Awake In Relationship

Silas Rose

In the digital age social fitness is as important as physical fitness.  Awake In Relationship explores the art of relationships in a time of great change. Create more connection in the real world with inspiration from long form interviews with thought leaders on the frontiers of personal development, mindfulness, conscious relationships, community building and social impact change. Fresh episodes drop twice a month on all major platforms.

  1. REWIND: Birth of the spiritual warrior with Susan Gillis Chapman

    FEB 5

    REWIND: Birth of the spiritual warrior with Susan Gillis Chapman

    075 When war and rumours of war are everywhere in the news how we personally relate to uncertainty and show up for others matters more than ever. The temptation to harden our hearts and join the chorus of polarizing voices is difficult to resist. However, it doesn’t matter what side of a conflict we identify with or the opinions we hold. Toxic certainty, hatred and fear are contagious and the real enemies of peace. Spiritual warriorship has existed in eastern and western traditions for thousands of years to show the way of bravery. In times of crisis the spiritual warrior rises above aggression and looks within to transform a fearful mind in the cradle of compassion. In this episode of Awake In Relationship I speak with returning guest Susan Gillis Chapman, Buddhist teacher and author of The 5 Keys of Mindful Communication and a new book, Which Way Is Up?: Finding Heart in the Hardest of Times, due to be published in June 2024. In this conversation we discuss the transformative power of compassion and qualities of a modern spiritual warrior living in times of great change and fear. We also discuss contemplative practices for invoking the heart of bravery and leading with love. Follow Awake In Relationship on Instagram and Linkedin If you have been loving what you are hearing on AIR  please rate, review and subscribe to get the latest content fresh to your device.  Sign up for our newsletter at awakeinrelationship.com to learn about upcoming programs and events. Do you have suggestions for guests or feedback on the show?  Send us an email at awakeinrelationshippodcast@gmail.com

    35 min
  2. Kids these days: Rethinking the youth mental health crisis with Dr Nevin Harper

    JAN 15

    Kids these days: Rethinking the youth mental health crisis with Dr Nevin Harper

    074 Since the time of Socrates people have been opining and pearl clutching about the wayward state of the youth. For better or worse, Millennials and Gen Z have received a tremendous amount of attention and public scrutiny from professionals and social media influencers. With labels like ‘the anxious generation'  more young people find themselves defined through a mental health lens and aggressively treated for conditions that previously may have been considered adaptive challenges of adolescence. Rather than focusing on a perceived fragility of young people or finger pointing at over protective parenting, the origins of the youth mental health crisis might be sourced in common issues we all struggle with in the digital age and the anxieties of professionals and policy makers. In this episode of Awake In Relationship I speak with Dr Nevin Harper, nature based clinical therapist and coauthor of Kids These Days: Understanding and supporting youth mental health. In this conversation we talk about the societal and cultural origins of our current thinking around the youth mental health and 3 common disruptors in modern life that negatively effect the developmental process. We also discuss how to shift focus from an interventionist approach to returning to the basics of mental health, including healthy attachments, connection to the natural world and encouraging risk tolerance to create the conditions for young people to thrive. Follow Awake In Relationship on Instagram and Linkedin If you have been loving what you are hearing on AIR  please rate, review and subscribe to get the latest content fresh to your device.  Sign up for our newsletter at awakeinrelationship.com to learn about upcoming programs and events. Do you have suggestions for guests or feedback on the show?  Send us an email at awakeinrelationshippodcast@gmail.com

    1h 1m
  3. 2025-11-20

    Masculine spirit and the recovering ‘nice guy’ with Jason Lange

    073 Only recently have both women and men been able to liberate themselves from the yoke of patriarchal norms.  The transition to a more egalitarian, post modern society in the last 50 years also meant a rejection of historical narratives about manhood, including what some mythological traditions call the masculine spirit.  In the absence of this archetypal energy, many men languish and struggle with a deep insecurity about their place in a fast changing world. While the media focuses on caricatures of alpha males and examples of ‘toxic masculinity’, the shadow side of men, especially well intentioned and conscious men, more often appears in the form of the ‘nice guy’.  Dr Robert Glover first coined the term ‘nice guy syndrome’ to describe a complex of self defeating traits, including passivity, excessive people pleasing, covert manipulation and weak personal boundaries. Paradoxically, nice guys rarely get what they truly want from relationships or life by being nice. In this episode of Awake In Relationship I speak with Jason Lange, men’s embodiment coach, group leader and podcaster, about men’s shadow work to recover the generative power of the masculine spirit.  In this conversation we discuss the origins of nice guy syndrome, it presentation in intimate relationships and creating transformative spaces for men to be seen and supported to rise to the challenge of modern masculinity. Follow Awake In Relationship on Instagram and Linkedin If you have been loving what you are hearing on AIR  please rate, review and subscribe to get the latest content fresh to your device.  Sign up for our newsletter at awakeinrelationship.com to learn about upcoming programs and events. Do you have suggestions for guests or feedback on the show?  Send us an email at awakeinrelationshippodcast@gmail.com

    53 min
  4. 2025-10-30

    Salon culture and the art of hosting conversations that matter with Justine Kolata

    072 The age of connectivity was supposed to give everyone a voice and spread liberal values around the world, but instead public discourse in the digital town square has been reduced to 280 characters and cynical memes shared with strangers.  In contrast to the dumpster fire of social media is the rich tradition of a salon culture that thrived during the age of enlightenment.  From the ferment of these social gatherings flowed a new world of reason and possibility, including egalitarian systems of self governance and the inalienable rights that have come to define the West, but are now under threat. Innate to the experience of salons is the pursuit of meaning, connection and beauty.  As more of life is lived online there are fewer spaces in the real world where diverse people and perspectives can engage in healthy and spirited exchange about things that truly matter.  In this episode of Awake In Relationship I speak with Justine Kolata, a philosopher, salonnière and author of In Pursuit of the Beautiful Soul about reviving the art of conversation as an antidote to online toxicity and restoring hope in a brighter future through holding space for beauty and heartfelt dialogue. If you have been loving what you are hearing on AIR  please rate, review and subscribe to get the latest content fresh to your device.  Sign up for our newsletter at awakeinrelationship.com to learn about upcoming programs and events. Do you have suggestions for guests or feedback on the show?  Send us an email at awakeinrelationshippodcast@gmail.com

    30 min
  5. 2025-08-21

    The pilgrimage from the head to the deep heart with Dr. John Prendergast

    069 The heart is not just a pump, it is also the tender center of our being we most often guard and long to liberate.  As young children we got to experience the wonders of life through an open heart, but also the pain of separation and in some cases, betrayal. The process of adulting in a materialistic culture necessitates constructing elaborate strategies and conceptual shells to navigate the chaos of life and keep us safe.  However, the more we identify with our thoughts and live life from head, the more disconnected we become from our true nature and sense of aliveness. The desire for wholeness demands an inner journey into the deep heart. In this episode of Awake In Relationship I speak with Dr John J Prendergast, non dual spiritual teacher, psychotherapist and author of The Deep Heart: Your Portal into Presence and Your Deepest Ground about the archetypal spiritual journey of restoring connection with the subtle and profound wisdom of the heart. In this conversation we also discuss the intersection of psychotherapy and a grounded approach to spirituality in working through trauma and internal blocks to loving more fully. Follow Awake In Relationship on Instagram and Linkedin If you have been loving what you are hearing on AIR  please rate, review and subscribe to get the latest content fresh to your device.  Sign up for our newsletter at awakeinrelationship.com to learn about upcoming programs and events. Do you have suggestions for guests or feedback on the show?  Send us an email at awakeinrelationshippodcast@gmail.com Credit: Music used in this episode intro by Orangery

    50 min
  6. 2025-07-17

    Loneliness and the highest yoga of love with Susan Gillis Chapman

    068  The spiritual journey is not all love and light. The more one commits to waking up, the more life is punctuated by times of intense loneliness and a longing to be liberated from the sense of separateness. The nature of love is expansive and free flowing. Only when we fixate and try to constrain it does it become transactional and begin to sour. Without warning the transcendent joy of a passionate love affair can turn to self doubt and neediness. According to the Buddhist tantric tradition, love is a vast storehouse of energy that exists beyond the dualistic barrier of ego clinging or relationship status and is available to all who are brave enough to seek its truth. By becoming familiar with the open nature of love we can dance and communicate with others with greater delight and ease. In this episode of Awake In Relationship I speak with Buddhist author, teacher and returning guest, Susan Gillis Chapman on the non dual, indestructible nature of love and cutting through ego’s obsessive strategy to possess it. Follow Awake In Relationship on Instagram and Linkedin If you have been loving what you are hearing on AIR  please rate, review and subscribe to get the latest content fresh to your device.  Sign up for our newsletter at awakeinrelationship.com to learn about upcoming programs and events. Do you have suggestions for guests or feedback on the show?  Send us an email at awakeinrelationshippodcast@gmail.com Credit: Music used in this episode intro by Grand_Project

    31 min
4.5
out of 5
10 Ratings

About

In the digital age social fitness is as important as physical fitness.  Awake In Relationship explores the art of relationships in a time of great change. Create more connection in the real world with inspiration from long form interviews with thought leaders on the frontiers of personal development, mindfulness, conscious relationships, community building and social impact change. Fresh episodes drop twice a month on all major platforms.