Namchak Community Blog

The Reality of Spiritual Bypassing

Let’s begin with a simple definition from Wikipedia, spiritual bypassing is a "tendency to use spiritual ideas and practices to sidestep or avoid facing unresolved emotional issues, psychological wounds, and unfinished developmental tasks". The term was introduced in the early 1980s by John Welwood, a Buddhist teacher and psychotherapist....

A Conversation Between Lama Tsomo & Konda Mason: Implicit Bias

The following blog is an excerpt from a conversation between Lama Tsomo and Konda Mason on June 6, 2020. Konda Mason, an accomplished businesswoman, community organizer, activist, and meditation teacher, is a dear friend of Lama Tsomo. Konda: You know, when we ignore that which is whole, it’s costs us our humanity. That's the cost. It seems like...

A Conversation Between Lama Tsomo & Konda Mason: The Two Truths

The following blog is an excerpt from a conversation between Lama Tsomo and Konda Mason on June 6, 2020. Konda Mason, an accomplished businesswoman, community organizer, activist, and meditation teacher, is a dear friend of Lama Tsomo. Konda: There’s so much going on in my heart and mind. It’s just bubbling. Being a Buddhist teacher, a leader in...

A Conversation Between Lama Tsomo and Konda Mason: Allyship vs. Partnering

The following blog is an excerpt from a conversation between Lama Tsomo and Konda Mason on June 6, 2020. Konda Mason is a dear friend of Lama Tsomo’s, an accomplished businesswoman, community organizer, activist, and meditation teacher. Konda: There's this tendency right now for white people to want to be an ally. I don't subscribe to the word...

Words of Encouragement

This week we are sharing a meaningful article by our friend, Joshua Gorman. Joshua is on the Namchak Advisory Board and is coordinating the Campus Ambassadors Program along with the Namchak team. He is also awriter, changemaker, youth worker, community builder, founder of Generation Waking Up, and organizer at Thrive East Bay in Oakland, CA. Find...

Campus Ambassadors Program

Students today are facing complex challenges like no other generation before. We are excited to be launching a new program for college & university students to help them learn meditation practices, build community, and engage in social change. Are you or do you know a student leader who is looking to cultivate a more meaningful life and make...

Black Lives Matter: Solidarity & Support

We at Namchak are feeling the anger, grief, and frustration that so many of us are feeling at this time in response to the killings of George Floyd, Tony McDade, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor. We are also feeling determined to understand what our individual and collective work is to do—and clarify how we begin to put that work into action....

The Power of Altruistic Intent

Do you ever wonder how your practice can help you become more altruistic? Altruism and compassion are even more important during these uncertain times. Altruism at its core is giving selflessly to others with no thought of benefit for yourself. One way to cultivate this habit of mind is through mind training, or Lojong.Lojong is a practice said...

The Tibetan Story of Tara

Have you been finding it difficult to get to a state of relaxation where you feel like you can actually meditate? If you need some extra help calming your mind before you practice, check out this short teaching about Tara by Khen Rinpoche. He provides an overview of how Tibetans traditionally prayed to Tara in times of fear and danger. He shares...

Looking Forward with Lama Tsomo

As we look forward to our cities and states slowly reopening, we may be asking ourselves: How do we move forward from here with presence and awareness? We asked Lama Tsomo for some advice and have summarized it below. We hope you find it helpful. Personal, community, world integration Our new reality is going to cause us to adjust yet again to a...