Basecamp for Men E79: Meditation as a Portal

E79: Meditation as a Portal with Special Guest                Richard Haight

 

E79 Introduction-

Meditation is a topic that we have covered here on Basecamp for Men a number of times. It is not a coincidence that most of my guests have not only a familiarity with meditation but most have active practices spanning many decades and many different types of meditation.

We have done episodes with Paul Dunion and Ziad Masri. We have done episodes with Janell Hartman and Howard Ferguson. We’ve done them with Sally Kempton and Sophie Maclean. And we have recently done EPs with Champ Parinya and Lisa Rezac, all active meditators. I bet if I asked all my guests, most would say they have some sort of meditation practice. And it makes sense, doesn’t it?

If meditation speeds up evolution then a show about men’s personal development really should have a lot of meditators on the guest list.

My take on meditation is that it is one of the most powerful tools you can use for yourself and your development. What are the benefits of a meditation practice? The answer: comprehensive. In other words, it helps with everything.

And there is a touch of  magic and mysticism in a meditation practice. Something transcendent. And who doesn’t love these qualities? You are, in a very real sense, communicating with the Divine. You may not start with that as your notion but over time, it hits your awareness as this jaw-dropping discovery.

Your awareness starts to expand. Ego starts to dissolve and, with it, all its unnecessary suffering. Patterns that seemed on the edge of your awareness suddenly come into full, clear view. Subtle energies that eluded you suddenly become available to you.

I like this quote by the great Ken Wilber. He says “Meditation speeds up evolution. It accelerates the remembering and the re-discovery of the Spirit that you eternally are. Meditation quickens the rate that acorns grow into oaks, that humans grow into God.”

My guest today is a life-long student and teacher of meditation and meditation techniques. Let’s go have a chat with him.

Richard Haight Bio-

Richard L. Haight is the founder of the Total Embodiment Method (TEM), which is an awareness training system designed to integrate meditation into one’s daily life. Richard is the author of five bestselling titles, most notably The Warrior’s Meditation, Unshakable Awareness, and The Unbound Soul. He is a considered one of world’s foremost experts in the traditional Japanese martial arts.

Through his books, his meditation, and martial arts seminars, Richard  seeks to ignite a worldwide movement for personal transformation that is free of all constraints and open to anyone of any level.

E79: Final Thoughts-

I hope you enjoyed our time with Richard. I have found that, like Richard, meditation has greatly improved my writing. There is an allowing in writing, a giving yourself over to the flow of words that meditation helps prepare you for.

I also like what he said about how training ourselves in open awareness or what the Buddhists call “Big Mind” is often times easier for beginners. There is something interesting to this. If meditation walks you along a path of Light with fellow mystics and seers, then this vast, expansive exploration will certainly hold treasures for those brave enough to plunge into the deep end of the ocean, so to speak.

I sometimes wonder, as I prepare to do a meditation, how many millions of other Souls am I joining in this extraordinary experiment in energy, frequency, and vibration. Who might I meet next along these ancient roads? I thank you my listeners and I wish you Godspeed.

Basecamp for Men E46: Wisdom for Uncertain Times

E46: Wisdom for Uncertain Times with

Special Guest Paul Dunion

 

E46 Introduction

Whenever we find ourselves in uncertain times, it’s important to listen for voices of wisdom. This has always been true. Hearing truths that resonate and touch the human heart is a very good way to navigate confusion. Whenever we find ourselves amongst old structures and narratives that are no longer vibrant and alive, the Soul is indicating that it is time initiation into something new.  Together, we are travelling the faint path, you and I.  Right now, there is no sure, safe way. This much, I think, is clear.

Sometimes one simple conversation can make a difference in your perspective and trajectory. It’s interactions that carry depth that reaffirm our humanity. These conversations can help us back onto our true path or hero’s journey. It is clear to me more now than ever that we are here to help one another in these challenging times. My guest today is one such voice of wisdom.

Paul Dunion Bio-

Paul Dunion is a co-founder of the Connecticut’s Mens’ Gathering, a biannual retreat for men that began in 1992. He is the founder of Boys To Men, a mentoring community for teenage boys. He’s been in private practice as a Psychotherapist for 37 years and is presently a faculty member for Mobius Executive Training. Paul is the author of several books including my favorite, Path of the Novice Mystic. His blogs can be accessed at the Hufington Post as well as Medium.com. 

E46 Final Thoughts

To find out more about Paul and his work and writing, go to www.pauldunion.com

I always enjoy talking with Paul. I come away feeling better, more connected to my truth and to what is REALLY happening, as opposed to what all the media noise is trying to convince me about what is happening.

I love what Paul said about when we are in a paradigm shift, as we so clearly are now, our willingness to get shamelessly lost is something that can serve us well. It’s an interesting notion and it runs completely counter to how we have been cultured as men.

And what he said about cultivating tenderness is so powerful. In mythic terms, this is activating and strengthening the archetypal Lover.

What if, as men, we take on being more tender and caring? Would this make us less manly? Would it make us less courageous? What if this was the direction that our collective courage was taking us right now?

 

 

Basecamp for Men E45: Free Yourself from Suffering

E45: Free Yourself from Suffering with Special Guest Sophie McLean

 

E45 Introduction

There seems to be spiritual truths that are trying to find us, you and I. One prominent one is that the ego, or sense of separation, is the chief cause of much of our suffering. This is something that echoes down through the wisdom traditions, particularly from the east.

However, westerners are also awakening from the illusion of the ego. As my guest today so eloquently states, identification with the ego creates an illusory disconnect from Source, or from the Divine.

When you start to see the workings of the ego……..its strategies for keeping itself safe;  its incessant desire to be right and make others wrong; and it’s binary thinking where we draw boundaries between me and my side of the conflict as “the good guys”  and the others on the other side of the conflict or “the bad guys, the idiots, etc”. This is ego identification in action and the primary driver of much of our unhappiness.

Would you like to be truly happier? One sure path is to learn to investigate and dissolve the ego in service to something greater than yourself. See if you can stop trying to get everyone to believe and feel as you do. Let everyone have their particular truth.  Even if it doesn’t jive with your perspective. Try to give everyone space just as you want space to figure things out as well. We really don’t need to feel so distance from one another simply because we disagree about a few things.

Any narrative that has separation built into it is driven by the ego. It’s an easy litmus test. Can we, dear listeners, drop all “us vs. them” thinking? Can we stop polarizing whoever is over there? Can we awaken from the illusion of separation?

Sophie McLean Bio-

My guest today is an exceptional wisdom teacher. Someone who has stood at the front of the room and helped usher in new possibilities and new understanding for those in attendance.

She’s been a helicopter pilot, a teacher, a designer, a relief worker, a war refugee, and a CEO.

As a wisdom teacher, Sophie has spent decades leading transformational seminars to over 80,000 people around the world, of all ethnicities, ages, religions and social backgrounds.

Her seminar topics span both human and metaphysical dimensions and touch on such topics  such as: deconstructing the ego, consciousness, the nature of fear, relationships, spirituality, the dynamics of the feminine and the masculine, and how to make a  difference in the world.

Sophie’s new book The Elegance of Simplicity is a compelling, thought-provoking work of autobiographical fiction.

Basecamp for Men E42: Honoring the Divine Feminine

E42: Honoring the Divine Feminine w Sally Kempton

 

E42: Introduction

In season one, I did a bunch of episodes on the sacred masculine. I like to use masculine archetypes to help orient the listener  to a larger inner landscape, using myth when appropriate.  I promised I would return with some episodes about the Divine Feminine as I think it warrants a deeper exploration.

In my studies of myth, I have been particularly attracted to two myths: One is The Holy Grail. The other is the Fallen Goddess Myth or the myth of Sophia, which is the central mythic motif in Gnosticism. Both are Goddess myths.

And India, being a suppository of Feminine divinity, has always carried this lineage forward in a powerful and enchanting way.

The Goddess traditions, and there are many from all times and places, come with a whole new set of insights, practices, and wisdom. For the open-minded seeker, this lineage has the potential to open up vast new vistas for the spirit.

My guest today is Sally Kempton and she is a teacher in the great Feminine lineage. I am a HUGE fan of her work and her wisdom.

 

Sally Kempton Bio

Sally Kempton is a widely respected teacher of meditation and spiritual wisdom. A former journalist who wrote for Esquire, New York, and the Village Voice, she has spent over four decades practicing, teaching, and writing on meditation and spiritual philosophy.

Sally is the author of two best-selling books, Awakening Shakti: The Transformative Power of the Goddesses of Yoga, and  Meditation for the Love of It,” which Spirituality and Health magazine called “the meditation book your heart wants you to read”.  Sally teaches online courses and seminars on meditation and spiritual philosophy, and leads retreats and workshops in the U.S., Canada and Europe. Her website is www.sallykempton.com.

Basecamp for Men E34: The Gifts of Solitude

Man looking at sunset with words

Hello listeners, I hope you are all having a great festive Holiday season. Before we get to our interview, I wanted to give you some updates on Basecamp. We are finishing up Season 1 in the coming weeks. I anticipate doing the final season One episode in January. After that, we will take a short hiatus (likely two months) to recharge and re-set things before season two.