209 - Unbecoming Ourselves (with Heather Schenck)
7/29/202550 min
In this special interview episode, I sit down with my friend and fellow traveler on the path, Heather Schenck. Many of you may recognize Heather from our online community—she’s been part of our Sangha since 2020. What began as a personal journey through suffering and self-inquiry has now culminated in the release of her first book, Unbecoming Ourselves.
Heather shares the deeply personal story behind her book—how her identity as a nurse, mother, and “good person” created a cycle of striving and self-judgment, and how Buddhist teachings like groundlessness, impermanence, and the nature of suffering...
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First 90 secondsNoah Rasheta· Host0:00
The Secular Buddhism Podcast is now on eightfoldpath.com with transcripts, AI chat, and more. Visit eightfoldpath.com. [gentle music] Hello and welcome back to the Secular Buddhism Podcast. This is episode number 209. In this special interview episode, I sit down with my friend and fellow traveler on the path, Heather Shank. Uh, many of you may recognize Heather from our online community. She's been part of our sangha since 2020, and what began as a personal journey through suffering and self-inquiry has now culminated in the release of her first book, Unbecoming Ourselves. Heather shares the deeply personal story behind her book, how her identity as a nurse, mother, and, quote, "good person" created a cycle of striving and self-judgment, and how Buddhist teachings like groundlessness, impermanence, and the nature of suffering helped her begin to loosen her grip on those labels. Together we explore the difference between who we are and who we think we should be, and how comparison, curiosity, and mindfulness can guide us back to a more authentic way of being. We also talk about the sneaky nature of all pervasive