Mindfulness+ with Thomas McConkie

For those in the northern hemisphere, this is the time of year when the sunlight fades and the nights grow longer and longer. Metaphorically, darkness calls up all kinds of challenging human experiences: discomfort, anxiety, fear, even panic. Listen to Thomas in this episode as he applies mindfulness basics to working with challenging experiences. When we relax and really receive experience, even challenging experience, a new kind of wisdom and creativity is born.

Eating is tied to some of our most primitive impulses–survival, pleasure-seeking, even power. In this episode, bring a snack and enjoy as Thomas guides you in a mindful eating experience that we're sure you'll find delectable.

Mariners throughout history have used the "upper lights"–stars, moon and sun–to guide them across the open oceans. But it is the final stretch of the journey into harbor that is often the most perilous. Thomas shares in this episode the meaning of "lower lights", how we can be lights to one another on the path, as well as the crucial role of sangha in mindfulness practice.

Do you want to take the blue pill, or the red pill? In this episode Thomas draws an analogy from the sci-fi thriller, The Matrix, and shows how we can feel profound freedom, extracting ourselves from the real life matrix through a mindfulness practice. You won't want to miss this mind-bending episode on Mindfulness+!

Mindfulness practice can be difficult to commit to, especially when we notice that our experience while meditating is not always blissful. Listen to this episode as Thomas sheds new light on how to work with challenging experiences. Rather than a problem to be solved (or avoided), you'll learn to turn towards and open up to challenge, catalyzing a powerful process of healing in the body and the mind.

We've talked about the "+" in "Mindfulness+", but what about the "Mindfulness" in "Mindfulness+"? Listen in for a fascinating description of what the word vipassana, the original word for mindfulness, actually means. In Mindfulness+ fashion, Thomas then guides the listener into a rich experience of what this practice points us to–greater clarity, deeper fulfillment, and profound freedom.

In this episode, Thomas guides the listener into a style of meditation that people have been practicing for thousands of years–shamatha, or calm abiding meditation. For style points, he breaks down the basic mechanics of this technique, explaining the basic mechanism–the feedback loop–that makes it so effective. Listen in, and feel your stress melt away as you learn to ride this natural wave of bliss and concentration.

In this episode, Thomas talks about the common issue of "collapse" in mindfulness practice as well as life. Through a vivid metaphor of hiking the Narrows in Zion National Park, he extends an invitation to open up your awareness to its natural spaciousness and enjoy the beauty that abounds.

Many people equate focusing on the breath with mindfulness practice itself. In this episode, Thomas explains the practical reasons why the breath has come to be regarded as a foundation in practice. But he takes it a step further and describes 3 fundamental skills that breathing–and indeed countless other techniques–can help us build. With his signature cherry on top, he guides a soothing meditation that will soften your body and sharpen your mind.

Is it just a catchy name, or is there something behind the "+"? Thomas introduces the study of adult development in this show and explains how different kinds of mindfulness are beneficial to us at different times in life. To conclude, he guides a meditation that is specifically designed for adults who feel tormented by their monkey mind. Go ahead, listen. Tame that monkey.

One of the most common physical symptoms many of us experience in the modern world is exhaustion. Never have humans had so much freedom to pursue their goals and dreams. And never have humans paid a higher price for this constant seeking. Join Thomas as he guides us through a simple mindfulness practice that can profoundly revitalize the body, mind and spirit.

Mindfulness is all the buzz these days. But what is mindfulness? And how can mindfulness benefit you personally? Join Thomas McConkie in this inaugural podcast introducing the practice of mindfulness. Thomas shares how he got into the practice almost 20 years ago and how, by doing simple daily exercises, you can reap profound benefits from this age-old practice. 

In traditional Christian practice, congregants pay a tithe–one tenth of their earnings to support the church. How can we put this time-tested practice to work toward waking up? In this episode, Thomas explores the possibility of tithing your attention as a way of honoring the source of your spiritual sustenance. It’s not to be missed!