Awake In Relationship

039 The promise of online social platforms was access to an infinite pool of new friends and possible mates.  However, rather than making the search for love easier, the apps have trained our brains to select mates based on the shallowest metrics. For anyone with a heartfelt desire to find love the daily grind of swiping left and right can feel soul destroying. Authenticity and real intimacy requires letting go of our curated onlin...

038  Ecovillages are an innovative model of living that integrates the needs for affordable housing, livelihood and community into natural systems.  Intentional communities often begin with a powerful idealistic vision, but many fail when confronted with the realities of complex human relationships and power dynamics.  We evolved over thousands of years in intimate groups sharing resources, but now one third of us live alone. To su...

037  In this episode we celebrate Valentines day by digging into Awake In Relationship's back catalogue to replay an early interview about the Lover archetype with Indrus Piche. 

There is nothing like a pandemic and 2 years of social distancing to make one yearn for the presence of the beloved. Regardless if one is single or partnered the lover archetype can be both a source of tremendous inspiration or the agent of our own und...

036 ON AIR is a pithy monologue by Silas Rose, the host of Awake In Relationship, exploring topics arising from guest interviews and current affairs.  In this segment Silas reintroduces the podcast for new listeners.

February marks the 2 year anniversary of AIR. The show launched in the wake of some big personal losses and a global pandemic. The inspiration or 'why' of Awake In Relationship comes from a realization that many...

Since the time of Cleisthenes and Pericles freedom has been the aspirational force behind the formation of democracies around the world. However, as history has shown the path to securing individual freedoms often comes at a high cost. Public health restrictions and mandates during the pandemic have challenged our constitutional rights in ways not seen since times of war.  As we enter year 3 of the war on Covid with a new variant a...

034 The pandemic has highlighted some fundamental and often painful differences in worldview between nations, political parties, friends and family. As we enter a 5th wave polarization and fear can   undermine our collective ability to respond effectively to a changing world. According to contemplative psychology we all possess intrinsic health, a basic reservoir of sanity and compassion we can rely on.  By reconnecting with intrin...

033 According to the Tibetan Book of the Dead a bardo is a period of great transition and uncertainty.  Change is an inevitable part of life, but often when it comes to the BIG changes like a divorce, a career change, the death of a parent or a pandemic we often freeze or panic. Time spent in a bardo cuts to the core of who we are and tests our resolve to stay present in the midst of what feels like chaos.  However, if we have trai...

032 Despite an abundance of connectivity in the digital age, finding love online can be elusive. Time on dating apps often be a frustrating roller coaster ride of hope and fear. The ability to bypass the algorithms and spark connections with strangers in the real world might seem like a superpower. However, as humans we evolved to be social to survive.  By reawakening dormant skills and instincts it is possible to open to the infin...

O31 In exchange for so called free services like Google products, social media, or online dating apps we offer in return our most precious asset - our attention.  Most people in the western world now spend 11 or more hours a day online.  Attention is a zero sum game. The more time we spend doom scrolling on Twitter or creating, consuming and sharing online content the less focus and empathy we have left over for the people in our l...

030 As mammals we are wired for pleasure, but how we actualize our desires has never seemed more complex.  The pandemic has added new layers of anxiety to the simple human need for intimacy and connection. Touch can be healing and transformative when mindfully given and received.  Consent is an ongoing process of agreements rather than a destination.  As partners in pleasure it is possible to move beyond old wounds and expand our c...

029 ON AIR is a pithy monologue by the host of Awake In Relationship Silas Rose  featuring commentary on  topics arising from interviews and current affairs.  As we enter the fourth wave of the global pandemic polarization threatens to derail the public health response and divide family and friends. How can we meet the challenge of the climate crisis if we cant even have a conversation?  In this instalment of ON AIR Silas explores ...

028 Dancing is something shared among all cultures to express joy and foster deep connection. How we move our body to music, especially with others can be very vulnerable and invoke awkward feelings and fear.  Think Elaine Benis dancing at the staff party on the sitcom Seinfeld. Like any mindfulness practice dance goes deep and sometimes shows us where we are stuck and need to move.

In this episode of AIR I speak with Anne Marie Hog...

027 Returning to ‘normal’ after the collective trauma of the global pandemic will take more than a vaccine. Hyper vigilance and fear of can narrow our window of tolerance for connection and prevent us from forming new healthy relationships. The ability to be fully present with others depends on a safe and empathetic container.  Compassionate exchange is a practice of reconnecting to the body, letting go of emotional reactivity and ...

026  For close to a year forest activists in the Fairy Creek watershed have been defending the last unprotected stand of coastal old growth on Southern Vancouver Island.  Fairy Creek is the latest salvo in a conflict that goes back decades. In 1993 mass protests in Clayoquot Sound, dubbed ‘the war in the woods’, gave birth to an international movement to protect ancient forests and highlighted the failed forestry policies that pit ...

025 To thrive in an uncertain world kids need to develop the capacity to be resilient in the face of change. Wild places are the ultimate training ground for youth to cultivate inner strength, interpersonal skills and a love of the natural world. However, with more of life being lived online many parents struggle to get their children off devices and into the outdoors.  In this episode of AIR I speak with Dr Nevin Harper about adve...

024 The longing to love and be loved is a universal human experience that can inspire great joy or plunge us into the deepest psychological hell.  Our expectations about a romantic partner are often unrealistic and locate the source of love as external to us.  What if love was not a mythical destination, but a way of being in the world that is accessible to all regardless of your relationship status?  In this episode of AIR I speak...

023 Fathers are often held to a god like standard and judged harshly when they fall.   For young men coming into adulthood there is longing for something only their fathers can provide and without this transference the journey feels incomplete.  Bill Gaston is a Giller Nominated, award winning author and lecturer living in Victoria BC.  In his recent memoire, Just Let Me Look At You Bill reflects on the meaning of fatherhood, famil...

022  During Covid 19 how we work, shop, do yoga, relate with family and find a mate has moved online.  The internet has connected us during a time of crisis, but  connectivity doesn’t equal connection.  As more of life is lived online our perception of the world is being shaped by powerful algorithms in ways that often  undermine real relationships and our shared sense of humanity.  In this episode of ON AIR I talk about the transi...

021 Personal boundaries are a natural part of any relationship, but rarely are they discussed openly until a line has been crossed.  After a year of Covid lockdowns many people are discovering their edge the hard way.  In this episode of AIR I speak with Mel Cassidy, a relationship coach who focuses on polyamory and honest non monogamy, about the art of negotiating agreements and boundaries, especially in complex relationships.  We...