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Making the darkness conscious

Much is being said these days about spiritual awakening, and the causeless joy, clarity, and peace that are inevitable milestones of the inner journey. Not all that much is mentioned, however, about the disappointment of awakening, or of the ways it can break our hearts, cracking us open to the reality of the crucifixion, the resurrection, *and* the transfiguration we are likely to encounter along the way. In the full embrace of life—right inside the yucky, messy, shadowy nether regions of the heart—we are invited to meet the wholeness of what we are, which includes the dark *and* the light, the movement of separation *and* union, and the entirety of what it means to be an embodied human being.

As Carl Jung so poignantly reminds us, we do not become enlightened by “imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious.” He went on to say that the integral journey of the dark *and* the light is one that is often “disagreeable” and thus would never be popular. I believe Jung is offering very important guidance for us and the voyage of the heart in contemporary times.

The ancient path of love may never conform to our hopes, fears, dreams, and fantasies, for it is emerging in the here and now as an emissary of the unknown itself. Let us rest in the aching truth that one of the primary roles of the beloved is to seed deflation in the field of separation. Yes, awakening may always be a disappointment, from the perspective of egoic organization. In this sense, the journey is eternally hopeless, but it is in the creation of a home for our hopelessness—and allowing it to be illuminated within us—that we are finally able to step into a world beyond our wildest imagination.

As we journey together as fellow travelers, let us find a way to embrace both the joy *and* the heartbreak of spiritual awakening, and bear witness to the wisdom shining out of our immediate experience, whether it appears as sadness, bliss, despair, or great joy. It is true that grace will appear in both sweet *and* fierce forms, but regardless of its particular manifestation, it is still grace, sent from beyond to open us to the radiant fullness of being.

– Matt Licata, from the Preface to the forthcoming, It’s Okay to Be Broken: Embracing the Joy and Heartbreak of Spiritual Awakening.

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Brainspotting

Tami Simon speaks with Dr. David Grand, a pioneering psychotherapist, lecturer, and performance coach. Dr. Grand is best known for his discovery of the internationally acclaimed therapy called Brainspotting. He’s the author of the book Emotional Healing at Warp Speed, and with Sounds True he has released his book on Brainspotting: The Revolutionary New Therapy for Rapid and Effective Change. In this episode, Tami speaks with David about what Brainspotting is and why it represents a new evolution in brain-based therapy. Dr. Grand reveals the central insight of Brainspotting—that where you look affects how you feel—and offers a simple practice that you can try right now. (60 minutes)

The Integral Operating System – with Ken Wilber

Upgrade the Way You Think—and Live

Are you ready to ramp up the performance of your human hardware? If so, then welcome to Version 1.0 of Ken Wilber’s The Integral Operating System.

No, it’s not computer software. It’s a course that crystallizes Ken’s lifelong investigation into the truths of Eastern and Western thought into a cutting-edge tool for sparking a revolution of your mind and spirit.

Ken Wilber has spent more than three decades creating an all-embracing vision that incorporates the best elements from all of humanity’s spiritual and scientific traditions into a model that reveals even deeper levels of truth—the Integral Map. Now, this profoundly versatile tool has been formatted into a multimodal “platform for the soul,” one that you can self-install to accelerate the growth of your spiritual evolution, intellect, relationships with others, and even your physical health.

As one of the most influential figures of human spiritual development, Ken Wilber has been called the “Einstein of consciousness.” Here is an unprecedented chance for you to “download” this remarkable thinker’s teachings as he illuminates the intricacies of The Integral Operating System.

Being Authentic

Duncan Trussell is a writer, producer, and stand-up comedian who has appeared on Curb Your Enthusiasm, Funny or Die Presents: Drunk History, and Adventure Time. He hosts the podcast The Duncan Trussell Family Hour, in which he and guests discuss everything from contemporary comedy to chaos magick and spiritual inquiry. In this episode, Duncan and Tami Simon discussed how mindfulness practice can affect performance and the use of what Pema Chödrön calls “the pause.” They also spoke about Duncan’s experience as a cancer survivor and how it changed his outlook on life. Finally, Tami and Duncan talked about his understanding of the Earth as a living, evolving being—as well as humankind’s role in that evolution. (61 minutes)

Living Wisdom with His Holiness the Dalai Lama

When you are in the presence of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, you are in the presence of compassion itself. But how many of us will have the opportunity to personally experience the man known as The Ocean of Wisdom?

Now, Living Wisdom gives you the chance to immerse yourself in the grace of His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, and to receive the transformative power of his teachings in your own home.

Spiritual Awakening in the Relational Field

Contemporary spiritual teacher Thomas Hübl has spent much of his life helping to bring a deeper dimension of self-awareness and responsibility to people’s inner lives. In 2008, Thomas founded the Academy of Inner Science, an organization devoted to the exploration of modern mysticism and spiritual awakening. With Sounds True, Thomas has released the audio program The Power of We. In this episode, Tami Simon speaks with Thomas about the importance of asking the correct question when triggered in a relationship. They also talk about the two competencies Thomas believes are necessary for the process of spiritual awakening. Finally, they discuss the nature and necessity of transparent communication in the awakening process. (73 minutes)

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