Connection: Our Innate Human Desire

Connection: Our Innate Human Desire

Podcast Summary

Welcome to another enlightening episode of our podcast, “Connection – Our Innate Human Desire.” Today, we explore the multifaceted concept of connection, diving into how it manifests in relationships with others, bonds with animals, and, most importantly, our connection to ourselves. This episode centers around three main themes: understanding and accepting imperfection in awakening, the innate human desire for connection, and the role of presence in self-connection. Through personal anecdotes, reflective discussions, and practical advice, we aim to provide valuable insights into how embracing imperfection, seeking meaningful connections, and cultivating self-awareness can enhance overall well-being.

Understanding and Accepting Imperfection in Awakening

In our discussion, we challenge the common misconception that awakening equates to achieving a state of perpetual positivity or perfection. Instead, we emphasize that true awakening is about embracing the full spectrum of life experiences, including the negative and challenging ones. We share personal stories that illustrate how accepting imperfections has been a crucial part of our growth. Awakening involves being fully present and surrendered to whatever life brings, even the difficult moments. By working through resistance to negative experiences, we stay connected to the present moment and the flow of life.

Reflecting on our journeys, we highlight how life’s ups and downs have shaped our understanding of awakening. It’s a continuous process of self-discovery and transformation, rather than a final destination. By embracing life as it comes, with all its imperfections, we foster a deeper sense of presence and authenticity. This approach helps us navigate life’s challenges with greater resilience and a more profound connection to ourselves and the world around us.

Innate Human Desire for Connection

Connection is a fundamental human need that manifests in various forms throughout our lives. In this episode, we explore how this desire for connection influences relationships with others and bonds with animals. Feeling heard, understood, and a sense of belonging are essential components of human connection. We draw fascinating parallels between human and animal behaviors, noting how animals, such as geese, exhibit an inherent need to stay connected within groups.

Modern life, with its emphasis on social media, often creates a superficial sense of connection. However, true connection is found through deeper, more meaningful interactions and self-reflection. One of us shares a personal journey of searching for connection through substances, which ultimately led to the discovery of the profound sense of connection that comes from mindfulness and meditation practices. These practices help calm the mind and reveal a deeper sense of connection to something greater than ourselves.

Connecting with Oneself and the Role of Presence

The final theme of the episode focuses on self-connection and the role of presence in achieving it. We discuss practical tools and actions that can help individuals connect more deeply with themselves. Slowing down, being mindful, and engaging in practices that foster self-awareness are key to developing this connection. We emphasize the importance of moving through life at a slower pace and paying attention to physical sensations, such as the breath and the feeling of the ground beneath one’s feet. These actions create space for self-acceptance and connection.

We share our experiences with mindfulness and meditation, highlighting how these practices calm the mind and reveal the deeper self, or the “watcher.” This mindful awareness allows for a profound connection with the present moment, which is essential for true self-connection. While maintaining this connection amidst daily distractions and negative thoughts can be challenging, consistent practice and curiosity about inner experiences can help individuals cultivate a stronger, more resilient connection to themselves and others.

Conclusion

In conclusion, this episode of the podcast provides a comprehensive exploration of connection in its various forms. We highlight the importance of understanding and accepting imperfection in the process of awakening, recognizing and fulfilling the innate desire for connection, and cultivating a deep sense of presence to connect with oneself. By sharing personal stories and practical advice, we offer valuable tools to enhance well-being and foster meaningful connections in life. Whether through mindfulness practices, slowing down to be more present, or seeking deeper interactions with others, the journey toward connection is an ongoing process that enriches the human experience.

Thank you for joining us in this exploration of connection. We hope our insights inspire you to embrace life’s imperfections, seek meaningful connections, and cultivate a deep sense of presence in everyday life. Stay connected, stay present, and continue your journey of self-discovery and transformation

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Abdi Assadi is unlike any other healer or spiritual teacher ever encountered. He is an expert in martial arts, and a dynamic healer practicing a diverse array of Chinese and Eastern Medicine, indigenous shamanic rituals, and meditation techniques. With a clinical practice in New York City for almost 4 decades, Abdi has accumulated a vast knowledge of real life experience working with several thousands of individuals, guiding them through the most difficult times, and teaching them how to understand themselves. One of the greatest things about him is he merges the human psyche with the spiritual psyche.

Steeped in deep wisdom and insight that is rare to find on this planet in these modern times, Abdi has an extraordinary ability in perceiving and comprehending human souls and their individual psyche. Guided by the divine, Abdi guides you to open up and see beyond your limited Self, into your own soul. His impeccable discernment enables him to unleash personal remarks that pierce through your veil, statements that you will never forget and in an instant alter your perception of yourself and your reality.

– Quotes from Shadows on the Path by Abdi Assadi:


All spiritual masters teach us that love is an activity before it is a condition – and that love is all-encompassing.
Page 18


It felt like I was coming off a race track and driving in a school zone. He knew, years before I did, that my speed was my way of suppressing my early childhood anxiety, and that only slowing down could heal it.

Why do you need to use all these words like God and spirituality? It is right here Abdi, all around you, all the time
Page 40


one does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious.
Page 51


Ultimately it keeps grace out of our lives because we are using our will power to manipulate every event and person around us.
Page 74


His lesson, which I had begun to learn for myself, is that outside circumstances do not define our internal experience if we can surrender into them. Painful or undesirable situations will always arise; true suffering comes from our ego’s desire to resist life as it is.
Page 77


Note from Pernilla:
I met Abdi in the fall of 2014 and when I arrived in his office the first thing he said was, “It’s time that you stop carrying other people’s anxiety.” In the year that followed, my entrenched codependency patterns reared their ugly heads and I was confronted with a part of myself that I had never even known was there.

A few years later, Abdi said, “When are you going to start writing your book?”I looked at him in surprise. I was not a writer. My expertise was centered around creating crazy good Excel spreadsheets. However, I started writing and collecting notes about life issues and life experiences … and here we are a few years later.

Sally Kempton is a preeminent meditation teacher of our time.

She is an expert scholar in Hinduism and all Hindu texts especially in Kashmir Shaivisim. Formerly Swami Durgananda, she left monastic life in the 1980’s to teach publicly. She has written several books and is one of the most known and loved spiritual teachers in our time.

Note from Pernilla:

I met Sally at one of her workshops at City Yoga in LA in 2003. She had the most gentle and loving disposition, and I just wanted to always be around her. I was fortunate to have been part of her two year-long “Transformative journey” courses in 2006 and 2007 and many retreats ever since. She is the true representation of unconditional love and transmits intense shakti from her Guru Swami Muktananda.

Sally is the primary building block and foundation in my spiritual journey. Without her, I would have never found and stuck with meditation – the most transformative experience of my life. Without her, I would have been lost without a clue where to go next. Her wealth of knowledge of yogic philosophy and incredible understanding of the human condition is what makes her a force to be reckoned with.  She understands your depth and makes you feel seen, heard, validated, and deeply loved.