Individual Awakening and Collective Transformation w/ Michael Sapiro - Connecting Minds Podcast Ep07

Watch this episode in video: https://youtu.be/NL6STpEe6RY

Shownotes here:  https://christianyordanov.com/07-michael-sapiro/

It's a great honour and privilege to present our guest today, Dr Michael Sapiro. We talk about why we suffer and how to use his ACORNS methodology to help us through it. We end the episode with Michael's Hope guided meditation!

Michael Sapiro, PsyD, is a clinical psychologist, Dharma teacher, writer, meditation researcher, and former Buddhist monk. He is on faculty at Esalen Institute, is a Fellow at the Institute of Noetic Sciences, and is completing a study on time travel, hope, and love with Dr. Julia Mossbridge of The Institute for Love and Time. Dr. Sapiro completed his postdoctoral fellowship in advanced psychology at the Boise VA Medical Center where he specialized in rural health, PTSD, and combat trauma. Dr. Sapiro is often on podcasts, and teaches nationally on the art and science of transformation, expanded human capabilities, self-care, and nondual meditation for personal and community growth. His work integrates meditation practices, psychology, noetic sciences, and social justice, and is dedicated to personal awakening for the sake of collective and planetary transformation. He can be found at michaelsapiro.com.

Links to Michael’s resources and social media: 

Website: https://www.michaelsapiro.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr_mike_boise/

Guided meditations: https://www.michaelsapiro.com/resources/#meditations

Link to essay mentioned: https://medium.com/@drmichaelsapiro/down-play-or-walk-away-how-my-dog-socialized-me-to-be-wiser-and-kinder-during-covid-19-5b06bfc0ea0a

Topics discussed on this episode:

• Mike’s background and the work he does as a clinician and researcher.
• The non-dual teaching.
• Why are humans suffering so much? Craving, contention, ignorance.
• Recognition is a medicine.
• Practicing love, compassion and forgivess is an antidote to contention, anger and hatred.
• What are our true needs that our destructive behaviours are trying to fulfil?
• Self-awareness is the first step.
• ACORNS: From Awareness to Action – An awareness and compassion-based model for living a life of wisdom and ease
• Awareness
• Calm
• Open-hearted
• Reflect – clarity of situation, what needs are not being met?
• Now what? Ready to problem solve..
• Skillful action – take the action you just discerned as wise
• Applying ACORNS to tough issues such as grief, loss of a loved one, or our own mortality.
• The power of loving kindness.
• Psychedelics can give us a glimpse into the oneness that we all are.
• Individual awakening and the radiating presence and love it brings facilitates healing and transformation for others.
• The Bodhisattva vow.
• We end with the Hope Guided Meditation.