The Mantra
In this final episode of season one, I talk about mantras or sound tools that are a common adjunct in the practice of meditation. There will be an opportunity to practice meditation with the Buddhist (although secular wording) mantra ‘Om…
Podcast Peace in the Midst of a Pandemic
The Diamond in Your Pocket
This episode was originally broadcast the day after the death of friend and work colleague Mo Dibba from Covid-19. May he rest in peace. There is a story about an infamous diamond thief who sought to steal only the most…
The Chains of Habit
“The chains of habit are too light to be felt until they are too heavy to be broken.” – This is Warren Buffet quoting the English philosopher Bertrand Russell. These words so aptly describe the insidious nature of bad business…
One Conscious Breath
We can probably spend the whole day without checking in with ourselves, distracted by the comings and goings of the world, events in your life and in your mind. Just one conscious breath can make all the difference, two even…
Be Yourself
“Drop the idea of becoming someone, because you are already a masterpiece. You cannot be improved. You have only to come to it, to know it, to realize it.” ~ Osho Wise words indeed from the controversial spiritual teacher Osho.…
Presence – The Greatest Gift
Notice the irritation you feel when you are talking to someone and they don’t make eye contact or when you are trying to have a conversation with someone who is distracted by other things. Presence, or giving someone our undivided…
Are Your Emotions Controlling You?
“Your emotions are the slaves to your thoughts, and you are the slave to your emotions.” ~ Elizabeth Gilbert It’s important to recognise that emotions, no matter how powerful they are, are just thought forms that have recruited internal body…
Be the Change
Gandhi famously said “Be the change you wish to see in the world”. We can have a tendency to judge, be irritated by or complain about things we don’t like in the world. Try instead to embody the change that…
Paradise is Not a Place
“Paradise is not a place; it’s a state of consciousness.” ~ Sri Chinmoy Our natural state is one of peace, happiness, fulfilment but it is the thinking mind and the clamour of the outside world that prevent us from returning…
The Power of Gratitude
“Wear gratitude like a cloak and it will feed every corner of your life” ~ Rumi This episode is about gratitude – the ultimate game changer :)
Beware Positive Thinking
Previously I was a big proponent of ‘positive thinking’; yes, it may be useful, like an elastoplast, covering over any sadness or suffering. But by definition, it takes you away from the present moment into the realm of imagination where…
Recognising the Space of Peace
What if you were told that peace was always available. At every moment. In every circumstance. Well the good news is that it is. The bad news is that due to our conditioning, this peace is constantly being veiled. It…
Beware Your Unguarded Thoughts
“I don’t envision a single thing that, when unguarded, leads to such great harm as the mind. The mind, when unguarded leads to great harm.” This quote from the Buddha, taken from the Aṅguttara Nikāya is the central topic for…
Present Moment Awareness
Present moment awareness is the only reality. I could stop right there. Have you noticed that now, the present moment is the only thing there is. The past no longer exists except in imagination. The future no longer exists except…
Conscious Breathing
“Feelings come and go like clouds in a windy sky. Conscious breathing is my anchor.” ~ Thich Nhat Hanh We are breathing every moment of our lives but how often are we conscious or aware of it. In Vedic philosophy,…
The Lockdown Meditation
Back to the basics with this straightforward mindfulness practice. Ideally try to do this sitting, either on a floor or on a chair with the back straight – good habits like this will pay dividends in the long run! The…
Self Observation Guided Meditation
This episode serves as an introduction to self observation as a form of meditation – a very effective form!
Preventing Collateral Damage
This episode was recorded in response to the fear that was present in the hospital around April. Although the situation was dire and not without hazard, the fear was palpable and out of proportion to the danger we faced, worst…
New Week, New Challenges
You’ve just had a lovely relaxing weekend, it’s a new week and before you’ve even gone back to work anxieties start to build about the perceived challenges that you may face. This is such a familiar situation to us and…
Doing and Being
Doing always seems to require some effort even if its trivial. Just being, on the other hand seems rather effortless. What if you could achieve the same, allowing your actions to arise more spontaneously. Mindfulness helps us to achieve the…
Incorporating Mindfulness Into Everyday Life
The peace that meditation gives you does not have to be restricted to the time that you are sitting in meditation. Everyday life can provide the same peace through mindfulness. This episode is about cultivating a mindful lifestyle. With this…
Facing Uncertainty
If the events of 2020 have taught us one thing, it is that no one can predict the future. Uncertainty is not to be feared, fear about a projected future is a mere thought form arising in present moment awareness…
Dealing With Emotions Through Self-Observation
‘The cure for pain is in the pain’ ~ Rumi Have you ever observed what an emotion is? Emotions are thoughts that have recruited body sensations (usually felt in chest or abdomen) to amplify their messages. Try to observe your…
Attention!
Our human experience consists of perceptions of the world, body and mind. We can rest our attention anywhere but like an addiction our attention tends to rest on whatever is going through our mind. This in meditative traditions is said…
The Power of Imagination
Imagination is one of the greatest attributes of the human being and its creative potential is behind most if not all the advances made in the history of mankind. Left unchecked imagination can have negative consequences. We often don’t observe…
Meditation Anchors
Meditation anchors, return you to the present moment when lost in thought. This recognition that develops early, after starting a regular practice of meditation correlates to structural and functional changes in the brain that have been detected as early as…
Your Greatest Strength Lies Within
We look for sources of strength and courage in the outside world not knowing that our greatest strength, our greatest potential as human beings lies within.
Introduction
Welcome to the exploring consciousness podcast. The Exploring Consciousness Podcast is dedicated to discussion on meditation, mindfulness and nonduality (the philosophy of Oneness, also known as ‘The Perennial Philosophy’ or ‘The Worlds Wisdom’) and the positive impact they can bring…