In this interview I am once again joined by Beth Upton, meditation teacher, ex-nun, and student of renowned meditation master Pa Auk Sayadaw.

Beth shares her emphasis on meditation with the natural rhythms of the body and reveals how she deals with students who experience low motivation, psychological challenges, and even psychosis as a result of meditation practice.

Beth also discusses her own relationship difficulties after disrobing as a nun, why she embarked on special communication trainings to address them, and explains why erotic feeling diminishes as one becomes more enlightened.

…

Video version: www.guruviking.com/podcast/161-natural-meditation-beth-upton-2

Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’.

…

Topics Include:

00:00 - Intro

00:43 - Beth’s Sanditthika meditation community in Spain

04:16 - Different modes of community

07:36 - Meditation with one’s natural rhythm

10:45 - The structure at Pa Auk monastery

12:04 - Resting for the first few days of retreat

14:35 - Working with low motivation to practice

17:30 - Facing challenging mental and emotional states during retreat

19:47 - Psychosis on retreat

21:34 - Common teacher mistakes when dealing with emotional states and psychosis

23:12 - Fear of litigation and criticism

27:14 - Scandal, transparency, and patriarchal models

31:57 - Living in harmony with nature

33:12 - Relationships after leaving monasticism

40:12 - Does enlightenment eliminate erotic function?

41:58 - Begin in a relationship with an enlightened person

43:49 - Tantric and kundalini practices

47:05 - The value of relational and communication practices

48:14 - Meditation isn’t enough to heal relational patterns

52:04 - Beth’s training in relational practices

53:20 - Truth in relationship

55:32 - Balancing retreat practice and practice in life

58:51 - Off-cushion meditation toolkit

01:01:09 - Beth’s personal practice rhythm

01:03:48 - Sense restrain is a gift to oneself

01:06:00 - The consequences of indulgence

…

Previous episode with Beth Upton:

- https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep138-trained-as-a-nun-beth-upton

…

To find out more about Beth Upton, visit:

- https://bethupton.com/

- https://www.sanditthika.org/

…

For more interviews, videos, and more visit:

- www.guruviking.com