In Beyond the Story of Self, Craig guides a series of meditations that gently loosen the structures that define who we think we are. 

Most of us move through life with an unspoken assumption—that we are someone, somewhere, located within the edges of our skin. We assume there’s a boundary between “me” and everything else. 

But in meditation, a different possibility begins to reveal itself. The edges soften. The sense of inside and outside starts to dissolve. And for a moment, there’s no fixed identity to hold on to—just a vast, open awareness that includes everything and resists nothing. This shift can feel disorienting at first. But if we stay with it, we discover a presence that isn’t defined by the usual reference points.

Through four guided meditations, Craig invites us into a spacious way of being that isn’t shaped by story or held in place by the past. 

We encourage you to set aside quiet, uninterrupted time to listen, allowing the meditations to unfold in stillness and presence.

To access the full transcript of this episode and discover more resources, visit the episode page on MeditationChangesEverything.com. You can also sign up here for Craig’s weekly newsletter.

For a deeper experience of Craig’s approach to meditation, consider joining our Awakened Life membership program which offers in-depth guidance, a meditation workshop, and a live online retreat with Craig. Register today to receive your first month for 50% off at AwakenedLifeMembership.com.

If you’re interested in exploring more of Craig’s meditation experiments, you’re invited to tune in to a 90-minute online workshop Craig will be hosting called Meditation 2.0 – The Miracle of Direct Awakening. Register for free at FreeMeditationWorkshop.com.

If you would like to share your experience of the podcast or have questions about Craig's teachings, please feel free to email us at [email protected].

“Many of us begin the spiritual path because we simply want to feel better. And this desire to feel good can take us some distance on the path. It will get you meditating daily, it will get you into workshops and retreats, and you’ll start to grow and change and evolve as a result. But, ultimately, spiritual awakening requires much more from us. It requires us to let go of the need to feel any particular way. It’s not possible to truly awaken, to really go all the way on our path when we’re trying to get there just for ourself. And so, in the end it all points us to, how do we awaken to a greater motive for being on the path that’s not about us, that’s connected to something much greater than our personal happiness.” —Craig Hamilton

Many of us begin the spiritual journey with a heartfelt longing—to feel more peaceful, more whole, more connected to something greater. And often, spiritual practice delivers on that promise. It brings relief, insight, and a sense of calm amidst the storms of life.

But what if the very practices meant to awaken us are quietly being used to help us avoid the uncomfortable, messy work of transformation? In “Obstacles to Awakening - Part Three” Craig explores the subtle and often unconscious phenomenon known as spiritual bypassing—when we use meditation, teachings, or spiritual states to sidestep pain, unresolved issues, or the real work of growing up.

Rather than judging these tendencies, Craig opens up a space of inquiry. What happens when the longing to feel good gives way to something greater—a calling to serve the whole, to be an instrument of awakening in a world that so deeply needs it. And in that moment, our practice takes on a new quality. 

If you’ve ever wondered whether your practice is leading you deeper—or just helping you escape—this episode offers a powerful and compassionate lens for reflection.

To access the full transcript of this episode and discover more resources, visit the episode page on MeditationChangesEverything.com. You can also sign up here for Craig’s weekly newsletter.

For a deeper experience of Craig’s approach to meditation, consider joining our Awakened Life membership program which offers in-depth guidance, a meditation workshop, and a live online retreat with Craig. Register today to receive your first month for 50% off at AwakenedLifeMembership.com.

If you’re interested in exploring more of Craig’s meditation experiments, you’re invited to tune in to a 90-minute online workshop Craig will be hosting called Meditation 2.0 – The Miracle of Direct Awakening. Register for free at FreeMeditationWorkshop.com.

If you would like to share your experience of the podcast or have questions about Craig's teachings, please feel free to email us at [email protected].

“Meditation is ultimately about getting out of the way so that a greater intelligence and a higher set of capacities can begin to show up within us. We meditate so that we can unlock a deeper care, a deeper strength, a deeper willingness to trust and ultimately a completely different order of consciousness than anything we can cause through our willful effort. As we awaken, this higher consciousness then begins to express itself in all kinds of ways organically and naturally in every aspect of our life.”
—Craig Hamilton

In this episode, Craig explores a challenge many of us face—how to bridge the gap between meditation and daily life.  

When we meditate, we step outside the usual flow of life. For a time, we pause, let go, and rest in stillness. In those moments, we may touch something vast—something free. But as soon as we return to daily life, we often find that everything shifts. Responsibilities pull us in, challenges arise, and the ease we felt in meditation can feel suddenly out of reach.  

Many of us try to bring meditative awareness into everything we do, hoping to sustain a sense of clarity and presence. But no matter how much effort we make, it often feels unnatural—like trying to hold on to something delicate in a world that doesn’t quite accommodate it.  

So how do we bring awakening into action? How do we allow the deeper intelligence we touch in meditation to move through us effortlessly, shaping how we respond, engage, and act in the world?  

In Awakening in Daily Life, Craig offers a fresh perspective on this dilemma—one that goes beyond trying to impose meditative states onto life and instead reveals how awakening can naturally express itself in what we do.

To access the full transcript of this episode and discover more resources, visit the episode page on MeditationChangesEverything.com. You can also sign up here for Craig’s weekly newsletter.

For a deeper experience of Craig’s approach to meditation, consider joining our Awakened Life membership program which offers in-depth guidance, a meditation workshop, and a live online retreat with Craig. Register today to receive your first month for 50% off at AwakenedLifeMembership.com.

If you’re interested in exploring more of Craig’s meditation experiments, you’re invited to tune in to a 90-minute online workshop Craig will be hosting called Meditation 2.0 – The Miracle of Direct Awakening. Register for free at FreeMeditationWorkshop.com.

If you would like to share your experience of the podcast or have questions about Craig's teachings, please feel free to email us at [email protected].

In a world where uncertainty, conflict, and emotional triggers seem to be everywhere, staying rooted in stillness can often seem out of reach.

In Unlocking the Power of Stillness: Equanimity Meditation, Craig explores how meditation can become a powerful ally in helping us stay centered and grounded, even in the midst of life’s most difficult challenges. 

This quality of inner balance is often called equanimity. And it doesn’t mean staying calm all the time, or acting like we’re unaffected by life’s ups and downs. 

True equanimity empowers us to stay grounded in the unshakable depths of our own being, allowing us to engage fully with whatever life brings, without losing our center.
If you’ve ever wondered how to hold steady when life is swirling around you, this episode offers both insight and practical guidance for unlocking the transformative power of equanimity through meditation.

To access the full transcript of this episode and discover more resources, visit the episode page on MeditationChangesEverything.com. You can also sign up here for Craig’s weekly newsletter.

For a deeper experience of Craig’s approach to meditation, consider joining our Awakened Life membership program which offers in-depth guidance, a meditation workshop, and a live online retreat with Craig. Register today to receive your first month for 50% off at AwakenedLifeMembership.com.

If you’re interested in exploring more of Craig’s meditation experiments, you’re invited to tune in to a 90-minute online workshop Craig will be hosting called Meditation 2.0 – The Miracle of Direct Awakening. Register for free at FreeMeditationWorkshop.com.

If you would like to share your experience of the podcast or have questions about Craig's teachings, please feel free to email us at [email protected].

“Awakened consciousness is always deeply at ease. It's very open and fluid and flexible. And that's something we can sit down and practice. We don’t have to focus on our breath or repeat a word, or try to be mindful of every little sensation. Instead, we can use our meditation as a dynamic, active experiment in consciousnesses where we are making space for spiritual awakening to happen, to reveal itself.”—Craig Hamilton

We’ve all had moments of deep clarity and peace—only to watch them slip away. We’re often told these glimpses are fleeting, or that lasting awakening takes years—maybe even a lifetime—of dedicated practice. But what if that’s not the whole story?

In Direct Awakening: Four Meditations to Illuminate the Way, Craig invites you to explore a different way of approaching awakening. Instead of waiting for it to happen, what if we could practice being awake right now? This question led Craig to develop The Practice of Direct Awakening—a method that transforms meditation from a passive exercise into an active engagement with awakened consciousness.

Rather than following traditional meditation techniques that focus on quieting the mind or observing thoughts, Craig shares four direct awakening practices—subtle yet powerful shifts that open the door to deeper awareness. These inner postures invite us to move beyond the idea that awakening is something distant and instead experience it as something we can cultivate moment by moment.

This episode features a 25-minute guided meditation designed to take you beyond theory and into direct experience. If possible, find a quiet, comfortable space where you can fully immerse yourself in the meditation. 

If you’re interested in exploring more of Craig’s approach to meditation, you’re invited to tune in to a 90-minute online workshop Craig will be hosting called Meditation 2.0 – The Miracle of Direct Awakening. 

Register for free at: FreeMeditationWorkshop.com

Discover More about Craig’s Awakened Life MeDirect Awakening: Four Meditations to Illuminate the Way

“From one point of view, spiritual practice is always a postponement of awakening, because awakening is about embracing our true nature exactly as we are right now. Yet, from another point of view, if we don’t practice with intensity, if we don’t undertake a conscious effort to embrace the truth of our inherent freedom, then awakening is probably only going to ever show up in fleeting glimpses because the habit of denying our true nature is so strong.” 
—Craig Hamilton

For so many of us on the spiritual path, practice is everything. We meditate, we cultivate mindfulness, we refine our character—trusting that these efforts will lead us to awakening. And yet, in rare moments of profound clarity, we may glimpse a surprising truth: the very idea that we need to ‘get somewhere’ might be the only thing keeping us from seeing what’s already here.

This episode examines the delicate balance between effort and surrender, discipline and grace, and how to engage in practice without turning awakening into a future goal. Craig shares how we can approach this paradox in a way that makes space for awakening to happen naturally.

He also leads a guided meditation on surrender—an invitation to let go of striving, release resistance, and recognize the profound simplicity of being. Working with this practice offers a deeper understanding of how to embrace meditation while staying rooted in the truth that awakening is always, already here.

To access the full transcript of this episode and more resources, visit the episode page on MeditationChangesEverything.com. 

If you’re interested in exploring more of Craig’s approach to meditation, you’re invited to tune in to a 90-minute online workshop Craig will be hosting called Meditation 2.0 – The Miracle of Direct Awakening. Register for free at: FreeMeditationWorkshop.com

Discover More about Craig’s Awakened Life Membership Program
https://craighamiltonglobal.com/awakened-life/

“The reason spiritual awakening is so incredibly rare on this planet isn't that nobody wants to awaken. It's that those of us who want to awaken also want something else that's in conflict with awakening. We want security. We want to stay in control. We want to keep our self-image intact. As long as this division is in operation within us, we will not be a space within which awakening can truly occur and take root. This is why it’s so important to resolve this inner conflict and unlock the transformative power of an undivided heart.”
—Craig Hamilton

In “The Undivided Heart: Releasing Our Resistance to Awakening,” Craig explores one of the more complex obstacles on the spiritual path—our unconscious resistance to waking up.

There’s a part of us that longs to awaken, and another part that’s afraid of what it might require. While spiritual awakening offers a life of freedom, joy, and clarity, it also calls for a radical openness. This level of vulnerability can feel overwhelming, even unsafe, causing us to resist the very transformation we deeply desire.

This inner conflict is what keeps us stuck. In this episode, Craig explores why this happens and how we can resolve this struggle and unlock the miraculous power of an undivided heart.

If you’re interested in exploring more of Craig’s approach to meditation, you’re invited to tune in to a 90-minute online workshop Craig will be hosting called Meditation 2.0 – The Miracle of Direct Awakening. Register for free at: FreeMeditationWorkshop.com

Discover More about Craig’s Awakened Life Membership Program
https://craighamiltonglobal.com/awakened-life/

“If we want to live our lives immersed in the mystery of awakened consciousness, we need to give up the idea that we could ever know this mystery with our mind. This means we have to give up trying to know it with the mind, trying to get a handle on it in any way. If we want that extraordinary dimension to become the source of our life, we must learn to live in the innocence of a beginner’s mind.”
—Craig Hamilton

We’ve all heard it said that spiritual awakening requires us to leap into the unknown—to go beyond the mind and discover who we are beyond our familiar reference points. But what does this really mean?

In “The Power of Not Knowing” Craig explores one of the most subtle but persistent traps we face on the spiritual path: our deep need for certainty.

We often experience life as insecure and unpredictable, and the need to "figure things out" becomes a way of navigating an uncertain world. However, on the spiritual path, this compulsive drive for certainty leads us in the opposite direction of where we’re trying to go. 

Craig unpacks this paradox, illuminating what it means to embrace the unknown in your meditation practice and the transformative freedom that comes with the courage to step into it.

This episode includes a 12-minute guided meditation, so we encourage you to listen when you can avoid distractions and give yourself the space to be fully present.

If you’re interested in exploring more of Craig’s approach to meditation, you’re invited to tune in to a 90-minute online workshop Craig will be hosting called Meditation 2.0 – The Miracle of Direct Awakening. Register for free at: FreeMeditationWorkshop.com

Discover More about Craig’s Awakened Life Membership Program
https://craighamiltonglobal.com/awakened-life/

​​“The practice of Direct Awakening is always only about this moment. It's always only about awakening in this moment of practice. So we need to come to our practice with the full optimism and audacity that this moment is the moment that I awaken. There's nothing that could get in my way.” —Craig Hamilton

In this episode, Craig sheds light on an often-overlooked aspect of meditation—the mindset we bring to the practice.

While technique gives us the structure, it’s the mindset that brings energy and direction to our meditation. Most of us focus on getting the technique right, asking questions like, "Am I doing this correctly?" But the attitudes and mental dispositions we bring to each session are equally essential.

Craig explores two powerful meditation mindsets: audacious optimism and intentionality. These aren’t just subtle refinements—they’re transformative forces that can unlock greater depth, clarity, and alignment in your practice. By embracing these mindsets, you can infuse your meditation with a dynamic energy that accelerates your spiritual growth.

If you’re interested in exploring more of Craig’s approach to meditation, you’re invited to tune in to a 90-minute online workshop Craig will be hosting called Meditation 2.0 – The Miracle of Direct Awakening. Register for free at: FreeMeditationWorkshop.com

Discover More about Craig’s Awakened Life Membership Program
https://craighamiltonglobal.com/awakened-life/

“An awakened life is a life in which we're no longer centered in the cognitive mind, we're no longer centered in the thought stream. Ultimately, the spiritual path means trusting enough to let go of the mind and allow a deeper consciousness, a deeper wisdom, a deeper kind of guidance system to start to operate within us that isn't something you can control, and isn't something you can understand with your mind.” —Craig Hamilton

This episode is the second in our series exploring the most common obstacles to deep meditation–and how we can move beyond them. In Obstacles to Awakening Part Two: The Mind, Craig focuses on what may be the biggest challenge for meditators—our busy, restless minds.

The mind is our constant companion. It helps us interpret and make sense of the world. But when we sit down to meditate, the mind often feels like it has a will of its own. Memories, worries, creative ideas, and unfinished tasks seem to parade through our awareness, grabbing our attention, and becoming a source of frustration for many of us. 

It's easy to see the mind as the greatest obstacle to our practice. But what if there’s another way to approach it? 

In this episode, we’ll explore why the mind might not be as insurmountable as it seems. Craig shares three distinct perspectives that can help you come to peace with the mind, moving beyond its noise and distractions to discover a deeper, more grounded presence in your meditation practice.

If you’re interested in exploring more of Craig’s approach to meditation, you’re invited to tune in to a 90-minute online workshop Craig will be hosting called Meditation 2.0 – The Miracle of Direct Awakening. Register for free at: FreeMeditationWorkshop.com

Discover More about Craig’s Awakened Life Membership Program
https://craighamiltonglobal.com/awakened-life/