Beyond the News

In this episode, Dr. Ward discusses ways to study and practice with our feeling tones when consuming the news. A feeling tone is a simple, direct and immediate sensation that we experience in our body and mind. In Buddhist teachings, these feelings are often understood along a spectrum ranging from "pleasant" on one end to "unpleasant" at the other, with a range of intensity between those levels. In the middle of the spectrum is the tone "neutral".
Studying our feelings tones is important, says Dr. Ward, for whether we realize it or not, when we consume the news, we assign a feeling tone to each story. By taking time to recognize and name these sensations, we begin to learn when the stories we read are adding to our wellness or adding to our suffering.
Go deeper:
The next time you watch the news or scroll through your phone's feeds, stop and work through these three steps. Then journal, draw, or meditate about that experience.
(1) Become aware of the tone that is arising in you as you read the news. Where did it feel on the spectrum of pleasant, unpleasant and neutral?
(2) See the tone. Pay attention to the source where it came from. Who was the author or media outlet? What impact does the source have on the feeling tone you recognize?
(3) Look deeper. Ask yourself if that tone is feeding your wellness or your sense of justice and harmony. If it was, great! Lean into that type of experience more often. If it was not, what can you do to be more active in controlling the intake of information? Can you put your phone away and go outside for a walk? Can you change the TV channel? Can you go into your bank of resources that make you feel joy? Like listening to music or meditating.
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Episode recorded on February 13, 2023. The news stories mentioned in this episode took place around that time period. The teachings and underlying principles behind the stories are universal.

Support the show

Beyond the News is made possible through the generous support from Hemera Foundation and the Frederick P. Lenz Foundation. You can help us continue our podcast offerings by giving to thelotusinstitute.org/donate. Your generosity is a gift that supports our programs and events, and the Lotus Institute's global community of friends like you. In gratitude.

Dr. Ward invites us to study our breath as we encounter the news, noticing how it changes based on the story. By paying kind attention to our respiratory system, we can learn how to calm our breathing in the very moment that we experience a shift. With time and practice, we can learn to let go of stories that harm us.
Go deeper:
In a notebook, write down a few lines that describe the characteristics of your breath as you consume the news. Was the breath long or short?...fast or slow?...excited or flat?...hot or cold?...violent or peaceful? Use this journaling exercise as a way to begin recognizing and naming the different types of breath so that over time you intuitively know when it is time to change the channel.
Notes:

• Titration: Consciously controlling what you receive and consume. To make sure you do not take in more than you can handle. This is a common reference in chemistry and regulating practice in psychology.
• The news stories mentioned in this episode took place during January 2023. The teachings and underlying principles behind the stories are universal.

Support the show

Beyond the News is made possible through the generous support from Hemera Foundation and the Frederick P. Lenz Foundation. You can help us continue our podcast offerings by giving to thelotusinstitute.org/donate. Your generosity is a gift that supports our programs and events, and the Lotus Institute's global community of friends like you. In gratitude.

"Are you sure?"... Perception, the process of recognizing and interpreting, holds immense power. It shapes our lives, our worldview, and how we interpret the news.
Before reacting to the stories you hear, pause and ask yourself, "Are you sure?" This simple yet profound question became a lifelong practice for Dr. Larry Ward, inspired by his teacher, Thich Nhat Hanh, the founder of the Plum Village Community of Engaged Buddhism.
Nothing can happen without our mind being involved in what comes in and what comes out. And when we cling too tightly to perceptions, says Dr. Ward, we close off the possibility of life itself. True perception is found in a clear mind and an open heart. Release from the thickets of opinions that flow out of modern media.
Go deeper with these practice questions:

• What news stories reinforce your perceptions?
• What challenges how you perceive the world?
• Whose voice is missing from this story?
• What feeling tones were invoked in you when you read the headline? What did you feel in your body?
• Who will feel better, and who will feel worse, as they read the story?

Support the show

Beyond the News is made possible through the generous support from Hemera Foundation and the Frederick P. Lenz Foundation. You can help us continue our podcast offerings by giving to thelotusinstitute.org/donate. Your generosity is a gift that supports our programs and events, and the Lotus Institute's global community of friends like you. In gratitude.

In this special mini-episode, Dr. Larry Ward shares his wise words and reflections on the 2024 US election, inspired by the teachings and practices of Beyond the News.
As Larry says, "Every election by its nature brings possibility, anxiety, and hope. This is true for society to grow in the improvement of itself for its citizens." As the US election approaches, we invite you to revisit the episodes of Beyond the News so that you may discover practices to help you stay safe, grounded and mindful with how you respond to what you see and hear in the news in the coming days.
BONUS: Larry closes with a new poem, A Message to the Ego That Wants to Rule the World.

Support the show

Beyond the News is made possible through the generous support from Hemera Foundation and the Frederick P. Lenz Foundation. You can help us continue our podcast offerings by giving to thelotusinstitute.org/donate. Your generosity is a gift that supports our programs and events, and the Lotus Institute's global community of friends like you. In gratitude.

Continuing the discussion from episode 3, Dr. Ward delves into the societal implications of how we respond to the feeling tones we experience when consuming the news. Feelings of pleasantness, unpleasantness and neutrality are a natural and normal part of being human. Like clouds, they come and they go.

Yet when we scroll through our social feeds or listen to the news, we can unconsciously develop reactions to these feelings that drive our ego and shape our definition of self and others. The practice is to remain open and aware of the movements of our body and mind, so that we do not get seduced by neutrality or stuck in the pursuit of power and desire.

Notes:

Non-reification: Reification is the act of treating something that is abstract, like an idea or ideology, as if it were a concrete thing. The practice of non-reification helps us to ensure we do not get caught by our feeling tones, that we see concepts and ideas as impermanent.

Skillful attention: Mindfulness practice of learning about the systems of our body and mind, and how they impact our presence in society.

Support the show

Beyond the News is made possible through the generous support from Hemera Foundation and the Frederick P. Lenz Foundation. You can help us continue our podcast offerings by giving to thelotusinstitute.org/donate. Your generosity is a gift that supports our programs and events, and the Lotus Institute's global community of friends like you. In gratitude.