Surfingthewave

@Michael Jackson Yes - lovely description. We are programmed to feel that disconnect. But we are also programmed to connect. What we also don't realise is we can turn suffering into joy, like alchemy. We are programmed to want to go to the next level, to live in a state of need, of lack. We have literally been programmed (by culture and society) to feel this way. This is why Leo's teachings are so popular as he shocks you out of it. Very powerful. As you say we have forgotten.Or as I like to say, It's an unpacking, rather than a search. Put down the heavy backpack of expectations and free yourself.

@Michael Jackson Interesting points. I would have to disagree with you on the point about something missing. There Isn't anything missing at all - that's a very big trap. We can't quite get our head around this - as seekers think they have to look for something. It's more like a circle. You come back to yourself.

Yes, the instant release from thinking you so describe is the moment to moment awareness, or awakening. There are many traps but the biggest are: -Ego arising out of thinking you are Enlightened (the guru effect) - The trap of continued "seeking" rather than just being/practice - Thinking the destination is more important than the journey

@hyruga My point is if you were truly awakened/enlightened you really wouldn't care. This is a classic guru/follower issue - the forum is a place to chew the fat with others who are on the same journey- not to punish others for making progress on their journey. People are taking it all so seriously. This is classic ego worshipping. More people should start their own groups /forums etc as it means ultimately more people will benefit. Let go of such tight rule following. Why stop the sharing and spreading of knowledge. As I've said it's systemic. When the system needs to change, this happens and it's a good thing.

Grief and Nature Mixed feelings of grief can emerge from nowhere - triggers are unexpected, lurking in the dark ready to appear when you least expect it. My self care journey has been a good one so far - this week I have kick started an old hobby which has really helped connect with Nature and ultimately Presence. Perfectionism and overworking is hard to shake - however I've the insight to know when I get these feelings and how important rest is. "Adopt the pace of Nature. Her secret is patience." Ralf Waldo Emerson

So the last six months has been quite a journey. I've experienced spiritual, emotional, creative, professional and psychological burn out. This left me physically exhausted and time for a restart. Where I entered from there was Presence. I let go of a lot of heavy stuff. Heavy patterns of destructive behaviours mainly people pleasing, perfectionism, seeking and resistance. I have become somewhat dazed and confused because my old identities no longer serve who I am or who I want to be. Meditation continues to be my guide. Yoga my path. Presence is my bliss. Destination? Unknown.

@Someone here By realising there is nothing Missing. Don't get caught in the "Lack" trap. You don't need to do anything else. Just enjoy your life with these new deep and profound insights.

Getting back to the OP, I've had a look at the other forum - it has a different vibe and yes very similar. It's a systems theory thing. People will always go off into other groups, it's not so much splintering - it's evolving. There is infinite space for the evolution of such movement and groups. To pit them against the other is like saying what do you prefer tea or coffee. With awareness and love we welcome more groups like this as the more people promoting reality/spiritual growth the better. To describe it in the negative is frankly egotistical and rubbishing the very thing being promoted.

@Andromeda The fact that you have been meditating consistently for six years daily is a great achievement. I agree with @Carl-Richard - try intensifying your practice. How about a retreat? 3-7 days of meditation is a good way of doing this. Vipassana is the ultimate intensive or Shinzen Young has some good home treatment programmes if you want to stay at home. His advice is to retreat 1-3 times a year to intensify your practice and get professional guidance. Also look at getting specialist advice from a yogi/meditation instructor. If you have ADD there may be better techniques for you such as Strong Determination Sits or chanting. Other advice is bringing your meditation practice off the cushion and into your real life like micro "hits" throughout the day e. g. walking, washing up, working etc. Good luck.

@Consilience Fabulous insights here, keep up the good work. A breath of fresh air. You've motivated me to keep going deeper with the meditation. Please do keep posting the reports ?

@Raptorsin7 There are lots of forums, maybe let people make their own judgement about where they want to spend their time. @Consept So maybe you offer some different food? Nothing like a dose of healthy competition. My point is this community is bigger than one person. Maybe it's time to recalibrate, go with the times and update it. There are people in this community who want a bit more than want is currently on offer here (me included). And that's ok. Like Steve Jobs did with Apple, he reinvented what was on offer.

@Consept Artists steal ideas all the time, it's part of the creative process. We call it inspiration. Why do you think there are so many of these types of cases going to court. There are dozens of businesses where this has happened. Open your eyes. In the spiritual community to be so protective over your ideas/business/concept defeats the whole object of what you're trying to do in the first place. Otherwise it's just about a guy generating free content of long monologues about certain subjects. The Wizard of Oz type effect.

@ted73104 Yes but perhaps this is a good indication of the good people here with shared values are actually itching for something else. My own personal perspective is nothing new is really discussed here just the same topics. Perhaps Leo needs to rethink the format of what community connection really means. Maybe it could be time for him to get out, meet people, do QnAs or retreats for example as he so promised many years ago.

Why do you care so much @Leo Gura? So what if people want to start their own forum? It's not a conspiracy, it's free speech. Be flattered that people want to copy your successful format. The ego is a very subtle thing. Just remember why you started this project, and if people want to do something else, good for them. Be careful about banning the good people here. It's a shame what happened with @Nahm. Perhaps movements and groups like this naturally move into something else, so maybe let go.

@Esilda Yes the wim hof method seems to be a good one for some. Presence is right here, we just spend a lot of our time dwelling and ruminating over the past and future. The secret is, we have no control over this, we think we do. Rather than letting go, it's more of a becoming. We become being. Without judgement. There is no doing involved, practices can help you access it - such as meditation - as it can be difficult to access via thought. Letting go helped me with this. There are various methods it's about finding the right one for you.

Sharp focus Suddenly lots of things have come into sharp focus. The definition of madness: doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. I can see things really clearly all of a sudden and I feel strong. Things out of my control are no longer an issue. For many months my avoidant nature became the better of me as I sunk into a pit of repetitive over-thinking. But also I needed the rest. What has got me out this? Meditation, Yoga Exercise, Sleep, Diet. Presence doesn't judge. Presence gives you the present. The present is a gift that keeps on giving. Every moment has potential. What can you decide this moment? That you have infinite potential just like this moment. Kindness is free, easy and unlimited. Be kind to yourself and others.

Practising Presence Presence is right here, right now. It is a shining light there ready to support you, guide you. Where is the mind right now? Re- examining my diet due to physical illness. We under-estimate the power of what we put into our bodies. Also re-examining my goals and making them more realistic. I'm aiming for the simpler life, less quantity of demands more quality of activities. Shorter bursts of the things that bring me joy. Still managing post covid symptoms but this is part of lifestyle re-boot. Going back to previous entry notes about Presence - or the Meta Power as Chopra calls it. The illusion (thought, feelings etc) gets in the way of us accessing this power. It's having a practice but also dropping the stuff which create the illusion. I've had fun recently laughing at some of the stuff mind comes up with. Practices: Daily self care activities (from different list) Yoga, meditation, journalling, creative practices, affirmations, visualisations Dropping: Screen time (small and big) Bad diet choices Overthinking Alcohol, excessive caffeine

Self improvement Self improvement has had it's day. Sorry Tony Robbins but it's all a bit exhausting and not realistic. Accepting the self and everything that you are is where we're at now. I don't need to do a firewalk, jump up and down while punching the air before everything I do or have intensive life coaching, I just need to realise I am enough. Yes goals are good and examining your life to look at what needs to change, what needs to be taken out and what needs to be added is worthwhile. My advice is before you get on the self improvement multimillion pound bandwagon, realise you are enough. We're moving into prioritising Self care. Caring rather than the constant need to improve. Supporting and loving rather than excessively chasing. I'm increasing my time to rest, restore, exercise, meditate. My bodies energies need to continue to find equilibrium but I'm getting there.

Recovery My recovery from burnout has not been an easy path. Talking therapies helped, as did time out from work and travel. Eating good food, reading good books, massage and quitting alcohol has been important . My bodies energies were out of sorts. I now have time in the day to just rest. I see how pushing yourself too hard can be detrimental. We can get stuck in routines, fatigued by life, social media, chasing. Entrenched in the "success" culture. Seeing things as they are and experiencing them fully as they appear in consciousness, prior to judgment is my new mantra. Alchemy. Faith. Trust. Beauty. Nature. My big blocks were overworking, people pleasing and perfectionism. My new goal is to experience Presence in all it's forms. Images have come into my mind of faces I will paint. Shifting identity, sexuality, gender. Who are we, really? I celebrated today my recovery out of uncertain darkness and into certain light. I feel myself being lifted by an incredible force within me. This force I know is Presence. Presence is here, now. Breathe and you will feel it.

Starting again Something Rupert Spira said recently has stuck with me. You are not the see-er but the seeing. We are ultimately what is being played out, it's up to your perspective, baggage and being-ness (or lack of) that will determine whether it is good, bad or anything else. When you let go of all the stuff that has defined you as a person, what kind of person does that leave you? Starting again has been interesting. I'm trying out different hats, and seeing if it suits. Managing post covid fatigue and pandemic fatigue has also been part of my new wellbeing routine. - Not caring what people think - Radical self care - Taking action - Allowing the path to guide me - Knowing it's all connected - Having more fun - Being at one with Nature & Art I've also started my regular art practice again, and have a refreshingly new approach to my creativity. Every day create. Rather than trying to fulfill a number of hours. It's working so far. Here's to a new beginning.

@Matt23 As a queer person I hear you, understand you and send you love. That was a great rant by the way. The best way to increase equality and visibility for gay people is be out and proud, go find your tribe. I grew up in the time of Section 28, meaning gay people were silenced from an early age, so I hear your pain. Gay shame runs deep. It can be hard living in a heteronormative world. As gay people we have to come out every day. Realise you are special, the world is changing for the better in terms of acceptance and remember to celebrate your queerness. ♥ ?

Good work ? I also find meeting emotional pain head on as you so describe, getting to the eye of the storm so to speak, dissolves it. This can also be known as purification. When you shine a light on a dark shadow what happens? It's the avoiding of pain that keeps it alive and persistent. What we resist, persists.

The question you should be asking yourself isn't whether to get a prostitute, it's why do you want one. Go deep with this one (excuse the pun). You may find it revelatory.

Really doing The Work We say we're doing the work but are we? Living in The Now is my life's work. It's where I began, all those years ago. It's where Infinite Love starts (and ends). Going deep with this work is about not taking things personally, as there is no personal. Surrendering to the Now is both terrifying and liberating. Rather than The Work, it's actually a connection to Spirit, Being, to consciousness, to the real "You", The Now. These past few weeks I have let go of a big one, my attachment to my job. Who I am at work - this has been part of my identity for so long, like a 200 year old Oak Tree it has deep, strong roots. The mind is going wild, but I am allowing and enjoying the ride. The mind doesn't know what to cling on to. My job is to help others but how often do I help myself. Think back to a traumatic, difficult time. Let go of the personal. I realise the thing that happened was actually nothing to do with me. We like to make things about us, but actually sometimes it isn't. The Work is Living in The Now. That's where freedom, liberation, peace and love is. Allow the Now to unfold. You are the Now and what a great gift it is. A guru is only an experienced student. There is never an end to learning.

Today it's time to let go. Let go of...... My self concepts, self constructs, self perceptions, fears, goals, hopes, selfishness, selflessness, barriers, worries, shoulds, woulds, why nots, must haves, coulds, can'ts, buts, she saids, he saids, what ifs, all the things that separate me from everything else. Its time to let life do the talking. Rather than the mind. Its time to feel that energy. Surfs up, are you ready?