Show Notes
This talk explores listening as a radical act of compassion at moments of loss, when words often rush in to ease our own discomfort rather than meet another's pain. We examine how common responses to grief—reassurance, advice, spiritual framing, or positivity—can unintentionally distance us, and how the impulse to fix subtly reinforces separation. Drawing on mindfulness and embodied awareness, the talk invites a shift from doing something helpful to being with what is most tender and real.
You'll learn how to recognize the fixing reflex as it arises, listen from the body rather than the mind, and rest in not-knowing without withdrawing or collapsing. Through practical guidance and reflection, you'll discover how simple, grounded presence communicates safety, dignity, and care—offering a form of support that does not try to resolve grief, but allows it to unfold and be held with wisdom and compassion.
More from Jonathan Foust
This talk explores one of the most essential—and liberating—skills on the spiritual path: the willingness to begin again. Inspired by S. N. Goenka's simple instruction to "start again," we'll look beyond returning to the present moment and explore how each new beginning also invites us to remember what matters most. Drawing on the experience of moving across the country, letting go of what no longer belongs, and discovering that every ending is also a beginning, this talk offers a fresh perspective on the practice of starting over—not only during life's major transitions, but in the countless moments of everyday life.
This talk explores the tenth of the ten perfections.
The talk explores the power of loving kindness. You'll learn how to be more of a well-wisher to all, some techniques to more effectively express kindness in the world and a reflection on what might happen in your life if you were to be more adept at responding to challenges with an open heart.