Steve Kramer

Soften, Open, and Receive is the step covered this week in Spirit Fire's meditation practice, The Practice of Living Awareness. This step asks us to do just what the phrase says: softento the moment, opento the possibilities, and receiveall that it has to offer. This sounds delightful to read, but what happens if things go a little haywire at open Or what if hardhas become a way of life And seriously, what if that which you receivefrom the moment isn't actually all that pleasant Well, that's called living your truth and it can take some getting used too. Ben McLellan and Lauren O'Sullivan are a husband and wife team who have made mindfulness a way of life at home and at work. Together, they founded Sudbury Wellness. It is a unique collaboration of the Eastern Healing Arts and Psychotherapy. Their focus on physical, mental, and emotional well-being expresses through counseling, coaching, mindfulness training, meditation, and yoga. Both bring heaps of knowledge and experience to the topic of awareness and the quest to find sure footing on one's life path. We look forward to discussing the intricacies of negotiating mindfulness with them on our next show.

Flow is the step covered this week in Spirit Fire's own meditation practice, The Practice of Living Awareness. This step teaches one to become aware of the bigger picture and discover that everything is relative. We are going to focus on that lesson and explore what it takes to let one's soul flow into one's awareness. The 'soul' is often spoken of without ever diving into the conversation about what the soul actually is... its purpose and relationship to our spiritual growth. And it's relationship to meditation... actually, meditation's relationship to the soul.What it means to use the soul as a guide will be discussed with this week's guest, William Meader. An influential and respected teacher of The Esoteric Philosophy, William Meader has established an international reputation for his gift as a communicator of this philosophy. His extensive teaching program includes a diverse array of workshops and lectures devoted to nurturing a deeper understanding of the spiritual path, both from an individual and global perspective. His workoften described as a next step in spiritual evolutionassists students in the refinement of the higher abstract mind in order that they might align with the souls creative intention.

So many have made the transition from the gym floor to the yoga class from yoga for fitness to yoga as a lifestyle... what's next Enlightenment Well, not so fast... increasingly we see yoga practitioners who visit our retreat center focused on the spiritual side of yoga. After all, yoga is philosophy and a way of life. The physical postures, or asanas, are only part of the practice. This week, we are excited to chat with Jamie Villanueva. She's a dynamic yoga instructor who has found a way to infuse the ageless sutras of yoga and the modern spiritual journey into every flow class We'll discuss what her students are discovering about themselves and about life, both on and off of the mat. Oh and by the way, she leads a darn good meditation, too we get to sneak a few in when she visits

Author Chaney Weiner joins us this week to discuss his new book Because This Is Your Life. We will explore how to live a meaningful life while feeling respected, appreciated, and recognized for who you are and all you do

Spirit Fire founder, Donna Mitchell-Moniak, joins us to discuss her upcoming online, educational series The Awakening Heart of Humanity. This series explores the forward trajectory of human evolution as one of synthesis, equanimity, collective group endeavor, and the shared responsibility of being human on this Earth regardless of personal religion, dogma, doctrine, or belief. In simplicity, if one is human then one is a bodhisattva.

Spirit Fire founder, Donna Mitchell-Moniak, joins to discuss her upcoming online, educational series The Stages of Awakening. This series will explore the spiritual path and how we and humanity are moving forward on it.

We had so much fun and learned so much chatting with Laurie Warren as we started Spirit Fire Radio last September, that we thought it'd be perfect to have her join us as we start the new year. Laurie says, "creating vibrant health is a process, not a prescription," and New Year's resolutions sound an awful lot like prescriptions We all make resolutions in one way or another at this time. Heck, it's a new year and a fresh start, a clean slate, a new beginning. Before the pressure gets to you, hear what our favorite 'feel-good in your body/mind/spirit' nutritionist has to say about this process of building a new you in the new year. "NO Gluten in 2016" "I will lose 10 pounds by March" " I will eat slower and enjoy my food." These all sound good, but how do we get there and still remain kind to ourselves Better yet, how do we remain kind to ourselves even if we don't live up to our expectations. Well, it turns out the mind's got a thing or two to do with it.Join us live on Wednesday, January 13th at Noon EST as we discuss mindfulness, resolutions, and the conscious choices we can make to feel vibrant all year long.

Ultimately, the result of all meditation practices is an increase of awareness. This is called by many names: mindfulness, peace, detachment, wonder, compassion, wisdom, well-being. The Practice of Living Awareness is designed to bring forward the awareness that is innate in all of us. At this step, step 14, meditation has done its work. Life is now our Practice of Living Awareness.Learning to meditate requires time, effort, and dedication. More importantly, it requires the choice to give yourself something which only you can give the gift of awareness. As that choice becomes forefront in your life, you become part of the energy that can change the world. This week's show is dedicated to awareness. We will look back at the last 14 shows and discuss what Steve and Tim have become more aware of from the show's guests. In addition, Donna Mitchell-Moniak returns with a recent practitioner of meditation to discuss just how awareness is brought to the forefront through meditation.

Meditation brings awareness to the intrinsic toroidal flow nature of life itself and the effects it has on nearly everything we do and all that we are. You may be asking, "what is toroidal flow" Essentially toroidal flow is cause and effect. It is the scientific phenomenon describing energy flowing in one vortex, through a central axis, out of another vortex then wrapping around itself to return to the first incoming vortex. It is a fundamental form of balanced energy flow found in sustainable systems. It is evolution in action. This is your heart moving oxygenated blood throughout your body and returning de-oxygenated blood back to its origin to be resupplied. Toroidal is passing a hurtful note in math class, ending up in the principal's office and learning a thing or two about respect. It is also choosing to buy organic strawberries... beyond tasting awesome, the effect of this conscious choice is a healthier body and a healthier planet with less chemicals. This week's guest is Stacey Cagan. She is the mother of a child diagnosed with autism. This diagnosis became the catalyst for awareness and, in her words, "creating a blueprint for clean living." She believes that a better world for future generations depends on the choices we make today. This is the proactive use of the toroidal flow dynamic and, essentially, the co-creative nature of conscious expansion.

Step 12 of The Practice of Living Awareness focuses on the Central Channel. This is the lighted core at the center of our Being. It is the primary avenue of alignment with the higher self. The Central Channel infuses and integrates the vibrations of Soul and the Divine into our subtle systems. Through our experiences with the light of the Soul and of the Divine our very being is recalibrate to hold greater light. This is the way of enlightenment. We are joined by the celebrated author of Love Is a Secret, Andrew Vidich, PhD. His book explores 5,000 years of collected documentation of mystical experiences by inspired leaders and saints of all great spiritual traditions, from Taoism to Christianity and from Sufism to Judaism. We will discuss the transcendent states achieved by the deepest spiritual encounters with the Divine. Dr. Vidich believes that we all have access to "a love affair with the divine" and the extraordinary experience of mystical union. We couldn't agree more let your Central Channel lead the way.