In 1987 Phillip Moffitt walked away from his highly successful post as chief executive and editor-in-chief of Esquire magazine to focus on his inner life. After leaving Esquire, Phillip spent most of his time studying Theravada Buddhism and practicing vipassana (insight meditation). He also became interested in the mind-body connection and studied yoga, Jungian psychology, aikido, and somatic healing techniques.
After he had been practicing vipassana for seven years, Phillip was invited by Jack Kornfield, the founder of Spirit Rock Meditation Center, to participate in Spirit Rock’s three-year teacher training. In 1998 after completing his teacher training, Phillip established the Marin Sangha in San Rafael, California.
In addition to teaching the Marin Sangha, Phillip travels throughout the U.S. and Canada leading silent meditation retreats and is a member of the Spirit Rock Teachers Council. Phillip’s primary teachers are Ajahn Sumedho and Sri Swami Balyogi Premvarni Ji.
Between 1999 and 2006, Phillip wrote a regular column for Yoga Journal called “Dharma Wisdom,” which became the inspiration for this website. And in 2008 he published his first book about living the dharma in daily life, Dancing with Life: Buddhist Insights for Finding Meaning and Joy in the Face of Suffering. An excerpt from the book was published in The Best Buddhist Writing, 2009. In 2012 Phillip published a second book about Buddhist psychology, Emotional Chaos to Clarity. An excerpt from the book was published in The Best Buddhist Writing, 2013. Phillip has also written for or been featured in Shambhala Sun, Tricycle, and Buddhadharma magazines.
In addition to devoting himself to teaching the dharma, Phillip also does what he calls “Life Balance” work, a process he developed for helping others find more meaning and a greater sense of well-being in their lives. In 1991 he founded the Life Balance Institute.
You can learn more about Phillip’s Life Balance work at the institute’s website: www.lifebalanceinstitute.com.
Phillip Moffitt’s Mindfulness Meditations
Connecting with the Earth
Phillip Moffitt leads a meditation to appreciate the body and connecting with the earth element: it’s textures, weight, & firmness.
Patience and Perseverence
In this talk, Phillip Moffitt focuses on patience and determination. Patience is the willingness to start over while determination is starting over similar to perseverence.
Emotional Chaos to Clarity
Emotional chaos comes to the mind, and what contributes to it is the mind’s clinging to what it wants to have. Clarity is how chose to relate to the chaos, not to rid of the chaos.
Penetrating Equanimity
Phillip Moffitt talks about Penetrating Equanimity. “Teach us to care and not to care, teach us to sit still.” This poem by T.S. Eliot greatly sums up what is the felt sense of equanimity.
Knowing that Attention is Present
Phillip Moffitt leads a meditation to attention mindfulness awareness, to be mindfully aware of the occurring, to know the occurrence of the present.
Good Fortune, Bad Fortune
Phillip Moffitt tells a story about fortune: good or bad and leads us to a liberating paradox of mindfulness. How believing the old paradox misleads us.
Being Present for Whatever Arises
Phillip Moffitt leads a meditation to be present for whatever arises or is occurring. To live in the current moment and be present without judgment.
Letting Go of Your Story
Phillip Moffitt leads a mediation to explore about our lives’ story. 1st is to acknowledge the absolute necessity of the narrative. Letting go is another.
Reflections on the Splendor of Generosity
Phillip Moffitt talks about Reflections on the Splendor of Generosity. This particular meditation is to acknowledge the practice of compassionate generosity in mindfulness.
Finding Possibility in All That Arises and Passes
Phillip Moffitt leads a themed meditation finding possibility in all that arises and (vanishes) passes. The breath, thoughts, feelings, anger and etc.
Mood and Mindfulness
Phillip Moffitt explains mood and attitude are the hidden aspects that many fail to realize mindfulness. Mindfulness is defined and expounded later on.
How Do We Relate to Time Itself?
The theme of this meditation is exploring our relationship with time. Everything is born in seasons of time. Cultures are time-based.
Knowing & Stillness In Samadhi
Phillip Moffitt talks about knowing and stillness in attaining mindfulness. Enabling what is felt by the mind and having the mind move to the breath.