203: Kate Alvo, Guest Explorer on Tension and Trauma Releasing Exercises (TRE)
Awareness Explorers
In this episode, we talk to Kate Alvo about Tension and Trauma Releasing Exercises (TRE) how they can release tension held in the body from stress and from traumas of the past, as well as how releasing stored tension naturally quiets the mind, offering a physical pathway to presence that can facilitate awakening. • Includes a guided meditation to help listeners tune into their bodies and notice direct present-moment experience without judgement. To learn more about Kate Alvo, please visit: The books we discussed in this episode: The Revolutionary Trauma Release Process:...
info_outline
202: The Future of Transformational Technologies
Awareness Explorers
In this episode, we explore how technology is accelerating human transformation and consciousness, and we outline the five key areas that are driving this shift: psychedelics, nootropics, gadgets, new techniques, and AI coaching. • Includes a guided meditation leading us to recall a specific, highly awakened or peaceful experience and how to amplify the feeling with deep breaths and visualization. Don't forget to subscribe for more ingenious ways to tap into the ever-present stillness and joy of our true nature. To learn more about Awareness Explorers, and to listen to all of our podcast...
info_outline
201: Amy Islip, Guest Explorer
Awareness Explorers
In this episode we talk to Amy Islip about her experiences with guided MDMA therapy, the profound spiritual awakening that ensued, and the resulting embodiment of spacious, open-hearted, love. • Includes a guided meditation leading us first, to rest in what is, free from stories and plans, allowing our bodies to soften, dissolve, and expand, and then, leading us to draw that expansiveness back into our bodies, minds, and the roles we play in everyday life. To learn more about Amy Islip, please visit: Don't forget to subscribe for more ingenious ways to tap into the ever-present...
info_outline
200: Recurring Themes
Awareness Explorers
In this episode, we respond to ChatGPT’s summary of the top 15 recurring themes throughout the 200 episodes of Awareness Explorers to date, and elaborate on the ways they point to the realization of our true nature as infinite awareness. • Includes a list of Brian’s Key Principles of Awareness, which can serve as a guided meditation. And here is a link to Pamela Wilson’s “Cave of the Heart” meditation that we talked about in this episode: Don't forget to subscribe for more ingenious ways to tap into the ever-present stillness and joy of our true nature. To learn more about...
info_outline
199: Guru Pros and Cons
Awareness Explorers
In this episode we discuss gurus and spiritual teachers and explore the potential benefits as well as the potential risks involved in following a guru. • Includes a guided meditation leading us toward finding our inner guru and asking a deep personal question. Don't forget to subscribe for more ingenious ways to tap into the ever-present stillness and joy of our true nature. To learn more about Awareness Explorers, and to listen to all of our podcast episodes, please visit: If you want to listen to the meditations alone, you can find all of our meditations excerpted either in this...
info_outline
198: Beth Miller, Guest Explorer
Awareness Explorers
In this episode we talk with Beth Miller, author of Awakening is Not for the Faint of Heart: Risk Everything for Love, about her profound shift in consciousness, the integration of therapy and spirituality, and insights from long COVID, which was ultimately a gift, providing deep healing and spiritual growth, and requiring intense presence, surrender, and trust in life. To learn more about Beth Miller, please visit: BethMillerPhD.com Or email her at bmillerphd@gmail.com Don't forget to subscribe for more ingenious ways to tap into the ever-present stillness and joy of our true...
info_outline
197: Michael McCord, Guest Explorer
Awareness Explorers
In this episode we talk to Michael McCord, president of San Francisco Zen Center, on bringing Zen practices into daily life and work, and how enlightenment is seen as an ongoing process of increasing awareness, not a fixed end state to achieve. • Includes a guided meditation introducing the Zen practice of breath counting. To learn more about Michael McCord, please visit these San Franciso Zen Center pages: and on YouTube: Or email him at: michael.mccord@sfzc.org The Zen manual discussed in this episode is the Tenzo Kyokun (Instructions for the Cook). This site has...
info_outline
196: Stephen Zerfas, Guest Explorer
Awareness Explorers
In this episode we talk to Stephen Zerfas, co-founder of Jhourney, which offers retreats facilitating rapid access to jhana meditation states, described as positive feedback loops between attention and emotion, offering profound states of gratitude, peace and non-duality. • Includes a guided meditation focusing on relaxing the body while turning our attention to positive concepts such as gratitude and wishing for the well-being of all others. To learn more about Stephen Zerfas, please visit: and on X: @jhanatech The Oxford professor Stephen mentions in this episode is Shamil...
info_outline
195: How to Be with Bad News
Awareness Explorers
In this episode we discuss strategies for handling bad news as an awakening person, balancing awareness and action.. • Includes a guided meditation addressing the dichotomy between taking action and acceptance, and how to bring these two seeming opposites into a workable equilibrium. Don't forget to subscribe for more ingenious ways to tap into the ever-present stillness and joy of our true nature. NEWS: Awareness Explorers has made the following top listener charts on Goodpods: # 6 in the Top 100 awakening All time chart # 8 in the Top 100 joy All time chart # 6 in the Top...
info_outline
194: Embracing the Middle Way
Awareness Explorers
In this episode we discuss the concept of the Middle Way and explore how to move beyond polarities in spiritual practice and daily life, thus finding a balance between extremes and recognizing the interconnectedness of all things. • Includes a guided meditation in which we bring two opposite energies together to sense how they are intertwined and to feel a balance and a gentle equilibrium as we use breath to weave the two together. Don't forget to subscribe for more ingenious ways to tap into the ever-present stillness and joy of our true nature. NEWS: Awareness Explorers has made the...
info_outlineIn this episode we discuss how consciousness exploration will change in the future due to emerging technologies and societal changes, and we contemplate how to know if these changes are useful or just mere distractions.
• Includes a guided meditation helping us to visualize our awakened future self and how we can take steps to embody that in our current lives.
Don't forget to subscribe for more ingenious ways to tap into the ever-present stillness and joy of our true nature.
NEWS:
Awareness Explorers has made the following top listener charts on Goodpods:
#3 in the Top 100 Awakening All time chart
#5 in the Top 100 Joy All time chart
#5 in the Top 100 Awareness All time chart
#6 in the Top 100 Consciousness All time chart
#36 in the Top 100 Meditation All time chart
To learn more about Awareness Explorers, and to listen to all of our podcast episodes, please visit:
https://www.awarenessexplorers.com/
If you want to listen to the meditations alone, you can find all of our meditations excerpted either in this playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLThffcko0gAVvivvVVGNfQgJxbWB6dF6Z
Or on our Awareness Explorers website:
https://www.awarenessexplorers.com/meditations
To Support Awareness Explorers, please consider clicking the "Donate" button on any AwarenessExplorers.com page, or becoming a Patreon supporter:
https://www.patreon.com/awarenessexplorers
NOTE: If you are a Patreon supporter and have not been receiving our bonus material, please check to make sure that the email address you have on Patreon is an active one.
To learn more about Jonathan Robinson and Brian Tom O'Connor, please visit
https://findinghappiness.com/
and
https://www.playawarenessgames.com/
You can listen to all of our episodes on this YouTube playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLThffcko0gAXyaArC4OyY0y84CZ8uSb_n
Enjoy,
Jonathan and Brian
Photo by Drew Beamer on Unsplash