Zen Master: If Life Feels Off, DON’T Ignore It!— You Might Be Living the Wrong Life | Henry Shukman

Rangan Chatterjee

29 oct 2025

Episode description

This episode is brought to you by:
AG1: Get 10 FREE Travel Packs and Welcome Kit worth $80 visit: https://bit.ly/43FwxQl
BON CHARGE: Save 20% off with code LIVEMORE https://boncharge.com/livemore
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Do you ever feel as if you’re too busy to meditate, or that you’re simply not very good at it? This is something that so many people experience, yet today’s guest believes that this is ONLY because of a fundamental misunderstanding about what meditation really is.

Henry Shukman is an authorised Zen Master and Spiritual Director of the Mountain Cloud Zen Center in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Over the years, Henry has taught meditation at organisations including Google, Harvard Business School and the Esalen Institute, AND he is also the co-founder of ‘The Way’ meditation app, which offers a unique pathway of training designed to help people deepen their practice. Henry is ALSO an award-winning poet and the author of several books, including his latest ‘Original Love: The Four Inns on the Path of Awakening’, which explores meditation as a path to compassion, healing and presence.

In our conversation, we explore how meditation can reconnect us with kindness, compassion and a deeper sense of being alive, including:

- Why meditation isn’t about achieving something new, but about rediscovering love – whether that’s compassion for ourselves, care for others or a deeper sense of connection with life itself

- How even just five minutes each day can begin to calm the nervous system, ease stress and help us feel more present

- Why kindness and compassion sit at the heart of health and happiness, and how practices like meditation help us embody them more fully

- Henry’s personal story of living with severe eczema, and how meditation helped him transform both his physical health and his relationship with himself

- The “four inns” of meditation – mindfulness, support, absorption and awakening – and how they offer a clear and practical roadmap for practice

- Practical, accessible ways to bring meditation into life, from stacking it with other habits to finding moments of stillness amid a busy day

This episode is a great reminder that meditation isn’t about adding another chore to your list or trying to empty your mind of all thoughts. Many people find it difficult at first and assume they’re not cut out for it, but as Henry explains, there’s no such thing as a bad meditation – the only one that doesn’t count is the one you don’t do. It’s about pausing, being still and coming back to the peace and presence that are part of being human.

In a world that constantly pushes us to do more, Henry’s message is a reassuring one: that peace, kindness and love are not rewards to be earned, but parts of who we already are. Reading Henry’s most recent book had a profound impact on me, and I hope that this conversation brings you some of the same insight and inspiration.

#feelbetterlivemore

Connect with Henry:
https://henryshukman.com/
https://www.instagram.com/henryshukman
https://www.tiktok.com/@henry.shukman
https://www.youtube.com/@ShukmanHenry

Henry’s books:
Original Love: The Four Inns on the Path of Awakening US https://amzn.to/49bQUug UK https://amzn.to/4oyCOYp
One Blade of Grass: A Zen Memoir US https://amzn.to/48BzPtw UK https://amzn.to/4qmTrrJ

The Way App https://links.drchatterjee.com/3L9S2Vi

Henry’s events & retreats https://henryshukman.com/events

#feelbetterlivemore #feelbetterlivemorepodcast
-------

Order MAKE CHANGE THAT LASTS. US & Canada version https://amzn.to/3RyO3SL, UK version https://amzn.to/3Kt5rUK
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Website: https://drchatterjee.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drchatterjee
Twitter: https://twitter.com/drchatterjeeuk
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drchatterjee/
Newsletter: https://drchatterjee.com/subscription

DISCLAIMER: The content in the podcast and on this webpage is not intended to constitute or be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast or on my website.

Episode description

This episode is brought to you by:
AG1: Get 10 FREE Travel Packs and Welcome Kit worth $80 visit: https://bit.ly/43FwxQl
BON CHARGE: Save 20% off with code LIVEMORE https://boncharge.com/livemore
VIVOBAREFOOT: Get 20% off your first order https://links.drchatterjee.com/4nqvRI3

Do you ever feel as if you’re too busy to meditate, or that you’re simply not very good at it? This is something that so many people experience, yet today’s guest believes that this is ONLY because of a fundamental misunderstanding about what meditation really is.

Henry Shukman is an authorised Zen Master and Spiritual Director of the Mountain Cloud Zen Center in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Over the years, Henry has taught meditation at organisations including Google, Harvard Business School and the Esalen Institute, AND he is also the co-founder of ‘The Way’ meditation app, which offers a unique pathway of training designed to help people deepen their practice. Henry is ALSO an award-winning poet and the author of several books, including his latest ‘Original Love: The Four Inns on the Path of Awakening’, which explores meditation as a path to compassion, healing and presence.

In our conversation, we explore how meditation can reconnect us with kindness, compassion and a deeper sense of being alive, including:

- Why meditation isn’t about achieving something new, but about rediscovering love – whether that’s compassion for ourselves, care for others or a deeper sense of connection with life itself

- How even just five minutes each day can begin to calm the nervous system, ease stress and help us feel more present

- Why kindness and compassion sit at the heart of health and happiness, and how practices like meditation help us embody them more fully

- Henry’s personal story of living with severe eczema, and how meditation helped him transform both his physical health and his relationship with himself

- The “four inns” of meditation – mindfulness, support, absorption and awakening – and how they offer a clear and practical roadmap for practice

- Practical, accessible ways to bring meditation into life, from stacking it with other habits to finding moments of stillness amid a busy day

This episode is a great reminder that meditation isn’t about adding another chore to your list or trying to empty your mind of all thoughts. Many people find it difficult at first and assume they’re not cut out for it, but as Henry explains, there’s no such thing as a bad meditation – the only one that doesn’t count is the one you don’t do. It’s about pausing, being still and coming back to the peace and presence that are part of being human.

In a world that constantly pushes us to do more, Henry’s message is a reassuring one: that peace, kindness and love are not rewards to be earned, but parts of who we already are. Reading Henry’s most recent book had a profound impact on me, and I hope that this conversation brings you some of the same insight and inspiration.

#feelbetterlivemore

Connect with Henry:
https://henryshukman.com/
https://www.instagram.com/henryshukman
https://www.tiktok.com/@henry.shukman
https://www.youtube.com/@ShukmanHenry

Henry’s books:
Original Love: The Four Inns on the Path of Awakening US https://amzn.to/49bQUug UK https://amzn.to/4oyCOYp
One Blade of Grass: A Zen Memoir US https://amzn.to/48BzPtw UK https://amzn.to/4qmTrrJ

The Way App https://links.drchatterjee.com/3L9S2Vi

Henry’s events & retreats https://henryshukman.com/events

#feelbetterlivemore #feelbetterlivemorepodcast
-------

Order MAKE CHANGE THAT LASTS. US & Canada version https://amzn.to/3RyO3SL, UK version https://amzn.to/3Kt5rUK
-----
Follow Dr Chatterjee at:
Website: https://drchatterjee.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drchatterjee
Twitter: https://twitter.com/drchatterjeeuk
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drchatterjee/
Newsletter: https://drchatterjee.com/subscription

DISCLAIMER: The content in the podcast and on this webpage is not intended to constitute or be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast or on my website.

Mindsip insights from this episode:

Nap to honor your body's need for rest and meditation

If you feel overwhelmingly sleepy when you try to meditate, you should lie down and nap, as this is your body revealing its exhaustion, and the nap itself counts as a successful meditation session.

Navigate four stages of meditation for deeper practice

The path of meditation can be understood as a journey through four stages: Mindfulness (awareness), Support (connection), Absorption (flow), and Awakening (non-duality).

Return to inherent worth through meditation and original love

Contrary to the cultural idea of 'original sin' where you must prove your worth, the philosophy of 'Original Love' suggests we are inherently worthy and meditation is a way to return to this natural state.

Access flow state through meditation without external triggers

While activities like sports create flow states that depend on an external action, meditation allows you to access a similar fulfilling state of flow just by being, without needing anything external.

Start consistent meditation practice to heal eczema

A Zen master found that starting a consistent meditation practice was the key intervention that began to heal his severe, lifelong eczema by calming his over-activated nervous system.

Meditate to reduce sleep needs and enhance rest

Regular meditation provides a form of non-sleep deep rest (NSDR) that can be more restorative than sleep, potentially reducing the total amount of sleep you need once your sleep debt is paid off.

Integrate non-duality to eliminate fear of death

Deeply integrating the experience of non-duality, or awakening, can fundamentally change your relationship with death by removing the fear of it.

Show up for meditation to achieve victory

You shouldn't judge the quality of your meditation session, as the only bad meditation is the one you didn't do; the simple act of showing up is the victory.

DESCARGA LA APLICACIÓN

Descubre la sabiduría de la longevidad

DESCARGA LA APLICACIÓN

Descubre la sabiduría de la longevidad

DESCARGA LA APLICACIÓN

Descubre la sabiduría de la longevidad