Relaxing the Self with Stephen Snyder

How can we bring useful qualities of contemplative practice into our normal, everyday lives as people living in the real world? Senior meditation teacher and author Stephen Snyder joins us to explore that overarching question, alongside a variety of topics related to “not-self,” the true nature of the self, and self-transcendence. About our Guest: Stephen is a senior meditation teach who has been practicing meditation since 1976. He’s the author of three books, including Buddha’s Heart. Stephen is also a lawyer by trade, and has practiced law on behalf of a number of Zen masters and Buddhist organizations.  Life After COVID Summit: Join Dr. Rick Hanson, Forrest Hanson, and a roster of world-class experts during this FREE three-day online event to explore our life after COVID. Click here to learn more about the Summit and register now. Key Topics: 2:35: Stephen’s background in Buddhism.  6:30: A brief background in types of Buddhist practice. 10:30: Bringing practice into our work life. 14:00: Why do contemplative teachers behave badly?  17:50: Personality and the self. 20:00: “Not-self” and the end of suffering.  23:20: Why would we want to “transcend” the self? 26:10: Maintaining practice during a normal life.  29:45: Do we have a “self,” and the fear of emptiness. 33:30: Suffering attached to the self.  35:30: What do we get out of practice? 39:30: The purpose and limitations of meditation. 41:45: The threat of change.  44:10: The “brahmavihārās,” and Buddha’s Heart 47:00: Practices for self-development. 52:30: What’s ‘in’ a self-transcendent experience? 56:30: Ways to experience self-transcendence.  1:02:10: Recap Forrest has a new YouTube channel! Subscribe to the channel, and watch his newest video over there.  Sponsors: From Dr. Hanson: The Foundations of Well-Being brings together the lessons of a lifetime of practice into one year-long online program. Podcast listeners can use the code BEINGWELL25 at checkout for an additional 25% off! Please don't hesitate to apply for a scholarship if you're in need.  Join over a million people using BetterHelp, the world’s largest online counseling platform. Visit betterhelp.com/beingwell for 10% off your first month!  Want to sleep better? Try the legendary Calm app! Visit calm.com/beingwell for 40% off a premium subscription. Start a new healthy habit with Seed! Visit seed.com/beingwell and use code BEINGWELL to get 20% off your first month of Seed’s Daily Synbiotic. Connect with the show: Follow Forrest on YouTube Follow us on Instagram Follow Rick on Facebook Follow Forrest on Facebook Subscribe on iTunes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices