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The joke used to be that every time Michael opened his mouth what he said was archived here. We couldn’t be more grateful for that now because it is one of the best ways Michael’s teachings will live on.
The Awake in the World Podcast is the heart of the Community Library. Talks are on a wide-range of topics, including: bringing mindfulness and meditation practice into daily life; personal and community issues regarding mental health; and social change.
This podcast has been created so that anyone can have instant access to Michael’s teachings. It has been made possible due to generous donations from members of the community. In the six years that the podcast has been available, over half a million people have pressed play as a way to be more—like the name says—awake in the world.
Each podcast is between 30-60 minutes long. As always, you’re encouraged to follow along weekly as part of your practice. The podcasts were recorded at live events so you might hear coughing, airplanes, cars, sirens, laughter, and peoples’ questions—all part of the intimate experience.
Best of Awake in the World: My Body is My Teacher Now
This week we’re revisiting a favourite Awake in the World podcast episode. How to not leave your body, even when it feels untrustworthy. We can always turn to the body in pain, grief, and even in altered states of consciousness.
Three Principles of Peacemaking
This talk explores Bernie Glassman’s guiding principles for taking practice into daily life: not knowing, bearing witness and taking loving action.
Without Holding On
Michael guides a meditation on the breath, with an emphasis on letting go of grasping.
Only Fools Understand Yoga
In this talk Michael describes ujjayi breathing as a meditative practice, explains that the goal of yoga is not samadhi, and argues that “realization” automatically cycles back to the yamas—and demands action in response to suffering in the world.
Are Stiff People Less Awake?
Michael speaks about the eight limbs of Ashtanga and how to practice them. He argues for the importance of a sitting practice as well as asana. (Unfortunately the last half of this talk failed to record, so it ends abruptly).
Best of Awake in the World: Not Being Possessive and the Gift of Fearlessness
This week we’re revisiting a favourite Awake in the World podcast episode. Michael Stone gives a talk during the ethics course about the precept of Aparigraha, and using our imagination.
Vande Gurunam
In this talk inspired by “bowing to reality,” Michael covers impermanence, story-telling and his view of the three most common ways we try to deal with our dukkha.
Focus on the Calm Part of the Breath
A twenty-minute guided meditation on breath-centered mindfulness.
Peace in the Breath, Stillness in the Ground
In this guided mindfulness-of-the-body practice Michael focuses on feeling the ground, the breath, the support of the posture and a sense of buoyancy within stability.
“To Swallow Myself in Ceaseless Flow”
Michael explains Patanjali’s take on subduing the causes of suffering in their gross and subtle forms (Pada 2, 10-12) and how this differs from our modern psychological viewpoint.
The Dharma Is Like an Avocado
Based on Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra (1.19) and a poem by Gary Snyder Michael talks about death, self-concept, rebirth versus reincarnation, karma, abhinivesa and “aiming for the gap.”
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The Community Library will continue as long as we have supporters. The more support we have, the more we can ensure that the teachings Michael left behind can be available for free to anyone in the world.