Podcast Summary
From Transcendental Meditation to Tibetan Buddhism: Justin Von Boydash's Journey: Justin's story shows how meditation can lead to deep exploration of spirituality and personal growth, even leading to unexpected discoveries and challenges.
Justin Von Boydash, a meditation teacher, discovered the practice at a young age through Transcendental Meditation (TM) introduced by his parents. His interest in meditation deepened as he explored Eastern thought through art and reading about Buddhism and Tibetan Buddhism. Despite his parents' open-mindedness, the leap from TM to Tibetan Buddhism was significant. By high school, he was deeply involved in Tibetan Buddhism, even considering becoming a monk while also being interested in a romantic relationship. This desire led him to explore Tantric sex, which he was not well-versed in. Justin's story illustrates the transformative power of meditation and the depth of human curiosity and desire. Listen to the 10% Happier podcast on Wondery to hear more about Justin's experiences teaching meditation in Rikers Island. Join Wondery Plus to access early episodes and support the show.
A transformative journey to Tibetan Buddhism: Immersing in a spiritual tradition's cultural origins deepens understanding and growth. Listen to wise mentors and trust intuition.
Personal growth and deep understanding of a spiritual tradition often require immersive experiences in their cultural origins. The speaker's journey to India and studying various Buddhist traditions led them to find a deep connection with Tibetan Buddhism and a transformative teacher. Despite the temptation to fully commit as a monk, they ultimately chose to embrace their identity and continue practicing while living in the United States. Through their experiences, they learned the importance of listening to wise mentors and trusting their own intuition.
Finding harmony between personal practice and professional life: Combining personal spiritual practice with career can lead to profound experiences and fulfillment, even in challenging environments. Seek meaning and purpose in your livelihood and prioritize community and connection.
Finding harmony between personal practice and professional life can lead to profound experiences and fulfillment. The speaker shares how they combined their Buddhist practice with their career as a chaplain, starting in hospice care and eventually working at Riker's Island. Through this work, they found peace and perspective by being with people during the dying process and helping them let go. The speaker's experience highlights the importance of finding meaning and purpose in one's livelihood, even in seemingly challenging environments. The speaker's journey also underscores the value of community and connection, as evidenced by their involvement in a Buddhist temple and participation in a New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care. Overall, the speaker's story demonstrates the transformative power of compassionate service and personal growth.
Connecting spiritual practices to underserved communities: Making transformative practices like meditation accessible to all, including underserved communities, can have a profound impact on individuals' lives and humanity.
Connecting spiritual practices like meditation to underserved communities, such as female inmates, can have a profound impact. The speaker found this connection particularly meaningful at the Rose M. Singer Center, where she started a meditation group for inmates. Their stories resonated with her, and she was able to see their humanity despite the challenges they faced. Simultaneously, through her hospice work, she realized the democratic nature of suffering and the importance of making these practices accessible to all, regardless of socio-economic status. By being present and available in the "vernacular," she was able to make a difference in the lives of those who might not otherwise have had access to these transformative practices.
Connecting with challenging populations through respect and understanding: Approaching challenging populations with respect and developing relationships is crucial for making a difference. Common ground and relatable examples can help break down initial misconceptions.
Connection and understanding are key to making a difference, even in challenging environments. The speaker started volunteering with a women's group after experiencing the fear of no longer existing, and later worked with young adult male incarcerated individuals. She found that approaching them with respect and developing relationships was essential. People's preconceptions about meditation and her role as a meditation teacher in a prison were initially negative. However, she persisted, using relatable examples and finding common ground. The speaker learned that both the incarcerated population and law enforcement officers shared an initial emotional closure, with the latter keeping their emotions hidden. Her experience as the first chaplain for staff in the New York City Department of Corrections taught her about the complexity of incarceration and the importance of addressing the suffering on both sides.
Chaplains make a difference in correctional facilities: Chaplains offer support and programming to incarcerated population and officers, emphasizing self-care for officers through meditation and other practices.
Working in a correctional facility presents unique challenges for both the incarcerated population and the officers. Human suffering is prevalent in such environments, and while policy changes may be necessary, individuals like chaplains can make a difference by offering support and programming. The recognition of the need for officer support led to the hiring of a chaplain who could provide more than just religious services. The importance of self-care, such as meditation, is crucial for officers in this unpredictable and potentially dangerous work environment. Easter brunch at Whole Foods Market offers an opportunity for families and loved ones to come together, with a focus on high-quality, ethically-sourced ingredients. At Rikers Island, the chaplain's role is a work in progress, but there is promising buy-in from the staff for meditation and other supportive programming.
Creating a safe space for corrections officers to practice mindfulness: Providing a safe environment for corrections officers to express emotions and practice mindfulness can lead to stress reduction and improved emotional well-being, benefiting both officers and their work performance.
Creating a safe and vulnerable space for corrections officers to practice meditation and mindfulness can lead to significant stress reduction and emotional well-being. This process allows officers to express their emotions and feelings in a safe environment, which can help them better handle the challenges of their job. The Bodhisattva model, which emphasizes compassion and benefiting beings, guides the approach of creating such a space. The role of the staff chaplain provides the opportunity to interact with officers one-on-one and develop programs to support their emotional well-being. The ultimate goal is to help officers feel safe enough to express themselves and modulate their emotions effectively, enabling them to better perform their duties while reducing the potential negative impact of job-related stress.
Importance of Self-Care for Correction Officers: Meditation boosts awareness and situational awareness, crucial for correction officers. Neglecting self-care can lead to health issues and decreased performance.
Self-care, including meditation, is crucial for both the physical and emotional well-being of correction officers. Despite common assumptions, meditation increases awareness and situational awareness, which can be beneficial in high-stress and fast-paced work environments like jails. Furthermore, neglecting self-care can lead to health issues at younger ages for correction officers. It's essential to break down the stigma that meditation makes one weak or soft and instead embrace its benefits for overall well-being and job performance. The speaker's personal experience of transitioning from a privileged upbringing to working at Rikers Island highlights the importance of adapting and prioritizing self-care in challenging situations.
Managing Anxiety and Crisis with Meditation: Meditation helps manage anxiety and cope with crises in high-stress environments like hospice and law enforcement. It allows for letting go of ownership, staying focused, and providing support to others.
Meditation has been instrumental in helping the speaker manage anxiety and cope with crisis situations, particularly in high-stress environments like hospice and law enforcement. The speaker discusses how meditation has helped them handle multiple crises at once, let go of a sense of ownership, and stay focused during intense moments. In a new environment like the New York City Department of Corrections, the speaker faced challenges related to the violence and their own identity, but meditation continued to be a valuable tool for managing emotions and staying present. The speaker also mentions the importance of providing support to others in law enforcement who may be dealing with personal losses or traumas. Overall, the speaker emphasizes the importance of mindfulness and self-care practices like meditation in managing stress and crisis situations.
Working in correctional facilities: Guards and inmates share common roots: Maintaining mental peace through meditation involves focusing, relaxing, and observing thoughts and emotions without judgment
Working in correctional facilities presents a complex web of relationships and challenges, with guards often coming from the same communities as the incarcerated individuals. Meanwhile, maintaining mental peace through meditation practices involves focusing on visualization, mantra, and non-conceptual meditation, allowing thoughts and emotions to come and go without getting distracted or attached. The goal is to rest in awareness, observing the mind without getting caught up in stories or identities. This practice requires relaxation and a non-judgmental attitude towards one's thoughts and emotions.
Find peace through meditation - observe thoughts and emotions: Meditation brings stillness, observing thoughts and emotions without judgment, gaining meta-awareness, and finding peace in everyday life
Meditation is a practice that helps bring stillness and relief by settling the mind and observing the constant changes in thoughts and emotions without judgment. It's not about actively doing something but rather relaxing into the experience, like lying down after a run. This stillness allows us to gain a meta-awareness, or "behind the waterfall" perspective, where we're not caught up in the river of thoughts and emotions but rather observing them from a removed, non-judgmental perspective. This takes practice, but the mind's natural ability to change constantly creates many opportunities for us to develop this relationship and find space in our everyday lives.
Mindfulness and Appreciation in Daily Life: Practicing mindfulness and appreciation for everyday objects can lead to greater happiness and fulfillment.
Finding moments of mindfulness and appreciation in everyday life, no matter how brief, can lead to greater happiness and fulfillment. The speaker, a Buddhist teacher, shared that even taking a minute to touch an object and appreciate its beauty can make a difference. He also mentioned his various teaching engagements in New York City, Philadelphia, and Boston, as well as his writing for Buddhist publications and work on a book manuscript. The podcast concluded with a reminder to subscribe, rate, and suggest topics or guests, and a mention of sponsors and other podcasts available from ABC News Podcasts. Additionally, there was an advertisement for a new scripted audio series from Wondery called "The Last City," which offers a dystopian vision of a safe and climate-stable city.
