Other practices

Buddhist practice does not always begin—or end—on a meditation cushion. For many practitioners, the path is also expressed through movement, mantra, visualization, healing practices, ritual, and the cultivation of the heart.

In this theme, Donovan reflects on how Tibetan yoga, breathwork, and the nine breaths of purification help quiet the mind and create a sense of clarity, stillness, and safety. Dottie explores the five Buddha families, the wisdom of the Dakinis, and the use of Tara mantras as practical supports during moments of anxiety and uncertainty.

Mara shares how loving-kindness, compassion, empathetic joy, and equanimity have transformed the way she responds to both suffering and happiness. For Phyllis, the practice of Chöd offers a direct way of examining attachment to personality and gradually loosening the grip of the self.

Together, these stories reveal the extraordinary range of Buddhist practice. Some methods work through the breath and body, while others use sound, imagery, ritual, or compassionate reflection. Each offers a different doorway into the same deeper inquiry: how can we meet our minds and our lives with greater awareness, balance, courage, and freedom?