Author and executive Bryan Welch shares how the grief of losing his child profoundly reshaped his heart, deepening his capacity for connection and compassion toward others.
Grab a copy of Bryan’s book, The Gift of a Broken Heart, HERE
In this episode, David and Bryan chat about:
- How grief can transform us in a beautiful way
- Bryan’s journey through the loss of his son, Noah
- Developing a deeper sense of compassion through Buddhism
- Grief as a bridge of connection between ourselves and others
- Allowing ourselves to be vulnerable
- Narratives of our own safety as narratives of superiority
- Forgiveness and considering how the ego wants to be responsible
- Our involuntary reactions to grief, when compared to those of animals
- Permission to cry & the relief we can feel from allowing emotions to wash over us
Sign up for Dharma Moon’s upcoming 8-week Buddhist Psychology Course HERE.
About Bryan Welch:
Bryan Welch is an author, business executive, farmer, and entrepreneur. For nineteen years, from its founding, he ran Ogden Publications, Mother Earth News, Mother Earth Living, Utne Reader, and several other leading media brands focused on sustainability and natural health. More recently, he served as co-CEO of Silk Grass Holdings, a family office developing 32,000 acres of regenerative organic farms and wildlife preserves in Belize. He was founder and CEO of B The Change Media, a multiplatform media company focused on business as a force for good in the world; and was CEO of Mindful Communications, a media and corporate meditation-training company; and CEO of Foster Care Technologies, a B Corporation that provides software that improves placements of children in foster care. Welch has served on the boards of the Silk Grass Farms, the Magazine Publishers Association, the Social Venture Network, Down Home Ranch Foundation, and several nonprofits. He has also served on corporate boards of directors and advisory boards of companies involved in natural foods, agriculture, food processing, e-commerce, corporate training, and the media. He holds a master’s degree from Harvard University, where he studied at the Kennedy School of Government and Harvard Business School. As a Buddhist, Welch is a longtime meditator and advocate for mindfulness practices. Keep up with Bryan on Facebook and check out thegiftofabrokenheart.com.
“I spent some energy over the course of my life separating myself psychologically from the suffering from others, from the potential for my own suffering, and when I was up against it, I didn’t have those reasons to separate myself any longer. I felt a new sense of kinship with other people who were suffering. It occurred to me that as part of the healing, I wanted to see if I could preserve the new warmth I felt, the new openheartedness I felt. When your child dies of mental illness and addiction, you don’t want the pain and turmoil to be their legacy.” –Bryan Welch
About David Nichtern:
David Nichtern, founder of Dharma Moon, is a senior Buddhist teacher who has been practicing and teaching meditation for over 40 years. He was one of the initial American students of renowned meditation master Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche and studied closely with him soon after his arrival in the United States in 1970. He is also a business consultant with companies creating a variety of offerings, integrating meditation in a larger health and well-being context. David is also a multiple Grammy-nominated and Emmy Award-winning musician. David’s journey has crisscrossed with the Maharaji/Ram Dass sangha for decades. He has produced multiple Krishna Das albums and frequently joins the Bhaktettes live on guitar. He considers himself to be a first cousin and an honorary member of the Bhakti community.
Photo by rademeyerdaniel
More Be Here Now Network Podcasts:
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Through bearing witness, love & service, Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee shares how we can collectively heal the crisis of disconnection & ecological devastation: Love & Service
JoAnna Hardy shares a guided meditation all around the first foundation of mindfulness – mindfulness of the body: First Foundation Guided Meditation
Buddhist Master Thich Nhat Hanh explores how we can joyfully bring mindfulness into everyday activities like phone calls, driving, and walking: The Ojai Foundation Presents: Under the Teaching Tree with Thich Nhat Hanh