Richard Freeman and Mary Taylor are true gems of the yoga world. Both immensely skilled teachers of yoga asana and philosophy, brimming with warmth, humor, and understanding.
ABOUT THIS COURSE
ABOUT THIS COURSE
WHAT YOU WILL LEARN
Establish a consistent shamatha (calm-abiding) meditation practice at home
CULTIVATE
Incorporate the qualities of gentleness, discernment, and precision in your being
DISCOVER
Learn techniques to work with strong emotions, in meditation and on-the-spot in your day-to-day life
PROCESS
Employ strategies to live a life of contentment in the here and now
PRESENCE
DEVELOP
Build your capacity for compassion through six actions
RELEASE
Move away from the trap of doubting yourself toward touching your innate bravery and strength
COURAGE
Experience inner peace through addressing change and fear head-on
ENGAGE
Engage with whatever comes up in your life as part of your spiritual path
THIS COURSE INCLUDES
CULTIVATE
DISCOVER
PROCESS
PRESENCE
DEVELOP
Establish a consistent shamatha (calm-abiding) meditation practice at home
Incorporate the qualities of gentleness, discernment, and precision in your being
Learn techniques to work with strong emotions, in meditation and on-the-spot in your day-to-day life
Employ strategies to live a life of contentment in the here and now
Build your capacity for compassion through six actions
COURAGE
Experience inner peace through addressing change and fear head-on
Move away from the trap of doubting yourself toward touching your innate bravery and strength
RELEASE
Engage with whatever comes up in your life as part of your spiritual path
ENGAGE
Sixteen Hours of Video
Watch talks by Diane Musho Hamilton, each 20 to 50 minutes in length, including guided meditation and practices with transcripts and audio versions available
Guided reading assignments with downloadable PDF's
Practices related to each lesson’s teachings help you integrate the course material into your own life and experiences
Additional 11 hour video seminar with Diane Hamilton
Selected readings from The Zen of You and Me by Diane Musho Hamilton (plus a coupon code for 50% off The Zen of You and Me and Everything Is Workable at Shambhala.com)
Access the course on your computer or mobile device—learn at your own pace wherever and whenever works best for you
100% SATISFACTION GUARANTEE
If for any reason you are not completely satisfied, please e-mail us within 30 days, and we will promptly refund your purchase price.
COURSE CURRICULUM
LESSON 1
Unity Consciousness and Awareness of Diversity
Our true home is our spiritual nature, a place of safety and ultimate equality. From this original source, we have so much in common. At the same time, our capacity to acknowledge our differences, to be willing to explore them, and to include diversity of opinions and styles within our relationships and communities is a sign of health and vitality. In this lesson, we’ll explore our own embodied experiences of sameness and difference.
LESSON 2
Sameness and Difference
Studies in human development reveal that our focus on our similarities or differences changes throughout the course of our lives. In other words, we are caught in the tension between the comfort of the status quo and the exciting encounter with difference. In this lesson, we’ll explore this contrast, which is a constant on the path toward greater awareness and growth.
LESSON 3
Mindfulness Practice: Engaging Safety and Excitement
The practice of mindfulness improves our concentration and enables us to be more open and mentally flexible. We learn to stay present to difficult emotions and feeling states, and over time, having cultivated nonjudgmental awareness, we can simply observe our interior landscape without incessant self-criticism. In this lesson, we’ll explore ways in which we can begin to develop this ability to approach situations in our life with openness and clarity.
LESSON 4
How the Ego Divides Us
We are groomed by evolution to focus on protecting ourselves whenever we sense a threat to our well-being. In our modern context, we may not be physically threatened. But in our highly social and emotionally complex world, threats to our ego or self-concept can feel every bit as perilous. Our strategies for self-protection range from avoidance to fighting to sarcastic humor to drug addiction. In this lesson, we’ll explore how we can cultivate greater openness and flexibility in the face of intense feelings of threat.
LESSON 5
Listening as a Unity Skill
Listening is the powerful, soothing agent of all communication. Listening is the best tool there is to lower anxiety, diminish division, and open into sameness, into togetherness. Listening will help almost anyone who is triggered to calm down. In this lesson, we’ll learn how to improve our listening skills.
LESSON 6
Expressing Our Uniqueness
If listening opens up the wide territory of sameness, expressing difference catalyzes conversations. Self-expression stimulates and energizes. Our differences distinguish us from everything else, giving shape to our uniqueness and setting us apart. In this lesson, we’ll learn ways we can become more skilled at honest, open verbal expression and sharing our unique perspective.
LESSON 7
Feelings as a Form of Diversity
Every emotion is a state of consciousness, an experience composed of thought, mood, and bodily sensations. We refer to them as “states” because they come and go. They are not permanent, but rather pass through the body and awareness like a blustery storm in winter or a light breeze on a spring day. The problem with our emotions is that we often don’t relate to them as states. We hold onto them if they feel good, or we chase them away if they feel painful. In this lesson, we’ll learn some tools for both harnessing the intelligence of our emotions and releasing them when they no longer serve us.
LESSON 8
Becoming Wholehearted
This first lesson sets a context for understanding how the ancient wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita is relevant for navigating life in the 21st Century. We introduce the ideas of waking up to what is right before us, including our often complicated relationships, and our fears and confusion about impermanence. We examine how important it is to stay embodied as we find our way through the complexities of daily life.
BONUS MATERIAL
COURSE EXCERPTS
COURSE SUMMARY
100 Hours of Video Teachings
Become More Awesome
Get Less Stinky
Prove Math Exists
Exist for Math
Belly Dance Better
ABOUT YOUR TEACHER
Diane Musho Hamilton is an award-winning professional mediator, author, and teacher of Zen meditation. She is the Executive Director of Two Arrows Zen, a practice in Utah, and cofounder of the Integral Facilitator, a training program oriented to personal development and advanced facilitator skills. She is the author of Everything Is Workable and The Zen of You and Me.
PRINTABLE TRANSCRIPTS
Practice Assignments
Reading Material
Unlimited Access
When does the course begin?
The course is available as soon as you register, and with the exception of the live elements, it does not have a specific start date. All lessons are available and you may go through the course materials at your own pace. The interactive portion of the course begins on September 10, 2022.
How long does it take to complete the course?
There are ten lessons in the course and each lesson is designed to last a week. However, the course is flexible and you can work at your own pace as well, so you can benefit just as much from the course even if it takes you longer to go through it. We encourage you to download videos as you go through the course for your own personal use in the future. You will continue to have unlimited access to the course materials online as well.
How long will I have access to the course?
Your access to the course is unlimited. It will not expire.
How long will the discussion boards be available?
The discussion boards will remain open through March 10, 2023. However, the facilitator will only be available to respond to questions about the teachings until October 8, 2022.
When are the live calls with Diane?
The live calls will take place on Saturday, September 10; Saturday, September 24; and Saturday, October 8; all from 1–2 p.m. EDT. Recordings of the calls will be made available in the course for those who are unable to attend the calls or who would like to listen to them again.
Can I still take this training without a desktop/laptop computer (for example, if I only have an iPad)?
Yes, you can access this course using the browser on your device. However, please note that if you’d like to save any of the course materials, you will need to download to a computer first and then transfer the files to your device.
What if I have technical difficulties with the course?
We have a dedicated course support person who can help you with any issues you may encounter in navigating or accessing the course. Please email [email protected] if you have any questions.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Want to learn to ride the waves of life with mindfulness and compassion? We all do—and yet we so often fall short of our goal to bring more wisdom into our lives at work, at home, and with our friends. In this course, author and Buddhist teacher Lodro Rinzler serves as your guide in how to develop a spiritual backbone, regardless of whether or not you’re interested in religion.
This course includes meditation instructions to help you become calm and centered, guidance on how to work with strong emotions (what Lodro calls the pervasive “Incredible Hulk Syndrome”), and practical steps you can take right now to connect more fully to your own heart of wisdom. You’ll learn how to embody contentment, joy, and fearlessness so you can live your life to its fullest and be of benefit to the world.
~Sashi
“Working with Diane has been one of the most profound experiences of my life. . . . If you have the chance to work with her, it's something that I would not pass up."
WHAT YOU WILL LEARN
CULTIVATE
DISCOVER
PROCESS
PRESENCE
DEVELOP
Establish a consistent shamatha (calm-abiding) meditation practice at home
Incorporate the qualities of gentleness, discernment, and precision in your being
Learn techniques to work with strong emotions, in meditation and on-the-spot in your day-to-day life
Employ strategies to live a life of contentment in the here and now
Build your capacity for compassion through six actions
COURAGE
Experience inner peace through addressing change and fear head-on
Move away from the trap of doubting yourself toward touching your innate bravery and strength
RELEASE
Engage with whatever comes up in your life as part of your spiritual path
ENGAGE
Discover how to appreciate your own uniqueness and bring it forth more actively
Express Yourself
Explore how your communication patterns are affected by your experience of unity and diversity
Recognize Patterns
Learn key skills for helping people feel heard when they talk to you
Listen Effectively
Cultivate greater self-awareness, a necessity for personal growth
Be Self Aware
Understand
Emotions
Engage the wisdom and communicative power of emotional states
Unlock Your Power
Learn how you are responsible for creating the dynamic in your relationships
THIS COURSE INCLUDES
COURSE CURRICULUM
COURSE EXCERPTS
COURSE SUMMARY
100% SATISFACTION GUARANTEE
If for any reason you are not completely satisfied, please e-mail us within 30 days, and we will promptly refund your purchase price.
© Shambhala Publications. All Rights Reserved.
ABOUT YOUR TEACHER
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
PRAISE FOR DIANE
“She is a fantastic translator/practitioner of Zen in a way that is so tangible and practical, and immediately translatable to my own life.” ~ Gabe
"It's an honor to be able to be a part of her teachings and to be in the world growing and maturing in them." ~ Maria
"I have such deep appreciation for Diane and her teachings. When I first met her in 2007 I knew that she was the teacher for me." ~Dean
PRAISE FOR
DIANE
Compassion is a natural outcome of waking up. As our awareness opens to include more, our heart naturally expands. We feel deeply for the challenges and suffering of others—those who are like us and those who are different than we are. In this lesson, we’ll learn how we can be present to the suffering of others without undue stress or anxiety coursing through our system.
LESSON 9
You and Me, Us and Them
Our desire to understand different perspectives, to listen, to question, and to doubt ourselves varies at different levels of adult development. As our ability to take perspectives changes, our view of the world changes, and so does our way of communicating about it. Using an adult developmental framework to look at differences can show us real possibilities, and also limits, in relationships. In this lesson, we’ll learn about this framework and consider how it affects the way we interact with others.
LESSON 10
Endless Practice
Meditation takes practice. Relationships take practice. Whenever we are consciously aware of whatever we are doing right now, we are practicing. When we lose here-and-now awareness, we are practicing getting lost and then regrouping. But as the old adages say, you cannot get off the path. In this final lesson, we’ll contemplate what our path of practice is as we conclude the course.
Can we make real and empowering connections with the people in our lives—both those we love and those we barely know—regardless of our differences?
Diane Musho Hamilton, a Zen teacher, professional mediator, and author of The Zen of You and Me, thrives in the space where sameness and difference meet—and she wants to help you thrive there too. Through video talks, readings, and practices, you will explore many of the subconscious forces at play in your relationships: the implicit “me versus you” mentality that can arise in situations, the fraught storylines that seem to repeat themselves, and the impact of certain relational dynamics on your nervous system.
You’ll learn practical tools to help you engage with skill and openness, express yourself clearly, create space for others, and unlock the power of connection in your own life and beyond.
UNLOCK THE POWER OF
CONNECTION
Often the people who are closest to us are the ones we most struggle to communicate with. How can we connect with each other when we aren’t always on the same page?
PLUS Special Program Bonus!
100% SATISFACTION GUARANTEE
If for any reason you are not completely satisfied, please e-mail us within 30 days, and we will promptly refund your purchase price.
100% SATISFACTION GUARANTEE
If for any reason you are not completely satisfied, please e-mail us within 30 days, and we will promptly refund your purchase price.
Often the people who are closest to us are the ones we most struggle to communicate with. How can we connect with each other when we aren’t always on the same page?
Can we make real and empowering connections with the people in our lives—both those we love and those we barely know—regardless of our differences?
Diane Musho Hamilton, a Zen teacher, professional mediator, and author of The Zen of You and Me, thrives in the space where sameness and difference meet—and she wants to help you thrive there too. Through video talks, readings, and practices, you will explore many of the subconscious forces at play in your relationships: the implicit “me versus you” mentality that can arise in situations, the fraught storylines that seem to repeat themselves, and the impact of certain relational dynamics on your nervous system.
You’ll learn practical tools to help you engage with skill and openness, express yourself clearly, create space for others, and unlock the power of connection in your own life and beyond.
UNLOCK THE POWER
OF CONNECTION
Express
Yourself
Discover how to appreciate your own uniqueness and bring it forth more actively
Recognize
Patterns
Explore how your communication patterns are affected by your experience of unity and diversity
Be Self Aware
Cultivate greater self-awareness, a necessity for personal growth
Listen Effectively
Learn key skills for helping people feel heard when they talk to you
Understand
Emotions
Engage the wisdom and communicative power of emotional states
Unlock Your Power
Learn how you are responsible for creating the dynamic in your relationships
~Sashi
“Working with Diane has been one of the most profound experiences of my life. . . . If you have the chance to work with her, it's something that I would not pass up."
Six hours of core Skillful Communication course video, broken up into 20-50 minute segments, with transcripts. An additional ten hours of bonus video, the Everything Is Workable Masterclass.
Practices related to each lesson’s teachings help you integrate the course material into your own life and experiences
Practice Assignments
Sixteen Hours of Video
Six hours of core Skillful Communication course video, broken up into 20-50 minute segments, with transcripts. An additional ten hours of bonus video, the Everything Is Workable Masterclass
Watch talks by Diane Musho Hamilton, each 20 to 50 minutes in length, including guided meditation and practices with transcripts and audio versions available
Practices related to each lesson’s teachings help you integrate the course material into your own life and experiences
Practice Assignments
Selected readings from The Zen of You and Me by Diane Musho Hamilton (plus a coupon code for 50% off The Zen of You and Me and Everything Is Workable at Shambhala.com)
Reading Material
Access the course on your computer or mobile device—learn at your own pace wherever and whenever works best for you
Unlimited Access
Additional 11 hour video seminar with Diane Hamilton
PLUS Special Bonus Program
$249
An opportunity to receive guidance from a long-time student of Diane’s along with the peer-to-peer support of fellow course participants
Facilitated Discussion Forums
Fellowships for people of color are available for this course. Apply here.
TESTIMONIALS FROM DIANE’S STUDENTS
~Sashi
“Working with Diane has been one of the most profound experiences of my life. . . . If you have the chance to work with her, it’s something that I would not pass up.”
“She is a fantastic translator/practitioner of Zen in a way that is so tangible and practical, and immediately translatable to my own life.”
~Gabe
“It’s an honor to be able to be part of her teachings and to be in the world growing and maturing in them.”
~Maria
“I have such a deep appreciation for Diane and her teachings. When I first met her in 2007 I knew that she was the teacher for me.”
~Dean
Fellowships for people of color are available for this course. Apply here.
Join Diane in three live Q&A calls during which she will take questions from students in the online course (1–2 p.m. EDT on Sat. Sept. 10, Sat. Sept. 24 & Sat. Oct. 8)
Live Calls with Diane Hamilton
Registration Open for a Limited Time
Join Diane in three live Q&A calls during which she will take questions from students in the online course (1–2 p.m. EDT on Saturday, September 10, Saturday, September 24 and Saturday, October 8)
Live Calls with Diane Hamilton
Facilitated Discussion Forums
An opportunity to receive guidance from a long-time student of Diane’s along with the peer-to-peer support of fellow course participants
