Shows / The Road Home with Ethan Nichtern
The Road Home with Ethan Nichtern
The Road Home podcast with author and teacher is Ethan Nichtern is a contemporary exploration of Buddhist teachings and conversation with thought leaders interested in Psychology, Art, Culture, and Politics through the lens of mindfulness practice. Since 2002, Ethan has taught meditation and Buddhist psychology classes and workshops around the United States and online. He is the author of multiple books, including The Road Home: A Contemporary Exploration of The Buddhist Path. He is currently…
Episodes
- The Road Home with Ethan Nichtern
Ep. 126 - Rock-Bottom Individualism and The Possibility of Sangha
Ethan discusses the addiction concept of "rock-bottom" and how that concept can be transposed onto the worldview of individualism and individual power. In what…
- The Road Home with Ethan Nichtern
Ep. 125 - After The Apocalypse
Ethan shares thoughts in the aftermath of the shocking (to him, at least) results of the US presidential election. Check out all the cool offerings at our…
- The Road Home with Ethan Nichtern
Ep. 124 - "Does It Count?" - Cortland Dahl on Short Meditation, Mindful Living, And Feeling Allergic To Religion
Ethan talks to author, Dharma teacher, and scientist Cortland Dahl about his new book A Meditator's Guide To Buddhism. They discuss research on short…
- The Road Home with Ethan Nichtern
Ep. 123 - No But Really, We're All In This Together
Reeling from the events of the last 10 days in Western North Carolina (which directly and tragically affected two friends who have been on The Road Home…
- The Road Home with Ethan Nichtern
Ep. 122 - Meditating With Anxiety (For Election Season and Beyond)
Ethan looks at the nature of anxiety as a special-case emotion and offers a short dharma talk on working with anxiety, then guides a 15-minute lovingkindness…
- The Road Home with Ethan Nichtern
Ep. 121 - Why We Stereotype and How to Break Bias with Anu Gupta
Ethan talks to author, meditation teacher, scientist and lawyer Anu Gupta about his new book Breaking Bias: Where Stereotypes and Prejudices Come From--and the…
- The Road Home with Ethan Nichtern
Ep. 120 - A Buddhist Perspective on "The Shadow" and Shadow Work
Ethan provides a dharma talk on the (originally Jungian) idea of The Shadow and the current popularization of "Shadow Work." He explores the ways that Tantric…
- The Road Home with Ethan Nichtern
Ep. 119 - Why Is Self-Compassion So Hard To Practice???
Ethan provides a dharma talk on why practicing self-compassion can be so tricky and so "blocked." He offers some helpful tips you might not have considered (or…
- The Road Home with Ethan Nichtern
Ep. 118 - The Mindful Rebel: Holding Space To Just Be with Shawn J. Moore
Ethan talks to teacher Shawn J. Moore, aka The Mindful Rebel, aka "Part Buddha, Part Biggie" about his somewhat unique path to mindfulness and dharma, and…
- The Road Home with Ethan Nichtern
Ep. 117 - Crucial Questions: On Remorse and The Four Powers of Karmic Transformation
Ethan provides a dharma talk on the relationship between Self, Non-Self, Guilt and Remorse, and delves into a classic teaching called the "four powers" for how…
- The Road Home with Ethan Nichtern
Ep. 116 - Finding The Source: Original Mind, Zen and Tantra with Dr. Gaylon Ferguson
Ethan talks to one of his key teachers along the path, Dr. Gaylon Ferguson about Beginner's Mind, Original Mind and the relationship between Zen and Tantric…
- The Road Home with Ethan Nichtern
Ep. 115 - Not One and Not Two: Unity, Cult-Thinking, And Meeting The Political Moment
Ethan continues his insights into our political moment after VP Kamala Harris ascends to candidacy. He reviews five practices for engagement with this season…
- The Road Home with Ethan Nichtern
Ep. 114 - Democracy is Something You Practice, Not Something You Watch
Ethan wades into the 2024 American election, first sharing some thoughts on recent events, the dystopian state of American media, and finally, five practices…
- The Road Home with Ethan Nichtern
Ep. 113 - David Nichtern: Windhorse, Confidence, And Riding The Energy of Life
Ethan and David Nichtern discuss the priniciple and practices of Windhorse meditation, and how to ride the energy of one's life and emotions, especially when…
- The Road Home with Ethan Nichtern
Ep. 112 - Marianne Williamson: Spirituality, Politics, and a more Mystical Understanding of Jesus
Ethan and Marianne Williamson discuss her unique spiritual journey, her new book The Mystic Jesus: The Mind of Love, and her wisdom regarding the intersection…
- The Road Home with Ethan Nichtern
Ep. 111 - Is Confidence Gendered? Plus, Thoughts on Activism and The Eight Worldly Winds with Shannon Watts
Ethan and activist and author Shannon Watts recently had a conversation on confidence, gender and activism on IG live. Please remember to pick up a copy of…
- The Road Home with Ethan Nichtern
Ep. 110 - Can Racism End? A Conversation with Justin Michael Williams and Shelly Tygielski
Ethan interviews two teachers and co-authors of the bold new book How We Ended Racism: Realizing A New Possibility in One Generation, Justin Michael Williams…
- The Road Home with Ethan Nichtern
Ep. 109 - The Humility Olympics - Confidence Book Release Conversation with Jaimal Yogis and Lou Sharma
Ethan continues to explore the themes of his new book by discussing self-confidence, no-self, working with praise and criticism, and humility with Jaimal Yogis…
- The Road Home with Ethan Nichtern
Ep. 108 - Want Confidence? Practice Compassion
Ethan continues to explore the themes of his new book by looking at the first of the "four powers of confidence." Why does the practice of compassion help us…
- The Road Home with Ethan Nichtern
Ep. 107 - Confidence: Running The Gauntlet of Hope and Fear
Ethan continues to explore the themes of his new book by looking at how the discussion of confidence can be seen as a discussion of our relationship to Fear…
- The Road Home with Ethan Nichtern
Ep. 106 - The Relationship Between Meditation and Confidence
Ethan begins to explore the themes of his new book by looking at how our meditation practice can help us to work with the crucial and elusive experience of…
- The Road Home with Ethan Nichtern
Ep. 105 - Crucial Questions: Can Buddhists Believe in Magic?
Using the recent solar eclipse (and a few suprising responses to Ethan celebrating it) as a jumping off point, Ethan looks at the worldviews of scientific…
- The Road Home with Ethan Nichtern
Ep. 104 - Sass and Social Connection with Sah D'Simone
How do you go from a life in fashion to being a well-known and respected spiritual teacher and icon? Ethan is joined by friend, teacher and author of the brand…
- The Road Home with Ethan Nichtern
Ep. 103 - Overcoming Control: Discipline, Joy and Letting Go of "Biohack" Mentality
Starting off from the recent work—and calling out—of scientist and wellness personality Andrew Huberman, Ethan explores the relationship between trying to…
- The Road Home with Ethan Nichtern
Ep. 102 - No More Buddhist Guilt: Working With Obstacles in Meditation
Is "Buddhist Guilt" a thing? How does it stop us from meditating? Using his own experience with himself, students, and the classic teachings, Ethan's gives…
- The Road Home with Ethan Nichtern
Ep. 101 - Does Age Equal Wisdom?
Using American political media's obsessive focus on (only one of) the presidential candidate's advanced age, Ethan examines a Buddhist view on the ways in…
- The Road Home with Ethan Nichtern
Ep. 100 - Dr. Gottesman's Gift, Zuckerberg's Bunker, and Doing Your Taxes - Musings on Generosity
Ethan discusses the Buddhist practice of generosity by looking at an amazing billionaire's gift by Dr. Ruth Gottesman, another famous billionaire's apocalypse…
- The Road Home with Ethan Nichtern
Ep. 99 - Freaking Out, Small and Large - Anxiety Check-In and Guided Meditation
Holding the awful events of the world in mind, Ethan discusses anxiety as we try to hold together our personal world, our relationships, and the larger world…
- The Road Home with Ethan Nichtern
Ep 98. - Apocalypse Now? A Buddhist Take On Our Obsession with THE END
In this inventive episode, Ethan discusses our obsession with apocalyptic thinking using the four noble truths. A lifelong fan of science fiction, he discusses…
- The Road Home with Ethan Nichtern
Ep. 97 - Narrative Healing with Lisa Weinert
Ethan is joined by author, teacher and writing coach Lisa Weinert. They discuss the power of storytelling as both a spiritual and psychological method for…
- The Road Home with Ethan Nichtern
Ep. 96 - Crucial Questions: What IS Basic Goodness, Really?
Ethan discusses the often confusing term "Basic Goodness." He breaks down some thoughts on why the term—and the transformative experience it points toward—can…
- The Road Home with Ethan Nichtern
Ep. 95 - Eco-Dharma and Luminous Darkness with Deborah Eden Tull
Ethan is joined by author and teacher Deborah Eden Tull. Eden's Buddhist teaching emphasizes the personal, interpersonal, transpersonal, societal, ecological…
- The Road Home with Ethan Nichtern
Ep. 94 - America Burnout: The 2024 US Election and The Three Aspects of Compassion
Ethan gives his "hot takes" as an active participant and casual observer of American politics on the severely compromised state of American democracy. He…
- The Road Home with Ethan Nichtern
Ep. 93 - Dharma Dads, Courage, Curiosity and a World in Crisis with Oren Jay Sofer
Ethan is joined by author, teacher, Nonviolent Communication trainer and Somatic Experiencing practitioner Oren Jay Sofer. They discuss being "dharma dads,"…
- The Road Home with Ethan Nichtern
Ep. 92 - Right Livelihood, Enoughness, Capitalism and Buddhism with Shelly Tygielski
Ethan is joined by friend, author, meditation teacher, and mutual aid activist Shelly Tygielski. They discuss the grind of modern work life, the experience of…
- The Road Home with Ethan Nichtern
Ep. 91 - Crucial Questions: Buddhism and God?
Ethan discusses the question of "God" from a Buddhist perspective, examining the ideas of theism, atheism, and non-theism. He delves into ways the concepts of…
- The Road Home with Ethan Nichtern
Ep. 90 - Quitter's Day: Resolution, Intention and Aspiration
Ethan discusses the difference between resolution, intention and aspiration as we head into the New Year, along with the wellness phenomenon of "Quitter's…
- The Road Home with Ethan Nichtern
Ep. 89 - The Astrology of 2024 (What the ---- is Going On??!!) with Juliana McCarthy
Ethan is joined by friend, bestselling author, dharma practitioner and astrologer Juliana McCarthy. They discuss the odd scientific precision of astrology and…
- The Road Home with Ethan Nichtern
Ep. 88 - Sharon Salzberg - Finding Stability in an Unstable World
In this episode, Ethan talks with his friend, mentor and teacher Sharon Salzberg about the power of studying Buddhism within a supportive community for working…
The Road Home with Ethan NichternEp. 87 - 2023 "Wrapped" - Contemplating and Reflecting on The Year
In this episode, Ethan discusses the importance of reflecting in meditation on the past (the past year, in this case) as a means of working with our karma or…
The Road Home with Ethan NichternEp. 86 - DRAIN Meditation and Coping Skills For The Apocalypse with Lou Sharma
Ethan is joined by friend and Yearlong Buddhist Studies teaching colleague Lou Sharma to discuss her funny pandemic invention called DRAIN meditation, the pros…
The Road Home with Ethan NichternEp. 85 - Is Dialogue Even Possible?
In this relaunch of the podcast, Ethan explores the dangers of trying to have emotional conversations in algorithm-driven online spaces, and explores the…
The Road Home with Ethan NichternEp. 84 - Keep It Simple
Discussing the dharma of politics, Ethan Nichtern delves into the creation of suffering and shifting into a more intentional era in 2023. Today's podcast is…
The Road Home with Ethan NichternEp. 83 – Communication and Community with David Nichtern
Ethan Nichtern welcomes David Nichtern back to the show for an extremely moist conversation around communication, community, interdependence, aging, and much…
The Road Home with Ethan NichternEp. 82 – The Heart of Who We Are with Caverly Morgan
Exploring relativity and ultimate truth, Ethan Nichtern and Author Caverly Morgan discuss reconciling what we learn in our practice with the noise of the…
The Road Home with Ethan NichternEp. 81 – How a Control Freak Lets Go
On the cusp of crucial midterm elections in America, Ethan Nichtern talks about finding the middle path between complacency and being a control freak, and why…
The Road Home with Ethan NichternEp. 80 - Crucial Questions: Reincarnation
Explore reincarnation with Ethan Nichtern in this philosophically charged episode of The Road Home Podcast! "Consciousness is bigger than just this one finite…
The Road Home with Ethan NichternEp. 79 - The Buddhist Enneagram w/ Susan Piver
This week on The Road Home Podcast, Ethan Nichtern discusses the intersection of Buddhism and enneagrams with internationally renowned meditation teacher and…
The Road Home with Ethan NichternEp. 78 - Despair & Media: A Buddhist Perspective
This time on The Road Home Podcast, Ethan Nichtern explores the relationship between despair and media and offers a reflection on ways we can mindfully consume…
The Road Home with Ethan NichternEp. 77 – In Defense of Choice, Interbeing & Democracy
On the heels of the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision, Ethan shares on women's rights, pro-choice vs pro-life, interdependence and interbeing, fascism…
The Road Home with Ethan NichternEp. 76 - American Detox: The Myth of Wellness w/ Kerri Kelly
Ethan Nichtern welcomes author, Kerri Kelly, onto The Road Home to chat about wellness after tragedy and her new book, American Detox. Kerri Kelly is the…
The Road Home with Ethan NichternEp. 75 – The Assault Rifle & the Lotus w/ Shannon Watts
In the wake of the recent gun violence tragedies in America, social activist Shannon Watts rejoins the podcast for a conversation on what we can do to prevent…
The Road Home with Ethan NichternEp. 74 – Overcoming Individualism
This week on The Road Home Podcast, spend some one-on-one time with Ethan Nichtern as he discusses worldview and overcoming individualism. Explore the…
The Road Home with Ethan NichternEp. 73 – Dharma, Art & The Five Wisdoms with Kevin Townley Jr.
Buddhist renaissance man, Kevin Townley Jr, joins Ethan Nichtern for a conversation spanning the potent intersection of art and Dharma. Kevin Townley is a…
The Road Home with Ethan NichternEp. 72 – Zen Practice and Collective Ceremonies w/ Osho Zenju Earthlyn Manuel
This week on The Road Home Podcast we hear from Ethan Nichtern and Osho Zenju Earthlyn Manuel. They discuss the overlap of science and spirit, the systems that…
The Road Home with Ethan NichternEp. 71 — Finding a Teacher, Becoming a Teacher
This time on The Road Home, we learn about the ethics and roles of spiritual teachers. Ethan Nichtern shares his wisdom on how we can empower both teachers and…
The Road Home with Ethan NichternEp. 70 – Ancestor Trouble with Maud Newton
Ethan Nichtern and Maud Newton discuss personal and collective origin stories, and how ancestral spirituality can help us heal generational trauma. Maud Newton…
The Road Home with Ethan NichternEp. 69 - Grief, Heartbreak, and the Pandemic w/ Heather Coleman
Ethan Nichtern and Heather Coleman have a discussion on the many forms of grief and what healing may look like. Heather Coleman, LCSW has been providing…
The Road Home with Ethan NichternEp. 68 – Conflict and Conflict Avoidance
Uprooting conflict avoidance as a primary spiritual obstacle in modern times, Ethan Nichtern navigates from false neutrality to loving conflict. Diving back in…
The Road Home with Ethan NichternEp. 67 – Doing Small Things: The Dharma of Lego
In this episode of The Road Home, Ethan Nichtern explores the dharma of Lego and how doing small things can help with the often insurmountable feeling of being…