Love is the power podcast

A commonly-held belief around desire is that, without it, we wouldn’t experience the beauty that life has to offer. In fact, we might not do anything at all, let alone seek the company of a loved one or the sight of a breathtaking sunset. According to Tom, this is why everyone is terrified of peace: because we believe that a peaceful existence is non-existence. In other words, would we even get of...

If you are like many of us, you have probably doubted your own goodness. You have probably lived many days believing that you are not good, not beautiful, not love. You also likely have some, maybe even ample, evidence to substantiate these doubts. Perhaps you are too angry to be good, too exhausted to be beautiful, or too bitter to be love. Whatever your story, allow it to share its life. Then th...

When the body is in pain or the mind in chaos, does the experience also have to be serious? Instead of just being what it is—painful, chaotic—does it also have to mean that you’re in trouble, that you’re a terrible person, that you don’t deserve anything good? It could be that the story of seriousness only magnifies our suffering: It focuses our energy on the things that are wrong. So, do you actu...

What does the imagery of the mirror point to in terms of who and what we truly are? The mirror is an instant, effortless, unconditional “yes” to whatever appears and disappears. Like the awareness that we are, the mirror says “yes” equally to an image of beautiful nature or an image of war. That is, it reflects both without agenda or judgment. The body-mind may make commentary on or choose to cond...

Could it be everything that happens on this planet is witnessed? As in, no one ever gets away with anything? Upon first consideration, this may appear to be wishful thinking. But what are the alternatives? Just notice what it's like to live in a world where life is unfair and people can get away with things. Perhaps you feel angry, immobilized, or like you need to hold onto a grudge forever. This...

Just the way it is | Caroline Corcoran 

Allow yourself, for a few moments, to be bored with the perceptions of thinking—with images, stories, feelings, and the perceptions of the world. Notice that when you allow yourself to be bored, you naturally begin to rest as the being that you are. The being that is undisturbed, imperturbable, and untouchable. If you doubt this is true, look to the body, emotions, and experiences for proof. What...

For a moment, experience yourself as the light that illuminates all experience. Can you allow everything to be just the way it is, without judgements, requirements, or demands that it be different? According to Tom, complete and utter unconditional allowance is one of the qualities of love—and of us. Even if you fear freedom, are living by rules, or carry the trauma of depression in your body, can...

It’s not a popular thing to say and it may not even be true, but could it be that there are no victims in the world? The good news is that we don’t have to know for sure to see how the belief affects us. What is your presence like when you believe there are victims? Do you feel that all is hopeless and yet you must do something about the situation? Who are you without the belief? Do you feel more...

This week, we welcome our friend, Freya Sandow, who has been behind the scenes of the podcast for some time now.  Whether you are parenting children or re-parenting your inner-child, recognizing the patterns of old conditioning can be a helpful exercise. Like so many of us, you may have been taught the religion of right and wrong, or you may have been disciplined by the threat of punishment and th...

“I want things to be different than the way they are.” Is that true? We’ve long experimented with wanting things to be different as a path to a better, fuller, more peaceful life, but have we ever stopped to question how that’s been working for us? This week’s meditation invites us to see why we might be compelled to hold onto this ineffective tendency or tactic. Perhaps holding on allows us to fe...

When you receive alarming news, such as a diagnosis for yourself or a loved one, do you notice your mind scaring you with worst-case scenario thoughts, feelings, and images? What about suffering? Does your mind make up rules such as “it would be insensitive and uncaring for you not to suffer through this experience?” Luckily, the mind is using the same old tricks it always uses, and you can be don...

Is it true, in reality, that there are rules for how you have to show up in the world? Imagine going about living your life exactly the way you want, without giving anyone a good reason as to why. Many of us have bought into the story that we need to follow the world’s rules and justify our every move, but is that really true? This week's episode invites us to see our dependency on other people's...

Spiritual bypassing is the tendency to use spiritual principles or practices to avoid facing unresolved issues. Sometimes this tendency—whether in ourselves or others—gives rise to another tendency: that of taking on the role of the spiritual bypass police. As Tom puts it, "this is a terrible job," for we often lose our peace and lose sight of the truth that people are free to use spiritual concep...

One of the big confusions on this planet is that my freedom interferes with yours. We assume that freedom is in relation to bodies, the desires of the mind, or other aspects of the phenomenal world. But what if our freedom is actually in relation to "what is?" None of us are free to turn the "what is" of each moment into our personal fantasy, but we are all free to deal with that "what is" in what...

Is there a relationship, career milestone, or personal goal you would like to experience? Yet also some kind of internal—and perhaps subconscious—tension in the way of your meeting that experience? This is the power of an unquestioned story. Without examination, a stressful belief can result in our not being entirely open to the experience we claim to want. If you feel ready to be honest with your...

Could it be the belief "I need to make a decision" is ultimately a story of lack? For to need anything implies that something is inherently missing. What if no decision ever needs to be made? What if instead, we simply need to see where we are and go from there? Overwhelm, confusion, the sensation of "efforting" - perhaps they are not required to receive the effortless, choiceless truth of this mo...

Most of us operate under the assumption that in order for good things to happen, we need people to think good of us. But is that really true? What about when dinner ends up on the table even though Mom is disappointed? Or when a friend shows up even after a big fight? Perhaps we don't need to manage how others see and experience us. Perhaps we simply do the best we can and that is enough. Who woul...

Intuitively, we understand that all things come to pass. Yet this recognition fades to the background when the thrill of finding a special someone or something is on the horizon. Can you absolutely know that something is missing in your life? Who would you be without that story? Join us as we consciously welcome our entire history of disappointment and consider letting go of everything - including...

Could it be you don't need to know why anything happens? Including why the world is the way it is and why you are the way you are? What if things just happen because they do and the best possible thing is always what's happening? In this episode, you're invited to leave who you imagine yourself to be behind to experience the truth of who and what you are.  Until love is satisfied by Caroline Corco...

One of the mind's many habits is imaging the body as a container. Yet, could it be more true that the beingness that we are is the space within which the body dwells and not the reverse? This week's episode approaches how to work with images, sensations, and feelings of the body as they appear and disappear. Especially when they seem to be "in the way" of experiencing our unconditionally welcoming...

Could it be that any time our safety is dependent on someone keeping their word—even ourselves keeping our own word—we move into a master-slave relationship? It can be terrifying to live the freedom that we are and acknowledge that freedom in others too. This week's episode is a deep-dive into all things agreements, dependency, and control. Who would we be without the story that we have to do anyt...

It can be startling to recognize that there are things we like about the stories that lead to our suffering. Being important, feeling justified, or simply having something to do can be enough of an incentive to hold on to the pain of the past or of an imagined future. In this week's episode, we take a look at some of our favorite victim stories and get honest about the payoffs and the costs.   Unt...

The Work helps us see just how insidious the tricks of the mind can be. Seemingly “positive” beliefs can turn out to be as stressful and destructive as the obviously negative ones. Even healthy images of how we think life should look, when compared against reality, can end up causing suffering rather than the positive change we are hoping for. In this week’s episode, we call the mind’s bluff and o...

Another way to look at our stressful thinking is as unconscious experiments with the truth. As Tom puts it, once we make the stressful thoughts conscious, we can assess whether or not their effects are working for us. In other words, we can see if our experiments lead us to trust or doubt the goodness that we are. In this episode, we explore the commonly held story “I need my goodness to be seen i...