In this episode, Loch reconnects with meditation teacher and Deconstructing Yourself podcast host Michael Taft for a lively conversation about what happens after the first glimpse of awakening. Michael names a common source of confusion: some non-dual teachings stop at pure, spacious awareness and treat the world as a dream, while a fuller view finds awareness and appearances to be inseparable. Loch and Michael explore emptiness as interdependence, the Zen ox-herding pictures, and why most people need to unhook from thought before they can return to the world with open hearts. Loch shares how flow states and peak experiences can reveal the awake consciousness already within us, and leads a guided glimpse through the “problem solver” doorway. They also discuss why introducing the solution first helps people avoid getting flooded when the self is deconstructed, how awake awareness has its own intentionality and playful energy, and how parts work like IFS supports the liberation dimension of awakening, so that the awareness that can bear what seemed unbearable becomes the main healing agent.

Michael W. Taft is a meditation teacher, author, and host of the Deconstructing Yourself podcast. He teaches meditation courses, retreats, and one-on-one students worldwide, offering a broad range of practices held within a nondual orientation. From Zen temples in Japan to yogi caves in India, Michael has been meditating for over thirty-five years and has extensive experience in both Buddhist and Hindu Tantric practice. He is a co-founder of the Alembic center in Berkeley. He previously served as editor-in-chief of Being Human and was the long-time editorial director of Sounds True. Michael is the author of several books, including the bestselling The Mindful Geek. He lives with his family in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Mindful Glimpses
You can now explore all of Loch Kelly’s practices and teachings on the Mindful Glimpses mobile app, found at https://lochkelly.org/mindful-glimpses. This innovative meditation and wellness app offers daily micro-meditations, step-by-step programs, and simple-yet-advanced tools for awakening.

About Loch Kelly
Loch is the creator of the Mindful Glimpses app, and an award-winning author, psychotherapist, and nondual meditation teacher. He is also known for his unique practical methods that support awakening as the next natural stage of human development. Backed by modern neuroscience and psychology, Loch introduces Effortless Mindfulness, which combines an ancient form of nondual meditation and IFS psychology that allows immediate access to our embodied awake nature which arises as our calm, clear, and compassionate healing capacity.

Connect with Loch:

Mobile App: https://lochkelly.org/mindful-glimpses

Website: https://lochkelly.org/

Podcast: https://lochkelly.org/podcast

Donate: https://lochkelly.org/donate