June 30, 2025 • 57 mins
Meditation isn't about escaping reality—it's about fully inhabiting it. In this soul-nourishing conversation with Swami Nityananda, we explore what it truly means to ground ourselves and return to our essential nature through mindfulness practices.
Have you ever noticed how we tend to live "from the neck up," caught in analytical thinking while disconnected from our body's wisdom? Swami shares her journey of discovering meditation as a practical tool for letting go of stress, calming the mind, and connecting with the natural spark of joy that exists at the core of each person. Through a guided meditation experience, we demonstrate how to create space between awareness and thoughts, showing that you are not your nervous system or your emotions—you are the awareness witnessing them.
One of the most liberating insights from our conversation is recognizing that pain is a natural part of living in time and space. There's nothing wrong with experiencing difficult emotions; it's our resistance to them that creates suffering. When we allow ourselves to feel fully without judgment, these emotions move through us "like a spring storm," eventually clearing the way for greater clarity and compassion.
We explore practical tools anyone can use during challenging moments—from placing attention on your solar plexus when encountering strong emotional waves, to taking a single conscious breath to activate your prefrontal cortex rather than responding from fear. Perhaps the most accessible practice? Two minutes of free-form dancing can dramatically shift your energy state, requiring no skill or preparation—just the willingness to move with curiosity and playfulness.
Whether you're navigating grief, facing uncertainty, or simply seeking deeper connection with yourself, this conversation offers gentle reminders that the light within you never dims, even during your darkest moments. As Swami beautifully states, "Love life totally. Nothing has to change for you to connect with joy."
Connect with Swami Nityananda here : www.awakeyogameditation.org
💛 Support the Show
If you’ve been moved by this episode and want to support the work, you can do so here:
👉 buymeacoffee.com/liftoneself
Your support helps me keep sharing honest conversations, healing tools, and reminders that we are not alone.
🎥 PREFER VIDEO? Watch us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LiftOneSelf
Remember, the strongest thing you can do for yourself is to ask for help.
Please help us grow by subscribing to and sharing the Lift OneSelf podcast with others
Our website
LiftOneself.com
email: liftoneself@gmail.com
Free Gift Liftoneself.com/FreeGift
Find more conversations on our Social Media pages
www.facebook.com/liftoneself
www.instagram.com/liftoneself
Want to be a guest on the Lift OneSelf podcast message here on Podmatch:
https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/liftoneself
Palms by Text Me Records / Bobby Renz
Gemini by The Soundlings
Sunset n Beachz by Ofshane
Misdirection by The Grey Room / Density & Time
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
NatNat (00:00):
Welcome to the Lift One Self podcast, where we break
mental health stigmas throughconversations.
I'm your host, nat Nat, and wedive into topics about trauma
and how it impacts the nervoussystem.
Yet we don't just leave youthere.
We share insights and tools ofself-care, meditation and growth
(00:21):
that help you be curious aboutyour own biology.
Your presence matters.
Please like and subscribe toour podcast.
Help our community grow.
Let's get into this.
Oh, and please remember to bekind to yourself.
Swami Nityananda (00:36):
Welcome to the Lift One Self podcast.
I'm your host, nat Nat, andtoday we are going to get into
some mindfulness, some joy, andreally start delving into what
really is meditation.
What is it to ground yourselfand come back into yourself and
you hear me talk about it allthe time.
Yet I'm going to have somebodyelse that is going to give their
(00:57):
perspective and what theirjourney has looked like and what
it is to hold space for othersto enter into this space.
So I know how to pronounce herfirst name, which is Swami.
The last one, I am not going totake a chance to butcher it.
So, swami, could you introduceyourself to myself and the
listeners and let us know alittle bit about yourself?
Speaker 3 (01:19):
Absolutely.
First of all, just net netthank you, and thank you for
your joy.
Like your light shines reallybrightly.
So I'm very excited to talkwith you, and the name that my
teacher gave me is SwamiNityananda, and my teacher was
Swami Shankarananda.
He founded our meditationcommunity in Baltimore in 1974.
So we've actually been here formore than 50 years and he
(01:40):
taught yoga philosophy andmeditation for 40 years, and so
yoga philosophy and meditationfor 40 years, and so yoga
philosophy and meditation isjust very practical.
It helps you to let go of stress, it helps you to calm the mind,
it helps you to live with moreconnection and ease.
It helps you to connect with.
I think there's like a naturalspark of joy and like a just a
natural life force and a naturallight and love and laughter and
(02:03):
hope that is right at the heartof each of us, and so the
teachings and the practices ofmeditation just help you connect
with that.
So my teacher left the body.
As yogis say, he passed in 2014.
And before he did, heconsecrated me as Swami
Nityananda and he asked me toserve as his successor.
So it's been my joy and honorto do that for, I guess, like a
(02:25):
little more than 10 years.
Swami Nityananda (02:27):
Okay, so before we dive in, would you
join me in a mindful moment sowe can ground ourselves and
actually show the listeners whatit is to.
You know, be into a meditativestate and, you know, take a
moment for yourself.
Speaker 3 (02:41):
With joy.
Swami Nityananda (02:43):
And for the listeners.
As you always hear me, mostpeople listen to a podcast.
So when I ask to close the eyes, safety first, please don't do
that.
Yet all the other promptsyou're able to follow through.
So, swami, if you could getcomfortable in your seating and
if it's safe to do so, gentlyclose your eyes and you're going
to begin breathing in and outthrough your nose, bringing the
(03:07):
awareness to watching yourbreath go in and out.
You're not going to try andcontrol your breath, you're just
going to let it be in itsnatural state, allowing it to
guide you into your body, toyour body.
(03:31):
There may be some sensations orfeelings coming up.
That's okay, Let them surface.
You're safe to feel.
You're safe to let go,surrender the need to control,
release the need to resist andjust be.
There may be thoughts or to-dolists that have popped up in the
mind, and that's okay.
(03:56):
Gently, bring your awarenessback to your breath, creating
space between the awareness andthe thoughts and dropping deeper
into the body, being in thespace of presence, of being.
Again, more thoughts may havepopped up.
(04:18):
Bring the awareness back toyour breath, creating even more
space between the awareness andthe thoughts and completely
falling into the body being inthe space of being.
(04:48):
Whenever you may notice that themind drifted, it's always
beginning again returning backto the breath now staying with
that breath and being in yoursenses, in the body, at your own
(05:09):
time and at your own pace.
You're going to gently openyour eyes while staying with the
breath.
How's your heart doing?
Speaker 3 (05:19):
oh, my heart feels so much joy and gratitude.
It's, I mean, it's just such abeautiful gift to connect with
that pure heart energy and fromthat's what each of us is Like,
that's our eternal reality, iswe're heart energy.
Swami Nityananda (05:32):
Yeah, as I always say, we're feeling bodies
that think so.
Our nervous systems are alwayssending out signals and a lot of
times we don't even listen tothat intuitive part of our body.
We're just neck up.
We're listening to thecognitive and the intellect.
Yet when you can drop into yourbody and feel the human
experience even though there'spain and fear and different
(05:56):
things that go on when you canhold the space for it and not
identify with it, it's adifferent experience with that.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
Agree, beautifully said, and I mean what you said
is just very consistent with theteachings of yoga philosophy as
well.
And what you were doing at thebeginning, like inviting people
to witness, like take a stepback and just watch and observe,
and it allows you to be in thatopenness and that curiosity and
that it brings back like aweand wonder and joy.
Swami Nityananda (06:27):
Yeah, I started introducing this into
the podcast because you know,when people are telling people
to meditate or telling them whatto do, it's like well, where
are we modeling this in ourinteractions?
And it can feel a littleuncomfortable because a podcast
you everybody wants to be highenergy and get information and
intake.
Yet I think the most importantpart of our healing is are we
(06:50):
taking that mindful moment?
Are we checking in withourselves to see where our mind
could have taken us all over theplace?
Or the nervous system is, youknow, dysregulated because it's
been triggered about somethingthat we don't even know how to
soften and really interrupt someof those patterns you know for
myself in this journey and Ithink some other people that may
(07:13):
be new to all of this.
That's why I introduced themeditation with that kind of
same script of observing,because some people don't even
know that they're not thenervous system.
I think that's the biggestjourney to disidentify with the
nervous system and disidentifywith the emotions.
Like they, you think thatthat's who you are.
But once you create that spaceand you see, oh wait, there's
(07:35):
another dimension.
It's, it's a different aspect.
Could you go back to yourbeginner's mind and share with
us what that looked like for youwhen you began this journey.
Speaker 3 (07:47):
Sure.
So I mean, I would say I wouldinvite listeners to consider for
yourselves, like as you listen,what are your natural points of
connection, and so I'll sharesome of them.
For me, but every human this ismy contention we come built in
with natural ways of connectingwith our highest self, with the
(08:09):
energy of unconditional love,with awareness, and so I'm about
to talk about some.
For me, but for the listener,the really relevant thing is for
you to pay attention and justnotice, because for every human
there are natural points ofawareness.
Every human there are naturalpoints of awareness.
For me, I grew up in Washingtonstate, and I grew up in the part
of the state of Washingtonthat's like very cold and snowy
(08:31):
in the winter, and so I grew upaware of nature as like a force
and you had to respect nature,and so it was about living in
harmony and respect and love inrelation to nature.
I could feel that my body andnature were connected, that
(08:52):
there's a natural extension ofawareness from the body to
nature and from nature to thebody.
So for me it was nature, but Ithink for other people I've
heard people talk about rockclimbing is a natural point for
them to connect with pureawareness, because it might be
like a doctor told me that rockclimbing his brain.
(09:13):
The only thing he's able tothink about rock climbing is
where does my right hand movenext?
And so it just slows down.
Otherwise his brain is alwayslike in that analytical
diagnostic, which is super greatthat he does that for his
(09:41):
patients.
But it's also super great thatas a rock climber, he can step
back and just be gardening in away.
That's like a very natural wayfor you to connect with just
this.
There's a deep knowingness inevery human.
There's like we come built inwith wisdom and we come built in
with love, we come built inwith kindness and so for every
(10:03):
listener to think of, like whatare the moments, what are the
activities, and also sometimesthere's like a respected teacher
or there's like a grandmotheror an aunt or a neighbor who
shares kindness with you in away that helps you connect with
and just know that's what Ireally am.
It's just kindness.
Swami Nityananda (10:22):
Yeah, and I asked that question on a
personal level because it helpswith the relatability of hearing
somebody's story and what theywent through and the challenges.
I am the same way of.
You know I give some insight.
Yet it's what is your path,what is your recipe?
(10:43):
Not just you know, doing acopycat.
It's like finding what workswith your biology, what works
with your opening, and beingable to come home to yourself,
being that kind of mad scientistwith your own biology of
understanding you know where didthe wounds begin and how does
my nervous system react tocertain environments and spaces,
(11:04):
and how do I, am I actuallyfeeling my authentic emotions or
am I just suppressing andnumbing and using?
You know, some bypassing andsome suppressing which then, you
know, put static anddisconnection from hearing that
inner calling, that innercalling, having that inner
(11:26):
connection.
As you said, we're all built inwith a connection with higher
source life.
I call it a life force withinyou of.
Can you hear that, or are youalways seeking on the outside
for those answers?
Speaker 3 (11:36):
I absolutely love what you said and I also love
what you said about kind of likepain, like what the yogic
teachings say is pain is anatural part of life in time and
space.
And so for the listener to know, like if I have felt pain, that
doesn't mean there's somethingwrong with me.
It means I'm a human, I'm herein a human body, I have a human
heart, I have a human mind andthere's nothing wrong with me.
(11:58):
I'm navigating time and space.
And so then what happens is youcan, I think, let go of
self-judgment, because I thinkoften there's like this
narrative that the human mindcreates that is like, well, I
must have done something wrongbecause I experienced that like
what's wrong with me.
And then you sort of like aredoubting, you're entering
yourself to feel what you feeland move forward.
(12:19):
There's just a natural healingprocess that you will love
yourself forward.
You sort of like let go ofstruggle and resistance and
fighting yourself and you sayyes, like for each listener to
say, to acknowledge, like, yeah,that painful experience
(12:41):
happened in time and space.
I give myself permission to feelwhat I feel, but I'll have to
move through it, Like I'm notgoing to stay with those
feelings forever.
I'm going to keep the wisdom,extract the wisdom and then
sometimes there's even likebeauty that you can extract from
it.
Keep that and then you alsofree and empower yourself to
just ask like, okay, now, whatwould I like to create moving
(13:03):
forward?
And so this also frees humans.
If anyone has felt any patternsthat aren't helpful, like some
people experience it in careeror relationships or with food,
or just any patterns that humanscan create, you can heal those
patterns.
So as soon as you kind of younotice like, okay, I can keep
(13:24):
the wisdom and then I can makenew choices so that I can create
healthy new ways of relating towhatever it is my work or my
relationships or enjoying myfood, but not being like
compulsive about it.
Swami Nityananda (13:38):
What would you offer to those that use
spirituality as a bypassing, asescapism, because you just
explained about the humanexperience?
And just because you're at acertain state and you have tools
, it doesn't mean that lifeisn't going to life Like.
People are going to transition.
You're going to feel the deepmourning, the ache, the dense
(13:59):
emotions that come up.
Yet a lot of people think that,well, if I have all these tools
, I'll be in a very stoicpresentation and I don't have to
feel my humanness.
So what would you offer tothose that think that when I
walk into meditation and yoga,it will have me not feeling
emotions anymore?
Speaker 3 (14:19):
I love that question.
That's super interesting.
So, like, actually I have to behonest, I don't know people who
use spirituality as a bypass,because, like the way that my
teacher taught and the way thatI teach, we are here to
experience the full diversity ofhuman experience, and human
experience includes contrast,and so what that means is, like
(14:40):
the classic way of putting thisis sometimes you experience gain
, sometimes you experience loss.
Like sometimes you experiencevictory, sometimes you
experience defeat, and this isthe way that it is in time and
space, and so you get tonavigate this with.
I think a word that we use todayis like authenticity or
integrity, like I'm here to befully here.
(15:03):
I'm not here to be anywhereother than fully present in time
and space, and so what I'm hereto be is my best self.
Exactly where I am, it's likewhile I'm doing the dishes and
while I'm sweeping the floor,while I'm taking out the garbage
and the recycling, while I'minteracting with parents and
kids and partner and friends andanyone that I interact with.
(15:26):
I'm just here to be my highestself, and so I think it's not
about escaping, it's aboutopening and recognizing that
actually the divine is presentright here in our daily tasks,
like where else would the divinebe?
The divine is right here, andso the divine is right here.
Like if my heart is filled withjoy, the divine is right here,
(15:47):
but if my heart is breaking, thedivine is also right here, and
so I am to be here to be fullyopen-hearted.
And actually I would say, youknow, like listeners probably
would laugh with us too it's notpossible really to suppress our
emotions.
They'll come up like so itdoesn't work.
And so just possible really tosuppress our emotions?
They'll come up like so itdoesn't work.
And so just allow yourself tofeel what you feel and trust
(16:10):
yourself to be wise and lovingwith yourself and to be like a
good friend to yourself, a goodcompanion to yourself, and treat
yourself with kindness, treatyourself with wisdom, the same
way you would share kindness andwisdom with a friend.
Please share that with yourself, and then you'll be able to be
with whatever you experience,but you'll also be comfortable.
(16:30):
Whatever another human isexperiencing, you'll be able to
be with them in a really verypresent and respectful and
responsive, nonjudgmental way.
Swami Nityananda (16:42):
And some of that I know.
Possibly some listeners arelike, oh, that's easier said
than done, Because when we're inthe four F's of the nervous
system and it's in fight orflight, that kindness can be
very challenging to access andyou just get into the patterns
of stiffness and I think whenthat nervous system's activated
(17:06):
it's like there's certainty.
I know where it's like where'sthe curiosity?
Because curiosity lets thatopening of what else is possible
.
Right now, many are emotionally, psychologically and
spiritually charged.
You mentioned you're in the USSand it's only been, I think.
Well, yesterday I think it was52 days, today's 53 days since
(17:30):
the president has been in office, and it feels like it's been
years.
What would you have to offerfor those listeners that have
these inner storms?
They're trying to grasp forcertainty, all these emotions
are coming up because there's alot of fear being invoked and
(17:52):
there's nothing to really graspon.
What message or energy wouldyou like to offer those
listeners at this very moment?
Speaker 3 (18:02):
So at this moment and I think this is true for every
moment I think what I wouldactually say is my understanding
is that everyone on the planetis moving through a time of
transformation, that it affectseverybody, like it's not only
people in the United States, butit's like people around the
world.
Everyone is moving through atime of transformation and no
one is like disconnected, no oneis immune.
(18:23):
And so just to be honest and tosay to myself okay, I
acknowledge like I and theplanet are moving through a time
of transformation and I thinkeveryone, every human, has moved
through times of transformation.
Transformation requires energy.
So, for people to just behonest with themselves and to
listen to your own body likeyour own body might need to take
(18:46):
a quiet five-minute walk andsit under a tree.
Your body might need to take abath.
Your body might need just alittle bit of peace, like
disconnect from the screen.
Notice how am I interactingwith news?
Am I interacting with it in away that helps me to be peaceful
and present and of service inmy daily life?
Or do I want to change myrelationship with the way that
helps me to be peaceful andpresent and of service in my
daily life, or do I want tochange my relationship with the
(19:08):
way that I'm interacting withnews?
I'm not saying, don't be aware,please still be aware.
Please be present and engaged,but do it in a way that helps
you to be of service.
And so it's like the lifeguard.
The lifeguard needs to keeptheir head above water or
they're not actually able tohelp anybody else keep their
head above water, and I suspectthat many of your listeners are
helping people keep their headabove water, which means that
(19:30):
your first obligation is to keepyour own head above water too.
And so just to keep your senseof humor, your sense of
self-observation and your senseof self-trust, because your body
knows, like, if you need moresleep or you need just a bowl of
soup, your body will tell you,and sometimes it's really simple
.
Or you just might need tolisten to a song that makes you
(19:53):
laugh or dance and shaking yourbody and dance spontaneous,
free-form dancing.
Nobody's watching, just let itgo, have fun, shake it.
No-transcript.
(20:14):
I was walking by a neighbor fullrespect and love to that
neighbor but he was experiencinga wave of what you were talking
about and so he just kind oflike exploded in this little
wave of anger and I was awareenough, like I was self-aware
enough, that I sort of was like,oh, wave of anger, but I didn't
allow it into my energy field.
(20:34):
And so that's the thing that Iwould say is everybody gets to
choose.
What do I want to allow into myenergy field?
And so that's the thing that Iwould say is everybody gets to
choose.
What do I want to allow into myenergy field.
And one of the yogic tips thatI would share with people is the
solar plexus is above the naveland it's below the rib cage and
if it's safe, as Nat Nat said,you can put your hand there just
to feel like above the navel,below the rib cage.
(20:55):
And this is a place where, ifthere's a strong wave of fear
that is being expressed bysomeone, or there's a strong
wave of anger or judgment orreactivity, know that you can
place your hands here, you canplace light here and you can
choose.
You can say I'm aware there isa wave of anger here and I'm
choosing to exercise sovereigntyover my own energy field.
(21:18):
So you're basically saying Ilove myself so much that I'm
going to lovingly decline toactivate that energy within my
own body, and so I would saythat's a balance as well,
because, like listeners mightlike some changes, they might
not like some other changes thathappen in the world.
(21:39):
And so, just to know that youget to navigate with respect and
with clarity and with kindnessand with integrity for yourself.
What are my thoughts in relationto what I'm observing?
What are my words in relation towhat I'm observing?
What are my choices?
I always get to choose, that Ican't always choose this larger
(21:59):
landscape of change that theworld is moving through, but I
always can choose.
I choose to keep my frequencyhigh, I choose to stay
open-hearted, I choose to beopen to the highest good
emerging.
That doesn't mean I have toagree with everyone's behavior
or everyone's thinking, but Istill can say I see that and I'm
(22:21):
open to what's deeper than that.
That is the highest good.
And so then, what I'm doing isI'm moving in this energy of
optimism and that will be whatcomes to me.
The highest good will be freeto share itself with me in that
way as I move through the wavesof change.
Another way that I think it'spossible to put this is then I'm
(22:42):
always allowing this innerwisdom to lead right.
Everyone comes with this heart,wisdom, this knowing, and so
for every listener, just to getquiet as much as you can and
just listen within yourself, andeveryone has their ways of
connecting.
And the heart.
It will often just say thingslike peace, like love, laugh,
(23:05):
and that just gives you thisconnection of those two will
pass and each of us gets tochoose like what do I want to
create, what do I want to build,what do I want to energize?
At least in my own thoughts andmy own words, my own speech, my
own choices, my own energyfield, I always have the ability
to choose what I'm creatingthere.
Swami Nityananda (23:27):
And, as you so beautifully explained, just for
the listeners to understand,you explain self-care, you
explain boundaries, you explainwhat it is to always keep your
cup full and allow what runnethover for the other people, yet
you have to take care of youfirst before going out.
So you know, in a lot ofreligious or spiritual contexts
(23:50):
it's always how can I be ofservice for others?
Yet how could you give themsome information about using
that, but making sure not tobypass their own human needs and
emotions?
Speaker 3 (24:04):
Yeah, so I mean I think one of the simplest ways I
love what you said I'm includedin unconditional love.
That's.
I mean it's that simple, so,like, so I'm here, I think
you're here, I think everyone'shere, to share unconditional
love.
That's the way that I would putit.
Another listener might say I'mhere to share light, or I'm here
(24:25):
to share kindness, or I'm hereto share wisdom, or I'm here to
share inspiration or whatever itis.
I'm here to share beauty, butwe're each here to share that,
but I'm included in that.
I think it's that simple.
So if you're here to sharebeauty, you're included in that
(24:49):
beauty.
You are the beauty, like.
The true beauty that is sharingis you, and what you do or what
you produce in time and space.
It's like a byproduct of thebeauty that you are.
So I think it's that simple,and so it's like, if what I want
to share is kindness, then thatmeans oh, humble.
And so it's like if what I wantto share is kindness, then that
means, oh, kindness is actuallywhat I am, and what happens
then is there's like there'sless of a feeling of, um, not
enoughness, and less of afeeling that I have to, like,
(25:09):
reach for something or grasp forsomething.
There's more of like okay, I'mopening and kindness is here,
and so kindness of, of course,shares with me.
I'm part of kindness, and soself-care is like I'm included
in the love, I'm included in therespect, I'm included in the
beauty, I'm included in thegoodness, and so then it becomes
(25:30):
really fun.
Just as it would be fun to givea nice thoughtful gift to your
friend, it becomes fun to give anice thoughtful gift to you,
and what you're really giving isalways just the goodness and
beauty of your own heart, thebeauty of your own heart.
Swami Nityananda (25:48):
Yeah, I want to ask you when you hear this
statement love does say no.
What does that mean for you?
Speaker 3 (25:57):
Really interesting statement.
So I always say yes to thedivine, always.
There's never a moment that Iwould not say yes to the divine.
And of course, the divine willalways ask me to exercise
discernment.
And so of course, the divinewill sometimes say lovingly,
move forward in this way,lovingly, let go of moving
(26:19):
forward in that way.
Lovingly, let go of movingforward in that way.
So I think it is actually anatural part.
My word for it is the divine.
But for each listener it's whatis your word for it?
Is it my higher self?
Is it the divine?
Is it the universe?
Whatever your word for it is,for each listener, say yes to
that, always, and that willalways guide you.
So discernment is alwaysrequired, and I think that's
(26:42):
what you're talking about isexercising discernment.
Swami Nityananda (26:47):
You see, the reason why I say love in that
way and I see where you're goinginwardly it's that some people
will be in their wound and besaying yes to everybody else and
not a yes for themselves.
So having to say no to otherswithout feeling like you're not
being loving.
Because a lot of people thinkthat if I don't have like, say,
(27:09):
for instance, family members,and they really activate because
of you, know they're chargedwith anger or their inner
terrain.
But you have been kind of givena belief system that love means
you always stay in connectionwhere it's like.
But this is the human part,it's not in the spiritual part.
So I just kind of give thatstatement of love does say no,
(27:33):
that loving can still be there.
Yeah, it can.
You're not to tolerate abuse.
You're not to tolerateexhaustion to the point that you
don't even know how to takecare of yourself.
Recognize that these are traumaresponses and it's actually
fielding a lot of fear.
Yet there has been a beliefsystem that it's loving and this
(27:53):
is the way to be in love andhaving heart open.
Would you be able to give someperspective on your views on
that?
I?
Speaker 3 (28:02):
mean I absolutely love what you just said.
I think it's so important and Iguess, like what I would say is
I think that it's possible tonotice and then to basically
like let's call it a script,like if I have had a script.
So you just kind of gave anexample of like say that I'm a
person who's had a script, thatlove always has to say yes, it
(28:24):
doesn't mean being a doormat,right.
Like it means that you give toyourself, like if you would like
to give love and respect toanother, it's actually a
requirement to give it toyourself.
You won't have it to give toanother if you don't give love
and respect to yourself.
And so I think that's how humanscan get to feeling kind of
(28:44):
exhausted is, if I'm not givinglove and respect to myself, then
somehow I'm like thinking thatit's generated from outside of
me and then I'm not connected tothis basic.
There's a pure source, energyflows through all of us and
that's actually where love andrespect come from.
So it's kind of like thedifference between like if a
(29:04):
human is looking outside ofthemselves and they're like
complete me, like you know, likeI need a another person to
complete me, um, or I need.
Whatever it is, like those cuteshoes or that food or that job
or whatever it is to complete me, it won't actually work because
you're sort of like I need that, I need that.
And then what you're in is likethat energy of I need that, I
(29:27):
need that, I need that, and sothe feeling of fulfillment is
always being further pushed awayfrom you.
So the basic thing is to comefrom fulfillment, come from love
, like come from completeness,and then you just have clarity.
You're like, oh, actually thatperson who thinks that I would
(29:49):
be giving them unconditionallove if I said yes to them
always.
That's not their highest goodeither, and so you're actually
serving the highest good of theother, as well as yourself, if
you come from fulfillment andcompleteness and you exercise
that clarity and thatdiscernment within yourself and
(30:09):
it will free that other person.
You can't force another personto do anything Everyone's got
their free will but it freesthem to also realize clarity and
unconditional love and healthyways of relating to love within
themselves as well.
Swami Nityananda (30:27):
Yeah.
Can you share a moment whereyour practice deepened because
of a personal challenge?
Speaker 3 (30:34):
So I would actually say like one of the really
challenging things that I movedthrough and the community moved
through was having my teacherleave the body, like he passed
away, and so that was likehugely traumatic and grief
inspiring for me and foreveryone that any human has when
(30:55):
a loved one departs.
There's a feeling of I'm usedto this person being here in the
body, I'm used to receivingenergy through them being in the
body in a particular way, andthen I would say so.
Of course, I cried a lot whenmy teacher left the body.
Of course, that's natural.
I also had a very deep heartknowing that my teacher's love
(31:21):
and support is always here, andI would say that this is true
for every human who has lovedones who are in the non-physical
.
The love and support of yourloved ones it's with you always,
always.
There's never a moment that youare separate from the love and
support of your loved ones whoare in the non-physical, that
you are separate from the loveand support of your loved ones
(31:41):
who are in the non-physical.
And so what happens and I'm notmeaning to say that this is
simple or easy, but what happensis we have the opportunity to
expand our love and to expandour heart, to expand our
connection so that it goesdeeper than it was when the
loved one was here in thephysical.
And so I would say that this istrue for me, but I would say
(32:03):
it's also true for everyone, andI talk to many, many humans who
have this experience.
It might be that a person lovestheir mom very dearly and then
their mom leaves the physical,and gradually it depends on the
person how long this takes thephysical, and gradually.
It depends on the person howlong this takes but gradually
they become aware my mom's loveand support is with me always,
(32:25):
and so there's a way to behonest with yourself, as we've
been talking about, allowyourself to feel the grief.
You cannot actually push itdown, so allow yourself to feel
it.
And in my experience, when youallow yourself to feel the grief
, it's more like a spring storm.
So like spring storms blowthrough and then the air is like
very clear and crisp.
(32:46):
So if you don't fight it andyou allow yourself, like your
private quiet time, to cry whenyou need to cry, that's the way
that it works.
And so the yoga teachingsactually say our emotional
energy is neutral, like we judgeit from a human perspective.
We say grief's reallyuncomfortable, but yogis say
it's just neutral energy.
(33:07):
So if I don't fight it, whathappens is it will just move
through me and it will moveactually into greater love and
greater compassion.
More light will come into myheart.
I'm not saying that any humanshould seek out a broken heart,
but when it comes, just knowthere's nothing wrong with you.
(33:29):
And if you work with it andallow yourself to feel what you
feel and move forward and youjust say things like I'm open to
greater compassion, I'm open togreater wisdom, I'm open to
greater understanding, I'm opento greater connection, I'm open
to helping all the other humanswhose hearts are also breaking,
(33:50):
all the other humans who alsohave felt it's unbearable.
It seems impossible to moveforward, the things that we move
through as humans, and humansregularly do the impossible, and
so for each of us to do that,but then also we get to sort of
like stand and help others, knowlike, yes, my heart broke,
(34:14):
heartbroke, and I'm socompassionate and respectful
that your heart is breaking, andI know your light is even
deeper than your heart that isbreaking, and so I know, if you
keep going, what's going tohappen is even deeper love and
even more beautiful light willshare itself with you.
And to do this in a way that Ithink a lot of this happens like
(34:35):
wordlessly.
It's just like you're holdingyour friend's hand, you're
bringing your friend tea.
Whatever it is that you'rebringing your friend, it's that
presence, yeah, just being, with, being, energy yeah, and that
energy of being there.
Swami Nityananda (34:53):
I want to ask is there a mantra or a phrase or
inner truth that's carrying youright now?
Speaker 3 (35:00):
I mean, one of the things that I've been just
really loving is stillness, sojust the simple word stillness.
And so my understanding is that, at the heart's core of each of
us, that's what we are.
There's just peace, there'sjust eternal love, there's just
(35:21):
light love, there's just light.
And so when I say the wordstillness, that's what I feel, I
feel that in me which isunchanging, but I would also say
that in me which is unchangingin that I'm one with all humans,
because my understanding is weall come from the same divine
source, we all come from thesame light, we all come from the
(35:43):
same supreme love.
And so when I'm in contact withthat, then I'm also in contact
with what I might describe asbeing like in the energy of
being friendly to all beings,just like this energy of
universal friendliness, likekindness and respect and
awareness, and like I mean, I'venever talked with you before,
but you feel like a friend,right, and so, and I think
(36:05):
that's just natural.
Swami Nityananda (36:07):
Yeah, that heart being open, yeah, yeah, it
gives that connection, thatit's like I think you know I'm
going to go deep right now whata lot of people may not have
been curious about.
It's because the mind wants tomake meaning of things.
That's where a lot of oursuffering and emotions can come
(36:30):
in.
Yet if you don't have meaninglike if you look at a child, and
people are like children, canbe so, enjoy and playful and
just shake things off becausemeaning hasn't been placed on
them that if you do this, thishappens, or if you do that, that
happens, or if this happens,this is what that means.
So when you can remove thatattachment to that analytical
(36:53):
mind and be in the stillness andnot be so concerned about
everything, there is a sense ofopenness and peace.
Yet when we're tethered to thatmaking meaning, that's why,
like especially with grief, Ithink the most harmful thing
sometimes that can be said topeople.
Well, I just came from afuneral a few weeks ago and the
(37:16):
pastor kept telling people thatthey shouldn't be mourning, that
they should be in joy and thatthe person is finally in a
joyful place.
I understood his messaging.
Yet if people do not allow thatmourning, that heartbreak, that
sense of processing, thedisconnection of another nervous
(37:39):
system, not being there andreally going into the spiritual.
I call it the other side oflove.
There's a bit of bypassing andthings that just ruminate and go
on.
I think another thing that isreally hurtful is that when
something tragic has happened orsomething violent, well,
(38:03):
there's a reason why it happened.
Or there's something that'sthere where it's like if
somebody's child was murderedand to tell them, well, there
was a reason for it.
It's like people don't need tohear that, it's just let them
know.
In the power of, okay, this isa shitty thing, that happened,
(38:24):
the power that you have is nottrying to get back the past,
it's.
How are you going to choose toshow up in this?
How are you going to still beconnected with yourself although
there's such dense heartacheand pain and wrath and rage or
whatever you know is beinginvoked because of the
(38:47):
experience, how do you stillremain connected with yourself
and work at opening your heart?
Because when these you know,like you said with your mentor,
transitioning, the heart closes.
It's like there's pain, it'slike oh.
Yet it's the work of openingback up that heart and allowing
that humanness to pass throughof the integration of it.
(39:09):
Does any of that make sense toyou?
Speaker 3 (39:27):
are you there?
Yeah, okay, I thought maybe Ihad a present for a second.
Okay, perfect, um, I think so.
For example, I remember yearsago someone receiving a
difficult diagnosis and one ofthe things that I said to them
is don't ask why, because thehuman mind can be like was it
something that's wrong with myconsciousness?
Like, did did I think a wrongthought and so somehow I brought
this.
What that does is it creates asplit between myself and caring
(39:52):
for myself and being here rightnow.
So I think for a human, if youreceive a difficult diagnosis or
you gave the horrific exampleof if your child leaves the body
or something violent happens toyour child or to you, to let go
of asking why because there'simplicitly a blame or judgment
(40:13):
that can easily arise with thatquestion.
So let go of blame and let goof judgment and just say I love
myself.
I mean, I think honestly,that's the most important thing
we can do is just to say, oh mygosh, this happened.
I love myself.
And as many times as it takeslike you might be saying it, if
you're moving through the rawreally, just like when you feel
(40:36):
like your nerve endings are justlike on fire, you're moving
through that raw part of it.
Like you might say it 40,000times a day to yourself.
Just like I love myself, I lovemyself as many times as it
takes of it.
Like you might say it 40,000times a day to yourself.
Just like I love myself, I lovemyself as many times as it
takes.
Say it.
And what happens is as you're,just as you're peaceful with
yourself and as you're presentwith yourself.
I've heard you talk about thenervous system a lot, and
(40:57):
another part of our anatomythat's helpful to talk about, I
think, is the amygdala.
So like the fear-based part ofthe brain, and that part of the
brain activates sooner than theconscious awareness part of the
brain.
And so, just for every listenerto know, if you experience a
wave of fear, just take onebreath, that's all it takes.
Take one breath and connectwith the conscious awareness
(41:18):
part of your brain, which ismore connected with like
long-term memory and solutionsand different possibilities and
different options.
So if you're navigating fromthe fear-based part of your
brain, you're actually likeclosing down options and
possibilities and that's wherelike reactivity, like lashing
out, comes from and likeself-judgment, like thinking, oh
, there's something wrong withme because this happened in my
(41:40):
relationship, or this happenedwith my child, or this happened.
I got this diagnosis.
Nothing wrong with you.
From my perspective, every soulis perfect always, and there are
human experiences we have and Ithink from a soul's perspective
, the soul looks upon our humanexperiences differently than our
human self does.
So I can give a very practicalexample.
(42:02):
I know of someone who wasphysically robust and healthy
and active, very handsome andattractive the first 29 years of
his life and then he had anautomobile collision.
He was in a severe coma andthen he was physically and
mentally handicapped for thenext 41 years of his life.
(42:25):
From the soul's perspective,the first 29 years of the life
are not better than the next 41years of the life.
You're learning different thingsif you're navigating time and
space from this really robust,handsome, muscular male body for
the first 29 years of your life.
You're learning different thingsif you're navigating from a
(42:47):
handicapped body and ahandicapped mind for the second
part of your life.
So I think from the soul'sperspective it's like I was
learning the whole way throughand it wasn't that one was right
, it wasn't the other was wrong,it was what are the soul
lessons that I was gaining fromthat and what happens then is
like there's just no judgmentright, because I think
(43:10):
implicitly sometimes there'salso.
It can be a human thing to judgeother people, to think, oh, if
they got this diagnosis, likewhat's up with them, like what
bad karma do they have, likewhat fault in their
consciousness do they have?
So I would just say, drop allof that for yourself but also
for others, and just say here Iam, you know, like how can I be
(43:33):
loving and present and kind withmyself and how can I be loving
and present and kind with theother?
And to just keep in mind that,ask yourself, for all listeners,
like, ask yourself, what's mysoul's perspective on this?
Because your soul is going tohave a very different
perspective than your human selfdoes, chances are, in terms of
(43:54):
the difficult experiences thatwe go through in time and space.
Swami Nityananda (43:58):
Yeah, what kept ringing in my mind when you
were talking is a Christianverse you're in it but you're
not of it.
You're in the world but you'renot of the world.
So, really understanding, youknow we get tethered, like I
said, that brain making meaning.
And you know, if you have greatphysique and you have the
beauty, that equals safetybecause people are adoring you
(44:21):
and there's a tension and thatmakes that nervous system and
human experience feel valued andimportant and a purpose where
it's like if you keep graspingon the external of you and not
just be with your life force,you'll never get the full part
of living and feeling thedivinity, higher source,
(44:43):
whatever name you call that,really feeling the full
abundance of that internally,that it's not anything
externally that will feed that.
You have to be whole with the Wjust within you.
But if you keep grasping, likeyou had mentioned earlier on, at
materialistic things or peopleto complete you, those are holes
(45:04):
with an H and they're likeblack pits that will never be
filled.
Because it's yourresponsibility to remember, to
sit in that space of awarenessthat you are already whole, even
if these dense emotions come upand it's challenging when they
come up and the mind is doing astorm and everything else, like
(45:25):
suicidal ideation and depressionand all these things are real
things that people navigatethrough.
Yet it's in the space of okay,where's the honesty and where is
the light in there?
Because if you're seeing dark,you're just forgetting that
you're the light.
You're that light of awareness,but you just haven't connected
with it because you've otheredyourself out of the space, not
(45:47):
recognizing you're part of thespace.
Speaker 3 (45:50):
I really love what you said.
The light is with us always,always so for every human, for
every listener, no matter whatwe're moving through.
We might be moving throughfeelings of frenzy or anxiety or
disconnection or worry orconcern or fear, like whatever
it is that we're moving throughthe light is still deeper than
that.
And so you know, like maybe evenI'm a person I like humor, like
(46:16):
I like laughter, I like goodhumor, and so if you can make it
kind of playful and curious forthe listeners just to be like,
okay, yes, my human self is, youknow, completely freaked out
right now, but whatever yourphrasing, is what's deeper than
that?
And kind of bring like thiscuriosity, what's deeper than my
freaked out human self?
Like what's deeper than that?
(46:36):
And if you keep using allthings to just help you go
deeper into the light, I mean Ithink this is one of the reasons
why, like the yogic teachingssay, from the perspective of the
soul, all experiences in timeand space can have a benefit.
So even the really challengingones can help you expand in
wisdom, expand in compassion,expand in forgiveness, expand in
(46:57):
awareness.
And I know sometimes listenersthat are like I feel like I've
done enough of that.
NatNat (47:03):
Yeah, yeah.
Swami Nityananda (47:06):
But I guess, enough now.
I don't want no more work.
Speaker 3 (47:08):
Yeah, and I guess like my.
So.
So I do think like, on the onehand, we are eternal beings from
my perspective, and so we'renever done.
You know, like if you bakebanana bread or something, that
gets done, but we're never done,like there's, we're going to
always keep unfolding light andlove and pace yourself, like it
(47:32):
doesn't have to be a rush.
So I think that's another thingthat the mind can create, this
sense of false urgency.
And so if you notice, just say,oh, I'm noticing feeling a
false urgency.
I'm going to love myself somuch that I set that down.
And it's really as simple asjust saying I'm trusting in this
(47:52):
moment, I'm trusting in thegoodness and beauty of life In
this moment.
The goodness and beauty of life, it's already here.
What happens is I'm trusting inthe goodness of beauty and life
in this moment.
Then what happens is I'm opento the goodness and beauty of
life in the future as well.
But if I'm staying in theenergy of whatever it is frenzy
(48:13):
or worry then I'm actuallycreating frenzy and worry for
the future too.
And so this is where, like inthe now, that's my point of
creation.
For every human, it's in the nowthat's my point of creation, so
I don't have to actually waitfor anything outside of me to
change in the now.
That's where creative energy andpower and presence is.
(48:35):
So in the now, like if I'mhappy in the future, I get to
start now, just from withinmyself, for no reason, right.
So?
And this is like the, themotiveless happiness, like it's
just the oh my gosh, it's reallyfun to talk to a new friend,
like it's really fun to smileand really fun to laugh, and
(48:55):
nothing has to change, or andthat's why I gave the example of
like put on a song that makesyou dance and just dance for two
minutes and then let thatenergy of the dance move you
through the rest of your day andyou'll find, like, whatever
else you do, like you couldstill be doing the same really
hard tasks or conversations orwhatever it is that you're doing
, but that energy of likelightness and movement, like
(49:18):
forward motion and just like joy, it will be moving through that
conversation, that task,whatever it is that you're
working on.
Swami Nityananda (49:26):
Yeah, I use the same.
I tell people all the time thatthe most easiest thing that you
can access is dance and thatwhatever the body needs to
express without analyzing it, itcan somatically express it that
way and music can bring us intoan elevated state because of
the tempo error you know.
Or if you know that you need toemote, you can put on some
(49:49):
music to really allow thatemoting and releasing of those
toxins and build up andeverything else, just so the
body can like give an exhale.
So, yeah, we use the same toolthat's so accessible for
everybody, yet it can feeldaunting to do because it's like
, oh, what is this going to do?
And it's like you would besurprised how much it will open
(50:11):
up a space so that new thingscan come in and see things in a
different perspective.
I am mindful of time, so couldyou let the listeners know where
they can find you, Swami, andwhat you have to offer?
Speaker 3 (50:25):
Sure.
So awakeyogameditationorg isour website and I'll say that
again it'sawakeyogameditationorg and we
are a meditation community andmeditation center in Baltimore,
so if anyone is in the BaltimoreDC, philly area, you're welcome
to come in person.
We share meditations online andso there's like nothing you
have to do other than hop onZoom.
(50:46):
They're completely open toeveryone and they're open to
long-time meditators.
They're also open to beginningmeditators and I think people
find that just meditating at thesame time as other humans is a
very uplifting experience.
So it helps the mind let go ofstress, it helps the mind relax,
it helps the mind find calm andthen it helps you connect with
(51:07):
that energy of pure love andpure joy, like someone said to
me recently.
They were like I came herethinking that I would learn
techniques to calm my mind andmy heart got blown wide open,
and so it's really you're justalways connecting with your own
heart.
I mean, that's the basic truth,and so we just have a lot of
teachings.
They're open to people from allbackgrounds.
(51:27):
We do share teachings onYouTube and Substack, and so if
you would like our freenewsletter, you're welcome to
subscribe on Substack.
We're also on the socials aswell.
Swami Nityananda (51:37):
Okay, what is one intention you would like to
leave the listeners, especiallysomebody that's listening in
right now, just connecting inyour heart to speak into that
heart.
Speaker 3 (51:48):
I would say love life totally.
I would say love life totallyLike, just exactly as it is.
Love life totally Like nothinghas to change.
Love your life totally, lovethe light within you totally.
And then when you connect withthat total love, that's the
energy.
We were calling it the source,we were calling it pure
(52:08):
creativity.
It's the energy of purepotentiality and we are each
completely connected always.
So I know that humanly we canfeel lonely, we can feel
confused, we can feeldisconnected, but the reality is
that we're always connected towisdom, we're always connected
to support, we're alwaysconnected to light, we're always
(52:29):
connected to pure love.
And so meditation just helpsyou see what's real and it helps
you let go of, like, theconfusion, the illusion, the
judgment, like the human humanscan create confusion.
And so just practicediscernment and keep seeing
reality clearly, like, keeplooking deeper than human
(52:50):
confusion, and you'll connectback into that awareness.
And so I would also like NatNat, you said throughout the
time today, but you were talkingabout, there's an embodied
wisdom.
So the body carries wisdom.
And so for each listener to justtrust yourself and listen to
your body and just notice, likewhen I dance, if I give myself
the gift of dancing, free-formdance.
(53:11):
It doesn't have to be fancy andall you have to do is like move
to the left and the right andfront and back.
Um, how do I feel later?
Just to practiceself-observation and then to
notice, oh, I actually do at myfingertips.
Just dancing for two minuteswill shift my energy, and that's
always present, that's alwayspossible, that's always
available.
And then, basically, like, eachof us can connect with there
(53:34):
are so many tools and so manytips and so many teachings and
practices, and then what we gainis the ability to have
self-awareness, to have clarityand to know okay, for this
particular body, each body isdifferent, for this particular
energy system, each energysystem is different.
Right now.
That will help me.
Like, with a single breath, Ican come back into my heart, or
(53:57):
I can dance two minutes, or Ican go take a five-minute walk,
I can go sit under a tree, sofor each listener to just notice
and pay attention and then tolive in those moments of
connection and then to allow theenergy of connection to just
move you through your days, moveyou through your nights, and
what happens then is we'reliving in.
I think flow is a word thatpeople use today, but there's
(54:19):
just like this natural ease andthis natural kind of joy and
life loves to be here through us.
It's actually amazing to behere and full sympathy and
respect.
I know it's kind of ahigh-pressure time on the planet
right now.
So love and respect for you andfor me and for all of us being
here on the planet right now.
But life is amazing and so justto allow yourself to know that
(54:42):
nothing has to change.
It's already amazing for everysingle listener.
Swami Nityananda (54:47):
Yeah, I want to say thank you so much.
It's been a delight to be inyour energy, in your presence
and really, just you know, openup the dialogue so other people
can hear a different perspective.
I think what becomeschallenging for people when they
start doing this journey, inthis work and create the
(55:08):
practices, is that there'ssimplicity.
Yet we have been taught to becomplicated, like things are
complex, don't get me wrong.
There's a big distinctionbetween complicated and complex,
and the simple things just feellike, oh, they're not going to
attain to anything.
Yet little by little it doesshift and a drop of water going
(55:33):
every day several times it willburn a hole into something, it
will bury something very deeply.
So it's recognizing to comeback into that simplicity.
Yet it can be very challengingwhen you've been kind of
indoctrinated that it has to behard, it has to be complicated
to be able to have any kind ofvalue to it.
(55:54):
So I want to thank you for thereminders of the joy, the
reminders of coming back to thatsimplicity and the power of
choice, but also really not, butalso really what community can
do, cause I totally I believe inour collective energy and when
(56:14):
we meditate or hold spacetogether.
There is a wisdom that iscommunicating and a knowing that
is communicating amongst usthat all of a sudden there is an
opening that words can't reallyexplain.
It's just you have to embodythe experience and be there to
really gather it.
So thank you so much foreverything that you are offering
(56:36):
in the world and what you'representing as light.
So thank you so much, swami.
Speaker 3 (56:42):
No, no, thank you.
It's an absolute joy to talkwith you.
So much joy and for theconnections that you create.
Much joy for that, as well,thank you.
Swami Nityananda (56:49):
Please remember to be kind to yourself.
Hey, you made it all the wayhere.
I appreciate you and your time.
If you found value in thisconversation, please share it
out.
If there was somebody thatpopped into your mind, take
action and share it out withthem.
It possibly may not be themthat will benefit.
NatNat (57:09):
It's that they know somebody that will benefit from
listening to this conversation,so please, take action and share
out the podcast.
Swami Nityananda (57:19):
You can find us on social media, on Facebook,
instagram and TikTok under LiftOne Self, and if you want to
inquire about the work that I doand the services that I provide
to people, come over on mywebsite, come into a discovery
call liftoneselfcom.
NatNat (57:39):
Until next time, please remember to be kind and gentle
with yourself.
You matter.
Welcome to the Lift One Self podcast, where we break
mental health stigmas throughconversations.
I'm your host, nat Nat, and wedive into topics about trauma
and how it impacts the nervoussystem.
Yet we don't just leave youthere.
We share insights and tools ofself-care, meditation and growth
(00:21):
that help you be curious aboutyour own biology.
Your presence matters.
Please like and subscribe toour podcast.
Help our community grow.
Let's get into this.
Oh, and please remember to bekind to yourself.
Swami Nityananda (00:36):
Welcome to the Lift One Self podcast.
I'm your host, nat Nat, andtoday we are going to get into
some mindfulness, some joy, andreally start delving into what
really is meditation.
What is it to ground yourselfand come back into yourself and
you hear me talk about it allthe time.
Yet I'm going to have somebodyelse that is going to give their
(00:57):
perspective and what theirjourney has looked like and what
it is to hold space for othersto enter into this space.
So I know how to pronounce herfirst name, which is Swami.
The last one, I am not going totake a chance to butcher it.
So, swami, could you introduceyourself to myself and the
listeners and let us know alittle bit about yourself?
Speaker 3 (01:19):
Absolutely.
First of all, just net netthank you, and thank you for
your joy.
Like your light shines reallybrightly.
So I'm very excited to talkwith you, and the name that my
teacher gave me is SwamiNityananda, and my teacher was
Swami Shankarananda.
He founded our meditationcommunity in Baltimore in 1974.
So we've actually been here formore than 50 years and he
(01:40):
taught yoga philosophy andmeditation for 40 years, and so
yoga philosophy and meditationfor 40 years, and so yoga
philosophy and meditation isjust very practical.
It helps you to let go of stress, it helps you to calm the mind,
it helps you to live with moreconnection and ease.
It helps you to connect with.
I think there's like a naturalspark of joy and like a just a
natural life force and a naturallight and love and laughter and
(02:03):
hope that is right at the heartof each of us, and so the
teachings and the practices ofmeditation just help you connect
with that.
So my teacher left the body.
As yogis say, he passed in 2014.
And before he did, heconsecrated me as Swami
Nityananda and he asked me toserve as his successor.
So it's been my joy and honorto do that for, I guess, like a
(02:25):
little more than 10 years.
Swami Nityananda (02:27):
Okay, so before we dive in, would you
join me in a mindful moment sowe can ground ourselves and
actually show the listeners whatit is to.
You know, be into a meditativestate and, you know, take a
moment for yourself.
Speaker 3 (02:41):
With joy.
Swami Nityananda (02:43):
And for the listeners.
As you always hear me, mostpeople listen to a podcast.
So when I ask to close the eyes, safety first, please don't do
that.
Yet all the other promptsyou're able to follow through.
So, swami, if you could getcomfortable in your seating and
if it's safe to do so, gentlyclose your eyes and you're going
to begin breathing in and outthrough your nose, bringing the
(03:07):
awareness to watching yourbreath go in and out.
You're not going to try andcontrol your breath, you're just
going to let it be in itsnatural state, allowing it to
guide you into your body, toyour body.
(03:31):
There may be some sensations orfeelings coming up.
That's okay, Let them surface.
You're safe to feel.
You're safe to let go,surrender the need to control,
release the need to resist andjust be.
There may be thoughts or to-dolists that have popped up in the
mind, and that's okay.
(03:56):
Gently, bring your awarenessback to your breath, creating
space between the awareness andthe thoughts and dropping deeper
into the body, being in thespace of presence, of being.
Again, more thoughts may havepopped up.
(04:18):
Bring the awareness back toyour breath, creating even more
space between the awareness andthe thoughts and completely
falling into the body being inthe space of being.
(04:48):
Whenever you may notice that themind drifted, it's always
beginning again returning backto the breath now staying with
that breath and being in yoursenses, in the body, at your own
(05:09):
time and at your own pace.
You're going to gently openyour eyes while staying with the
breath.
How's your heart doing?
Speaker 3 (05:19):
oh, my heart feels so much joy and gratitude.
It's, I mean, it's just such abeautiful gift to connect with
that pure heart energy and fromthat's what each of us is Like,
that's our eternal reality, iswe're heart energy.
Swami Nityananda (05:32):
Yeah, as I always say, we're feeling bodies
that think so.
Our nervous systems are alwayssending out signals and a lot of
times we don't even listen tothat intuitive part of our body.
We're just neck up.
We're listening to thecognitive and the intellect.
Yet when you can drop into yourbody and feel the human
experience even though there'spain and fear and different
(05:56):
things that go on when you canhold the space for it and not
identify with it, it's adifferent experience with that.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
Agree, beautifully said, and I mean what you said
is just very consistent with theteachings of yoga philosophy as
well.
And what you were doing at thebeginning, like inviting people
to witness, like take a stepback and just watch and observe,
and it allows you to be in thatopenness and that curiosity and
that it brings back like aweand wonder and joy.
Swami Nityananda (06:27):
Yeah, I started introducing this into
the podcast because you know,when people are telling people
to meditate or telling them whatto do, it's like well, where
are we modeling this in ourinteractions?
And it can feel a littleuncomfortable because a podcast
you everybody wants to be highenergy and get information and
intake.
Yet I think the most importantpart of our healing is are we
(06:50):
taking that mindful moment?
Are we checking in withourselves to see where our mind
could have taken us all over theplace?
Or the nervous system is, youknow, dysregulated because it's
been triggered about somethingthat we don't even know how to
soften and really interrupt someof those patterns you know for
myself in this journey and Ithink some other people that may
(07:13):
be new to all of this.
That's why I introduced themeditation with that kind of
same script of observing,because some people don't even
know that they're not thenervous system.
I think that's the biggestjourney to disidentify with the
nervous system and disidentifywith the emotions.
Like they, you think thatthat's who you are.
But once you create that spaceand you see, oh wait, there's
(07:35):
another dimension.
It's, it's a different aspect.
Could you go back to yourbeginner's mind and share with
us what that looked like for youwhen you began this journey.
Speaker 3 (07:47):
Sure.
So I mean, I would say I wouldinvite listeners to consider for
yourselves, like as you listen,what are your natural points of
connection, and so I'll sharesome of them.
For me, but every human this ismy contention we come built in
with natural ways of connectingwith our highest self, with the
(08:09):
energy of unconditional love,with awareness, and so I'm about
to talk about some.
For me, but for the listener,the really relevant thing is for
you to pay attention and justnotice, because for every human
there are natural points ofawareness.
Every human there are naturalpoints of awareness.
For me, I grew up in Washingtonstate, and I grew up in the part
of the state of Washingtonthat's like very cold and snowy
(08:31):
in the winter, and so I grew upaware of nature as like a force
and you had to respect nature,and so it was about living in
harmony and respect and love inrelation to nature.
I could feel that my body andnature were connected, that
(08:52):
there's a natural extension ofawareness from the body to
nature and from nature to thebody.
So for me it was nature, but Ithink for other people I've
heard people talk about rockclimbing is a natural point for
them to connect with pureawareness, because it might be
like a doctor told me that rockclimbing his brain.
(09:13):
The only thing he's able tothink about rock climbing is
where does my right hand movenext?
And so it just slows down.
Otherwise his brain is alwayslike in that analytical
diagnostic, which is super greatthat he does that for his
(09:41):
patients.
But it's also super great thatas a rock climber, he can step
back and just be gardening in away.
That's like a very natural wayfor you to connect with just
this.
There's a deep knowingness inevery human.
There's like we come built inwith wisdom and we come built in
with love, we come built inwith kindness and so for every
(10:03):
listener to think of, like whatare the moments, what are the
activities, and also sometimesthere's like a respected teacher
or there's like a grandmotheror an aunt or a neighbor who
shares kindness with you in away that helps you connect with
and just know that's what Ireally am.
It's just kindness.
Swami Nityananda (10:22):
Yeah, and I asked that question on a
personal level because it helpswith the relatability of hearing
somebody's story and what theywent through and the challenges.
I am the same way of.
You know I give some insight.
Yet it's what is your path,what is your recipe?
(10:43):
Not just you know, doing acopycat.
It's like finding what workswith your biology, what works
with your opening, and beingable to come home to yourself,
being that kind of mad scientistwith your own biology of
understanding you know where didthe wounds begin and how does
my nervous system react tocertain environments and spaces,
(11:04):
and how do I, am I actuallyfeeling my authentic emotions or
am I just suppressing andnumbing and using?
You know, some bypassing andsome suppressing which then, you
know, put static anddisconnection from hearing that
inner calling, that innercalling, having that inner
(11:26):
connection.
As you said, we're all built inwith a connection with higher
source life.
I call it a life force withinyou of.
Can you hear that, or are youalways seeking on the outside
for those answers?
Speaker 3 (11:36):
I absolutely love what you said and I also love
what you said about kind of likepain, like what the yogic
teachings say is pain is anatural part of life in time and
space.
And so for the listener to know, like if I have felt pain, that
doesn't mean there's somethingwrong with me.
It means I'm a human, I'm herein a human body, I have a human
heart, I have a human mind andthere's nothing wrong with me.
(11:58):
I'm navigating time and space.
And so then what happens is youcan, I think, let go of
self-judgment, because I thinkoften there's like this
narrative that the human mindcreates that is like, well, I
must have done something wrongbecause I experienced that like
what's wrong with me.
And then you sort of like aredoubting, you're entering
yourself to feel what you feeland move forward.
(12:19):
There's just a natural healingprocess that you will love
yourself forward.
You sort of like let go ofstruggle and resistance and
fighting yourself and you sayyes, like for each listener to
say, to acknowledge, like, yeah,that painful experience
(12:41):
happened in time and space.
I give myself permission to feelwhat I feel, but I'll have to
move through it, Like I'm notgoing to stay with those
feelings forever.
I'm going to keep the wisdom,extract the wisdom and then
sometimes there's even likebeauty that you can extract from
it.
Keep that and then you alsofree and empower yourself to
just ask like, okay, now, whatwould I like to create moving
(13:03):
forward?
And so this also frees humans.
If anyone has felt any patternsthat aren't helpful, like some
people experience it in careeror relationships or with food,
or just any patterns that humanscan create, you can heal those
patterns.
So as soon as you kind of younotice like, okay, I can keep
(13:24):
the wisdom and then I can makenew choices so that I can create
healthy new ways of relating towhatever it is my work or my
relationships or enjoying myfood, but not being like
compulsive about it.
Swami Nityananda (13:38):
What would you offer to those that use
spirituality as a bypassing, asescapism, because you just
explained about the humanexperience?
And just because you're at acertain state and you have tools
, it doesn't mean that lifeisn't going to life Like.
People are going to transition.
You're going to feel the deepmourning, the ache, the dense
(13:59):
emotions that come up.
Yet a lot of people think that,well, if I have all these tools
, I'll be in a very stoicpresentation and I don't have to
feel my humanness.
So what would you offer tothose that think that when I
walk into meditation and yoga,it will have me not feeling
emotions anymore?
Speaker 3 (14:19):
I love that question.
That's super interesting.
So, like, actually I have to behonest, I don't know people who
use spirituality as a bypass,because, like the way that my
teacher taught and the way thatI teach, we are here to
experience the full diversity ofhuman experience, and human
experience includes contrast,and so what that means is, like
(14:40):
the classic way of putting thisis sometimes you experience gain
, sometimes you experience loss.
Like sometimes you experiencevictory, sometimes you
experience defeat, and this isthe way that it is in time and
space, and so you get tonavigate this with.
I think a word that we use todayis like authenticity or
integrity, like I'm here to befully here.
(15:03):
I'm not here to be anywhereother than fully present in time
and space, and so what I'm hereto be is my best self.
Exactly where I am, it's likewhile I'm doing the dishes and
while I'm sweeping the floor,while I'm taking out the garbage
and the recycling, while I'minteracting with parents and
kids and partner and friends andanyone that I interact with.
(15:26):
I'm just here to be my highestself, and so I think it's not
about escaping, it's aboutopening and recognizing that
actually the divine is presentright here in our daily tasks,
like where else would the divinebe?
The divine is right here, andso the divine is right here.
Like if my heart is filled withjoy, the divine is right here,
(15:47):
but if my heart is breaking, thedivine is also right here, and
so I am to be here to be fullyopen-hearted.
And actually I would say, youknow, like listeners probably
would laugh with us too it's notpossible really to suppress our
emotions.
They'll come up like so itdoesn't work.
And so just possible really tosuppress our emotions?
They'll come up like so itdoesn't work.
And so just allow yourself tofeel what you feel and trust
(16:10):
yourself to be wise and lovingwith yourself and to be like a
good friend to yourself, a goodcompanion to yourself, and treat
yourself with kindness, treatyourself with wisdom, the same
way you would share kindness andwisdom with a friend.
Please share that with yourself, and then you'll be able to be
with whatever you experience,but you'll also be comfortable.
(16:30):
Whatever another human isexperiencing, you'll be able to
be with them in a really verypresent and respectful and
responsive, nonjudgmental way.
Swami Nityananda (16:42):
And some of that I know.
Possibly some listeners arelike, oh, that's easier said
than done, Because when we're inthe four F's of the nervous
system and it's in fight orflight, that kindness can be
very challenging to access andyou just get into the patterns
of stiffness and I think whenthat nervous system's activated
(17:06):
it's like there's certainty.
I know where it's like where'sthe curiosity?
Because curiosity lets thatopening of what else is possible
.
Right now, many are emotionally, psychologically and
spiritually charged.
You mentioned you're in the USSand it's only been, I think.
Well, yesterday I think it was52 days, today's 53 days since
(17:30):
the president has been in office, and it feels like it's been
years.
What would you have to offerfor those listeners that have
these inner storms?
They're trying to grasp forcertainty, all these emotions
are coming up because there's alot of fear being invoked and
(17:52):
there's nothing to really graspon.
What message or energy wouldyou like to offer those
listeners at this very moment?
Speaker 3 (18:02):
So at this moment and I think this is true for every
moment I think what I wouldactually say is my understanding
is that everyone on the planetis moving through a time of
transformation, that it affectseverybody, like it's not only
people in the United States, butit's like people around the
world.
Everyone is moving through atime of transformation and no
one is like disconnected, no oneis immune.
(18:23):
And so just to be honest and tosay to myself okay, I
acknowledge like I and theplanet are moving through a time
of transformation and I thinkeveryone, every human, has moved
through times of transformation.
Transformation requires energy.
So, for people to just behonest with themselves and to
listen to your own body likeyour own body might need to take
(18:46):
a quiet five-minute walk andsit under a tree.
Your body might need to take abath.
Your body might need just alittle bit of peace, like
disconnect from the screen.
Notice how am I interactingwith news?
Am I interacting with it in away that helps me to be peaceful
and present and of service inmy daily life?
Or do I want to change myrelationship with the way that
helps me to be peaceful andpresent and of service in my
daily life, or do I want tochange my relationship with the
(19:08):
way that I'm interacting withnews?
I'm not saying, don't be aware,please still be aware.
Please be present and engaged,but do it in a way that helps
you to be of service.
And so it's like the lifeguard.
The lifeguard needs to keeptheir head above water or
they're not actually able tohelp anybody else keep their
head above water, and I suspectthat many of your listeners are
helping people keep their headabove water, which means that
(19:30):
your first obligation is to keepyour own head above water too.
And so just to keep your senseof humor, your sense of
self-observation and your senseof self-trust, because your body
knows, like, if you need moresleep or you need just a bowl of
soup, your body will tell you,and sometimes it's really simple
.
Or you just might need tolisten to a song that makes you
(19:53):
laugh or dance and shaking yourbody and dance spontaneous,
free-form dancing.
Nobody's watching, just let itgo, have fun, shake it.
No-transcript.
(20:14):
I was walking by a neighbor fullrespect and love to that
neighbor but he was experiencinga wave of what you were talking
about and so he just kind oflike exploded in this little
wave of anger and I was awareenough, like I was self-aware
enough, that I sort of was like,oh, wave of anger, but I didn't
allow it into my energy field.
(20:34):
And so that's the thing that Iwould say is everybody gets to
choose.
What do I want to allow into myenergy field?
And so that's the thing that Iwould say is everybody gets to
choose.
What do I want to allow into myenergy field.
And one of the yogic tips thatI would share with people is the
solar plexus is above the naveland it's below the rib cage and
if it's safe, as Nat Nat said,you can put your hand there just
to feel like above the navel,below the rib cage.
(20:55):
And this is a place where, ifthere's a strong wave of fear
that is being expressed bysomeone, or there's a strong
wave of anger or judgment orreactivity, know that you can
place your hands here, you canplace light here and you can
choose.
You can say I'm aware there isa wave of anger here and I'm
choosing to exercise sovereigntyover my own energy field.
(21:18):
So you're basically saying Ilove myself so much that I'm
going to lovingly decline toactivate that energy within my
own body, and so I would saythat's a balance as well,
because, like listeners mightlike some changes, they might
not like some other changes thathappen in the world.
(21:39):
And so, just to know that youget to navigate with respect and
with clarity and with kindnessand with integrity for yourself.
What are my thoughts in relationto what I'm observing?
What are my words in relation towhat I'm observing?
What are my choices?
I always get to choose, that Ican't always choose this larger
(21:59):
landscape of change that theworld is moving through, but I
always can choose.
I choose to keep my frequencyhigh, I choose to stay
open-hearted, I choose to beopen to the highest good
emerging.
That doesn't mean I have toagree with everyone's behavior
or everyone's thinking, but Istill can say I see that and I'm
(22:21):
open to what's deeper than that.
That is the highest good.
And so then, what I'm doing isI'm moving in this energy of
optimism and that will be whatcomes to me.
The highest good will be freeto share itself with me in that
way as I move through the wavesof change.
Another way that I think it'spossible to put this is then I'm
(22:42):
always allowing this innerwisdom to lead right.
Everyone comes with this heart,wisdom, this knowing, and so
for every listener, just to getquiet as much as you can and
just listen within yourself, andeveryone has their ways of
connecting.
And the heart.
It will often just say thingslike peace, like love, laugh,
(23:05):
and that just gives you thisconnection of those two will
pass and each of us gets tochoose like what do I want to
create, what do I want to build,what do I want to energize?
At least in my own thoughts andmy own words, my own speech, my
own choices, my own energyfield, I always have the ability
to choose what I'm creatingthere.
Swami Nityananda (23:27):
And, as you so beautifully explained, just for
the listeners to understand,you explain self-care, you
explain boundaries, you explainwhat it is to always keep your
cup full and allow what runnethover for the other people, yet
you have to take care of youfirst before going out.
So you know, in a lot ofreligious or spiritual contexts
(23:50):
it's always how can I be ofservice for others?
Yet how could you give themsome information about using
that, but making sure not tobypass their own human needs and
emotions?
Speaker 3 (24:04):
Yeah, so I mean I think one of the simplest ways I
love what you said I'm includedin unconditional love.
That's.
I mean it's that simple, so,like, so I'm here, I think
you're here, I think everyone'shere, to share unconditional
love.
That's the way that I would putit.
Another listener might say I'mhere to share light, or I'm here
(24:25):
to share kindness, or I'm hereto share wisdom, or I'm here to
share inspiration or whatever itis.
I'm here to share beauty, butwe're each here to share that,
but I'm included in that.
I think it's that simple.
So if you're here to sharebeauty, you're included in that
(24:49):
beauty.
You are the beauty, like.
The true beauty that is sharingis you, and what you do or what
you produce in time and space.
It's like a byproduct of thebeauty that you are.
So I think it's that simple,and so it's like, if what I want
to share is kindness, then thatmeans oh, humble.
And so it's like if what I wantto share is kindness, then that
means, oh, kindness is actuallywhat I am, and what happens
then is there's like there'sless of a feeling of, um, not
enoughness, and less of afeeling that I have to, like,
(25:09):
reach for something or grasp forsomething.
There's more of like okay, I'mopening and kindness is here,
and so kindness of, of course,shares with me.
I'm part of kindness, and soself-care is like I'm included
in the love, I'm included in therespect, I'm included in the
beauty, I'm included in thegoodness, and so then it becomes
(25:30):
really fun.
Just as it would be fun to givea nice thoughtful gift to your
friend, it becomes fun to give anice thoughtful gift to you,
and what you're really giving isalways just the goodness and
beauty of your own heart, thebeauty of your own heart.
Swami Nityananda (25:48):
Yeah, I want to ask you when you hear this
statement love does say no.
What does that mean for you?
Speaker 3 (25:57):
Really interesting statement.
So I always say yes to thedivine, always.
There's never a moment that Iwould not say yes to the divine.
And of course, the divine willalways ask me to exercise
discernment.
And so of course, the divinewill sometimes say lovingly,
move forward in this way,lovingly, let go of moving
(26:19):
forward in that way.
Lovingly, let go of movingforward in that way.
So I think it is actually anatural part.
My word for it is the divine.
But for each listener it's whatis your word for it?
Is it my higher self?
Is it the divine?
Is it the universe?
Whatever your word for it is,for each listener, say yes to
that, always, and that willalways guide you.
So discernment is alwaysrequired, and I think that's
(26:42):
what you're talking about isexercising discernment.
Swami Nityananda (26:47):
You see, the reason why I say love in that
way and I see where you're goinginwardly it's that some people
will be in their wound and besaying yes to everybody else and
not a yes for themselves.
So having to say no to otherswithout feeling like you're not
being loving.
Because a lot of people thinkthat if I don't have like, say,
(27:09):
for instance, family members,and they really activate because
of you, know they're chargedwith anger or their inner
terrain.
But you have been kind of givena belief system that love means
you always stay in connectionwhere it's like.
But this is the human part,it's not in the spiritual part.
So I just kind of give thatstatement of love does say no,
(27:33):
that loving can still be there.
Yeah, it can.
You're not to tolerate abuse.
You're not to tolerateexhaustion to the point that you
don't even know how to takecare of yourself.
Recognize that these are traumaresponses and it's actually
fielding a lot of fear.
Yet there has been a beliefsystem that it's loving and this
(27:53):
is the way to be in love andhaving heart open.
Would you be able to give someperspective on your views on
that?
I?
Speaker 3 (28:02):
mean I absolutely love what you just said.
I think it's so important and Iguess, like what I would say is
I think that it's possible tonotice and then to basically
like let's call it a script,like if I have had a script.
So you just kind of gave anexample of like say that I'm a
person who's had a script, thatlove always has to say yes, it
(28:24):
doesn't mean being a doormat,right.
Like it means that you give toyourself, like if you would like
to give love and respect toanother, it's actually a
requirement to give it toyourself.
You won't have it to give toanother if you don't give love
and respect to yourself.
And so I think that's how humanscan get to feeling kind of
(28:44):
exhausted is, if I'm not givinglove and respect to myself, then
somehow I'm like thinking thatit's generated from outside of
me and then I'm not connected tothis basic.
There's a pure source, energyflows through all of us and
that's actually where love andrespect come from.
So it's kind of like thedifference between like if a
(29:04):
human is looking outside ofthemselves and they're like
complete me, like you know, likeI need a another person to
complete me, um, or I need.
Whatever it is, like those cuteshoes or that food or that job
or whatever it is to complete me, it won't actually work because
you're sort of like I need that, I need that.
And then what you're in is likethat energy of I need that, I
(29:27):
need that, I need that, and sothe feeling of fulfillment is
always being further pushed awayfrom you.
So the basic thing is to comefrom fulfillment, come from love
, like come from completeness,and then you just have clarity.
You're like, oh, actually thatperson who thinks that I would
(29:49):
be giving them unconditionallove if I said yes to them
always.
That's not their highest goodeither, and so you're actually
serving the highest good of theother, as well as yourself, if
you come from fulfillment andcompleteness and you exercise
that clarity and thatdiscernment within yourself and
(30:09):
it will free that other person.
You can't force another personto do anything Everyone's got
their free will but it freesthem to also realize clarity and
unconditional love and healthyways of relating to love within
themselves as well.
Swami Nityananda (30:27):
Yeah.
Can you share a moment whereyour practice deepened because
of a personal challenge?
Speaker 3 (30:34):
So I would actually say like one of the really
challenging things that I movedthrough and the community moved
through was having my teacherleave the body, like he passed
away, and so that was likehugely traumatic and grief
inspiring for me and foreveryone that any human has when
(30:55):
a loved one departs.
There's a feeling of I'm usedto this person being here in the
body, I'm used to receivingenergy through them being in the
body in a particular way, andthen I would say so.
Of course, I cried a lot whenmy teacher left the body.
Of course, that's natural.
I also had a very deep heartknowing that my teacher's love
(31:21):
and support is always here, andI would say that this is true
for every human who has lovedones who are in the non-physical
.
The love and support of yourloved ones it's with you always,
always.
There's never a moment that youare separate from the love and
support of your loved ones whoare in the non-physical, that
you are separate from the loveand support of your loved ones
(31:41):
who are in the non-physical.
And so what happens and I'm notmeaning to say that this is
simple or easy, but what happensis we have the opportunity to
expand our love and to expandour heart, to expand our
connection so that it goesdeeper than it was when the
loved one was here in thephysical.
And so I would say that this istrue for me, but I would say
(32:03):
it's also true for everyone, andI talk to many, many humans who
have this experience.
It might be that a person lovestheir mom very dearly and then
their mom leaves the physical,and gradually it depends on the
person how long this takes thephysical, and gradually.
It depends on the person howlong this takes but gradually
they become aware my mom's loveand support is with me always,
(32:25):
and so there's a way to behonest with yourself, as we've
been talking about, allowyourself to feel the grief.
You cannot actually push itdown, so allow yourself to feel
it.
And in my experience, when youallow yourself to feel the grief
, it's more like a spring storm.
So like spring storms blowthrough and then the air is like
very clear and crisp.
(32:46):
So if you don't fight it andyou allow yourself, like your
private quiet time, to cry whenyou need to cry, that's the way
that it works.
And so the yoga teachingsactually say our emotional
energy is neutral, like we judgeit from a human perspective.
We say grief's reallyuncomfortable, but yogis say
it's just neutral energy.
(33:07):
So if I don't fight it, whathappens is it will just move
through me and it will moveactually into greater love and
greater compassion.
More light will come into myheart.
I'm not saying that any humanshould seek out a broken heart,
but when it comes, just knowthere's nothing wrong with you.
(33:29):
And if you work with it andallow yourself to feel what you
feel and move forward and youjust say things like I'm open to
greater compassion, I'm open togreater wisdom, I'm open to
greater understanding, I'm opento greater connection, I'm open
to helping all the other humanswhose hearts are also breaking,
(33:50):
all the other humans who alsohave felt it's unbearable.
It seems impossible to moveforward, the things that we move
through as humans, and humansregularly do the impossible, and
so for each of us to do that,but then also we get to sort of
like stand and help others, knowlike, yes, my heart broke,
(34:14):
heartbroke, and I'm socompassionate and respectful
that your heart is breaking, andI know your light is even
deeper than your heart that isbreaking, and so I know, if you
keep going, what's going tohappen is even deeper love and
even more beautiful light willshare itself with you.
And to do this in a way that Ithink a lot of this happens like
(34:35):
wordlessly.
It's just like you're holdingyour friend's hand, you're
bringing your friend tea.
Whatever it is that you'rebringing your friend, it's that
presence, yeah, just being, with, being, energy yeah, and that
energy of being there.
Swami Nityananda (34:53):
I want to ask is there a mantra or a phrase or
inner truth that's carrying youright now?
Speaker 3 (35:00):
I mean, one of the things that I've been just
really loving is stillness, sojust the simple word stillness.
And so my understanding is that, at the heart's core of each of
us, that's what we are.
There's just peace, there'sjust eternal love, there's just
(35:21):
light love, there's just light.
And so when I say the wordstillness, that's what I feel, I
feel that in me which isunchanging, but I would also say
that in me which is unchangingin that I'm one with all humans,
because my understanding is weall come from the same divine
source, we all come from thesame light, we all come from the
(35:43):
same supreme love.
And so when I'm in contact withthat, then I'm also in contact
with what I might describe asbeing like in the energy of
being friendly to all beings,just like this energy of
universal friendliness, likekindness and respect and
awareness, and like I mean, I'venever talked with you before,
but you feel like a friend,right, and so, and I think
(36:05):
that's just natural.
Swami Nityananda (36:07):
Yeah, that heart being open, yeah, yeah, it
gives that connection, thatit's like I think you know I'm
going to go deep right now whata lot of people may not have
been curious about.
It's because the mind wants tomake meaning of things.
That's where a lot of oursuffering and emotions can come
(36:30):
in.
Yet if you don't have meaninglike if you look at a child, and
people are like children, canbe so, enjoy and playful and
just shake things off becausemeaning hasn't been placed on
them that if you do this, thishappens, or if you do that, that
happens, or if this happens,this is what that means.
So when you can remove thatattachment to that analytical
(36:53):
mind and be in the stillness andnot be so concerned about
everything, there is a sense ofopenness and peace.
Yet when we're tethered to thatmaking meaning, that's why,
like especially with grief, Ithink the most harmful thing
sometimes that can be said topeople.
Well, I just came from afuneral a few weeks ago and the
(37:16):
pastor kept telling people thatthey shouldn't be mourning, that
they should be in joy and thatthe person is finally in a
joyful place.
I understood his messaging.
Yet if people do not allow thatmourning, that heartbreak, that
sense of processing, thedisconnection of another nervous
(37:39):
system, not being there andreally going into the spiritual.
I call it the other side oflove.
There's a bit of bypassing andthings that just ruminate and go
on.
I think another thing that isreally hurtful is that when
something tragic has happened orsomething violent, well,
(38:03):
there's a reason why it happened.
Or there's something that'sthere where it's like if
somebody's child was murderedand to tell them, well, there
was a reason for it.
It's like people don't need tohear that, it's just let them
know.
In the power of, okay, this isa shitty thing, that happened,
(38:24):
the power that you have is nottrying to get back the past,
it's.
How are you going to choose toshow up in this?
How are you going to still beconnected with yourself although
there's such dense heartacheand pain and wrath and rage or
whatever you know is beinginvoked because of the
(38:47):
experience, how do you stillremain connected with yourself
and work at opening your heart?
Because when these you know,like you said with your mentor,
transitioning, the heart closes.
It's like there's pain, it'slike oh.
Yet it's the work of openingback up that heart and allowing
that humanness to pass throughof the integration of it.
(39:09):
Does any of that make sense toyou?
Speaker 3 (39:27):
are you there?
Yeah, okay, I thought maybe Ihad a present for a second.
Okay, perfect, um, I think so.
For example, I remember yearsago someone receiving a
difficult diagnosis and one ofthe things that I said to them
is don't ask why, because thehuman mind can be like was it
something that's wrong with myconsciousness?
Like, did did I think a wrongthought and so somehow I brought
this.
What that does is it creates asplit between myself and caring
(39:52):
for myself and being here rightnow.
So I think for a human, if youreceive a difficult diagnosis or
you gave the horrific exampleof if your child leaves the body
or something violent happens toyour child or to you, to let go
of asking why because there'simplicitly a blame or judgment
(40:13):
that can easily arise with thatquestion.
So let go of blame and let goof judgment and just say I love
myself.
I mean, I think honestly,that's the most important thing
we can do is just to say, oh mygosh, this happened.
I love myself.
And as many times as it takeslike you might be saying it, if
you're moving through the rawreally, just like when you feel
(40:36):
like your nerve endings are justlike on fire, you're moving
through that raw part of it.
Like you might say it 40,000times a day to yourself.
Just like I love myself, I lovemyself as many times as it
takes of it.
Like you might say it 40,000times a day to yourself.
Just like I love myself, I lovemyself as many times as it
takes.
Say it.
And what happens is as you're,just as you're peaceful with
yourself and as you're presentwith yourself.
I've heard you talk about thenervous system a lot, and
(40:57):
another part of our anatomythat's helpful to talk about, I
think, is the amygdala.
So like the fear-based part ofthe brain, and that part of the
brain activates sooner than theconscious awareness part of the
brain.
And so, just for every listenerto know, if you experience a
wave of fear, just take onebreath, that's all it takes.
Take one breath and connectwith the conscious awareness
(41:18):
part of your brain, which ismore connected with like
long-term memory and solutionsand different possibilities and
different options.
So if you're navigating fromthe fear-based part of your
brain, you're actually likeclosing down options and
possibilities and that's wherelike reactivity, like lashing
out, comes from and likeself-judgment, like thinking, oh
, there's something wrong withme because this happened in my
(41:40):
relationship, or this happenedwith my child, or this happened.
I got this diagnosis.
Nothing wrong with you.
From my perspective, every soulis perfect always, and there are
human experiences we have and Ithink from a soul's perspective
, the soul looks upon our humanexperiences differently than our
human self does.
So I can give a very practicalexample.
(42:02):
I know of someone who wasphysically robust and healthy
and active, very handsome andattractive the first 29 years of
his life and then he had anautomobile collision.
He was in a severe coma andthen he was physically and
mentally handicapped for thenext 41 years of his life.
(42:25):
From the soul's perspective,the first 29 years of the life
are not better than the next 41years of the life.
You're learning different thingsif you're navigating time and
space from this really robust,handsome, muscular male body for
the first 29 years of your life.
You're learning different thingsif you're navigating from a
(42:47):
handicapped body and ahandicapped mind for the second
part of your life.
So I think from the soul'sperspective it's like I was
learning the whole way throughand it wasn't that one was right
, it wasn't the other was wrong,it was what are the soul
lessons that I was gaining fromthat and what happens then is
like there's just no judgmentright, because I think
(43:10):
implicitly sometimes there'salso.
It can be a human thing to judgeother people, to think, oh, if
they got this diagnosis, likewhat's up with them, like what
bad karma do they have, likewhat fault in their
consciousness do they have?
So I would just say, drop allof that for yourself but also
for others, and just say here Iam, you know, like how can I be
(43:33):
loving and present and kind withmyself and how can I be loving
and present and kind with theother?
And to just keep in mind that,ask yourself, for all listeners,
like, ask yourself, what's mysoul's perspective on this?
Because your soul is going tohave a very different
perspective than your human selfdoes, chances are, in terms of
(43:54):
the difficult experiences thatwe go through in time and space.
Swami Nityananda (43:58):
Yeah, what kept ringing in my mind when you
were talking is a Christianverse you're in it but you're
not of it.
You're in the world but you'renot of the world.
So, really understanding, youknow we get tethered, like I
said, that brain making meaning.
And you know, if you have greatphysique and you have the
beauty, that equals safetybecause people are adoring you
(44:21):
and there's a tension and thatmakes that nervous system and
human experience feel valued andimportant and a purpose where
it's like if you keep graspingon the external of you and not
just be with your life force,you'll never get the full part
of living and feeling thedivinity, higher source,
(44:43):
whatever name you call that,really feeling the full
abundance of that internally,that it's not anything
externally that will feed that.
You have to be whole with the Wjust within you.
But if you keep grasping, likeyou had mentioned earlier on, at
materialistic things or peopleto complete you, those are holes
(45:04):
with an H and they're likeblack pits that will never be
filled.
Because it's yourresponsibility to remember, to
sit in that space of awarenessthat you are already whole, even
if these dense emotions come upand it's challenging when they
come up and the mind is doing astorm and everything else, like
(45:25):
suicidal ideation and depressionand all these things are real
things that people navigatethrough.
Yet it's in the space of okay,where's the honesty and where is
the light in there?
Because if you're seeing dark,you're just forgetting that
you're the light.
You're that light of awareness,but you just haven't connected
with it because you've otheredyourself out of the space, not
(45:47):
recognizing you're part of thespace.
Speaker 3 (45:50):
I really love what you said.
The light is with us always,always so for every human, for
every listener, no matter whatwe're moving through.
We might be moving throughfeelings of frenzy or anxiety or
disconnection or worry orconcern or fear, like whatever
it is that we're moving throughthe light is still deeper than
that.
And so you know, like maybe evenI'm a person I like humor, like
(46:16):
I like laughter, I like goodhumor, and so if you can make it
kind of playful and curious forthe listeners just to be like,
okay, yes, my human self is, youknow, completely freaked out
right now, but whatever yourphrasing, is what's deeper than
that?
And kind of bring like thiscuriosity, what's deeper than my
freaked out human self?
Like what's deeper than that?
(46:36):
And if you keep using allthings to just help you go
deeper into the light, I mean Ithink this is one of the reasons
why, like the yogic teachingssay, from the perspective of the
soul, all experiences in timeand space can have a benefit.
So even the really challengingones can help you expand in
wisdom, expand in compassion,expand in forgiveness, expand in
(46:57):
awareness.
And I know sometimes listenersthat are like I feel like I've
done enough of that.
NatNat (47:03):
Yeah, yeah.
Swami Nityananda (47:06):
But I guess, enough now.
I don't want no more work.
Speaker 3 (47:08):
Yeah, and I guess like my.
So.
So I do think like, on the onehand, we are eternal beings from
my perspective, and so we'renever done.
You know, like if you bakebanana bread or something, that
gets done, but we're never done,like there's, we're going to
always keep unfolding light andlove and pace yourself, like it
(47:32):
doesn't have to be a rush.
So I think that's another thingthat the mind can create, this
sense of false urgency.
And so if you notice, just say,oh, I'm noticing feeling a
false urgency.
I'm going to love myself somuch that I set that down.
And it's really as simple asjust saying I'm trusting in this
(47:52):
moment, I'm trusting in thegoodness and beauty of life In
this moment.
The goodness and beauty of life, it's already here.
What happens is I'm trusting inthe goodness of beauty and life
in this moment.
Then what happens is I'm opento the goodness and beauty of
life in the future as well.
But if I'm staying in theenergy of whatever it is frenzy
(48:13):
or worry then I'm actuallycreating frenzy and worry for
the future too.
And so this is where, like inthe now, that's my point of
creation.
For every human, it's in the nowthat's my point of creation, so
I don't have to actually waitfor anything outside of me to
change in the now.
That's where creative energy andpower and presence is.
(48:35):
So in the now, like if I'mhappy in the future, I get to
start now, just from withinmyself, for no reason, right.
So?
And this is like the, themotiveless happiness, like it's
just the oh my gosh, it's reallyfun to talk to a new friend,
like it's really fun to smileand really fun to laugh, and
(48:55):
nothing has to change, or andthat's why I gave the example of
like put on a song that makesyou dance and just dance for two
minutes and then let thatenergy of the dance move you
through the rest of your day andyou'll find, like, whatever
else you do, like you couldstill be doing the same really
hard tasks or conversations orwhatever it is that you're doing
, but that energy of likelightness and movement, like
(49:18):
forward motion and just like joy, it will be moving through that
conversation, that task,whatever it is that you're
working on.
Swami Nityananda (49:26):
Yeah, I use the same.
I tell people all the time thatthe most easiest thing that you
can access is dance and thatwhatever the body needs to
express without analyzing it, itcan somatically express it that
way and music can bring us intoan elevated state because of
the tempo error you know.
Or if you know that you need toemote, you can put on some
(49:49):
music to really allow thatemoting and releasing of those
toxins and build up andeverything else, just so the
body can like give an exhale.
So, yeah, we use the same toolthat's so accessible for
everybody, yet it can feeldaunting to do because it's like
, oh, what is this going to do?
And it's like you would besurprised how much it will open
(50:11):
up a space so that new thingscan come in and see things in a
different perspective.
I am mindful of time, so couldyou let the listeners know where
they can find you, Swami, andwhat you have to offer?
Speaker 3 (50:25):
Sure.
So awakeyogameditationorg isour website and I'll say that
again it'sawakeyogameditationorg and we
are a meditation community andmeditation center in Baltimore,
so if anyone is in the BaltimoreDC, philly area, you're welcome
to come in person.
We share meditations online andso there's like nothing you
have to do other than hop onZoom.
(50:46):
They're completely open toeveryone and they're open to
long-time meditators.
They're also open to beginningmeditators and I think people
find that just meditating at thesame time as other humans is a
very uplifting experience.
So it helps the mind let go ofstress, it helps the mind relax,
it helps the mind find calm andthen it helps you connect with
(51:07):
that energy of pure love andpure joy, like someone said to
me recently.
They were like I came herethinking that I would learn
techniques to calm my mind andmy heart got blown wide open,
and so it's really you're justalways connecting with your own
heart.
I mean, that's the basic truth,and so we just have a lot of
teachings.
They're open to people from allbackgrounds.
(51:27):
We do share teachings onYouTube and Substack, and so if
you would like our freenewsletter, you're welcome to
subscribe on Substack.
We're also on the socials aswell.
Swami Nityananda (51:37):
Okay, what is one intention you would like to
leave the listeners, especiallysomebody that's listening in
right now, just connecting inyour heart to speak into that
heart.
Speaker 3 (51:48):
I would say love life totally.
I would say love life totallyLike, just exactly as it is.
Love life totally Like nothinghas to change.
Love your life totally, lovethe light within you totally.
And then when you connect withthat total love, that's the
energy.
We were calling it the source,we were calling it pure
(52:08):
creativity.
It's the energy of purepotentiality and we are each
completely connected always.
So I know that humanly we canfeel lonely, we can feel
confused, we can feeldisconnected, but the reality is
that we're always connected towisdom, we're always connected
to support, we're alwaysconnected to light, we're always
(52:29):
connected to pure love.
And so meditation just helpsyou see what's real and it helps
you let go of, like, theconfusion, the illusion, the
judgment, like the human humanscan create confusion.
And so just practicediscernment and keep seeing
reality clearly, like, keeplooking deeper than human
(52:50):
confusion, and you'll connectback into that awareness.
And so I would also like NatNat, you said throughout the
time today, but you were talkingabout, there's an embodied
wisdom.
So the body carries wisdom.
And so for each listener to justtrust yourself and listen to
your body and just notice, likewhen I dance, if I give myself
the gift of dancing, free-formdance.
(53:11):
It doesn't have to be fancy andall you have to do is like move
to the left and the right andfront and back.
Um, how do I feel later?
Just to practiceself-observation and then to
notice, oh, I actually do at myfingertips.
Just dancing for two minuteswill shift my energy, and that's
always present, that's alwayspossible, that's always
available.
And then, basically, like, eachof us can connect with there
(53:34):
are so many tools and so manytips and so many teachings and
practices, and then what we gainis the ability to have
self-awareness, to have clarityand to know okay, for this
particular body, each body isdifferent, for this particular
energy system, each energysystem is different.
Right now.
That will help me.
Like, with a single breath, Ican come back into my heart, or
(53:57):
I can dance two minutes, or Ican go take a five-minute walk,
I can go sit under a tree, sofor each listener to just notice
and pay attention and then tolive in those moments of
connection and then to allow theenergy of connection to just
move you through your days, moveyou through your nights, and
what happens then is we'reliving in.
I think flow is a word thatpeople use today, but there's
(54:19):
just like this natural ease andthis natural kind of joy and
life loves to be here through us.
It's actually amazing to behere and full sympathy and
respect.
I know it's kind of ahigh-pressure time on the planet
right now.
So love and respect for you andfor me and for all of us being
here on the planet right now.
But life is amazing and so justto allow yourself to know that
(54:42):
nothing has to change.
It's already amazing for everysingle listener.
Swami Nityananda (54:47):
Yeah, I want to say thank you so much.
It's been a delight to be inyour energy, in your presence
and really, just you know, openup the dialogue so other people
can hear a different perspective.
I think what becomeschallenging for people when they
start doing this journey, inthis work and create the
(55:08):
practices, is that there'ssimplicity.
Yet we have been taught to becomplicated, like things are
complex, don't get me wrong.
There's a big distinctionbetween complicated and complex,
and the simple things just feellike, oh, they're not going to
attain to anything.
Yet little by little it doesshift and a drop of water going
(55:33):
every day several times it willburn a hole into something, it
will bury something very deeply.
So it's recognizing to comeback into that simplicity.
Yet it can be very challengingwhen you've been kind of
indoctrinated that it has to behard, it has to be complicated
to be able to have any kind ofvalue to it.
(55:54):
So I want to thank you for thereminders of the joy, the
reminders of coming back to thatsimplicity and the power of
choice, but also really not, butalso really what community can
do, cause I totally I believe inour collective energy and when
(56:14):
we meditate or hold spacetogether.
There is a wisdom that iscommunicating and a knowing that
is communicating amongst usthat all of a sudden there is an
opening that words can't reallyexplain.
It's just you have to embodythe experience and be there to
really gather it.
So thank you so much foreverything that you are offering
(56:36):
in the world and what you'representing as light.
So thank you so much, swami.
Speaker 3 (56:42):
No, no, thank you.
It's an absolute joy to talkwith you.
So much joy and for theconnections that you create.
Much joy for that, as well,thank you.
Swami Nityananda (56:49):
Please remember to be kind to yourself.
Hey, you made it all the wayhere.
I appreciate you and your time.
If you found value in thisconversation, please share it
out.
If there was somebody thatpopped into your mind, take
action and share it out withthem.
It possibly may not be themthat will benefit.
NatNat (57:09):
It's that they know somebody that will benefit from
listening to this conversation,so please, take action and share
out the podcast.
Swami Nityananda (57:19):
You can find us on social media, on Facebook,
instagram and TikTok under LiftOne Self, and if you want to
inquire about the work that I doand the services that I provide
to people, come over on mywebsite, come into a discovery
call liftoneselfcom.
NatNat (57:39):
Until next time, please remember to be kind and gentle
with yourself.
You matter.
Popular Podcasts
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.