Matthew Brensilver, PhD, served as a Buddhist chaplain at USC for four years and teaches about the intersection of mindfulness and mental health at UCLA’s Mindful Awareness Research Center and with Mindful Schools. Matthew was trained by Noah Levine and teaches at Against the Stream.
He completed the Spirit Rock/IMS teacher training program (2016) and regularly offers retreats at Spirit Rock and the Insight Retreat Center. He spent years doing research on addiction treatment at the UCLA Center for Behavioral and Addiction Medicine and continues to be interested in the unfolding dialogue between dharma and science.
Contact him directly: http://www.audiodharma.org/teacher/231/
Matthew Brensilver’s Mindfulness Meditations
Matthew Brensilver says that if we are unafraid of death, life would be more open. Further, he reflects on the poignancy of life and sorrows of departure.
Matthew Brensilver reflects on the movie where Miranda July was an actress, playing the role of receiving emails from the future in a way that is Dharma.
Matthew Brensilver talks about the importance of the ways of thinking. There are so many Buddhist teachings, valuable insights which work with thoughts.
When we experience anxiety, we feel a desire to escape the negative sensation and achieve tranquility. In this talk by Matthew Brensilver, you’ll learn about how this approach is backward: it’s being present (not escaping ) that brings tranquility.
Matthew Brensilver leads a guided meditation about Metta in the Post Obama Era. “Aspire to be safe for others.” centering on this statement and striving to be free from suffering.
Matthew Brensilver leads a guided meditation- Grief, Love and Groundlessness. When we choose to love, grief becomes a facet of life.
Matthew Brensilver talks about Vision. Seeing is feeling. Visual feeling is one part of mindfulness that can be very useful, as during walking meditations.
Matthew Brensilver talks about Sincerity. Sincerity is the lifeblood of mindfulness practice. All its beauty arises within sincerity.
Matthew Brensilver leads a guided Walking Meditation. Walking meditation gives a different experience of awareness with visual feelings and movement.
Matthew Brensilver talks about doing Dharma Practice for Oneself is Complicated. But doing it for the benefit of all beings including oneself is simple.
Matthew Brensilver talks about Ripples of Happiness. Practicing in the spirit of generosity and compassion deeply benefits not just others but ourselves as well.
Matthew Brensilver talks about Limits of Technique. So much of Dharma is improvisation. Techniques are there to facilitate understanding, but sometimes, the focus on the technique is a hindrance.
Matthew Brensilver talks about History is Ending Today. The mind can easily assume permanence or continuity of things. But then Anicha (Impermanence) is actually a refuge.
Matthew Brensilver talks about Failing Well. It’s about perfectionism, failure and loving-kindness. In practice, failing is indispensable and important.
Matthew Brensilver talks about Love: Cultivation, Concentration & Purification. Love makes our grounds fertile to realize wisdom deeply.
Matthew Brensilver talks about Love: Sexuality & Mindfulness. Love & Sexuality requires a lot of awareness and the sense of letting go.
Matthew Brensilver talks about Knowing and Not Knowing. Mindfulness is very much about knowing things as they are. At the same time, it’s about not knowing.