Awake in the World Podcast - Michael Stone

Latest Episodes:

How Does a Buddha Stand, Walk & Control Thoughts? (Diamond Sutra 2) Oct 23, 2016

Show notes

What does being alive feel like? Michael tells the story of Subhuti and the questions he asks the Buddha about how to practice. Haven’t we been blessed with greatest of trusts? Aren’t we all blessed? Isn't meditation learning how to trust? Spirit Loft, Toronto, 28 min.

The Diamond of Practice (Diamond Sutra 1) Oct 17, 2016

Show notes

The first in a series of six talks on the Diamond Sutra. Michael speaks on the three aspects of ourselves we can let go of through practice: Possessiveness (This is mine); Conceit (This is me); and Beliefs about what the self is (This is what I am). He connects this to both meditation practice, daily life, and the teachings of the Diamond Sutra. Mental states are not inherently fixed, and you can hold them much lighter than you are now. Recorded at Spirit Loft in Toronto, June 2016.

Can You Return to the Breath? Oct 09, 2016

Show notes

As the breath becomes smooth and slow, the mind settles and we become less interested in wanting “an experience.” Be kind to yourself, cultivate an un-agitated heart, and live a life that connects. London, 50 min.

Anxiety & Meditation Oct 03, 2016

Show notes

Michael explains how we can cultivate a field in which anxiety can arise and change, surrounded by spaciousness. We have forces of good inside us, we aren't fated to live out our history, and we are loveable just as we are. London, 55min.

The World Is Its Own Magic Sep 25, 2016

Show notes

Michael talks about the magic mantra that ends the Heart Sutra. Transforming fear, cultivating compassion, not-knowing, how mantras work. London, 1 hour.

Labeling & Noting Thoughts Sep 19, 2016

Show notes

How to meditate when your are thinking a lot. Michael also explores language and emotions in children and how this gets internalized in adults. A very clear talk on mindfulness practices for transforming overthinking and identification with thoughts. Vancouver, 55 min.

The Ego, The Self, and the Existential Dimensions of Settling the Mind Sep 10, 2016

Show notes

Drawing on Freud, Jung, and the Buddha, and various ways of understanding what the ego is, how it develops, and why working with settling thoughts becomes a spiritual practice over time. Vancouver, 30 min.

Not Identifying With Your Moods Sep 05, 2016

Show notes

How to become interested in how the mind functions rather than being caught in the content of our stories. Meditation is a physical practice and we use breathing to settle the mind and heart. 40 min. Vancouver.

25 Minute Guided Meditation on Mindfulness of Thinking Aug 28, 2016

Show notes

Shift away from the content of the mind to the process of thinking. Mindfulness of thinking while sitting like a mountain. Vancouver, 25 min.

Guided Corpse Pose for Safety Aug 21, 2016

Show notes

If you feel unsafe or unstable, this is a gentle 10 minute guided meditation in corpse pose, for taking care of yourself. Vancouver, 20 min.