Episode Description

Diego Perez returns to the Metta Hour for Episode 193 to speak about his new book, Lighter. Diego is a meditator, speaker, and NY Times bestselling author known by his pen name Yung Pueblo. Diego is a practitioner of Vipassana meditation, as taught by S.N. Goenka. His writing focuses on the power of self-healing, creating healthy relationships, and the wisdom that comes when we truly work on knowing ourselves. Diego is the author of several bestselling books, Inward, Clarity & Connection, and his new release, Lighter, which comes out in October of 2022.

In this episode, Sharon and Diego discuss

• The writing of Diego’s new book, Lighter
• How this book differs from his previous prose books
• Scaling up compassion from personal to transpersonal
• The balance of self-care versus activism
• Self-love as a doorway to loving others
• How to build Structural Compassion
• Healing is defined as decreasing the reactions we feel
• Authenticity as a flowing state of identity
• Slowing down to be how you choose to show up
• The Ten Paramis as an expansion of practice
• Softening the barrier between formal and non-formal practice
• Cultivating the qualities we lack
• Learning to let go via acceptance
• The necessity of formal practice of any kind
• Unlocking inner creativity
• Dipa Ma creating accessibility of practice
• Cultivating emotional maturity
• Working with difficult emotions
• Buoyancy of Mind
• The radiance of S.N. Goenka
• Diego meeting Bhikkhu Analiyo
• Diego’s guiding lights for connection

Additional Resources

The episode closes with a reflection on slowing down led by Diego. To learn more about Diego’s work, you can visit his website and get a copy of his new book Lighter, available in hardcover, ebook and audiobook formats wherever books are sold.

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