Anatomy of Awakening

A series of in-depth interviews with leading spiritual teachers, exploring what it means to awaken, and the skillful practices used to do so.

While the interviews are deep, they are in plain English and valuable for anyone who would like to touch into awakening directly along with receiving support with stress, loss, conflict, and dukkha.

Hosted by Stephen Mugen Snyder, Roshi and Mark Sando Mininberg, Roshi

Stephen Mugen Snyder, Sensei and Mark Sando Mininberg, Roshi

This is Anatomy of Awakening, a series of in-depth interviews with leading spiritual teachers, exploring what it means to awaken, and the skillful practices used to do so. Our approach is straightforward. We ask leading teachers to express what awakening means in their tradition or traditions, to describe the specific practices and training, pivotal in their own journey, and the skillful means they rely on to help others open to their true nature. Our guests for this first series of interviews are some of the leading teachers of Buddhism and non-dual mindfulness in North America and Europe. Our intention for each interview is to bring new insights into both traditional spiritual practices and evolving innovations now available to each of us.‌

Featured Teachers

Interviews with some of the leading teachers of Buddhism and non-dual mindfulness in North America and Europe. Includes teachers from various traditions including Zen, Theravada, Tibetan Buddhism, Non-Dual, Diamond Approach®, and neuroscience.

Sandra Maitri

Sandra Maitri is an artist, an author, an enneagram teacher, and a long time teacher of the Diamond Approach® to Inner Realization. Sandra leads Diamond Approach® groups and enneagram workshops for hundreds of students each year in the United States and Europe. Her first book became a classic of its kind, bringing to the burgeoning genre of enneagram literature one of its most spiritually grounded voices.

Loch Kelly

Loch Kelly, M.Div., LCSW, is an award-winning author, meditation teacher, psychotherapist, and founder of the non-profit, Effortless Mindfulness Institute. His teachings synthesize ancient wisdom practices, neuroscience, and contemporary psychology. Loch is dedicated to relieving suffering at its root and supporting people to live from their basic goodness.

Michael Taft

Michael W. Taft is a meditation teacher, author, and podcaster. Michael teaches meditation courses, retreats, and individuals worldwide, and is the author of several books, including the bestselling The Mindful Geek. He is the founder and host of the Deconstructing Yourself podcast.

Jon Bernie

Jon Bernie, author of Ordinary Freedom and The Unbelievable Happiness of What Is, is a contemporary spiritual teacher who has devoted his life to inner consciousness development and to supporting others’ healing, growth, and transformation. He is deeply committed to Inspired Aliveness, an approach that has helped many cultivate more authentic, happy, and fulfilled lives that are rich in meaning and connection.

Joan Hogetsu Hoebrichts, Roshi

Joan Hogetsu Hoeberichts, Roshi LCSW, LMFT, MBA is a teacher in the White Plum lineage. She studied with Roshi Bernie Glassman, Roshi Taizan Maezumi and received Dharma Transmission from Roshi Nicolee Jikyo Miller in 2004. She founded and is now Abbot of Heart Circle Zen in New Jersey. She has been teaching Healthy Boundaries for Buddhist Leaders from the inception of the course.

Roger Walsh, Ph.D.

Roger Walsh MD, Ph.D. DHL is a professor emeritus of psychiatry, philosophy, and anthropology at the University of California, whose research focusses on topics such as meditation, psychological wellbeing, wisdom, and the psychological roots of our global crises. His books include Essential Spirituality as well as The World of Shamanism, and his research and writings have received over twenty national and international awards. He is a student and researcher of contemplative practices, an authorized lama in Tibetan Buddhism, and cohost of the podcast Deep Transformation: Self-Society-Spirit.

Al Fusho Rapaport, Roshi

Al Fusho Rapaport, Roshi has practiced and taught Zen for almost 50 years. He studied with Kozan Roshi, Maezumi Roshi, and Genpo Roshi until receiving Dharma Transmission from Shuzen Roshi in 2008. As President of Open Mind Productions, Al produced the first Yoga Journal Conferences as well as the Buddhism in America Conferences from 1996 until 2001.

Mark Coleman

Mark Coleman is an insight meditation teacher who has been teaching meditation retreats worldwide since 1997. Mark is passionate about integrating meditation and nature and regularly leads wilderness retreats through his organization, Awake in the Wild, where he also offers nature-based meditation teacher trainings.

Rick Hanson, Ph.D.

Rick Hanson, Ph.D. is a psychologist, Senior Fellow at UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center, and New York Times best-selling author. His seven books have been published in 33 languages, and include Making Great Relationships, Neurodharma, Resilient, Hardwiring Happiness, Just One Thing, Buddha’s Brain, and Mother Nurture – with over a million copies in English alone.

Meet the Hosts

This series is hosted by two experienced teachers. And for a special treat, the hosts also interview each other.

Stephen Mugen Snyder, Roshi

Stephen Mugen Snyder, Roshi, began practicing daily meditation in 1976. Since then, he has studied Buddhism extensively—investigating and engaging in Zen, Tibetan, Theravada, and Western non-dual traditions. He was authorized to teach in the Theravada Buddhist tradition in 2007 and the Zen Buddhist schools of Soto and Rinzai in 2022. Mugen is a senior student of Roshi Mark Sando Mininberg and a transmitted teacher in the White Plum Asangha—the body of teachers in the Maezumi-roshi lineage.

Mark Sando Mininberg, Roshi

Mark Sando Mininberg, Roshi trained for 20 years with John Daido Loori Roshi at Zen Mountain Monastery and later studied with and received dharma transmission from Bernie Glassman, Roshi of the Zen Peacemaker Order in 2011. Mark received inka from Ken Byalin, Roshi and Paco Lugovina, Roshi in 2021. Mark is a lay teacher working with small groups and individual students.

What You’ll Learn

Whether you are newly on a spiritual path, or are an experienced practitioner, you’ll find these interviews beneficial and insightful.

Awakening is what happens when we discover who we really are in the deepest spiritual sense. Awakening can happen to anyone, but for most of us it takes real effort and training. The methods that define the Buddhist path to awakening date back 2,500 years and have been passed on from teacher to student ever since. In this series, leading teachers from several spiritual traditions speak openly about their own experiences and how they guide students on the journey to awakening.

Perspectives on awakening from multiple spiritual traditions
How to integrate spiritual understanding with everyday life
Getting started on a spiritual path
What is awakening and how do teachers recognize it?
Discover practical methods used by experienced practitioners for awakening
How to deal with pitfalls like spiritual bypass
What are the different kinds of awakening?
What is the role of therapy in spiritual practice?
How Buddhism is evolving in the West

Many excerpts from this series are available on YouTube at this playlist.

Fundraiser

This course is a fundraiser for the Awakening Dharma Retreat Center.

Awakening Dharma Retreat Center

Awakening Dharma has grown to the point that a retreat center is needed. The retreat center will primarily host silent meditation retreats on the topics of awakening, cessation, jhana, the heart practices, and related topics.

Learn more here.

Pricing

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$99

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12 Modules
40+ Lessons
11 Interviews
Access to all content

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$399

Full Price

12 Modules
40+ Lessons
11 Interviews
Access to all content