Disclaimer: Traver’s audio is choppy but this is a great conversation so bear with us.

Just like with physical health, your meditation practices will only get stronger by pushing and challenging yourself. That’s what we discussed in this episode with Steve James, also known as the Guru Viking. In this episode, Steve and I discuss long-form meditations, his current meditation practices and how he transitioned from the music industry to meditation and consciousness practices. He discusses his thoughts on relationships, sexual intimacy and how people tend to use sex in the same way they use money.

About Steve James:

Steve James travels internationally teaching somatic practices, meditation, as well as leading explorations in contemplative, mystic, & relational realms.

Known for his direct, grounded approach and his dedication to first-hand research he has extensive experience in elite athletic performance, contemplative and spiritual disciplines, the arts, extreme outdoor survival, and human behavior.

What You’ll Hear:

6:23 What Steve is building right now

7:36 How Steve transitioned from the music industry to meditation and consciousness practices

11:16 The similarities in music and meditation

15:45 Why Steve practices longer form meditations

16:48 Steve’s current meditation practice

21:50 Why you have to challenge yourself during meditation

24:14 Challenges from intimacy and relationships

27:25 Why most people assume they should be in a relationship

28:24 Closing the gap between yourself and your partner

29:03 Why a lot of people compromise in relationships and regret it

32:44 Why people endure difficult relationships when they don’t actually want a relationship at all

34:12 How relationships aren’t always nice

36:01 Why not having a sexual partner won’t save you from the burden of being in a relationship

38:01 How the needs of the race aren’t always in line with the needs of an individual

39:30 How Steve feels about relationships

42:23 Why people are having less sex than ever

45:01 The problem with sex and how it can get old if you’ve had plenty of it

47:39 What’s causes our desires for other people

49:01 Why people often are just having sex out of habit

52:38 Judging the underlying assumptions of an endeavor like hooking up

54:21 How people use sex in the same way they use money

Quotes:

“Music is very similar to meditation. It's just a lot more quantifiable and a lot more limited in its scope.”

“It’s very possible to get so into meditation that you forget the point of it.”

“Music is not only for the aficionados and that’s similar to meditation in a sense.”

“I like to meditate because I’m so curious about life. It’s happening with such vividness, such incredible wonder and beauty are available in the sensory experience in the experience of oneself.”

“With meditation, you really start to perceive so very deeply.”

“To imagine you’re going to commit to meditation is almost as foolish as marriage.”

“Very often we don’t really see people.”

“We assume a lot about our environment just to reduce our processing load.”

“Coming face to face with what you actually want to do is terribly threatening because it probably means you're not going to do some of the things you’re doing.”

“The needs of the group are not always the same as the individual.”

“A lot of the reasons that drove people together no longer exist.”

“Sex itself gets old if you’re having plenty of it.”

“Sex itself with it’s associated risk factors isn’t worth it. Why not stay at home and play computer games?”

“Very often we have sex out of habit.”