Awake In Relationship

055 There are few things in life more ephemeral than money. Those who seek an enduring happiness and freedom through a path of awakening often find themselves rich in spirit, but constantly struggling to keep the lights on, literally. This is especially true for creators, social entrepreneurs and heart based business owners who lead with their values. Survival and success requires that we first go...

054 The struggle to reconcile the better angels of our nature with powerful, earthly desires of the flesh is familiar to anyone on a spiritual path. Historically vilified and repressed by religious intuitions and the state, our sexual energy often hides in the shadows. Unexamined, it remains as a juvenile object of fascination or worse, a corrupting influence to avoid at all costs. The sexual revo...

053  Since time immemorial humans have danced in tribal and shamanic ceremonies for healing and social harmony.  The rhythmic beat of a djembe or a subwoofer connects us with the internal rhythm of the heart and entrains us with others. When we move together we co regulate our nervous systems in times of high stress. All over the planet the phenomena of ecstatic dance is breaking down barriers to...

052 For decades people have been leaving traditional religious institutions in droves to pursuit a more direct path to enlightenment through eastern practices like meditation and yoga.  In this lonely world it can be intoxicating to find a community that feels like home and provides a sense of safety and support to explore your spiritual longing in depth. If you are fortunate enough to connect wit...

051 In this episode of REWIND we revisit a conversation with relationship expert and coach Mel Cassidy focused on creating health boundaries.  Personal boundaries are a natural part of any relationship, but rarely are they discussed openly until a line has been crossed.   After Covid lockdowns many people have discovering their edge the hard way.  In this episode of AIR I speak with Mel Cassidy, a...

050 ON AIR is a short monologue where Silas digs deeper into some of relational themes covered on the podcast and current affairs, Artificial Intelligence is all the buzz after the release of Chat GBT4 by Open AI in the fall of 2022. This version caught many technologists by surprise as it was able to pass the bar exam, right code in seconds and engage in human like dialogue with ease. It is now p...

049 There are few personal growth paths harder than starting a business. Social entrepreneurs who care deeply about the relationships they have with their clients can find that the line between selling and serving sometimes gets blurry. Those new to business often under value their work and avoid marketing like the plague, limiting their income potential and impact in the world . In this episode I...

048  Just like the natural world the information ecosystem we rely on daily for important news and meaning making is under threat. The internet was supposed to democratize access to human knowledge and wisdom, Instead, once trusted gatekeepers of information and moral authorities have been replaced by millions of self appointed experts, online content creators and bots.  This has led to a prolifer...

047 The man box is a sociological term coined in the 1980s describing a rigid set of behaviours boys are expected to conform to become ‘real men’ in society, including aggression, dominance, mental and physical toughness, self sufficiency and emotional restraint. Dismantling this old map of masculinity has been important for moving closer to gender equality.  However, the absence of a clear vision...

046 As mammals we are intrinsically wired to experience pleasure, but how we actualize our desires in this modern age has never seemed more complex.  The pandemic times added a new layer of anxiety to the simple human need for intimacy and connection. Touch can be incredibly healing and transformative when mindfully offered and received fully.  Consent is an ongoing process of mutual agreements, r...

045 Trauma shapes the trajectory of life and relationships in profound and often long lasting ways. Most of the time the effects are hidden in the background of daily life and only come to surface in times of high stress. Many of us are walking wounded. One in two adults have experienced a major traumatic event.  Trauma can show up in mental health challenges and complex social problems like the o...

044 After a hiatus Awake In Relationship is back!  In this episode host Silas Rose talks about his personal bardo experience in the summer of 2022 and the vision for SEASON 2 of the podcast. In this short monologue Silas also discusses social fitness and the art of reconnecting in an age of constant distractions and dysregulation and the rise of a loneliness epidemic as our attention is increasing...

During the past couple of years our lives have been disrupted in ways we never thought possible. Having seamlessly transitioned from a global pandemic to major European land war with global implications you might be feeling some background anxiety about the future.  The spectre of fear always shows up in times of great transition when things are most fluid and uncertain. However, rather than freez...

042 Since the inception of Facebook in 2004 social media platforms have come to dominate both the marketing and information landscape by tapping into to the intimate human need for connection and community. In exchange for ‘free’ online services tech companies mine our personal data for extraordinary profits while turning ‘users’ into free content creators and dopamine addicts.  Even as the harmfu...

041 The longing for home and belonging runs deep, especially in times of crisis and change.  Home is a place of comfort and safety and the container of our dreams. However, comfort can also trap us in a thick cocoon made up of our habitual patterns, relationships and emotions cultivated over years and decades. To know our deeper purpose and truth we eventually need to give up the familiar referenc...

040 Next to home school is where children and teens spend most of their time. Teachers have a profound influence on their students, in a way that goes beyond the mere imparting of knowledge.  Educators are the ambassadors and elders of the culture, capable of passing on the positive values and aspirations of society, but also the collective anxieties and fears.  By tuning into the innate awareness...

039 The promise of online social platforms was access to an infinite pool of new friends and possible mates.  However, rather than making the search for love easier, the apps have trained our brains to select mates based on the shallowest metrics. For anyone with a heartfelt desire to find love the daily grind of swiping left and right can feel soul destroying. Authenticity and real intimacy requi...

038  Ecovillages are an innovative model of living that integrates the needs for affordable housing, livelihood and community into natural systems.  Intentional communities often begin with a powerful idealistic vision, but many fail when confronted with the realities of complex human relationships and power dynamics.  We evolved over thousands of years in intimate groups sharing resources, but no...

037  In this episode we celebrate Valentines day by digging into Awake In Relationship's back catalogue to replay an early interview about the Lover archetype with Indrus Piche.  There is nothing like a pandemic and 2 years of social distancing to make one yearn for the presence of the beloved. Regardless if one is single or partnered the lover archetype can be both a source of tremendous ins...

036 ON AIR is a pithy monologue by Silas Rose, the host of Awake In Relationship, exploring topics arising from guest interviews and current affairs.  In this segment Silas reintroduces the podcast for new listeners. February marks the 2 year anniversary of AIR. The show launched in the wake of some big personal losses and a global pandemic. The inspiration or 'why' of Awake In Relations...

Since the time of Cleisthenes and Pericles freedom has been the aspirational force behind the formation of democracies around the world. However, as history has shown the path to securing individual freedoms often comes at a high cost. Public health restrictions and mandates during the pandemic have challenged our constitutional rights in ways not seen since times of war.  As we enter year 3 of th...

034 The pandemic has highlighted some fundamental and often painful differences in worldview between nations, political parties, friends and family. As we enter a 5th wave polarization and fear can   undermine our collective ability to respond effectively to a changing world. According to contemplative psychology we all possess intrinsic health, a basic reservoir of sanity and compassion we can re...

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 li...

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.  By reawakening dormant skills and instincts...

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 ha...