Exploring Awareness

What Burning Man can teach us about Love, Peace, Generosity and Joy.

Put aside what you think you know about Burning Man and in this episode learn how this event is a model for a life that puts the core essences of exploring awareness into practice. In the exploring awareness podcast, we always return to the core human essences of peace, joy, love and generosity- accessed through meditation practices.

These core essences also underlie the 10 principles of the annual Burning Man event in Nevada. Although the event itself is lasts only one week, the underlying principles create a city and culture that can be put into practice anywhere and anytime. When connecting to these inner essences, an expression of your truest self-starts to emerge.

In this episode, you will hear about how gifting, self-expression, inclusion, participation, immediacy -among others-informs the construction of a city- its form, it's art and its culture.

But it only lasts a week – and then it's gone- without a trace. Impermanence and non- attachment are built in.

On Saturday night of the festival, the effigy of a person goes up in flames and in a sense you've burned the ego.

On Sunday night, in the utter silence from the 70,000 participants, the Temple burns – and in a sense the institutions that have bound you are gone.

Whatever you thought was important, your preconceived ideas, your attachments, your expectations, your losses - are gone.

What's left is you, and you're still there ...to live your own life.

You go forward with what's real, and then the music starts back up and you dance!

It's a metaphor for our own personal work in exploring awareness.

Included in this episode is a guided meditation that connects the 10 principles of Burning man to the core of our being.

Why can't I figure this stuff out?

There is a difference between figuring something out and letting it be. Meditation and awareness practices are about letting things, people, situations be – as they are. Our powerful, amazing and analytical brain- a great tool- will try to figure this stuff out. When we talk about exploring awareness, there is another layer to access to how we are in the world, something beyond figuring it out. Instead of trying to figure something out exploring awareness invites us watch the brain try to figure it out and see whatever happens from an awareness perspective. It doesn't mean a passive acceptance of injustice or wrong, but it does mean seeing what is – to which you can respond from a deeper sense instead of reacting unconsciously.

Why would you want to do this? Perhaps there is a yearning to experience something different or to connect to something deeper. Doing these practices, there can be a return to a deeper core and sense of self- a process is this questioning of all those ideas that you had about yourself. When you get to a point where you feel really whole and complete, there comes a sense of spaciousness and a sense of oneness which is a feeling of returning home.

We spend a bit of time in this episode talking about judgments, as judging people is a very common, unconscious reaction that leads to a very limited and uninteresting way of being. From an awareness perspective, the figuring and judging from the brain becomes an action just like breathing- something we can be aware of, and in that awareness is spacious solid ground that allows an authentic response guided by love, peace, joy and generosity- no matter what the situation and no matter what conditions, habits and beliefs say. Are you going to be able to figure that one out? That's where the paradox comes in. To be in an open, receptive, spacious place that may take some effort or discipline of sitting and meditating and entering your day in a different way. Effortless effort begins to unfold as you get more experienced with meditation. Instead of having to sit and meditate, the whole day becomes a meditation.

Finding your own "home" in spaciousness anywhere you are, is a very personal experience, not something you figure out.

Episode # 21 Making The World a Better Place From The Inside Out Awaken to Something Deeper

We always hear from people "I can't meditate". Take that thought and put it in awareness. Instead of letting thoughts create a restrictive and small world, take the opportunity to let yourself move through constrictive thoughts to a place of spaciousness. What you resist persists, so it's your choice to live with more spaciousness. If you can move through it there is vast spaciousness on the other side. This episode is a recap of meditation and how stopping to explore awareness can lead to a new way for you to be in this world instead of tight and stuck in the past. There is a Loving sense that emerges as you give yourself the chance to move past the fixed ideas and beliefs that don't serve you. Beyond those old thoughts is an authentic and centered loving and peaceful state of being. Yes, you move past what you thought was your comfort zone, but then the "whole universe becomes your comfort zone". A so called "comfort zone" is a little box you put around yourself to keep you safe. Once you leave your cave, so to speak, the present moment is always safe. If you're looking for a more meaningful, richer experience of life then you may want to try these meditation techniques to open up to that deeper place. It can be a scary ride and sometimes even difficult but on the other side of that is freedom! Freedom for yourself is only the first step. Freedom for the world comes next. The only way the world becomes a better place is that each person does their own work to realize their own true nature as love, peace, joy and generosity, live that way and encourage others. Imagine what would be the result.

Episode # 20 Finding Fulfillment is an Inside Job

In this episode Frank and Lisa explore the word "fulfillment", and provide methods as to how we can connect with the sense of fulfillment. The word can have different meanings depending on your mindset. Feeling fulfilled may come from achieving something that you have striven for- a material item, a relationship, a vacation, a job- or feeling fulfilled can come from a deeper place that comes from an inner voice that may be telling you something else. This inner voice is your home, it might seem difficult to do - but it's within your power to find your home and fulfillment wherever you are and whatever is happening. Transform any issue by exercising the full potential of your fullest humanity and bring these things to awareness and then rest as awareness – being freed from swimming in the chaos results in a feeling of fulfillment. It's easy to say -and sounds good- but the philosophy of our podcast is to discuss the "how" so that anyone can have a method to connect to the deepest sense of fulfillment.

Since you can't think your way through this, we provide another guided meditation - as you practice mindful awareness in meditation and in daily life, the feeling of fulfillment will naturally arise and you will notice, kind-of in retrospect, that life is more fulfilling. Ultimately its your choice- once you meditate and find your authentic self -you're home- and those things you thought would fulfill you may not have the same urgency. When you are fulfilled you might just move in the world to help other people feel fulfilled. Someone who is fulfilled with themselves is going to be a very different partner than someone who is looking to their partner for their fulfillment. If you are a parent, or in any community, the dynamic completely changes when you yourself are fulfilled and not relying on your friends, you partner or your co-workers for your fulfillment.

Nagging creates a sense that love or acceptance is conditioned on acting a certain way. So many of the ways of interacting that we were taught creates tension or problems of unmet expectations. Creating a community of Love from a sense of fulfillment is much more satisfying then depending on others to meet our expectations – the very expectations that came from the false sense of fulfillment to begin with.

The paradox in all of this is that you will get what you want, if what you want is coming from the place you find when you explore awareness.

Why Can't I Just Let Go?

We always hear the phrase – "Let it Go". We are asked to let go of old habits, ideas or demands and expectations that we impose on others that aren't working.

It's a paradox- the part of you that's trying to let go is the same part of you that's holding on -which means you could be holding on and letting go at the same time!

Sometimes, "letting go" looks like "just putting it out of your mind"-but there's a big difference between letting something go vs burying it or suppressing it which just creates more problems for yourself. Yet trying to let go creates an unsolvable problem that sets one up for failure. Wanting, forcing and grasping can bring the opposite of what you want!

Letting go is not really something you can do, but happens organically when you are completely open to accepting what's happening in the present moment and not necessarily looking for something outside of yourself. As long as you're holding on to something it doesn't go anywhere, but once you let it be - it can dissolve- it can drop off.

The invitation here is to try something different. In these podcast episodes, we use Meditation as a mindfulness tool to open to something deeper, and in the opening to something deeper you may find that the very thing you are trying to let go just falls off -it's not the same energy as trying to let go but in retrospect, falling off looks like letting go! Meditation is a tool for the discovery of your truest deepest self.

It's opening to a deeper awareness that is going to allow the letting go happen without you trying Once you start identifying as awareness then there is really nothing to hold on to and nothing to let go of -it's a different way of being so that striving or that yearning will be less and there will be less suffering for you and others.

Awareness allows you to feel yourself rather than think yourself

Perhaps "Let it Go" is better said as "Let it Be" and when you let it be, those attachments and demands lose their energy.

Of course, your mind will say if I do this – who will I be, how will I get what I want, how will I get anything done?

The answer to this question is within you- practice mindful awareness and maybe once you connect to your deepest and truest self THE THINGS YOU WANT WILL BE DIFFERENT-Or just maybe you will already have found what you're looking for.

Try the guided meditation in this episode for a week and see what happens. Being open to what is, loving what is, starting at a place of peace, love, joy and generosity may shift the dynamic. If you can't live without these feelings, bring that to awareness as well.

Wondering what you can do? Start with yourself!

The world situation now makes finding peace and joy in the most unlikely places seem unlikely! In this episode Frank and Lisa discuss the bottom up approach to discover an inner essence that connects every human being. A grace, if you will, that unites us in something deeper. Thoughts, emotions and reactions without awareness can lead to racism, judgmentalism, dismissal, denial, and unconscious bias. Through awareness of thoughts and emotions, we can see the ideas that have been constructed through history and culture and have left an imprint, and decide for ourselves if this is consistent with our true nature. It may be painful to watch old ideas drop off, but the only way out is through. Identification with thoughts makes for a small world, opening to awareness of thoughts leads to an immense freedom that can't even be thought of, only experienced. Join us in this episode to explore another way.

Tumult continues during a global pandemic, and in the United States, a massive response of millions of people demanding change. There is an option to make sense of this – an option that includes accessing a wellspring of inner wisdom that can inform thoughts, response and action. This inner resource isn't accessed by thoughts, because it dwells before thoughts- or as we put it- exploring awareness of thoughts. Exploring awareness takes practice and a good way to start is by first becoming aware of the breath. Exploring awareness will open an awareness space to give us access to the place before thoughts. To go there takes a leap of faith and courage, and an intention to connect to something deeper. With intention and practice, you my find an inner place of freedom-free from preconceived ideas, judgement, defensiveness, offensiveness, and suffering that opens way of being and moving around in the world where you one can respond to the issues of the day with strength, wisdom and love. Meditation is a great way to realize that the answer is not what you think but what you are. Thinking your way through this won't work, so a guided meditation is provided to help find that space. Your mind will resist, but there is another opportunity to find peace.

A peaceful person makes a peaceful family

A peaceful family makes a peaceful neighborhood

A peaceful neighborhood makes a peaceful city

A peaceful city makes a peaceful state

A peaceful state makes a peaceful country

A peaceful country makes a peaceful world

A peaceful world make a peaceful universe

"In this world, hate has yet to dispel hate -Only love dispels hate"

There is Wisdom in Change How to be a Cow with no Nostrils

In this episode, Frank and Lisa continue exploring awareness in the context of the changing corona virus pandemic. We are all witness to a very changing lifestyle guided both by our intense desire to return to normal life, while at the same time knowing that it could be dangerous. How you move around in the world is a matter of practical concern, but from the awareness perspective, brings up the idea of impermanence. When one "takes a backward step" and looks at each situation from an objective awareness place, the changing nature and impermanence of all things becomes clear. Holding on to the past can be seen as impractical because the past is already gone, and wanting something for the future cannot be guaranteed. The present moment is for sure, and we discuss the wisdom that being present can bring. This whole situation is asking us - in a very pronounced way - to be present. Perhaps then decisions as to how to proceed can be wisdom informed instead of desire informed, wisdom informed instead of conformity informed. There is a freedom in impermanence because no longer being pulled around by thoughts of past regrets or a better future. Its kinda like being a cow with no nostrils (listen to this episode to find out what that means!)

From another perspective, it can be said that "Nothing new appears until something old ceases". To get a feel for this, we read Rumi's Poem "The Guest House"

The Guest House

This being human is a guest house. Every morning a new arrival.

A joy, a depression, a meanness, some momentary awareness comes As an unexpected visitor.

Welcome and entertain them all! Even if they're a crowd of sorrows, who violently sweep your house empty of its furniture, still treat each guest honorably. He may be clearing you out for some new delight.

The dark thought, the shame, the malice, meet them at the door laughing and invite them in.

Be grateful for whoever comes, because each has been sent as a guide from beyond.

— Jalaluddin Rumi, translation by Coleman Barks (The Essential Rumi)

Whether or not it's good or bad how do we get to the place where we accept "what is? The only way for the world to realize it's full potential is if more people start to wake up to who they really are, and perhaps exploring awareness will guide us as to how.

In this episode, Frank and Lisa explore openheartedness as one of the qualities that emerges when using mindfulness techniques to explore awareness. Who would you be, if, no matter what, you could be openhearted? Issues, events, people's decisions and acting out from bias and fear can create negative thoughts that lead to a reaction of close heartedness. Today, we discuss a space "before" thoughts that is vast, open and freeing. We use the word "essence" to point to the quality that exists within that will guide us, if we let it. When we "wake up" from thoughts, we can experience life in a very different way. We use quotes from Ram Dass, Tara Brach and Adyashanti to guide the discussion. The question is always "how"- and that's where your own personal experience with meditation and exploring awareness comes in. Meditation then doesn't become a chore, but an opportunity to experience a "special" place that opens a place for openheartedness. These words are a guide to your own personal experience of openheartedness so instead of reaction, the response is guided by unconditional love and peace and joy.

Where there's Love there is Joy and when there is Joy there is Peace!

Frank and Lisa continue the conversation and the journey during the COVID-19 pandemic and provide a guided meditation on being aware of what connects you to a deeper place of calm. What do you connect to that bring you joy? Walking in nature, taking time to meditate? They discuss how using mindfulness techniques to explore awareness opens a place where the richness of life that can be experienced when you're present, go within and find out what's true. The discussion provides an invitation to connect to your deeper sense of calm and purpose and reveals your own personal inner guide as opposed to listening to all the conflicting and paradoxical information coming in from the outside world.

In life we have many habitual, patterned ways we react to something, non helpful reaction to what's happening that cloud out that inner calm. What happens in the space "before thinking"? Inner calm is there-it is in every human being no matter what.

in this discussion, learn how to connect to your inner calm. A good word to describe this inner calm is equanimity. Equanimity a bit difficult to explain but refers to a cool and quiet sense of stillness that we all can attain. It looks like calm amidst the storm, It looks like stability amongst the unstable -Solid...stable...thoughtful...clear-that's equanimity. No matter what your brain may tell you everyone has that within them.