How To Keep Your Sh*t Together No Matter What | Kamala Masters

Overview

This episode explores the practice of equanimity, featuring insights from meditation teacher Kamala Masters. She shares practical techniques for cultivating balance and calm, even in the midst of life's chaos, such as raising children or managing daily stressors. The discussion highlights how mindfulness can transform ordinary moments into opportunities for growth and resilience.

Notable Quotes

- All beings are owners of their karma. Their happiness or unhappiness depends upon their actions and not upon my wishes. – Kamala Masters, on the wisdom of equanimity.

- If you're alive, you can practice. You can find the moments in your life to turn into a place of practice. – DJ Cashmere, reflecting on Kamala's teachings.

- The job is to handle your own mind. You can't take responsibility for everything that happens with somebody else, but you can take responsibility for your own mind. – Dan Harris, on the liberating power of mindfulness.

🧘‍♀️ The Essence of Equanimity

- Kamala Masters explains equanimity as a practice rooted in wisdom, helping us align with life's realities rather than reacting to them.

- Equanimity phrases, such as Pleasure and pain arise and pass away. This is how it is, guide practitioners toward acceptance and balance.

- The practice often begins with loving-kindness (metta) to cultivate warmth before transitioning to equanimity, which focuses on understanding and wisdom.

🍽️ Mindfulness in Everyday Tasks

- Kamala shares how her teacher, Munindraji, taught her to turn daily activities like washing dishes into meditation. By focusing on sensations (e.g., the warmth of water) and observing thoughts, she transformed mundane chores into moments of mindfulness.

- This approach allowed her to maintain continuity in her practice, even while raising three children alone.

👶 Parenting as a Hell Realm and a Teacher

- Kamala candidly describes raising three children on her own as a hell realm that ultimately led her to the Dharma.

- She emphasizes the importance of self-compassion, acknowledging that parents will make mistakes but can always return to mindfulness and forgiveness.

- A simplified equanimity phrase she uses with her children: You have your own journey. This reflects both acceptance and a willingness to support without control.

🌀 The Power of Inner Transformation

- Kamala highlights the profound impact of cultivating a pure mind free from hatred, greed, and delusion. Such a mind, even momentarily, can influence the world positively.

- She stresses that meaningful change begins internally: The potential for change happens in our own hearts.

🚶‍♀️ Practical Tips for Busy Lives

- For those with limited time, Kamala suggests integrating mindfulness into existing routines, such as walking between rooms or performing household chores.

- Dan Harris underscores this point, noting that even the busiest lives can accommodate mindfulness if we reframe our approach to daily activities.