072 The age of connectivity was supposed to give everyone a voice and spread liberal values around the world, but instead public discourse in the digital town square has been reduced to 280 characters and cynical memes shared with strangers.  In contrast to the dumpster fire of social media is the rich tradition of a salon culture that thrived during the age of enlightenment.  From the ferment of these social gatherings flowed a new world of reason and possibility, including egalitarian systems of self governance and the inalienable rights that have come to define the West, but are now under threat.

Innate to the experience of salons is the pursuit of meaning, connection and beauty.  As more of life is lived online there are fewer spaces in the real world where diverse people and perspectives can engage in healthy and spirited exchange about things that truly matter.  In this episode of Awake In Relationship I speak with Justine Kolata, a philosopher, salonnière and author of In Pursuit of the Beautiful Soul about reviving the art of conversation as an antidote to online toxicity and restoring hope in a brighter future through holding space for beauty and heartfelt dialogue.

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071 As we transition to fall and celebrate thanksgiving (In Canada) it seems like a natural time to focus on the hearth, the place of warmth, family and community. The constellation of people we share our world with, especially our chosen family, are always reflecting something back to us, some important feedback. In this short monologue Silas Rose explores the mirror like quality of our close relationships, known in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition as the Mandala Principle. Like a Buddha in the centre of a colourful sacred circle by bringing awareness to every conversation we can transform our habitual patterns and reactivity.  When we change, the image in the mirror also changes. In this way our circle of relationships expands and we can experience greater openness and joy. 

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070 The road to original and impactful work can be long and lonely. The digital age has enabled more freedom, creativity and opportunity, but also epidemic levels of disconnection and distraction. It is estimated that 20 percent of North Americas are involved in some early stage enterprise or work online.  Even more are opting for remote or hybrid work. When we are literally switching screens every 3 minutes new strategies and tools are needed to help us access our potential and do deep work.

In this episode of Awake In Relationship I speak with Steve Puri, CEO of The Sukha, a productivity app and community of remote workers to discuss hacks for getting into flow, the creative process and building healthy relationships and teams online and off. Steven draws on insights from a long career as a producer and studio executive at DreamWorks and 20th Century Fox for being more productive and getting to the real work that feeds your soul.

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Credit: Music used in this episode intro by Grand_Project

069 The heart is not just a pump, it is also the tender center of our being we most often guard and long to liberate.  As young children we got to experience the wonders of life through an open heart, but also the pain of separation and in some cases, betrayal. The process of adulting in a materialistic culture necessitates constructing elaborate strategies and conceptual shells to navigate the chaos of life and keep us safe.  However, the more we identify with our thoughts and live life from head, the more disconnected we become from our true nature and sense of aliveness. The desire for wholeness demands an inner journey into the deep heart.

In this episode of Awake In Relationship I speak with Dr John J Prendergast, non dual spiritual teacher, psychotherapist and author of The Deep Heart: Your Portal into Presence and Your Deepest Ground about the archetypal spiritual journey of restoring connection with the subtle and profound wisdom of the heart. In this conversation we also discuss the intersection of psychotherapy and a grounded approach to spirituality in working through trauma and internal blocks to loving more fully.

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Credit: Music used in this episode intro by Orangery

068  The spiritual journey is not all love and light. The more one commits to waking up, the more life is punctuated by times of intense loneliness and a longing to be liberated from the sense of separateness. The nature of love is expansive and free flowing. Only when we fixate and try to constrain it does it become transactional and begin to sour. Without warning the transcendent joy of a passionate love affair can turn to self doubt and neediness.

According to the Buddhist tantric tradition, love is a vast storehouse of energy that exists beyond the dualistic barrier of ego clinging or relationship status and is available to all who are brave enough to seek its truth. By becoming familiar with the open nature of love we can dance and communicate with others with greater delight and ease. In this episode of Awake In Relationship I speak with Buddhist author, teacher and returning guest, Susan Gillis Chapman on the non dual, indestructible nature of love and cutting through ego’s obsessive strategy to possess it.

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Credit: Music used in this episode intro by Grand_Project 

067 Every rose has its thorn... so too, there is no intimacy without first facing the Shadow. In the background of our quest to be known and held deeply in relationship is a murky and sometimes dangerous territory. The Shadow contains a lifetime of unmet needs and raw emotion that can resurface abruptly in situations involving power, money and sex. It also holds a vast treasure trove of latent gifts and the potential of love waiting to be expressed if we are brave enough to look.

In a time when 50 percent of marriages end in divorce and1/3 of us live alone shadow work may be the secret to transforming old wounds and self defeating patterns and realizing our deepest desires in conscious intimacy and connection.  In this episode of Awake In Relationship we welcome back Dr Connie Zweig, retired Jungian and author of Romancing the Shadow to discuss the path of shadow work and waking up in our relationships. 

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066 After an extended hiatus Awake In Relationship is back on the AIR with season 3!  In this short episode Silas discusses the origins of the loneliness epidemic and the evolution of his mission in the brave new world of super intelligent machines to help people reclaim time and attention from devices to invest in conscious relationships and deep work in the real world. 

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065 In this episode of REWIND we revisit an interview about mens struggle to find a generative form of masculinity in a rapidly changing world. FYI we will be taking a break from regular publishing over summer and be back in fall with the launch of season 3. Stay tuned!

In almost every metric of success including education, career advancement and earning potential men have fallen behind the opposite sex. In this conversation I speak with David Jurasek, psychotherapist and mens coach about the current state of boys and men and the often overlooked causes of antisocial male behaviour, under performance and inability to access emotional help. We also discuss ways conscious men can re-access the power latent in their biology and psyche in healthy ways that serve others and open to greater love and a sense of purpose.

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064 Long before the pandemic many of us were practicing some form of social distancing. Modern life is rich in connectivity, yet so often lacking in the felt sense of connection and belonging. In the transition to the digital world more of life is being lived online and we are more lonely than ever. Like a muscle that never gets flexed, the close relationships that we rely on in good times and bad can quickly atrophy if we are not paying attention. In this instalment of ON AIR host Silas Rose discusses the importance of social fitness and reclaiming time and focus from the algorithms for real world relationships.

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063 When war and rumours of war are everywhere in the news how we personally relate to uncertainty and show up for others matters more than ever. The temptation to harden our hearts and join the chorus of polarizing voices is difficult to resist. However, it doesn’t matter what side of a conflict we identify with or the opinions we hold. Toxic certainty, hatred and fear are contagious and the real enemies of peace. Spiritual warriorship has existed in eastern and western traditions for thousands of years to show the way of bravery. In times of crisis the spiritual warrior rises above aggression and looks within to transform a fearful mind in the cradle of compassion.

In this episode of Awake In Relationship I speak with returning guest Susan Gillis Chapman, Buddhist teacher and author of The 5 Keys of Mindful Communication and a new book, Which Way Is Up?: Finding Heart in the Hardest of Times, due to be published in June 2024. In this conversation we discuss the transformative power of compassion and qualities of a modern spiritual warrior living in times of great change  and fear. We also discuss contemplative practices for invoking the heart of bravery and leading with love.

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