In this first evening talk of the IMCW New Year's retreat, Jonathan outlines the five major obstacles to freedom - and how to work with them both on and off the cushion.

All that we cherish - love, creativity, wisdom and aliveness - becomes available when we come home to an embodied presence. This talk looks at how the two wings of mindfulness and compassion guide us in the midst of difficulty to our inner sanctuary of freedom.

Wisdom is more of a verb than a noun. It is the continual refinement of perspective and understanding. As you practice moment to moment the laws of nature are gradually revealed and freedom is realized.

The path to alleviating the suffering of the world leads through the gateway of meeting our own suffering with compassion. When we open fully to our own suffering, we transmute it into compassion and it can move through us into the world.