On practice as a continuous evolution of form, care and depth, and sustaining the light of our teachers as an act of love.

Kino MacGregor is a Miami native, happiest on the beach with a fresh coconut. She's a poet at heart, always stopping to smell the flowers. She also the founder of Omstars, the world's first yoga TV network, and her message of spiritual strength reaches practitioners the world over. With 1m+ followers on Instagram and over 500k subscribers on YouTube and Facebook, she's sought after as an expert in yoga and international yoga teacher, inspirational speaker, author of four books, producer of six Ashtanga Yoga DVDs, a writer, vlogger, world traveler, and co-founder of Miami Life Center.

• (0:00) – Introduction
• (3:03) – The Spiritual Journey of Yoga
• (8:46) – The Role of Yoga in End-of-Life Preparation
• (14:20) – The Importance of Patience and Forbearance in Yoga
• (24:18) – Balancing Personal Challenges and Joyful Moments
• (26:12) – The Evolution of Kino's Teaching and Practice
• (31:30) – Conclusion and Gratitude

https://kinoyoga.com

On the tortoise approach, the seven-day ask, the gift and truth of less being more, and the practice of no-complaints-whatsoever.

• 0:00 — Introduction and Overview of Light Watkins' Book
• 1:56 — The Tortoise Approach and Consistency
• 6:43 — Personal Experiences and Application of the Tortoise Approach
• 10:48 — Challenges and Practical Applications
• 17:53 — Addiction and Meditation Challenges
• 28:53 — Forgiveness and Purge Challenges
• 32:44 — Conclusion and Recommendations

For over two decades, Light Watkins has helped leaders and teams embed presence into how they live, lead, and connect. His approach elevates performance not by pushing harder, but by helping audiences show up more fully. Light is the author of five bestselling books on happiness, mindfulness, minimalism, and transformation. His TEDx Talk on rethinking mindfulness is approaching a million views. Known as "The Presence Whisperer," Light delivers keynotes that are humorous, heartfelt, practical, unforgettable.

https://www.lightwatkins.com/

On the practice of sitting, walking, becoming, and living as yourself, precisely where you are.

• (0:00) – Introduction and Guest Welcome
• (2:21) – Gru's Journey to Zen Practice
• (5:53) – Elena's Personal Reflections
• (12:18) – The Concept of "Becoming Yourself"
• (19:34) – The Role of Precepts and Ethical Practice
• (32:29) – The Importance of Confidence and Effort
• (37:46) – Conclusion and Gratitude

This long-awaited new book from Shunryu Suzuki: Becoming Yourself: Teachings on the Zen Way of Life, edited by Jiryu Rutschman-Byler and Sojun Mel Weitsman, is one of my favorite books of 2025.

Jiryu Rutschman-Byler is a Soto Zen Buddhist priest and teacher in the lineage of Shunryu Suzuki Roshi, with dharma transmission from Sojun Mel Weitsman. Jiryu has trained residentially in Zen temples since 1996, and currently serves as a co-Abbot of San Francisco Zen Center through his role as Abiding Abbot of Green Gulch Farm Zen Center.

Shunryu Suzuki was one of the most influential spiritual teachers of the Twentieth Century and a founding father of Zen in America. Suzuki's Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind, first published in the U.S. in 1970, is considered one of the most important Buddhist books in modern history, and has been translated into more than thirty-five languages.

A Japanese priest of the Sōtō lineage, Suzuki taught Buddhism in the United States from 1959 until his death in 1971. He was the founder of the San Francisco Zen Center and the Tassajara Zen Mountain Center. While contemporary Buddhist figures such as His Holiness The Dalai Lama, Thích Nhất Hạnh, and Pema Chödrön are more familiar to American audiences, Shunryu Suzuki was among the first Buddhist teachers with cultural influence in the West and was the first to establish a lasting practice community in the U.S. Importantly, the warmth, humor, and simplicity of Suzuki's teachings made Buddhism accessible.

For decades, the San Francisco Zen Center has preserved an archive of Suzuki's original audio teachings, most of which have never been edited or published.

Becoming Yourself: Teachings on the Zen Way of Life offers newly available teachings by Suzuki, exploring a practice he describes as fundamentally about "becoming yourself." Rather than offering a philosophy or even a set of techniques, Suzuki points to a way of being, and calls readers to the simple practice of zazen, or "just to sit," as the expression of a fulfilling life and grounded ethical orientation.

Becoming Yourself is a result of the painstaking efforts of the Zen community over many years. Archiving, transcribing and interpreting Suzuki's intention clearly and accurately proved to be very challenging work. The final editor and compiler of the book is Jiryu Rutschman-Byler, a senior teacher and co-Abbot of the San Francisco Zen Center.

As we learn in these pages, "becoming yourself" is not meant to be understood as an idea but rather tried out as a way of being. It is a practice of deeply connecting with how it feels to be alive in your surroundings, whether on a meditation cushion or not, and stepping forward from that connection. It is opening to your life, wherever you are, and finding right there a deep well of innate wisdom, compassion, and care.