Awake In Relationship

033 According to the Tibetan Book of the Dead a bardo is a period of great transition and uncertainty.  Change is an inevitable part of life, but often when it comes to the BIG changes like a divorce, a career change, the death of a parent or a pandemic we often freeze or panic. Time spent in a bardo cuts to the core of who we are and tests our resolve to stay present in the midst of what feels like chaos...

032 Despite an abundance of connectivity in the digital age, finding love online can be elusive. Time on dating apps often be a frustrating roller coaster ride of hope and fear. The ability to bypass the algorithms and spark connections with strangers in the real world might seem like a superpower. However, as humans we evolved to be social to survive...

O31 In exchange for so called free services like Google products, social media, or online dating apps we offer in return our most precious asset - our attention.  Most people in the western world now spend 11 or more hours a day online.  Attention is a zero sum game. The more time we spend doom scrolling on Twitter or creating, consuming and sharing online content the less focus and empathy we have left over for the people in our lives...

030 As mammals we are wired for pleasure, but how we actualize our desires has never seemed more complex.  The pandemic has added new layers of anxiety to the simple human need for intimacy and connection. Touch can be healing and transformative when mindfully given and received.  Consent is an ongoing process of agreements rather than a destination.  As partners in pleasure it is possible to move beyond old wounds and expand our capacity for joy...

029 ON AIR is a pithy monologue by the host of Awake In Relationship Silas Rose  featuring commentary on  topics arising from interviews and current affairs.  As we enter the fourth wave of the global pandemic polarization threatens to derail the public health response and divide family and friends...

028 Dancing is something shared among all cultures to express joy and foster deep connection. How we move our body to music, especially with others can be very vulnerable and invoke awkward feelings and fear.  Think Elaine Benis dancing at the staff party on the sitcom Seinfeld. Like any mindfulness practice dance goes deep and sometimes shows us where we are stuck and need to move...

027 Returning to ‘normal’ after the collective trauma of the global pandemic will take more than a vaccine. Hyper vigilance and fear of can narrow our window of tolerance for connection and prevent us from forming new healthy relationships. The ability to be fully present with others depends on a safe and empathetic container.  Compassionate exchange is a practice of reconnecting to the body, letting go of emotional reactivity and communicating from the heart...

026  For close to a year forest activists in the Fairy Creek watershed have been defending the last unprotected stand of coastal old growth on Southern Vancouver Island.  Fairy Creek is the latest salvo in a conflict that goes back decades...

025 To thrive in an uncertain world kids need to develop the capacity to be resilient in the face of change. Wild places are the ultimate training ground for youth to cultivate inner strength, interpersonal skills and a love of the natural world. However, with more of life being lived online many parents struggle to get their children off devices and into the outdoors...

024 The longing to love and be loved is a universal human experience that can inspire great joy or plunge us into the deepest psychological hell.  Our expectations about a romantic partner are often unrealistic and locate the source of love as external to us...