Exploring Awareness

Episode 54: How Awareness Can Lead to Forgiveness and Self Compassion

"Forgiveness means giving up all hope for a better past."- this quote by Lily Tomlin asks us to realize that the past is over, and failing to forgive keeps us locked in the habitual thoughts and judgements that keep us small and confined. In this episode, we discuss forgiveness of self and forgiveness of others as part of the realization of ourselves as awareness for the benefit of ourselves and others. This is part of the Big Fun Journey that exploring awareness can be- and this episode also provides a guided meditation to make it real, not just talk.

What would it take to find Awe in a brick? How to experience Awe everyday is the topic of this episode. We discuss how there is a constant opportunity to connect at a deeper level and to be aware of what is happening in the present moment -as it is -without judgement, analyzing or overthinking. To allow yourself to be in the present moment and allow what's happening to happen – a sense of Awe will emerge as a wonderful feeling of connection. By taking the opportunity to be present, to be aware, there is a sense of relief that there is a larger way of being which also unearths a sense of love and peace and joy found in present moment -not from the past or future. Awe becomes the experience of seeing things for the first time, every time! The deeper we look, and the more present we are, the more Awe we discover- and we may find that we are the mystery we are looking at! In this episode, also enjoy an Awe-Inspiring guided meditation.

While we often have great intentions to practice meditation and awareness, lack of a framework leads to inconsistency. In this episode, we discuss the foundations of practice from Adyashanti's book The Way of Liberation and provide a guided meditation to help get the practice started.

Episode 50: Exploring Awareness to Experience Unity

Mindfulness practices and exploring awareness can lead to a deep realization and experience of Unity. When we practice the 4 foundations of mindfulness and get a sense of our true identity as pure awareness a deep realization emerges. Experiences of Unity first come and go in glimpses then become seen through a clear window. Understanding gets deeper and integrates into daily life. As conditioned beliefs and habitual thought patterns start to fall away, we begin to realize that we all share one unconditioned place unified in a field of awareness. Beyond words, the guided meditation in this episode helps one get familiar with an experience of awareness and unity.

Episode 49: Finding Joy in Knowing What Makes You Tick

A "Joy that has no opposite" can be realized when we use mindfulness techniques to explore awareness. Happiness is wonderful too, but - as an emotion - comes and goes. The "Joy of Being" is always present. We discuss Joy as an essence of authentic human life that gets covered up by habitual thinking, discursive thoughts, and the overwhelm of negative information coming into our lives every day. Our usual ways of thinking, creating expectations, making judgments, reacting to news, making plans- all are part of what "makes us tick". By exploring the awareness of what "makes us tick", a perspective shift occurs as we begin to identify with the deeper sense of awareness where the "Joy of Being" is gradually realized. Interestingly, as we work with this, what "makes us tick" will migrate towards the innate qualities of Joy, Peace, Love and Generosity – charting a path for an open hearted life with less suffering that is open and helpful to others.

Episode 48 : Awareness of the Present Moment Plus a Mediation for Sleeplessness

The actions of our mind are a wonderful gift as we enjoy past memories, solve problems and plan for the future. Taken to extremes however, our minds can come up with the details of past events so vivid, it is as if we are reliving them over and over again. Future events can be created as well, so a future scenario seems to be completely true even though it hasn't happened yet! These mental creations can lead to stress, anxiety and trouble sleeping, and trying to get rid of them can make it worse! When you become truly "aware" this is happening, a shift occurs. In this episode, we talk about how using mindfulness techniques to explore awareness can activate the "awareness mind", where we become aware of our thoughts, aware of awareness, and in that awareness find a place of peace and calm.

Sometimes, recreating past and future scenarios occur when we are trying to sleep. A calm and dark room does not have the distractions that our daytime activities provide so the mind can really go. In this episode, we provide a guided meditation to help you see the thoughts and reactions for what they are, then you can "rest as awareness" and see what happens. Practicing exploring awareness during the day is a great way to prepare for those restless nights.

Episode 47: Enjoying Awareness – A Big Fun Journey!

Meditation and spiritual awareness opens up a wonderful sense of freedom and expansion that reflects an ever present inner sense of being. During the sometimes difficult work of spiritual practice, we catch glimpses of residing inner peace only to get pulled down the rabbit hole to more difficulties. Some people say –its hard work! Nevertheless, there is a choice to be made between the "cold comfort" of the known habits and thought patterns and the freedom that comes from practicing present moment awareness. It's hard to explain in words, and this episode has a guided meditation for practice.

How conscious are you of the words that you speak? Where do the words come from and what do they represent? Words are one way to communicate, and in this episode, we explore the awareness of what is happening in our mind that generates the words we use. Words used habitually, reflexively, and not formed with awareness may not represent the inner dimension of peace, love, joy and equanimity. Consider words a sound that you make, and that there is a choice about what those sounds are and what you want to those sounds to represent. Exploring awareness and finding your base of peace, joy, love and equanimity allows a place from where the words you choose represent you're your own truth.

"Being mindful" means more than just the ability to focus or pay attention. Being mindful doesn't mean getting rid of thoughts or getting to a relaxed state. Being mindful is not about something we need to do to gain something. In this episode, we discuss the "how" of mindfulness, we break down the definition and learn how to utilize mindfulness techniques to open to a place of mindful and loving awareness. You will naturally experience a sense of peace, love, joy and generosity- something that you already have no matter what your situation. It's a return to that!

Looking to a Post-Covid World- what are we learning?

The Covid pandemic is giving the world a long pause from routine and turning expectations upside down. Even as we may be nearing the end, this past year provided time to go inward, to see what is important, and note what may or may not have been working in life. Some did not have such a luxury and continued an even more frantic life fraught with risk and fear. Either way, the pandemic year taught us some valuable lessons and asked us to try something different, to shift perspective to experiencing life in the present -as it without resistance and then respond instead of react. Here, we discuss how this perspective change comes about using mindfulness techniques to explore awareness.