Best Views From The Thick Podcasts (2025)

1
54. Catching up with Dr. Polly van den Berg 41:13

Play Pause

2h ago41:13

41:13

Summary In this conversation, Ali and Polly reflect on the past year since their last chat, discussing personal growth, work-life balance, and the challenges of parenting. Polly shares her experiences with returning to work, navigating childcare, and the impact of illness on their family. They delve into the pressures of the medical profession, the…

1
53. Dr. Jenn Gates Nassar on doing pediatrics residency with young children, how being a mom impacts her work, what it's like being a pediatrician with the current misinformation, and her future career ... 45:40

13d ago45:40

45:40

Summary In this conversation, Dr. Jenn Gates-Nassar shares her journey as a pediatric resident, balancing the demands of her medical training with motherhood. She discusses her motivations for pursuing medicine, the challenges of being a resident with young children, and the emotional toll of caring for sick kids. Dr. Gates-Nassar also highlights t…

1
Donald Rothberg: Awakening from Ignorance: Going beyond the Main Habitual Constructions of Experience 2 1:03:38

22d ago1:03:38

1:03:38

(Spirit Rock Meditation Center) We begin with a review of how the Buddha saw "ignorance" of the basic nature of things (not so much of facts or information) as the basic problem of human life; we are as if asleep, caught in dream-like living, and need to "wake up." For the Buddha, we are especially ignorant about impermanence, dukkha (or reactivity…

1
Donald Rothberg: Guided Meditation Exploring the Constructions of Experience: Being with Impermanence, Choiceless Awareness, and Experiences with a "Thick" Sense of Self 39:09

24d ago39:09

39:09

(Spirit Rock Meditation Center) We begin with about 7-8 minutes of developing stability of attention and less distraction, through concentration practice or some other practice. We then explore several aspects of how we "construct" experience. We look at impermanence in several ways, noticing the arising, staying and changing, and passing away with…

1
52. Catching up with Dr. Lauren Puretz 44:06

28d ago44:06

44:06

In this episode we catch up with Dr. Lauren Puretz from episode 33. If you haven't listened to that episode yet, I would suggest listening to that episode first. In this episode we talk about: - How Lauren's practice has been doing since opening 8/2024. We last spoke when she was 2 months in and there have been some bumps in the road - How her runn…

1
Donald Rothberg: Awakening from Ignorance: Going beyond the Main Habitual Constructions of Experience 1 1:00:24

1M ago1:00:24

1:00:24

(Spirit Rock Meditation Center) The Buddha saw the core problem in human life as "ignorance"(avijjā), not an ignorance of facts or information, but rather a not-knowing about the basic nature of reality and our experience. The Dalai Lama tells us: "There is a fundamental disparity between the way we perceive the world, including our own experience …

1
Donald Rothberg: Guided Meditation Exploring Impermanence and Experiences with a Moderate or Strong Sense of Self 42:07

1M ago42:07

42:07

(Spirit Rock Meditation Center) We begin with about 7-8 minutes of developing concentration, becoming more settled and less distracted. We then explore the impermanence in several ways, noticing the arising, staying and changing, and passing away with (1) sounds, (2) body sensations, and (3) the open flow of experience (about 2 minutes). Then there…

1
51. Dr. Janelle Nassim on life after her spontaneous coronary artery dissection and how it affects her views on motherhood and her career 53:47

1M ago53:47

53:47

Summary In this conversation, Dr. Janelle Nassim shares her journey as a dermatologist and a mother, detailing her experience with a life-altering heart attack caused by a coronary artery dissection (SCAD) shortly after the birth of her second child. She discusses the symptoms leading up to the event, her hospital experience, and the emotional and …

1
Donald Rothberg: Bringing Our Practice to the Current Difficult Times 56:10

2M ago56:10

56:10

(East Bay Meditation Center) Sometimes it is thought that Buddhist practice is exclusively about "inner" transformation. However, the Buddha himself spoke of going out for the benefit of others and understood basic ethical guidelines socially. Later approaches and tradition, such as embodied in the rule of King Ashoka and the Mahayana vision of the…

1
50. Dr. Tali Lando - pediatric ENT surgeon, mom of 3 and author of 2 books 1:37:52

2M ago1:37:52

1:37:52

summary In this conversation, Dr. Tali Lando shares her journey as a pediatric ENT and a mother of three daughters. She discusses the challenges of balancing a demanding medical career with motherhood, the importance of support systems, and the evolution of parenting dynamics as children grow. Dr. Lando reflects on her experiences with burnout, the…

1
49. Solo episode - everything leading up to starting cancer treatment 1:01:23

2M ago1:01:23

1:01:23

Picking up where we left off from the last solo episode. This one goes into everything from initial diagnosis leading up to starting treatment. Thanks for listening Support the showBy Alison Trainor

1
Donald Rothberg: Non-Harming: Core Teachings and How to Practice 1:04:42

2M ago1:04:42

1:04:42

(Spirit Rock Meditation Center) We begin by remembering the three core methods of training given by the Buddha (wisdom, meditation, and "ethics"), and their interrelationship. We reflect on how ethics has often been marginalized in Western Buddhism (and at times in Asian Buddhism). We then look in depth at the first lay ethical precept, non-harming…

1
Donald Rothberg: Guided Meditation: Concentration, Metta, Mindfulness (including of Negative Views), and Reflections 40:18

2M ago40:18

40:18

(Spirit Rock Meditation Center) In this guided meditation, connected to the later talk on "Non-Harming," we begin with about 8 minutes of settling and becoming more present, developing more samadhi (concentration). Then there is a period of lovingkindness (metta) practice, including starting where the lovingkindness flows the easiest and then exten…

1
Donald Rothberg: Honoring the Life and Work of Joanna Macy 1:06:54

3M ago1:06:54

1:06:54

(Spirit Rock Meditation Center) This talk occurs five days after Joanna's death at age 96, and two days after Donald attended a wake for Joanna at her home, saying good-bye to her.Donald first met Joanna Macy in 1977, while still a student. When he moved to Berkeley, California in 1988, he helped start a neighborhood daily meditation group of ten h…

1
Donald Rothberg: Guided Meditation Inspired by Joanna Macy's Work 38:17

3M ago38:17

38:17

(Spirit Rock Meditation Center) We begin with a period of settling, developing greater samadhi or concentration, and then move to mindfulness practice, including giving some attention to noticing moderate or a little greater levels of pleasant or unpleasant feeling-tone. When we notice pleasant or unpleasant feeling-tones, is there any tendency tow…

1
48. Catching up with Dr. Kashi Goyal from episode 9 37:50

3M ago37:50

37:50

keywords career transitions, parenting, work-life balance, family dynamics, health journey, personal experiences, professional choices, future planning, medical education, lung transplantation summary In this conversation, Ali and Kashi reconnect after two years to discuss Kashi's recent transition to faculty in lung transplantation, her family's d…

1
Episode 42: Being Different is Your Superpower: How One Man Turned Facial Paralysis into a Million-View TEDx Talk 1:16:38

3M ago1:16:38

1:16:38

Send us a text Meet John Kippen, a resilience coach, magician, and inspirational speaker who is not just a member of the exclusive Magic Castle in Los Angeles but also connected to the prestigious Magic Circle in the UK. A true renaissance man who has transformed personal adversity into a powerful message of hope and empowerment. In this electrifyi…

1
Donald Rothberg: Talk: Bringing Our Practice to the Current Difficult Times: An Eightfold Path 1:06:51

3M ago1:06:51

1:06:51

(Spirit Rock Meditation Center) For the Buddha, practice was understood as involving three trainings, in wisdom, meditation, and ethics (sila). Ethics, typically under-emphasized in much of Western Buddhism, with sometimes clear negative consequences, had as its horizon helping others. The Buddha said: “Wander forth . . . for the welfare of the mul…

1
Donald Rothberg: Guided Meditation on the Two Main Forms of Buddhist Practice, Developing Concentration and Insight (Directed by the Core Wisdom Teaching) 39:28

3M ago39:28

39:28

(Spirit Rock Meditation Center) We begin with brief instructions for developing samadhi (“placing together” or “concentration”), followed by basic mindfulness instructions and then guidance for working with the feeling-tone of pleasant or unpleasant, when it appears in the moderate range. We are mindful of pleasant or unpleasant and look for graspi…

1
47. Dr. Joyce Park (aka TeaWithMD) on her career in dermatology with a social media platform, brand partnerships, and telehealth private practice all while being a mom to 2 little kids 39:09

3M ago39:09

39:09

Summary In this episode, Dr. Joyce Park shares her journey as a board-certified dermatologist and social media influencer, discussing her unique path into teledermatology and the challenges of balancing motherhood with her career. She reflects on the evolution of her practice, the importance of social media in driving patient engagement, and the re…

1
Donald Rothberg: Talk: The Big Picture 3: Introduction to Ethical Practice 1:03:19

3M ago1:03:19

1:03:19

(Spirit Rock Meditation Center) After a brief review of the first two talks in this series, we explore the nature of ethical practice, one of the three core inter-related areas of training for the Buddha, along with training in meditation and in wisdom. We see how ethical practice has often been understood historically as having a social dimension,…

1
Donald Rothberg: Guided Meditation: Developing Concentration, Mindfulness, and Insight Practice Exploring Impermanence and Reactivity, with Reflection on Daily Life Practice at the End 39:10

3M ago39:10

39:10

(Spirit Rock Meditation Center)By Donald Rothberg

1
Donald Rothberg: The Big Picture 2: Nine Ways of Deepening Daily Life Practice 1:05:55

4M ago1:05:55

1:05:55

(Spirit Rock Meditation Center) We continue our series of meditations and talks exploring the foundations of contemporary Buddhist practice. We begin by reviewing last week's talk on the basic model of Buddhist meditation, identifying three aspects of practice. These three are (1) developing samadhi or concentration; (2) cultivating three modes of …

1
Donald Rothberg: Guided Meditation: Developing Concentration, Mindfulness, and Insight into Impermanence and Reactivity 38:54

4M ago38:54

38:54

(Spirit Rock Meditation Center)By Donald Rothberg

1
46. Postpartum Depression, taking time off from residency, type I diabetes, and health care education and advocacy with Dr. Padget Skogman 51:59

4M ago51:59

51:59

"Because then I had to go back to residency, and I could have quit but I didn't want to. I was feeling better, but going back as a brand new first time mom - breastfeeding, not sleeping, all the things - was so much easier than going through residency with depression." This episode is with Dr. Padget Skogman who is a board certified pediatrician. I…

1
Donald Rothberg: The Big Picture 1 1:04:23

4M ago1:04:23

1:04:23

(Spirit Rock Meditation Center) The talk begins to give the "big picture" about the nature of our practice, and how we come, in a way suitable to our times and places, to manifest wisdom, love and compassion, and skillful responses in our lives, increasingly more of the time. We reflect first on some of the challenges of our times, and how Buddhism…

1
Donald Rothberg: Guided Meditation to Develop Samadhi (Concentration) and Insight 38:48

4M ago38:48

38:48

(Spirit Rock Meditation Center) We begin with guidance to develop samadhi (concentration). About mid-way through, we move to mindfulness practice, cultivating insight, and then to two important areas of liberating insight--insight into impermanence and insight into reactivity (the most fundamental meaning of dukkha).…

1
45. Solo episode - big secret and how I got diagnosed with cancer 46:59

4M ago46:59

46:59

Solo episode today sharing a big secret I've been keeping (I promise this isn't click bait) and everything leading up to my cancer diagnosis. Thank you for listening xoxo Support the showBy Alison Trainor

1
44. Dr. Suzanne Koven on the importance of writing in medicine, how things have changed for women since she trained and how there's still room for improvement, and so much more! 58:43

5M ago58:43

58:43

"It’s really just an extension of the general ethos in medicine which has existed for a very long time – generations, centuries - which says that in order to make other people well we have to make ourselves sick. That is only recently being questioned. " This episode is with Dr. Suzanne Koven who was a primary care physician at Massachusetts Genera…

1
Episode 41: From Classroom to Clicks: A Tech Marketing Maverick's Journey 20:44

5M ago20:44

20:44

Send us a text Meet Ifunanya Vivian Ugwuoke from Kenya, a former history teacher who traded lesson plans for digital strategies, transforming her career from education to empowering AI and SaaS brands through cutting-edge content and email marketing. Discover how she broke free from perfectionism and carved a bold new path in the tech world, provin…

1
43. Private surgery practice with your spouse, waiting to have kids until after residency, and the challenges of female mentorship with Dr. Nicole Basa 41:48

5M ago41:48

41:48

"I think we're so geared on the next step - what do I have to do next, I need to complete this before I get to the next step, then this will make me happy. I think we're constantly doing that to ourselves and we don't even know what happy means or what we wanted. My husband and I sat down, we were at Red Robins getting french firies and burgers, an…

1
Donald Rothberg: Understanding and Responding to the World on the Basis of Core Teachings and Practices 2 1:07:28

5M ago1:07:28

1:07:28

(Spirit Rock Meditation Center) We first review of some of the themes explored last week. We look at the appropriateness of understanding and responding to social and political concerns, in the context of non-profit organizations and then in the context of the Buddha's teachings (which involved commentary on the caste system, on the origins of wars…

1
Donald Rothberg: Guided Meditation: Exploring Emotions and Thoughts Connected to Contemporary Social and Political Events 2 40:16

5M ago40:16

40:16

(Spirit Rock Meditation Center) We begin with some guidance on developing samadhi (concentration) and stability, followed by practicing developing samadhi. After about 10 minutes developing samadhi, we move to mindfulness practice. After about another 10 minutes of practice, we then inquire into some of the emotions and thoughts that have been pres…

1
Donald Rothberg: Understanding and Responding to the World on the Basis of Core Teachings and Practices 1 1:03:13

5M ago1:03:13

1:03:13

(Spirit Rock Meditation Center) We first explore in general the relationship of core teachings and practices to the social and political dimensions of our lives. We see that Buddhist practice in the West has commonly emphasized meditation and inner practices, often neglecting or marginalizing the ethical training that traditionally is one of the th…

1
Donald Rothberg: Guided Meditation: Exploring Emotions and Thoughts Connected to Contemporary Social and Political Events 42:51

5M ago42:51

42:51

(Spirit Rock Meditation Center) After about 25 minutes of lightly guided practice, to settle with concentration and/or mindfulness practice, we explore in several ways some of the emotions and thoughts that have been present related to the current state of the society and world. We first relive a recent experience and then bring mindfulness to the …