Blog, which he comanages, and on his personal blog and Substack, Love of All Wisdom. He has a PhD from Harvard University in the study of religion with a focus on Buddhist ethics. He is from Canada and lives with his wife in Somerville, Massachusetts. For more information about Amod and the resources mentioned in this episode, please visit the links below: https://www.shambhala.com/authors/g-n/amod-sandhya-lele/after-anger.html https://loveofallwisdom.com/https://indianphilosophyblog.org/ We talked about: *The Bodhicaryāvatāra, Shantideva, social justice and righteous anger, Martin Luther King Jr., and political outrage *Activism, acceptance, The Serenity Prayer, Defying Gravity, and the long game of major societal change *Siddhartha Gautama and King Śuddhodana, mindfulness and its critics, "healthy anger," and transition anger *Repression, Nine Inch Nails, Headspace, and developing a daily Buddhist practice *And the importance of remembering that practice is challenging and that you have to work at it

Gayathri Narayanan is the founder of Myndtree, a contemplative community for meditation and the study of classical wisdom. She received her Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification through the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley, studying with Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach. Her decades-long practice is rooted in the Advaita Vedanta tradition of Narayana Guru and her Guru, Nitya Chaitanya Yati, and has been deepened through study and practice in Theravada Buddhism with Gil Fronsdal, Zen with Reb Anderson, and Tibetan Buddhism with Anam Thubten. She has led meditation groups, retreats, and contemplative study programs since 2012 and writes at Myndtree.org For more information about Gayathri and the resources mentioned in this episode, please visit the link below: https://www.myndtree.org/ We discussed:*The metta of Fred Rogers, loving-kindness practice, and ways we can remind ourselves of the inner goodness in others*Advaita Vedanta, emptiness, as well as coherence and bird murmuration*Myndtree, meditation, organizing workshops for parents, and what its been like to recently begin a Tibetan Buddhist practice*And the importance of trusting yourself as you navigate your path and the significance of recognizing your interest in raising your awareness

zavé martohardjono is a queer, non-binary trans, Indonesian-American artist born in Canada and living in Brooklyn. Working across performance, film, installation, and poetry, zavé uses dance and ritual as primary languages across projects that engage in anti-colonial storytelling. With dreams of a more just future, they make work that contends with the political histories our bodies carry and prompts inquiry into how healing and political education can de-condition the assimilated body and reconjure liberatory memory. They have made documentaries, experimental films, and video works that have shown in festivals and galleries in the U.S., Canada, the Netherlands, Germany, Scotland, Switzerland, and Indonesia. zavé is a 2022 Bessie-nominated performer whose choreographic and live performances have been presented in theaters, museums, and galleries across the U.S. including in New York, Los Angeles, Omaha, Boston, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and in Skopje, North Macedonia. For more information about zavé and the resources mentioned in this episode, please visit the following links: https://zavemartohardjono.com/ https://zavemartohardjono.com/stay-in-touch/ https://www.podpage.com/the body is the brain/ https://vimeo.com/user4262965 We talked about:*Performaxxing, capitalism, grief and polycrisis, and transformation through Buddhist teachings*The self, jealousy and ego struggle, mutual aid, and balancing personal comforts/discomforts with living in community*The gift and responsibility of sensitivity, mindfulness on and off the cushion, and how small acts of kindness can positively impact others*And the importance of understanding and enjoying that you are in the practice as well as remembering that your teachers are trying to figure this out like you are

Rima Fujita is a renowned artist who exhibits her work internationally and has published seven children’s books, including Save the Himalayas. Rima is a founder of Books for Children, an organization that creates children’s books in Tibetan and English, and has donated more than 12,000 book copies to the Tibetan refugee children in exile in order to help them preserve the unique Tibetan culture and language. For more information about Rima and the resources mentioned in this episode, please visit the following links: https://rimafujita.com/ https://wisdomexperience.org/product/extraordinary-life-dalai-lama/ Support Nepal Relief Efforts (Goro Kimura) https://tinyurl.com/y8cedpbz We talked about: *The Nechung Oracle, intuition, and receiving artistic guidance through dreams *Nibiiro, wabi-sabi, keeping your heart clean, and the relationship between Buddhist practice and creating art *Dakinis, Chenrezig, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, and writing a children's book about compassion with His Holiness *And the importance of remembering that Buddhism is a journey of The Middle Way as well as remembering that your teachers are human beings

Oneika Mays is a yoga and meditation teacher, author, and former Mindfulness Coach at Rikers Island Correctional Facility, where she taught for over a decade. Her debut book Sit With Me: A No-BS Journey to Mindfulness and Meditation (HarperOne, March 2026) explores metta practice as a tool for personal and collective liberation. With deep roots in Buddhist and yogic teachings, Oneika specializes in making mindfulness accessible to marginalized and excluded communities. For more information about Oneika and the resources mentioned in the episode, please visit the following links: https://www.oneikamays.com/ https://www.harpercollins.com/products/sit-with-me-oneika-mays?variant=43876134387746 https://www.garrisoninstitute.org/event/changemakers-2026/ https://www.youtube.com/@OneikaMays We discussed: *Extending unconditional love to all, accountability, and the lessons of metta (lovingkindness) in Stevie Wonder's song "As" *Understanding meditation and yoga as trauma-informed practices, keeping your eyes on your own test, and the experience of teaching mindfulness and meditation to people that are incarcerated *Agency, identifying as Buddhish, and the practical and timeless teachings of the Buddha *And the importance of recognizing that anything can be your teacher and to root your practice in a safe space with safe teachers

An Tran is the author of the short story collection, Meditations on the Mother Tongue, and a practitioner in the Lieu Quan lineage of Vietnamese Zen. His fiction and essays have previously appeared in The Southern Humanities Review, New South Journal, The Carolina Quarterly, Gargoyle Magazine, The Literary Hub, and elsewhere, and has received “Notable Work” distinctions from Best American Short Stories and Best American Essays. He has been involved with the parkour community in North America for over twenty years in various coaching and leadership roles and currently lives in San Francisco. For more information about An and the resources mentioned in this episode, please visit the following links: https://www.an-tran.com/ Pho Giac Pagoda (Enlightenment Buddhist Center) https://phogiacca.com/ We discussed: *The challenges involved with growing up Vietnamese American in Virginia as well as the journey of reconnecting with Vietnamese culture and identity through language *Developing an interest in Buddhism in college, grief and attending to the 49-day period after a death in the family, and having an intense visionary experience after a bout of food poisoning *The Dual Cultivation tradition, the Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra, meditation, and incorporating a Pure Land approach into a Thiền (Zen) practice *Parkour, awakened insight, encountering the two buddhas, as well as the joy and play of embodiment *And the importance of learning the language of your heritage

Ayya Marajina Bhikkhuni received pabbajja (2010) and upasampada (2012) at Aranya Bodhi Hermitage, California, with Venerable Tathaloka Maha Theri as pavattini. She has practiced meditation for over 15 years, now seeing the Dhamma as the highest blessing. Dedicated to practicing and teaching the Satipatthana and Brahmaviharas, she shares the transformative power of the Dhamma in Spanish and English. A Cuban-American, Ayya is working to establish the first Theravada temple in Cuba. She leads a Sunday morning meditation and Dhamma talk livestream in Spanish. Her first book Pa’ alante es pa’ lla is currently being edited. Residing at Bhava Nirodha Nilaya in Florida, she also cares for her mother. For more information about Ayya Marajina Bhikkhuni and the resources mentioned in the episode, please visit the following links: Bhava Nirodha Nilayahttps://bhavanirodha.org/ Theravada in Cuba and in Colombiahttps://theravadacuba.org/We talked about: *The extraordinary efforts behind the development of the Bhava Nirodha Nilaya hermitage as well as engaging with critters and letting nature recover *Theravada in Cuba and offering Dhamma resources for people that are experiencing profound hardship *The Brahmaviharas and remaining close to the teachings of The Noble Eightfold Path as a teacher *and the importance of remembering the verse from the Dhammapada: "abandon all evil, cultivate the good, purify the mind: this is the teaching of all the buddhas."

Kody Muncaster, PhD, is an ocswssw Psychotherapist and Clinical Director of Pink Lotus Counselling & Psychotherapy, specializing in trauma therapy, mindfulness, gender, and sexuality. They are queer and non-binary. They have taught at the Buddhism, Psychology, and Mental Health program at the University of Toronto: New College as well as at Western University’s Department of Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies. They began a three-year training to become a Zen priest under Venerable Bhikkhuni Thích Nũ’ Tinh Quang in 2024. They are also the author of Queer Engaged Buddhism (2025) as well as Queer Resistance and Education for Suicide Prevention HIV/AIDS Activism and Structural Change for 2SLGBTQIA+ Communities (2026). For more information about Dr. Muncaster and the resources mentioned in the episode, please visit the links below: https://www.youtube.com/@LittleHeronZenHermitage https://www.youtube.com/@iqbc570 6th International Queer Buddhist Conference (IQBC) 2026 runs from October 30th to November 1st. More info at: https://iqbc.org/ https://sumeru-books.com/products/queer-engaged-buddhism?srsltid=AU7gw4WhOAy11Csspj9YKvZ8BcQCzQWZN4QIkVD0fm0pMzeyl8JvzATV https://www.routledge.com/Queer-Resistance-and-Education-for-Suicide-Prevention-HIVAIDS-Activism-and-Structural-Change-for-2SLGBTQIA-Communities/Muncaster/p/book/9781041127062 We discussed: *The Diamond Sutra, the instruction to see "everything as a miracle," and the parallel paths of studying Buddhism and gender *Training to become a Zen priest, Infinite Heart practice, and the reflective and aspirational elements of a dharma name *The capacity of the True Heart, formal/lay daily practice, and offerings of queer-focused meditations *Queer Engaged Buddhism, Tonglen, Queer theory and linguistics, and interests in developing a queer online Zen temple *And the importance of finding and operating from the deep sense of care that lies underneath our emotions

Douglas McLean is the author of the blog "Gleanings in Buddha-Fields: Buddhism, Japanese culture and History all in one!" For more information about Doug and his blogs, please visit the links below: https://nembutsu.cc/ https://100poets.com/ We discussed: *The beginnings of the "Gleanings in Buddha-Fields" blog, Rinzai Zen, and identifying how Japanese and English translations of Buddhist texts can differ from each other in emphasis *The Shushōgi and the need for more manual-like texts that offer lay Buddhist practices for daily life *Absorbing Buddhist teachings rather than trying to do Buddhism "correctly" and the Lotus Sutra *Never staying still on the path, attending to the occasional crisis of faith, and branching out to explore the variety of Buddhisms out there *And the importance of not being complacent and to push yourself to keep learning

Paula Arai, PhD, was raised in Detroit by a Japanese mother and did Zen training in Japan. She obtained her PhD in Buddhist Studies from Harvard University in 1993 and is now the Eshinni & Kakushinni Professor of Women and Buddhist Studies at the Institute of Buddhist Studies in Berkeley, California. She is the author of Bringing Zen Home: The Healing Heart of Japanese Women’s Rituals, Women Living Zen: Japanese Soto Buddhist Nuns, and Painting Enlightenment: Healing Visions of the Heart Sutra. For more information about Dr. Arai and the resources mentioned in the episode, please visit the links below: https://www.shambhala.com/authors/a-f/paula-arai/of-mud-and-lotuses.html https://www.zenhealing.org/ https://www.shin-ibs.edu/ We discussed: *Friendship in scholarship, Dogen and “One Bright Pearl,” and understanding the Tathāgatagarbha as "Buddha womb" *Pregnancy as an expression of Buddhist practice, motherhood, and the importance of taking time to recognize the contributions made by women throughout Buddhist history *The Blood Bowl Sutra, misogyny, and the impact of writing empowering narratives *Imagination, scholarship, and creative histories *And the reminder to be kind to yourself and acknowledge your place in benefiting others along the path

Bidisha Mallik, PhD, is an Associate Teaching Professor of Social Sciences in the Department of School of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences at the University of Washington Tacoma. Dr. Mallik is the author of Legends in Gandhian Social Activism: Mira Behn and Sarala Behn: Addressing Environmental Issues By Dissolving Gender And Colonial Barriers. For more information about the resources mentioned in this episode, please see below: https://www.tacoma.uw.edu/https://www.amazon.com/Legends-Gandhian-Social-Activism-Environmental/dp/3030954307/ref=sr_1_1?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.fgFqbelrBOW_HwCwCua40A.tnkZLuujlNEvqauJZVal8_wM8sGg8mtRS3K3HJQAbQM&dib_tag=se&qid=1783028669&refinements=p_27%3ABidisha&s=books&sr=1-1 We discussed: *Ahimsa, nonviolence vs. non-violence, as well as Gandhian and Buddhist philosophy and their connections with ecology *Interbeing, capitalism, creativity, and making concrete examples of the world you want to live in *Mira Behn (Madeleine Slade), Sarala Behn (Catherine Mary Heilman), and the Chipko movement *And the importance of investigating the self and approaching actions through the lens of nonviolence

Bidisha Mallik, PhD, is an Associate Teaching Professor of Social Sciences in the Department of School of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences at the University of Washington Tacoma. Dr. Mallik is the author of Legends in Gandhian Social Activism: Mira Behn and Sarala Behn: Addressing Environmental Issues By Dissolving Gender And Colonial Barriers. For more information about the resources mentioned in this episode, please see below: https://www.tacoma.uw.edu/ https://www.amazon.com/Legends-Gandhian-Social-Activism-Environmental/dp/3030954307/ref=sr_1_1?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.fgFqbelrBOW_HwCwCua40A.tnkZLuujlNEvqauJZVal8_wM8sGg8mtRS3K3HJQAbQM&dib_tag=se&qid=1783028669&refinements=p_27%3ABidisha&s=books&sr=1-1 We discussed: *Ahimsa, nonviolence vs. non-violence, as well as Gandhian and Buddhist philosophy and their connections with ecology *Interbeing, capitalism, creativity, and making concrete examples of the world you want to live in *Mira Behn (Madeleine Slade), Sarala Behn (Catherine Mary Heilman), and the Chipko movement *And the importance of investigating the self and approaching actions through the lens of nonviolence

Rev. Syd Yang, MDiv (they/them) is a mixed race/Taiwanese American queer trans/non-binary lay Buddhist Minister, movement chaplain, spiritual counselor and writer who engages decolonial possibilities for shared liberation through their practice, Blue Jaguar Healing Arts. Syd’s work finds its resonance in the stories we each hold at the intersection of memory, body, sexuality and mental health. Syd works primarily with queer and trans individuals of color, as well as regularly facilitates community based practice spaces for wellbeing + healing justice, with a specific focus on grief, sexuality + spirituality, body liberation and recovery.If you are in the Los Angeles area, you can sit with them, in person, at the monthly Queers Who Sit at Black Being, in Inglewood CA.Some of their recent writing can be found in Lion’s Roar (Bodhi Leaves), Emergent Dharma: Asian American Buddhist Feminists on Practice, Identity and Resistance,  Q+A: Voices of Queer Asian America,  Chrysanthemum: Voices of the Taiwanese Diaspora, and Bloody Hell! Adventures in Menopause from Around the World.Syd is also the co-author of Bloody Transitions: A Menopausal Anthology of Asian, Black and Latine Voices, which is set to be released in November 2026 by Jessica Kingsley Publishers. For more information about Syd and the resources mentioned in the episode, please visit the following links:*Blue Jaguar Healing Arts (https://bluejaguarhealingarts.com/)*The Dharma of Loneliness podcast (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-dharma-of-loneliness/id1875305695)*Black Being (https://blackbeingla.org/)We discussed:*Loneliness and the origins of The Dharma of Loneliness podcast*Embodiment, belonging, and our bodies relationship with the Earth body*Menopause, impermanence, transformation, and co-authoring Bloody Transitions*And the importance of understanding that Buddhist practice involves investigating the mind and body and remembering that bodhisattvas have chosen to stay embodied to help us