Stumbling Through Enlightenment

As we continue to see where we are going and what we are feeling lead towards we are going back to the beginning to listen to Edwards interview.

As we figure out some things about the Podcast we are going back to the beginning with the original interview with Jason

Edward Checks in about the new job, but also a harrowing experience of pain and infection. While transitioning jobs, Edward takes some unplanned time off which he finds he needed without realizing it. While enjoying the time off, Edward contracted an infection in his lip that eventually required a hospital stay and surgery. Edward shares with us how throughout the ordeal he has a better understanding of the chronic pain people live with. Jason shares some of his experiences with his chronic pain and what it’s like living with it long term. Edward ends up with a few experiences of the new job which he finally got to start and some of the perks he’s finding. In a world seemingly full of spiritual teachers and gurus, there are a lot of choices, messages, and pitfalls. Today we talk about some of the pitfalls with following one guru or teacher, not only for the follower, but also for the “guru” involved. We discuss some of the experiences Mary Garden writes about in her book the “The Serpent Rising”, as well as some of our own experiences on both sides of the world of gurus. Finding spiritual teachers can be difficult and we discuss our methods for vetting information and following our own journey.

This week Jason has reached a milestone in his relationship with his oldest Son. Jason has struggled with the transition in their relationship status. Jason finds himself being at ease and coming to terms in a quite unexpected way. In past episodes Jason has kept us up to date with the ups and downs over the last couple of years as his son reaches adulthood. Jason shares that he isn't sure exactly what happened, but that for the first time Jason feels really ok with his son's behavior and actions as he strives to create his own life. Have you ever wondered what all the hype is around meditation? Have you tried to meditate and before long got frustrated and quit? Do you ever wonder if you are doing it wrong? This is the episode for you. Jason and Edward discuss the subject matter from two different meditative backgrounds and practices. Through their discussion we learn about several different types of meditation and how to practice them. We also learn how many of the ideas about meditation are incorrect at best. Meditation can be simple or complex, and we often make it much harder than it is. Come learn the processes, pitfalls, and benefits of the meditative practices that span the world.

Due to some unforseen circumstances, that we will speak about in a future check in we are republishing one of our Holiday survival guides. This week we start off with Edward relaying a particularly good week of some much-needed self-care. After spending a day off out of town with a friend, He talks about spending time with his sister, going to see a movie for the first time since the pandemic started, and a search for Indian food. As we have now entered the Holiday season it is again time to remind ourselves that setting boundaries is necessary and saying no is acceptable. Since the pandemic started, we have found many people have realized that spending time with family can be quite toxic. Sometimes when we do things out of habit for so long, we forget, or do not realize how bad a situation is. This year we feel the increase in expectation due to long absences. Last year recorded an episode with a toolbox of coping skills and a survival guide. This year we touch on some tools that we have used and a couple new ones that we have learned. Mostly it is about permission we give ourselves to be absence from abusive and toxic gatherings.