Podcast Episodes

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 find peace.   

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 […]

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 render self-improvement projects un-necessary. Instead, you are […]

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 […]

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 state of the true mind as love. In this episode, we include a guided meditation to point […]

Episode 58: Are Judgements Blocking You from Peace and Happiness? Judging, putting people into categories, assigning negative attributes, sticking with first impressions, even ghosting can become a personal and community norm performed without thought or consciousness. Self judgement as well stems from our experience with families and other cultural groups who judged us and made it seem normal.  In this episode, we look at the roots of  judgement by becoming aware that we are judging, and then exploring the awareness of the thoughts and emotions that lead to judgment. Some definitions of mindfulness include a phrase that suggests we pay […]

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 conditions into present moment […]

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  compassionate awareness so that both […]

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 there’s love, peace, joy, […]

When you’re aware you’re aware- that is another level of existence that has an opportunity for some real peace and love and a real authentic experience with this very precious human life. It’s so precious and rare and it doesn’t last that long and there are so many ways that you can use it, so why not use it for good?    

Episode 54: How Awareness Can Lead to Forgiveness and Self Compassion "Forgiveness means giving up all hope for a better past."- this quote by Lily Tomlin asks us to realize that the past is over, and failing to forgive keeps us locked in the habitual thoughts and judgements that keep us small and confined. In this episode, we discuss forgiveness of self and forgiveness of others as part of the realization of ourselves as awareness for the benefit of ourselves and others. This is part of the Big Fun Journey that exploring awareness can be- and this episode also provides […]

What would it take to find Awe in a brick? How to experience Awe everyday is the topic of this episode. We discuss how there is a constant opportunity to connect at a deeper level and to be aware of what is happening in the present moment -as it is -without judgement, analyzing or overthinking. To allow yourself to be in the present moment and allow what’s happening to happen – a sense of Awe will emerge as a wonderful feeling of connection. By taking the opportunity to be present, to be aware, there is a sense of relief that […]

While we often have great intentions to practice meditation and awareness, lack of a framework leads to inconsistency. In this episode, we discuss the foundations of practice from Adyashanti's  book The Way of Liberation and provide a guided meditation to help get the practice started. 

Episode 50: Exploring Awareness to Experience Unity Mindfulness practices and exploring awareness can lead to a deep realization and experience of Unity. When we practice the 4 foundations of mindfulness and get a sense of our true identity as pure awareness a deep realization emerges. Experiences of Unity first come and go in glimpses then become seen through a clear window. Understanding gets deeper and integrates into daily life. As conditioned beliefs and habitual thought patterns start to fall away, we begin to realize that we all share  one unconditioned place unified in a field of awareness. Beyond words, the […]

Episode 49: Finding Joy in Knowing What Makes You Tick A “Joy that has no opposite” can be realized when we use mindfulness techniques to explore awareness. Happiness is wonderful too, but – as an emotion – comes and goes. The “Joy of Being” is always present. We discuss Joy as an essence of authentic human life that gets covered up by habitual thinking, discursive thoughts, and the overwhelm of negative information coming into our lives every day. Our usual ways of thinking, creating expectations, making judgments, reacting to news, making plans- all are part of what “makes us tick”. […]

Episode 48 : Awareness of the Present Moment Plus a Mediation for Sleeplessness The actions of our mind are a wonderful gift as we enjoy past memories, solve problems and plan for the future.  Taken to extremes however, our minds can come up with the details of past events so vivid, it is as if we are reliving them over and over again. Future events can be created as well, so a future scenario seems to be completely true even though it hasn’t happened yet!  These mental creations can lead to stress, anxiety and trouble sleeping, and trying to get […]

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 this […]

How conscious are you of the words that you speak? Where do the words come from and what do they represent? Words are one way to communicate, and in this episode, we explore the awareness of what is happening in our mind that generates the words we use. Words used habitually, reflexively, and not formed with awareness may not represent the inner dimension of peace, love, joy and equanimity. Consider words a sound that you make, and that there is a choice about what those sounds are and what you want to those sounds to represent. Exploring awareness and finding […]

“Being mindful” means more than just the ability to focus or pay attention. Being mindful doesn’t mean getting rid of thoughts or getting to a relaxed state. Being mindful is not about something we need to do to gain something. In this episode, we discuss the “how” of mindfulness, we break down the definition and learn how to utilize mindfulness techniques to open to a place of mindful and loving awareness.  You will naturally experience a sense of peace, love, joy and generosity- something that you already have no matter what your situation. It’s a return to that!  

Looking to a Post-Covid World- what are we learning? The Covid pandemic is giving the world a long pause from routine and turning expectations upside down.  Even as we may be nearing the end, this past year provided time to go inward, to see what is important, and note what may or may not have been working in life. Some did not have such a luxury and continued an even more frantic life fraught with risk and fear. Either way, the pandemic year taught us some valuable lessons and asked us to try something different, to shift perspective to experiencing […]

Episode 43: Loving Awareness and the Freedom it Provides When one is mindful, a quality of “deep awareness”  opens to wonderous opportunity for discovery and freedom. We call this now a BIG FUN JOURNEY.  No longer are we just acting like robots running on autopilot, no longer just reacting to painful or pleasurable events – we are seeing the big picture, taking things apart and looking at them as they are and responding in new and authentic ways. Cultivating the ability to be aware of everything in the present moment leads to a FELT SENSE of a deeper place experienced […]

Episode 42: Thoughts are important, but do they define who you are?   As we explore the various methods and issues in mindfulness and awareness, we often hear about how “ you are not your thoughts”. This is often said by experienced teachers to people starting out – and to the thinking mind, this does not make any sense whatsoever. If a mind is thinking, what else could it be?  Defensiveness and fear arise if we start to entertain an idea that who we are isn’t who we “think” we are. This whole idea can seem threatening if you haven’t […]

Episode# 41: The Art of Healing  Your body is constantly wanting to heal itself, but the question is “how” to heal. Healing is a return to balance and wholeness – exploring awareness brings imbalance into view reconnection to a balanced core bringing a sense of healing. In this episode, we discuss the difference between curing and healing, and explain how using mindfulness meditation techniques to open to awareness unleashes a wellspring of healing energy – for self-healing and guiding others to their own healing.    

Episode #40: Are you a Human Doing or a Human Being? We “do” lots of things- that’s what life seems to be all about.  Many of the things we do are fun, some are not, and some just need to get done. The never ending list of things to do is always there, even if they are not written down. Meditation is probably somewhere on that list -may be near the bottom -making it seem unlikely, time consuming, and difficult to fit in the schedule. However, the essence of meditation is not a “doing” but is “being”- and “being” never […]

Synchronicity and Intuition   When you explore awareness, fun things can happen!  In this episode, we discuss Synchronicity- a concept made popular by psychiatrist   Carl Jung who said that synchronicities are “meaningful or even miraculous coincidences that occur in your life” which are “experiences that seem far more significant than day to day encounters.”  Yet, to see them happen in life requires a sense of presence, “Synchronicity is an ever-present reality for those who have the eyes to see.” A rational, concrete, analytical mind could be dismissive to a perceived synchronicity and discount them as mere coincidence, but presence and […]

Episode 38: Lessons From The First Year-The Anniversary Episode The exploring awareness podcast is a year old, and in this episode, Frank and Lisa discuss how the podcast got started, and their experiences over the year.  “Exploring Awareness” has become a question – an invitation to a journey toward a way of being that includes and then goes beyond thoughts and emotions. All year, the discussion has been about how to apply mindfulness techniques to explore “awareness” and how this leads to connection to the deeper insights into the truth of life.  Mindfulness allows us to recognize and accept the […]

Episode 37: What Is Your New Year’s Intention? The start of a new year brings opportunity. Instead of the typical “New Year’s Resolution”, why not consider a “New Year’s Intention” of exploring the possibility of another way of being in the world  beyond what our current situations and culture offer. Some intentions of course can be practical and make a lot of sense, but here we discuss deeper intentions of connection to core, finding inner peace and moving through the world on solid ground. We discuss an Adyashanti quote- “The truest intention is something that we receive rather than something […]

EPISODE 36: Exploring The Spirit Of Gifting and Giving From A Heart of Generosity The holiday season is a season of generosity. Through exploring awareness, gift giving can take on a deeper meaning and reflect the core elements within each of us-peace, joy love and generosity. Where does generosity come from? It’s a human expression of love and connection expressed through the gifting of a tangible item- chosen or made during a process of attention to what might make our loved ones happy and an in investment of our time and energy to make it manifest. Even how an item […]

Episode #35: Do painful things always have to lead to suffering? It is easy to say that pain is part of the being human and suffering is optional -but when you are in the middle of it, this can be difficult to hear. In this episode, we break down this concept- with a focus on mental pain. We discuss the mindfulness techniques and exploring awareness concepts that create some space between the painful situation and the reaction to it. We ask the ultimate questions- are you willing to give up your story to alleviate suffering and how does it feel […]

Are you noticing a lack of kindness in the conversation lately? We are all taught to be kind but thinking that you must be kind is different from “being” kind. What if kindness was an innate quality that is already a part of us? Through exploring awareness, we may discover that “loving kindness” is a core element that already exists within, no matter what other people might be saying.  A place of “awake awareness” that is not affected by the challenges of daily life, but is already within for us to tap into.  How to find this place starts with […]

What’s your “story”?  Are you aware of the stories you tell yourself about what happened in the past or what may be in the future? “Being awareness” means we can know that we have stories, and in the knowing we can know who we are. It brings up the question- who are you – beyond the labels and conditions of life? There may be something more to life than the stories we tell ourselves, or the stories people have about us. If this resonates, try using the mindfulness techniques explained in this podcast and the guided meditation in this episode. […]

Current times can seem chaotic, and cause us to experience a multitude of feelings and emotions.  There are simple tools available to remind us how to connect to a deeper place of peace, love, joy and generosity. Tara Brach’s RAIN tool – Recognize, Allow, Investigate and Nurture and Don Miguel Ruiz’s 4 agreements- Be impeccable with your word; Don't take anything personally; Don't make assumptions; Always do your best- are 2 tools we discuss in today’s episode. On the surface, they seem simple and make sense. We are left though with “how” to implement these tools at a deeper level. […]

Episode 31: What's Behind the Stories We Tell Ourselves? Exploring awareness of thoughts goes beyond just single thoughts to the sometimes elaborate stories we create in our own mind. In this episode, we explore awareness of what drives our need to create stories and figure things out.  Clearly, we use our brains to solve problems but sometimes we think we have to figure things out with stories that may have no grounding in truth. Sometimes, these stories have a flavor of competition or defensiveness- told to ourselves to gain an advantage, and leads to thinking our version of the story […]

Healing And Coping With A Major Medical Diagnosis By Exploring Awareness Living with chronic pain or a disturbing medical condition creates a great challenge but can also be an opening to exploring awareness. As paradoxical as it seems, these types of difficulties can present an opportunity for transformation. Physical pain can be accompanied by resistance, fear, regret, judgment and other thoughts and emotions. It is said that “(pain) X (resistance) = suffering” In this episode, we explore awareness as Lisa reveals a serious medical condition, and how exploring awareness is teaching her how to “live her life”. There is an […]

The Courage To Be Your True Self Finding Peace and Joy in the most unlikely places seems impossible given the way things are going in the world. In this episode we continue to explore how connecting to a stable inner core can be accomplished, no matter what the situation. Exploring the words “faith” and “courage”, and incorporating a guided mediation, we describe our own experiences and journeys working with these concepts. With quotes and poems from David Whyte, Adyshanti and Mark Nepo, we explore how we can become free from “life draining patterns” and have a life that reflects the […]

Title -What You Resist Persists and The Only Way Out is Through Our collective challenge these days is a constant flow of difficult information that pulls us out of the present moment.  Sometimes we think about things and anticipate different outcomes, none of which may ever happen. For many, this leads to a sense of fear or foreboding that is a constant backdrop to our everyday lives. By exploring the awareness of fear and the underlying components of the fear – perhaps fear can be transformed into love. Fear makes senses from an evolutionary and survival perspective but many things […]

Do you react or respond? What is the difference? Is there a sense of spacious freedom that can be naturally experienced? Exploring awareness 24/7 changes the way the day unfolds and just may result in a lived experience that doesn’t include angst and fear – but instead peace and joy. We have talked a lot about being aware using meditation techniques, sometimes called “formal” practice.  Today we discuss exploring awareness 24/7- sometimes called informal practice. It may be easy to say you area aware of things, a type of mental awareness, but the awareness we are talking about is much […]

Ever think about what brings you a sense of security or what you may be holding on to in life that may not best serve you?  Who are, or what are you attached to, and what would happen if you didn’t need to attach to anyone or anything including your own ego? Some people have a yearning for something more -it may be a loud voice or a just a whisper, and for some perhaps there is no yearning- but if that yearning is there, we’d invite you to join us on our exploring awareness journey.  In this episode, we […]

Why Is It So Difficult To Love Ourselves? In this episode, Frank and Lisa discuss one of the innate qualities that emerge from exploring awareness- a sense of unconditional Love. From the awareness perspective, this type of Love is not conditioned on anything, but purely exists as a quality of or inner aspect of a conscious, aware life. It is the love and presence that we can all see in babies who have not had the experiences of life that may bury that love in doubt and judgement and difficult life experiences. Past traumas, difficult childhood, poor work environments or […]

How To Feel Steady In Unsteady Times This episode consolidates many of the concepts of exploring awareness to bring together the ideas and tools we have discussed that would allow you to feel more steady in unsteady times.  Inner calm, moving outside your comfort zone, equanimity and connecting to your core so you always feel at home no matter where you “go.” Our focus is always on the “how” with an emphasis on experience and an acknowledgement of the inadequacy of words and thoughts to describe the experience.  Doing this work does require at least a hope that Peace and […]

What Burning Man can teach us about Love, Peace, Generosity and Joy. Put aside what you think you know about Burning Man and in this episode learn how this event is a model for a life that puts the core essences of exploring awareness into practice. In the exploring awareness podcast, we always return to the core human essences of peace, joy, love and generosity- accessed through meditation practices. These core essences also underlie the 10 principles of the annual Burning Man event in Nevada. Although the event itself is lasts only one week, the underlying principles create a city […]

Why can’t I figure this stuff out? There is a difference between figuring something out and letting it be. Meditation and awareness practices are about letting things, people, situations be – as they are. Our powerful, amazing and analytical brain- a great tool- will try to figure this stuff out. When we talk about exploring awareness, there is another layer to access to how we are in the world, something beyond figuring it out. Instead of trying to figure something out exploring awareness invites us watch the brain try to figure it out and see whatever happens from an awareness […]

Episode # 21 Making The World a Better Place From The Inside Out Awaken to Something Deeper We always hear from people “I can’t meditate”. Take that thought and put it in awareness. Instead of letting thoughts create a restrictive and small world, take the opportunity to let yourself move through constrictive thoughts to a place of spaciousness. What you resist persists, so it’s your choice to live with more spaciousness. If you can move through it there is vast spaciousness on the other side. This episode is a recap of meditation and how stopping to explore awareness can lead […]

Episode # 20 Finding Fulfillment is an Inside Job In this episode Frank and Lisa explore the word “fulfillment”, and provide methods as to how we can connect with the sense of fulfillment. The word can have different meanings depending on your mindset. Feeling fulfilled may come from achieving something that you have striven for- a material item, a relationship, a vacation, a job- or feeling fulfilled can come from a deeper place that comes from an inner voice that may be telling you something else. This inner voice is your home, it might seem difficult to do – but […]

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 […]

Wondering what you can do? Start with yourself! The world situation now makes finding peace and joy in the most unlikely places seem unlikely! In this episode Frank and Lisa discuss the bottom up approach to discover an inner essence that connects every human being. A grace, if you will, that unites us in something deeper. Thoughts, emotions and reactions without awareness can lead to racism, judgmentalism, dismissal, denial, and unconscious bias. Through awareness of thoughts and emotions, we can see the ideas that have been constructed through history and culture and have left an imprint, and decide for ourselves […]

Tumult continues during a global pandemic, and in the United States, a massive response of millions of people demanding change.  There is an option to make sense of this – an option that includes accessing a wellspring of inner wisdom that can inform thoughts, response and action. This inner resource isn’t accessed by thoughts, because it  dwells before thoughts- or as we put it- exploring awareness of thoughts. Exploring awareness takes practice and a good way to start is by first becoming aware of the breath. Exploring awareness will open an awareness space to give us access to the place […]

There is Wisdom in Change How to be a Cow with no Nostrils In this episode, Frank and Lisa continue exploring awareness in the context of the changing corona virus pandemic. We are all witness to a very changing lifestyle guided both by our intense desire to return to normal life, while at the same time knowing that it could be dangerous. How you move around in the world is a matter of practical concern, but from the awareness perspective, brings up the idea of impermanence. When one “takes a backward step” and looks at each situation from an objective […]

In this episode, Frank and Lisa explore openheartedness as one of the qualities that emerges when using mindfulness techniques to explore awareness. Who would you be, if, no matter what, you could be openhearted? Issues, events, people’s decisions and acting out from bias and fear can create negative thoughts that lead to a reaction of close heartedness. Today, we discuss a space “before” thoughts that is vast, open and freeing. We use the word “essence” to point to the quality that exists within that will guide us, if we let it.  When we “wake up” from thoughts, we can experience […]

Where there's Love there is Joy and when there is Joy there is Peace! Frank and Lisa continue the conversation and the journey during the COVID-19 pandemic and provide a guided meditation on being aware of what connects you to a deeper place of calm. What do you connect to that bring you joy? Walking in nature, taking time to meditate? They discuss how using mindfulness techniques to explore awareness opens a place where the richness of life that can be experienced when you're present, go within and find out what's true. The discussion provides an invitation to connect to […]

    In this episode, Frank and Lisa focus on Love as one of the inherent qualities of human nature. Expressions of Love are in such display during the pandemic- even staying at home is an expression of Love. Through exploring awareness, we can “know” that love is being expressed and see more clearly how Love is an inherent motivating factor in all of our lives. We learn to “know” this through meditation. The discussion includes how meditation can let us experience the “one that knows that it knows” and how there is a place before thinking that opens something […]

The pause button has been hit- the whole world is in a “Great Pause” – an unexpected period between a known past and an unknown future. In meditation, we sit in the present moment- that space where the past is gone, and the future is yet to come. In this “Great Pause” every human being in the world is being nudged into the present moment whether they like it or not. Sometimes it takes a shock like this to wake up and to do things in a different way. We have the opportunity now to realize what the present moment […]

Finding Hope and Compassion In The Middle Of A Pandemic In episode 11 of the Exploring Awareness podcast Lisa Barry and Dr. Frank Anderson introduce compassion for self and others as a natural extension of our exploring awareness. Deciding to become aware of your thoughts and emotions opens a place of stillness that provides a break from all of the things your mind is trying to do.  This simple yet difficult shift represents a great act of self-compassion – as Frank puts it “your wonderful mind that's trying to protect you (takes up a lot of space)-  going to your […]

Our minds can take us into the future and create all kinds of stories about what could possibly happen. Its's our hope that listening to this podcast  can  help you find another option and an opportunity to go within and find a place of calm that could be used to help others in these troubling times. Its an invitation to try something different. Frank reveals he spent a couple of years working on the Navajo Indian reservation with the Indian health service and shares a message from the Council of 13 Indigenous Grandmothers.  https://sisterhearts.blog/2018/02/08/message-from-the-council-of-13-indigenous-grandmothers/?fbclid=IwAR1QUYY4D8hfG3e4S3w1xGZxsD8vWPJW5Sak8O4r-LTRBCL48x6IbTLoCVw The conversation includes the suggestion to […]

A crisis like the one we are living through with the corona-virus pandemic  provides a stark choice for how to go forward. We know what we should do, but the question is always how. In this episode, Frank and Lisa discuss how and why exploring awareness can provide a grounded place from which to operate, one that never leaves no matter what the situation. We always hear that  living in this moment could provide an answer, and this episode’s guided meditation may be a helpful tool to experience that unflappable place. In finding that place, there comes a sense of […]

In this episode, Frank and Lisa discuss how exploring awareness is applied to fear. Our global  human community is being urgently challenged in an unprecedented way with the Corona virus, and in this episode, we learn that we have an opportunity to deal with fear in a different way. They discuss how exploring the awareness of fear may change how fear is experienced- from suffering to peace, from reacting to responding. We still need to keep up with the news and prepare to protect ourselves, but response may come from a different perspective. Fear can cause a lot of suffering, […]

In this episode, Frank and Lisa explore a very freeing concept – awareness of awareness. The discussion revolves around using mindfulness tools to discover that we are all connected in ways that we can’t “think”.  It is a “felt sense”, sometimes spontaneously experienced in fleeting glimpses,  but here we take a closer look of something larger, bigger. They discuss how many religions use different words to try to express this idea, but words fall short.   You’ve heard that we are homo sapiens (which means the ape that is aware) – but did you know we are a sub species called […]

As we continue to "explore awareness"  Frank and Lisa talk about how this process leads to a "deeper knowing," or an experience of awakening.  They talk about how "mini awakenings" reflect a closer to connection to awareness.  The discussion includes the differences between what your brain tells you and what your awareness experience indicates for you and how that impacts the you move through life. Frank shares David Whyte's poem "Faith"  and how having faith in this process allows an opening to guide the direction in our lives.  Frank points out that faith is different than beliefs, adding "to believe […]

In this episode, Frank and Lisa discuss emotions which can often include some that might make you feel uncomfortable.  We talk about how burying or pushing down some emotions could bring up thoughts or problems you weren’t even aware of and lead to experiencing even more difficult emotions. We discuss how becoming aware of emotions and allowing them to be – as they are in the present moment -is ultimately an act of compassion. We introduce a tool for working with emotions, RAIN- Recognize, Allow, Investigate, Nurture with compassion. Handling emotions this way is an act of trust that requires […]

In this episode, hear Frank and Lisa discuss how awareness of the breath is the first tool, or doorway for opening to awareness and consciousness. They continue to explore awareness of the breath and body, and introduce how awareness of thoughts continues one on this journey. They discuss the questions and struggles that this type of awareness brings, and how discovering your own truth may lead to a “change in lane” that leads to a different way of being lead by an innate sense of compassion, peace, joy and generosity. The episode has an awareness of thoughts guided meditation and […]

In this episode Lisa and Frank talk about “identifying as” or "resting as awareness."  Frank suggests “identifying as awareness” goes back to the “who are you” question. Interesting questions arise such as, Are you your thoughts? Are you your conditioning? Are you your situation or are you the awareness of those things?  He adds that is why we are exploring awareness and meditating so we can have the realization that you can “identify as awareness”  and “rest as awareness.” Resting as awareness changes everything. You're turning in and tuning in to the Awareness where stress doesn't even exist – finding what's true is the […]

In this wide ranging discussion, Frank and Lisa explore the question "who are you?" This episode starts with David Whyte's poem Tilicho Lake, and discuss the astonishment when one sees the "true shape of their own face"- yet, when discussing a goal, the focus becomes on the journey of self discovery rather than the destination. We also talk a bit about awareness of thoughts. There’s a transformational component to awareness and when one becomes aware of thoughts, they dissolve as the perspective towards thoughts shifts. Meditation builds your “awareness muscle”-Overthinking takes us out of the present moment and leads to […]

In this first Episode, Frank and Lisa set the stage with an interesting discussion of awareness, meditation and mindfulness, explore the question – Who Are You – and provide a brief guided awareness meditation at the end.