Beyond Mindfulness: Andrew Holecek on Advancing Your Meditation Practice

More often than I can count, I have conversations with students asking me what’s next in their meditation practice, how to go deeper, or how to feel better in the toughest of times… and today, I am delighted to share a powerful conversation offering a few answers to these tough questions.Andrew Holecek is a returning guest to the podcast, as well as a renowned author and humanitarian who teaches internationally on spirituality, meditation, lucid dreaming, and the art of dying. His many books include Reverse Meditation and Dream Yoga. And now, he has a new book out - I’m Mindful, Now What? Moving Beyond Mindfulness to Meet the Modern World. This book, and our discussion today, reveals how the form of mindfulness many of us know is merely one thread in a much older, greater tapestry of contemplative practice. For anyone who has sensed the potential for something much deeper and more profound - this conversation is for YOU.Andrew and I talk about: * Brining meditation off the cushion and into our day-to-day experiences* Practices that move beyond simply “calming down” * The near enemies of practice, which include spiritual bypassing, spiritual materialism and the tricky distinction between tranquility and liberation. * Waking up vs. growing up* Five nocturnal meditation practices, the value of the dream state, and the magic of liminality.* Lastly and most importantly, we talk about why these practices matter when the world is on fire. At the end, Andrew shares a guided meditation that he does every morning to start off his day. Join me for this inspiring conversation and practice. And listeners, I need to know - should I have Andrew come back to tell us more about these dream practices?!?There is so much richness in this practice, here is a breakout of some of the key moments:01:32 The Five-Year Retreat Experience04:42 Beyond Mindfulness: Deeper Practices06:54 Shamatha and Vipashyana Explained12:18 The Importance of Waking Down15:48 Therapeutic and Somatic Support18:32 Traps on the Meditative Path24:16 Waking Up vs. Growing Up26:48 Nocturnal Meditations