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 ..read more

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 ..read more

It is with a very heavy and grieving heart that I share with you that  Lisa Barry the co-host and co-founder of the Exploring Awareness podcast died unexpectedly on November 30, 2021. In this episode, we grieve together using David Whyte's poem entitled The Well of Grief, and a guided meditation, with emphasis on mindfulness of the emotion of grief using the RAIN acronym of recognize, acknowledge/accept, investigate and nurture. This is tragic, unexpected and challenges everything we discuss in this podcast, while at the same time allows us an opportunity to grieve with grace, and somehow ..read more

There is a deep place of connection within each of us, that is shared by all. In today’s world, distractions, conditions, and inflexible ideas pull us away from the present moment and our connection to each other. In this episode, we focus on the word RETURN as an invitation and intention to connect to a deeper sense of presence, an authentic sense of being -  a return to mindful awareness and a return to a felt sense of the unity of all beings. This is about a realization and being on a path to our own awakening, to a return of our original self while at the same time shared with all in ..read more

Episode # 61: The Myth of Self Improvement The self-improvement industry thrives on a fundamental myth that there is something wrong with you that needs to be improved. Where does the idea that “I’m not ok” come from in the first place? In this episode, we turn the idea of self-improvement on its head. What if you are already  fine and don’t need to be fixed? Although your mind may not allow you to believe this, exploring awareness and discovering the qualities at the core of your being leads to a realization of who you really are.  These realizations re ..read more

Episode 60: Exploring Awareness Of Dualistic Thinking And Its Impact Opinions, advice and judgments tend to be experienced as having to be either this way or that way with little room in between, There is your way- which you might feel is the right, usual, customary, comfortable way and then there is the other way – which may seem wrong, not usual and not comfortable. This very common tendency is called dualistic thinking. In this episode, we bring compassionate awareness to this tendency and explore how it brings reactions instead of responses. Being aware of the dynamic of dualistic thinking ..read more

Episode 59: Could Your Natural State Be Loving Awareness? A popular Ram Dass quote- “The natural state of the mind is pure love, which is not other than pure awareness”- sums up much of the dialogue in exploring awareness podcast episodes. The conditions in our current moment in history could lead one away from an open hearted loving awareness to a small and aggressive protective stance that can  be amplified by the loudest voices on TV, radio and social media.   It is possible to realize an identity as awareness and experience the st ..read more

Episode 57: How the Awareness of Change Can Lead to Peace and Ease Change is part of the human experience. Welcome change can be fun and challenging, unwelcome change can lead to resistance and stagnation. Changes imposed by family or work situations can be especially difficult to accept, especially if they appear without warning.  In this episode, we discuss a perspective that emerges from exploring awareness of change. Instead of the change occupying the thoughts and energy, a shift occurs to where the awareness of the change, and its effects on thoughts and emotions transforms these co ..read more

Forcing oneself to "accept things as they are" or asking others to, sets up conflict, invokes defensiveness and leads to stuck, judgmental feelings. Exploring awareness leads to a spaciousness where the present moment event is allowed to be what it is- good or bad.  This is not the same as allowing bad things to happen if they can be prevented- but if an event has occurred, becoming aware opens a compassionate channel through which we can move. “What you resist – persists” and “the only way out is through”. Practicing awareness though regular  mindfulness meditation opens   ..read more

What is the Mind, and is the Mind just the neurological activity of the brain?. Although we don't solve this problem in this episode, this question helps create an "exploring awareness" perspective. By becoming aware of the brain as an amazing resource similar to computer hardware and software, the part of us that is aware becomes activated and realized.  With the realization of awareness comes a freedom experienced as spaciousness, open heartedness, open mindedness. When you’re no longer locked into the neurological habits of your brain and you have woken up to identity as awareness then ..read more