JoAnna Hardy has practiced in multiple traditions since 1999. She is currently a meditation trainer at Apple Fitness+, a visiting teacher at Black Being LA, a visiting retreat teacher at Insight Meditation Society, and about to embark on a new mystery journey!
Episode cheatsheet
The big takeaway
Meditation teacher JoAnna Hardy explores how Buddhism reframes shame and embarrassment—not as signs of brokenness, but as natural feedback from your conscience and awareness of impact. By understanding concepts like Hiri and Ottappa Hardy shows how discomfort can become a path to integrity, self-forgiveness, and wiser action.
Living your values without the finger-wagging: Buddhist ethics & healthy shame
Key takeaways:
Ethics for happiness, not guilt: In Buddhism, ethical guidelines aren’t about moralizing. They’re designed to make life less stressful and more meaningful by freeing your mind from regret and self-recrimination.
Sila as self-guidance: Buddhist ethics (sila) invites you to explore broad principles (like not killing or lying) and see how they land for you, rather than just following rules handed down from above.
The five precepts in real life: “Don’t kill” or “don’t steal” can be interpreted with nuance. The goal is to reflect on your actions’ impact, not aim for rigid perfection.
Healthy shame & healthy embarrassment: The Pali concepts of hiri and ottapa (aka “healthy shame” and “healthy embarrassment”) encourage tuning into your inner ick, learning from mistakes, and course-correcting without spiraling into self-blame.
6 practical tips for living ethically (the Buddhist way):
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