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Dharma Talks and Sangha Shares
Insight Meditation Houston
What does it mean to truly wake up — not someday, but in this very life? Insight Meditation Houston ("IMH") invites you to find out.
Rooted in 2,500 years of Vipassana tradition and planted in Houston's spiritual community since 1980, this podcast brings you the liberating teachings of the Buddha — accessible, grounded, and alive for modern practitioners. Each episode can offer guided meditations, Dharma talks, and teachings drawn from the ancient path of insight meditation: the careful, compassionate observation of breath, thought, and emotion that slowly — and then suddenly — changes everything.
Whether you're sitting for the first time or deepening a lifelong practice, you'll find here a genuine refuge. Not a performance, not a philosophy debate — just sincere companions on the path, committed to mindfulness, ethical living, and the wisdom that sets the heart free.
Join a community that has been quietly, persistently waking up together for over four decades — and discover what it means to meet your own life with presence, clarity, and compassion.
All backgrounds welcome. No experience necessary. Just bring yourself.
- 22 episodes
- Avg 21 min
- English
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S2026 · E23November 6 · 17 minHow to Survive the Modern World
Most of us meditate to find some peace — so why does stepping off the cushion still feel so hard? In this Sangha Share, board member Nick Burlin reflects on that gap between stillness on the cushion and the persistent friction of modern life, and finds some unexpected help in the work of philosopher Alain de Botton. Nick walks through five themes from de Botton’s writing — self-knowledge and anxiety, status and meritocracy, love as a learnable skill, attention in a noisy digital world, and the value of shared ritual — and traces how each one connects directly to what we’re doing in meditation practice. The through-line is radical self-forgiveness: the idea that sitting in silence isn’t about building a perfected mind, but about learning to witness our very human vulnerabilities with a little more kindness. Along the way he makes the case that showing up here together each week is itself a form of secular ritual — one that turns philosophical understanding into something the body actually knows. About Nick Burlin Nick is a Houston area educator who has taught history, government, economics, and philosophy for over a decade. Nick has a deep curiosity about human nature and the human mind and loves being part of the IMH Sangha.
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S2026 · E22October 6 · 20 minMudita to purify the Heart
Joy isn't something we have to manufacture — it's something we can learn to recognize and receive. In this talk, Ginger Clarkson guides the group through mudita, or sympathetic joy, drawing on teachings from Sylvia Boorstein, the late Cambodian Buddhist patriarch Maha Gosananda, and a newly trained Spirit Rock teacher named devon hase. Ginger explores why sympathetic joy may be the hardest of the four heart practices — envy and the fear that there isn't enough happiness to go around are its natural obstacles — and why the antidote is simply remembering that joy and sorrow visit everyone, and that it's sometimes just someone else's turn. The talk includes a guided mudita practice directing phrases of appreciative joy toward a loved one and a benefactor, with Sylvia Boorstein's gentle reminder woven throughout: the whole of the Dharma can be summed up as paying attention and being kind. About Ginger Ginger Clarkson is a Community Dharma Leader certified by Spirit Rock Meditation Center in California, where she studied under the mentorship of Jack Kornfield and completed the Dedicated Dharma Practitioner program with Eugene Cash and other senior teachers.
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S2026 · E21September 30 · 14 minThe Fruits of Practice
People come to meditation for many different reasons, but the destination is often left unclear. What does this practice actually lead to? In this talk, Travis Hicks traces the arc of a deepening practice — from the small early benefits of slowing down and feeling a little more at ease, through the gradual clearing of the mind's clutter, to the flashes of insight that begin to change how we see reality. Using a few simple images — a dim light slowly brightening in a dark room, lightning flashes revealing a mountain on a dark trail — Travis describes how practice unfolds not in one great leap but drop by drop, with moments of tranquility, joy, and heart-opening becoming more frequent over time. He draws on the opening verses of the Dhammapada and a quote from Bhikkhu Analayo to close with the same point the practice keeps returning to: the measure of progress isn't peak experiences, but the gradual, quiet opening of the heart. About Travis Travis Hicks has been practicing Vipassana meditation since 1995 and teaching since 2005. He completed a two-year teacher training program at Spirit Rock Meditation Center under the guidance of senior teachers in the Theravada tradition. Travis brings a warm, accessible style to the dharma, drawing on both classical Buddhist teachings and contemporary psychology. He leads weekly sittings, daylong retreats, and occasional residential retreats for the IMH community.
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September 22 · 31 minGuided Meditation - Metta
A 30 minute guided meditation on Metta by Travis Hicks
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S2026 · E20September 22 · 16 minThe Wings of Awakening: Wisdom and Compassion
Wisdom and compassion are sometimes called the two wings of awakening — and a practice built on only one of them will eventually veer off course. In this talk, Travis Hicks introduces the four heart practices — loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity — and makes the case for weaving them into a meditation practice that might otherwise lean heavily toward insight and awareness. Travis walks through each of the four brahmaviharas, including both their far enemies (hatred, cruelty, envy, indifference) and their subtler near enemies (sentimental attachment, pity, forced cheerfulness, aloof detachment). He offers practical guidance on how to work with the phrases, when visualization helps, and why starting with someone easy — kindling the fire with small twigs before adding the wet log — matters more than people often realize. He closes with a reflection on how these practices off the cushion, noticing that genuine metta toward a difficult person isn't just an exercise — it's a retraining of the heart. About Travis Travis Hicks has been practicing Vipassana meditation since 1995 and teaching since 2005. He completed a two-year teacher training program at Spirit Rock Meditation Center under the guidance of senior teachers in the Theravada tradition. Travis brings a warm, accessible style to the dharma, drawing on both classical Buddhist teachings and contemporary psychology. He leads weekly sittings, daylong retreats, and occasional residential retreats for the IMH community.
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S2026 · E19September 18 · 19 minThe Essentials of Mindfulness
Whether you're new to meditation or have been practicing for years, coming back to the basics is always worthwhile. In this introductory talk, Travis Hicks lays out the essential qualities of mindfulness — presence, non-judgment, awareness, acceptance, and returning — and explains simply what we're actually doing when we sit down to practice. The talk covers why the body is such a reliable anchor for presence, what it means to observe the mind without trying to change it, and how the classic simile of the two arrows points to where our real suffering comes from. Travis also touches on the relationship between mindfulness and skillful effort — how accepting what's here and working to change unskillful habits aren't contradictory, but actually depend on each other. Clear and accessible, this is a good talk for anyone wanting a grounded overview of what this practice is and why it matters. About Travis Travis Hicks has been practicing Vipassana meditation since 1995 and teaching since 2005. He completed a two-year teacher training program at Spirit Rock Meditation Center under the guidance of senior teachers in the Theravada tradition. Travis brings a warm, accessible style to the dharma, drawing on both classical Buddhist teachings and contemporary psychology. He leads weekly sittings, daylong retreats, and occasional residential retreats for the IMH community.
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S2026 · E18September 18 · 26 minDependent Origination
Dependent origination is one of the deepest teachings in Buddhism — and also one of the most misunderstood. In this talk, Travis Hicks works through the Buddha's teaching on dependent co-arising, the framework that answers a question the Four Noble Truths point to but don't fully explain: how exactly does suffering arise, and where can we actually intervene? Moving through the chain — from aging and death back through birth, becoming, clinging, craving, feeling, contact, and consciousness — Travis shows how each link conditions the next, and why most of them aren't places where we have much practical leverage. The one place we do? The gap between feeling tones and craving. That's where meditation practice does its quiet work, moment by moment. He also walks through three common ways of understanding the teaching: as a map of moment-to-moment mind states, as a framework for a single lifetime, and as the traditional three-life view that connects karma and rebirth. No definitive answer is given on which is right — just a clear, honest look at what the teaching says and what it asks of us. About Travis Travis Hicks has been practicing Vipassana meditation since 1995 and teaching since 2005. He completed a two-year teacher training program at Spirit Rock Meditation Center under the guidance of senior teachers in the Theravada tradition. Travis brings a warm, accessible style to the dharma, drawing on both classical Buddhist teachings and contemporary psychology. He leads weekly sittings, daylong retreats, and occasional residential retreats for the IMH community.
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S2026 · E17September 17 · 13 minWalking Meditation on the Four Elements
The four elements practice — earth, water, fire, and air — is one of the less commonly taught objects of mindfulness, but for some practitioners it opens something that sitting practice alone doesn't. In this talk, Travis Hicks shares why he finds the elements practice particularly valuable, especially when taken outside, and walks through what it actually feels like when it's working well. Rather than experiencing the body as a contained self with arms and legs, the practice gradually dissolves that boundary — sensations inside and outside the body begin to feel continuous, and the usual sense of separation from the world softens. Travis draws on two vivid personal examples: walking barefoot through dewy grass in a labyrinth at a Houston retreat center in January, and sitting on a rock in a power line clearing in British Columbia with the wind moving through. Both point to the same thing — that this practice is less about analysis and more about direct, unmediated contact with experience as it actually is. About Travis Travis Hicks has been practicing Vipassana meditation since 1995 and teaching since 2005. He completed a two-year teacher training program at Spirit Rock Meditation Center under the guidance of senior teachers in the Theravada tradition. Travis brings a warm, accessible style to the dharma, drawing on both classical Buddhist teachings and contemporary psychology. He leads weekly sittings, daylong retreats, and occasional residential retreats for the IMH community.
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S2026 · E16July 30 · 29 minSpiritual Renewal
Even a dedicated meditation practice can quietly become a routine — and that's exactly when renewal matters most. In this talk, Rafi Rahman reflects on what it means to bring freshness back to practice, not by starting over, but by loosening the grip of what we think we already know. About Rafi Rahman Rafi was born and raised in Bangladesh and has been practicing Insight meditation since 2015. He has been part of the Insight Meditation Houston (IMH) community since 2018 and currently serves as Chair of the IMH Board. He is passionate about helping build a warm and welcoming practice community. His path has been shaped by silent retreats, the loss of close family members, and a lifelong curiosity about what it means to live with wisdom and compassion. Alongside Buddhist practice, he enjoys studying Jungian psychology and exploring the meeting place between Eastern and Western approaches to awakening and healing. By profession, he is an engineer, and outside of work he enjoys listening to bamboo flute music, taking walks at Memorial Park, and sharing meaningful conversations with friends.
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S2026 · E15June 16 · 14 minGenerosity
What would it mean to move through daily life with genuine generosity — not as a transaction, but as a way of being? In this talk, Ginger Clarkson reflects on the Zen precept "Do not be stingy," exploring generosity through small moments of kindness, unexpected gestures, and the simple act of paying attention to others. Drawing on Buddhist teachings on dana, a Zen meal chant, the image of Indra's net, and a vivid poem by Rumi, Ginger weaves together personal stories — from smiling at airport workers to her hospice visits with her service dog Amanda — to show how generosity flows in both directions and costs less than we think. She also gently points to what withholding does to the heart, and what opens up when we let go of the impoverished mindset that says there isn't enough to give. About Ginger Clarkson Ginger is a Community Dharma Leader certified by Spirit Rock Meditation Center in California, where she studied under the mentorship of Jack Kornfield and completed the Dedicated Dharma Practitioner program with Eugene Cash and other senior teachers.
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S2026 · E14June 4 · 17 minLoving-kindness and Non-harm as a Preliminary
Most of us sit down to meditate and jump straight into watching the breath — but what if a few minutes of preparation made the whole practice easier? In this talk, Travis Hicks explores the idea of preliminary practices, drawing on Mahasi Sayadaw's recommendation of six things worth doing before formal meditation begins. The six include reflecting on your own virtuous conduct, recalling the benefits of practice, cultivating confidence in the teachings, bringing to mind the qualities of the Buddha, practicing a little loving-kindness, and recollecting death as a nudge toward urgency. Travis shares honestly how he has been experimenting with these in his own practice, and makes a case especially for two: metta as a way of softening the heart before settling the mind, and the simple reflection on good things we have done — something our culture, he notes, doesn't make particularly easy. The talk is practical and personal, with a bug catcher making a memorable appearance along the way. About Travis Travis Hicks has been practicing Vipassana meditation since 1995 and teaching since 2005. He completed a two-year teacher training program at Spirit Rock Meditation Center under the guidance of senior teachers in the Theravada tradition. Travis brings a warm, accessible style to the dharma, drawing on both classical Buddhist teachings and contemporary psychology. He leads weekly sittings, daylong retreats, and occasional residential retreats for the IMH community.
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S2026 · E13May 18 · 20 minVesak and a Brief Life of the Buddha
Every year on the full moon of May, Buddhists around the world celebrate Vesak — the birth, enlightenment, and death of the Buddha, all said to have occurred on the same day. In this talk, Travis Hicks marks the occasion with a walk through the life of Siddhartha Gautama, from his sheltered upbringing in a noble household to his eventual enlightenment under the Bodhi tree. Travis traces the familiar arc — the Four Heavenly Messengers, the failed ascetic practices, the decision to simply sit and not move until he found the answer — but tells it in a grounded, unhurried way that brings the human side of the story forward. He closes with the Buddha's final weeks and last words, which return, as always, to the same simple teaching he offered for 45 years: all compounded things pass away, so practice with diligence. A good introduction for those newer to the tradition, and a worthwhile revisit for anyone who hasn't heard the full story told in one sitting. About Travis Hicks Travis Hicks has been practicing Vipassana meditation since 1995 and teaching since 2005. He completed a two-year teacher training program at Spirit Rock Meditation Center under the guidance of senior teachers in the Theravada tradition. Travis brings a warm, accessible style to the dharma, drawing on both classical Buddhist teachings and contemporary psychology. He leads weekly sittings, daylong retreats, and occasional residential retreats for the IMH community.
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S2026 · E12May 6 · 25 minBrahma Vihara Practice of Mudita (Sympathetic Joy)
Joy isn't a distraction from the spiritual path — according to the Buddha, it's an essential part of it. In this talk, Ginger Clarkson guides the group through mudita, or sympathetic joy, the third of the four brahmaviharas, exploring why it may be the most challenging of the heart practices to cultivate. Ginger reflects honestly on how easy it is to feel genuine warmth toward strangers while still harboring judgment toward others, and how mudita asks us to celebrate the good fortune of others even when we ourselves are struggling. The talk includes a guided meditation sending appreciative joy to others and to oneself, followed by an interactive partner practice where participants share something good in their lives and receive it with an open heart. About Ginger Clarkson Ginger Clarkson is a Community Dharma Leader certified by Spirit Rock Meditation Center in California, where she studied under the mentorship of Jack Kornfield and completed the Dedicated Dharma Practitioner program with Eugene Cash and other senior teachers.
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S2026 · E11May 5 · 17 minMeditation in Movement: The Alexander Technique
Alexander technique is a body awareness and reeducation method from the 19th century that embodies many principles that overlap with mindfulness meditation and insight through observation. In this talk Tom connects to define practical application while sitting walking and standing as well as meditating. About Tom Lev Tom Lev is a teacher and community builder who has evolved from air traffic control to dance to meditation, guided by the conviction that wisdom must be lived rather than understood. His background in dance taught him that presence and empathy transcend words, a principle he carries into all his teaching and work. He focuses on cultivating stillness and emotional awareness as ongoing practices, offering grounded instruction oriented toward helping people live with more ease and kindness. He serves on the board of Insight Meditation Houston.
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S2026 · E10April 21 · 17 minMindfulness of the Body Part 2
In this second talk on mindfulness of the body, Travis Hicks picks up where he left off, covering three more practices from the Satipatthana Sutta: working with postures and energy, mindfulness of the four elements, and contemplation of the body's decay. Travis explores how the choice of posture — sitting, standing, walking, or lying down — relates directly to the energy of the mind, and offers practical ways to bring awareness into everyday movement. He then walks through the elements practice, recategorizing bodily sensations as earth, water, fire, and air — a method he finds particularly alive when practiced outdoors. Finally, he touches on the contemplation of death and decomposition, one of the more challenging practices in the tradition, and offers a simple, grounded way to approach it. About Travis Hicks Travis Hicks has been practicing Vipassana meditation since 1995 and teaching since 2005. He completed a two-year teacher training program at Spirit Rock Meditation Center under the guidance of senior teachers in the Theravada tradition. Travis brings a warm, accessible style to the dharma, drawing on both classical Buddhist teachings and contemporary psychology. He leads weekly sittings, daylong retreats, and occasional residential retreats for the IMH community.
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S2026 · E9April 15 · 31 minMindfulness of the Body Part 1
The body is always here which makes it one of the most reliable anchors for meditation practice. In this first of two talks on mindfulness of the body, Travis Hicks introduces the first of the Four Foundations of Mindfulness and walks through several of its core practices: mindfulness of the breath, awareness of postures, and the body scan. Drawing on the Satipatthana Sutta, Travis explores how the breath makes impermanence tangible, why standing and walking deserve as much attention as sitting, and how bringing awareness to everyday movement, walking to get a glass of water, lying down, even eating, can extend practice well beyond the cushion. He also touches on the body scan as a way of observing the body impartially, without the opinions and attachments we tend to carry about it. A practical and grounded introduction to a practice the Buddha described as leading, on its own, all the way to nibbana. About Travis Hicks Travis Hicks has been practicing Vipassana meditation since 1995 and teaching since 2005. He completed a two-year teacher training program at Spirit Rock Meditation Center under the guidance of senior teachers in the Theravada tradition. Travis brings a warm, accessible style to the dharma, drawing on both classical Buddhist teachings and contemporary psychology. He leads weekly sittings, daylong retreats, and occasional residential retreats for the IMH community.
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S2026 · E8April 15 · 19 minThe Digital Fast
Our phones are designed to capture our attention and they're very good at it. In this talk, Travis Hicks reflects on his annual Lenten practice of giving up social media, and what it reveals about how digital habits shape the mind. Drawing on his own experience with Reddit, a remote monastery retreat, and some statistics about phone use, Travis connects the pull of apps and notifications directly to what we're trying to cultivate in meditation practice: the ability to notice where our attention goes and choose it more intentionally. He looks at how algorithms are built to trigger fear and anger, how novelty-seeking shows up in the mind, and how a period of stepping back can help us see which digital habits actually serve us and which ones are just filler. The talk ends with some practical suggestions and a handful of apps that genuinely support practice, rather than compete with it. About Travis Hicks Travis Hicks has been practicing Vipassana meditation since 1995 and teaching since 2005. He completed a two-year teacher training program at Spirit Rock Meditation Center under the guidance of senior teachers in the Theravada tradition. Travis brings a warm, accessible style to the dharma, drawing on both classical Buddhist teachings and contemporary psychology. He leads weekly sittings, daylong retreats, and occasional residential retreats for the IMH community.
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S2026 · E7March 31 · 17 minReincarnation: A Buddhist Perspective
Travis Hicks explores how the Buddha's teachings on reincarnation and samsara show up throughout the suttas, and what they ask of us in daily life. Drawing on vivid similes from the Pali Canon, Travis looks at how these teachings are meant to spark samvega — a sense of spiritual urgency — alongside a deep recognition that in an endless cycle of rebirth, every being has at some point been our mother, our child, our closest friend. He doesn't ask anyone to accept reincarnation as fact, but invites an open mind about what it might mean for how we practice and how we treat the people and beings around us right now. About Travis Hicks Travis Hicks has been practicing Vipassana meditation since 1995 and teaching since 2005. He completed a two-year teacher training program at Spirit Rock Meditation Center under the guidance of senior teachers in the Theravada tradition. Travis brings a warm, accessible style to the dharma, drawing on both classical Buddhist teachings and contemporary psychology. He leads weekly sittings, daylong retreats, and occasional residential retreats for the IMH community.
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S2026 · E6March 24 · 26 minReincarnation Part 2
Is there actual evidence for reincarnation — or is it just a matter of belief? In this second of two talks, Mark Ryan picks up where he left off, moving from past life regression therapy to what many consider more compelling ground: children who spontaneously remember previous lives. The centerpiece of this talk is the work of University of Virginia psychiatrist Ian Stevenson, who spent four decades systematically investigating over 2,500 cases worldwide. Mark walks through what these cases have in common — children speaking of past lives between ages two and six, memories that could often be verified, and in some cases birthmarks matching fatal wounds from a previous personality. He shares two detailed case studies: a young boy in Sri Lanka whose memories led investigators to a specific man who had died six months before the child's birth, and James Leininger, a Louisiana boy whose vivid World War II nightmares were eventually traced to a real pilot killed at Iwo Jima. Mark closes with reflections on the spiritual significance of reincarnation, including a personal account from Jack Kornfield, and leaves the question open — not asking listeners to believe, but simply to consider. About Mark Ryan Mark Ryan holds a Ph.D. from Yale University, where he was on the faculty and a dean of students for 21 years. Subsequently, he was professor and Dean of the Colleges at the Universidad de las Américas in Puebla, Mexico. His writings on transpersonal matters include the book A Different Dimension: Reflections on the History of Transpersonal Thought and several articles in The Journal of Transpersonal Psychology.
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