Awakening Together, Relaxing into Happiness with William Cooper, Master of Theology, Licensed Professional Counselor

William Cooper discusses his lived experience over the last 50 years of what awakening is for him and what the process entails.  His time in Bhutan, Thailand, Brazil and years in India with awakened masters was such a wonderful support to his own direct experience.  This conversation is oriented towards simplifying awakening with gentle pointers for all - with extra care for beginners.  Simple guideposts are discussed along with following one's heart to develop his or her own practices and perspectives.  This is a sharing rather than in-depth guidance.  For that, please refer to his past podcasts. They are all here and free. This sharing is what he would have found so helpful starting out.  

These podcasts are meant to supplement your personal path of awakening whatever that might be. They are a compilation of what I have found to be the most helpful over the last 50 years on my path of awakening. I feel these podcasts are most powerful when listened to in sequence from podcast one forward because each is built on the last.  Though they, also, all stand on their own.  Since we are each a bit different, if anything does not resonate, please disregard it and follow your heart. All my podcasts and website are here and free. Enjoy!

Though I am a psychotherapist, and these podcasts are offered to be spiritually helpful, they are not psychotherapy.  If psychotherapy is ever needed, please reach out to a psychotherapist.

www.williamecooper.wordpress.com for more support.  You may, especially, enjoy the short contemplations and the resource page which gives you some supportive material.

This meditation starts immediately with no introduction and is a powerful meditation for deep progressive relaxation. Therefore, please do not drive or do anything else but be in a safe place where you can sit or lie down, be undistracted, close your eyes and completely let go.  

I recorded this podcast for my 97-year mother and I’m sharing it with you as well. 
It is very helpful to her for immediate relaxation, stress reduction and calming. She experiences better sleep, lower blood pressure, and other health effects that can flow from deep relaxation.  The effects have been immediate for her.

These podcasts are meant to supplement your personal path of awakening whatever that might be. They are a compilation of what I have found to be the most helpful over the last 50 years on my path of awakening. I feel these podcasts are most powerful when listened to in sequence from podcast one forward because each is built on the last.  Though they, also, all stand on their own.  Since we are each a bit different, if anything does not resonate, please disregard it and follow your heart. All my podcasts and website are here and free. Enjoy!

Though I am a psychotherapist, and these podcasts are offered to be spiritually helpful, they are not psychotherapy.  If psychotherapy is ever needed, please reach out to a psychotherapist.

www.williamecooper.wordpress.com for more support.  You may, especially, enjoy the short contemplations and the resource page which gives you some supportive material.

 In this Q & A we discussed "How to problem solve from an Awakened State", "How to be loving while having firm boundaries", "Boundaries to protect me from suffering of the world", "If we are One why do I want to draw boundaries with people who drain me", "How to develop my Intuition", "Baby Steps", The awakening process, nonattachment, etc.

These podcasts are meant to supplement your personal path of awakening whatever that might be. They are a compilation of what I have found to be the most helpful over the last 50 years on my path of awakening. I feel these podcasts are most powerful when listened to in sequence from podcast one forward because each is built on the last.  Though they, also, all stand on their own.  Since we are each a bit different, if anything does not resonate, please disregard it and follow your heart. All my podcasts and website are here and free. Enjoy!

Though I am a psychotherapist, and these podcasts are offered to be spiritually helpful, they are not psychotherapy.  If psychotherapy is ever needed, please reach out to a psychotherapist.

www.williamecooper.wordpress.com for more support.  You may, especially, enjoy the short contemplations and the resource page which gives you some supportive material.

This meditation has no introduction and goes straight into progressive deep relaxation.  So please do not drive or do anything but sit or lie down where you can close your eyes and let go safely.

In this beautiful meditation with the Lord's Prayer, you are invited to let go and trust something Higher than your personal self.  This is nondenominational and nonreligious so simply tune in to Who or What you Trust and be willing to begin to let go.  I made this meditation for my 97 year mother and am sharing it with you too.  For many it may facilitate deep release, instant relaxation, lower blood pressure, and other health benefits related to stress release.

These podcasts are meant to supplement your personal path of awakening whatever that might be. They are a compilation of what I have found to be the most helpful over the last 50 years on my path of awakening. I feel these podcasts are most powerful when listened to in sequence from podcast one forward because each is built on the last.  Though they, also, all stand on their own.  Since we are each a bit different, if anything does not resonate, please disregard it and follow your heart. All my podcasts and website are here and free. Enjoy!

Though I am a psychotherapist, and these podcasts are offered to be spiritually helpful, they are not psychotherapy.  If psychotherapy is ever needed, please reach out to a psychotherapist.

www.williamecooper.wordpress.com for more support.  You may, especially, enjoy the short contemplations and the resource page which gives you some supportive material.

Awakening is you without your problems.  The Awakening process is releasing internal troubles while recognizing one’s underlying nature as love, peace, happiness, and well-being.  As  Michael Singer is fond of saying, “Let go of your troubles and you won't be troubled.” Life helps you by triggering difficult emotions as you go through your day. By not becoming involved in them, you allow their energy to arise, unwind, and dissipate. At the same time, letting life events reveal gratitude, peace, joy, and love. Let them permeate your being rather than immediately moving past them. With Awareness, all this can happen with or without meditation in your life. But I feel more powerful with meditation.  Awakening is different from practical problem-solving skills which develop separately. 

These podcasts are meant to supplement your personal path of awakening whatever that might be. They are a compilation of what I have found to be the most helpful over the last 50 years on my path of awakening. I feel these podcasts are most powerful when listened to in sequence from podcast one forward because each is built on the last.  Though they, also, all stand on their own.  Since we are each a bit different, if anything does not resonate, please disregard it and follow your heart. All my podcasts and website are here and free. Enjoy!

Though I am a psychotherapist, and these podcasts are offered to be spiritually helpful, they are not psychotherapy.  If psychotherapy is ever needed, please reach out to a psychotherapist.

www.williamecooper.wordpress.com for more support.  You may, especially, enjoy the short contemplations and the resource page which gives you some supportive material.

William Cooper explains awakening as a two-part process: discovering one's true self while letting go of the beliefs, emotions, and mental patterns that obscure it. Journaling can be helpful in that process. He describes a journaling practice he used for years in which he wrote whatever came to mind without censoring or analyzing it, allowing deeply repressed emotions and painful thoughts to surface and gradually dissolve through simple awareness. He says this practice helped him become more open spiritually, citing teachings such as "to see is to be free" and "awareness is curative," and even credits it with preparing him for profound spiritual experiences. He then introduces a second type of journaling—a gratitude journal—which he says became effective after much of his emotional suffering had eased, because gratitude reconnects a person with their true nature of peace, love, joy, and well-being while the first journal releases everything that is not their authentic self.

These podcasts are meant to supplement your personal path of awakening whatever that might be. They are a compilation of what I have found to be the most helpful over the last 50 years on my path of awakening. I feel these podcasts are most powerful when listened to in sequence from podcast one forward because each is built on the last.  Though they, also, all stand on their own.  Since we are each a bit different, if anything does not resonate, please disregard it and follow your heart. All my podcasts and website are here and free. Enjoy!

Though I am a psychotherapist, and these podcasts are offered to be spiritually helpful, they are not psychotherapy.  If psychotherapy is ever needed, please reach out to a psychotherapist.

www.williamecooper.wordpress.com for more support.  You may, especially, enjoy the short contemplations and the resource page which gives you some supportive material.

 William Cooper explains his “60-second rule,” a strategy for building consistent habits by making the minimum commitment so small that it avoids feelings of resistance or discomfort. Drawing on principles from behavioral psychology, he argues that negative reinforcement causes people to abandon activities like exercise, meditation, or yoga. So, eliminate negative reinforcement, while keeping the experience positive encourages long-term consistency. He shares how committing to just 60 seconds of daily exercise helped him develop a decades-long habit, often leading him to do more once he got started. He recommends choosing a minimum that feels easy even on the hardest days.  Consistent daily practice is so important because it compounds over time.  He also suggests applying this gradual approach to processing difficult emotions and spiritual practices, increasing the time only when it continues to feel manageable. 

These podcasts are meant to supplement your personal path of awakening whatever that might be. They are a compilation of what I have found to be the most helpful over the last 50 years on my path of awakening. I feel these podcasts are most powerful when listened to in sequence from podcast one forward because each is built on the last.  Though they, also, all stand on their own.  Since we are each a bit different, if anything does not resonate, please disregard it and follow your heart. All my podcasts and website are here and free. Enjoy!

Though I am a psychotherapist, and these podcasts are offered to be spiritually helpful, they are not psychotherapy.  If psychotherapy is ever needed, please reach out to a psychotherapist.

www.williamecooper.wordpress.com for more support.  You may, especially, enjoy the short contemplations and the resource page which gives you some supportive material.

In her review of our last podcast, "167 - Why Do People See The World So Differently?" Catrin writes, "Thank you William, for this helpful and clarifying talk.  However, what to do then? I mean, to change to a more harmonious and sustainable living on this planet, I think especially now on the environment and all the wars and conflicts, we really need to find ways to work together, not against one another. There is only one planet, as we know, and I think the planet Earth will survive, but probably not the civilization, if it continues like now. I have stopped reading and watching the news since several years back, and I try to do what I can in my circle of life, but it feels a bit helpless at times. But in any case, thank you again for all your wonderful talks and the help and hope you provide us all."

We address Catrin's thoughtful questions concerning the last podcast in this podcast.  If you haven't listened to 167, although there is a brief summary here, there might be more continuity for you if you did.

These podcasts are best when listened to in sequence from podcast one forward because each is built on the last.

Though I am a psychotherapist, these podcasts are offered to be spiritually helpful, not psychotherapy.  Please reach out to one if ever needed.

These podcasts are meant to supplement your personal path of awakening whatever that might be. They are a compilation of what I have found to be the most helpful over the last 50 years on my path of awakening. I feel these podcasts are most powerful when listened to in sequence from podcast one forward because each is built on the last.  Though they, also, all stand on their own.  Since we are each a bit different, if anything does not resonate, please disregard it and follow your heart. All my podcasts and website are here and free. Enjoy!

Though I am a psychotherapist, and these podcasts are offered to be spiritually helpful, they are not psychotherapy.  If psychotherapy is ever needed, please reach out to a psychotherapist.

www.williamecooper.wordpress.com for more support.  You may, especially, enjoy the short contemplations and the resource page which gives you some supportive material.

William Cooper reflects on the surprise and division surrounding recent U.S. presidential elections and uses them to explore why people can hold such different views despite living in the same society. He introduces psychologist Lawrence Kohlberg’s theory of six stages of moral development, which range from avoiding punishment and pursuing self-interest to following universal ethical principles. Cooper explains that people progress through these stages sequentially and can generally understand lower stages they have passed through, but struggle to comprehend perspectives more than one stage above their own. He argues that this framework helps reduce judgment of others, explains social and political disagreements, and sheds light on why people often dismiss those with different views using labels or stereotypes. Ultimately, he sees Kohlberg’s model as a useful tool for fostering understanding, compassion, and clarity about human behavior, though not as a complete explanation of it. 

These podcasts are meant to supplement your personal path of awakening whatever that might be. They are a compilation of what I have found to be the most helpful over the last 50 years on my path of awakening. I feel these podcasts are most powerful when listened to in sequence from podcast one forward because each is built on the last.  Though they, also, all stand on their own.  Since we are each a bit different, if anything does not resonate, please disregard it and follow your heart. All my podcasts and website are here and free. Enjoy!

Though I am a psychotherapist, and these podcasts are offered to be spiritually helpful, they are not psychotherapy.  If psychotherapy is ever needed, please reach out to a psychotherapist.

www.williamecooper.wordpress.com for more support.  You may, especially, enjoy the short contemplations and the resource page which gives you some supportive material.

Many of you are familiar with the ancient Hawaiian practice for healing, Ho'oponopono.  The literal translation of Ho'oponopono is "to correct a mistake" or ""make it right".  This simple, heart based practice releases negative emotions and negative karmic patterns.  Experientially, it opens us up.. Simply repeat silently, "I am sorry, Please forgive me, Thank you, I love you."  Since this is an intuitive practice there is nothing to "figure out". Let your heart be your guide.  It can be directed to somebody, to oneself, or repeated like a mantra as many times as feels right during the day. Experiment and "see" what happens.

These podcasts are meant to supplement your personal path of awakening whatever that might be. They are a compilation of what I have found to be the most helpful over the last 50 years on my path of awakening. I feel these podcasts are most powerful when listened to in sequence from podcast one forward because each is built on the last.  Though they, also, all stand on their own.  Since we are each a bit different, if anything does not resonate, please disregard it and follow your heart. All my podcasts and website are here and free. Enjoy!

Though I am a psychotherapist, and these podcasts are offered to be spiritually helpful, they are not psychotherapy.  If psychotherapy is ever needed, please reach out to a psychotherapist.

www.williamecooper.wordpress.com for more support.  You may, especially, enjoy the short contemplations and the resource page which gives you some supportive material.