The Eightfold Path, Untangling Anxiety and Insecurity, Plus Lessons in Grief with Monk & Zen Teacher Sensei Koshin Palley Ellison
Sensei Koshin Paley Ellison has devoted his life to the study and application of psychotherapy and Buddhism. He is also an author, Zen teacher and monk, Jungian psychotherapist, and founder of the New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care, a nonprofit in Chelsea that offers meditation training and study programs for medical professionals and caregivers.
Over the last ten years, Sensei Ellison’s name has, time and time again, come up in my inbox. There’s a New York Times interview about his Sunday routine from a few years back - in that article, so much of what he said resonated - and in particular, when asked about working with people who are ill or dying, he said:
I spend a little bit of my time with people who know that they’re dying, and I’m spending the rest of my time with people who don’t know that they’re dying, because what I’ve learned from this work is that each moment is so precious.
I invite you as we get into this episode, to consider his teachings and consider every moment of this precious life we’re each so privileged to live.
His new book, Untangled: Walking the Eightfold Path to Clarity, Courage, and Compassion, is designed to heal society from our shallow “junk” pleasure-seeking culture, where people search for connection in the wrong places and keep their restlessness and anxiety at bay with unfulfilling distractions.
Untangled is a welcoming guidebook to finding expansive ease and joy through the Eightfold Path, one of Buddhism’s foundational teachings.
With his signature mix of storytelling and unexpected humor, Koshin uses anecdotes from his own life as a young gay kid dealing with abuse and discrimination as well as teachings from Eastern and Western wisdom traditions to introduce mainstream readers to the Eight Roads and rejuvenate it for those already familiar. It is an ancient cure that’s up to the challenge of addressing the dysfunction of our times.
In the episode, we discuss:
An overview of Eightfold Path
How stepping on this path support us in transforming our lives
Healing from trauma and abuse to find the path forward
The “tangles” that hold us back, including our fears, anxieties, narratives about ourselves, and self-created insecurities and doubts
Lessons from the sick and dying
What we can do as a society to begin to take better care of each other
The power of patience
Learn more about Sensei Ellison by following his Instagram, and learn more about Zen Meditation and Contemplative Care at the New York Zen Center. Untangled is available wherever you shop for books.
Check out our new show sponsor Magic Mind and get a limited-time 40% off the Magic Mind subscription & 20% off a one-time purchase offer with the discount code bestfriend20.
Want to chat about this episode? Text me 📲 at +1 (323) 405-9256
Upcoming events to know about:
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✨ BALI RETREAT✨
March 27 - April 3, 2023 (open to all) - hold your space by visiting Oui, We Studio (@ouiwestudio).
The studio is designed to empower you and support your personal well-being. The courses and retreats offered inside the studio are focused on Manifestation, guidance to pursue your highest calling, as well as personal and professional development.
This show is produced, mixed, recorded + additional music by T'Ben Alleman
Closing music: Pet Fangs
