Your Heart Was Made for This: Meeting the World with Courage, Clarity, and Compassion, a Message from a Former Buddhist Monk

Guest: Oren Jay Sofer Our guest, Oren Jay Sofer, is a former Buddhist monk and author of the newly released book Your Heart Was Made For This: Contemplative Practices for Meeting a World in Crisis with Courage, Integrity, and Love. Oren talks with us about the crucial importance of awakening the natural and powerful capacities for transformation that reside within each person’s heart, especially during this very tumultuous time in our world. Oren opens up to Deborah Rozman, our host, about how Buddhist teachings talk about qualities of the heart as resources that empower a different and more enlightened consciousness. Oren shares the heart qualities that were access points to his own transformation and how he practiced them. A seasoned teacher in mindfulness, meditation, and nonviolent communication, Oren conveys insightful wisdom in a warm and engaging manner. He encourages us to practice and fortify our own connection to heart qualities so they become an underlying foundation for how we live and engage with the world. Deborah and Oren explore how each quality of the heart possesses unique attributes that empower us to better handle life’s situations, fostering a deeper connection with our purpose, inner courage, strength, and clarity. In his conversation with Deborah, Oren shares a vision of transformative potential by merging activism and heart. Together, they explore how this union has the power to reshape society, paving the way for collaborative models that honor our shared humanity. The episode closes with a heart-inspired meditation to energize the growing heart momentum unfolding on the planet and see more people connect with their true heart’s purpose and desire to co-create a world that awakens humanity’s collective heart. About our guest: Oren Jay Sofer teaches meditation and communication internationally. He holds a degree in comparative religion from Columbia University and is a Certified Trainer of Nonviolent Communication and a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner for the healing of trauma. Oren is also the author of several books, including the bestseller Say What You Mean: A Mindful Approach to Nonviolent Communication and his latest book, Your Heart Was Made for This: Contemplative Practices to Meet a World in Crisis with Courage, Integrity, and Love. His teachings have reached people around the world through his online communication courses and guided meditations. A husband and a father, Oren lives in the San Francisco Bay Area, where he enjoys cooking, spending time in nature, and home woodworking projects.