Hi there,
If meditation or awakening has left you feeling more sensitive lately, you might have noticed it works both ways. The same openness that lets you feel more beauty, calm and connection can also leave you soaking up everything around you: tension in a room, someone else's bad mood, the constant noise of the news and social media.
We recommend this talk from meditation researcher Shamil Chandaria (of Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial, and an advisor to Google DeepMind) on what to do about it, and why nearly every tradition developed some method of "protection" along the path of awakening.
He uses a simple picture: think of yourself as a drum. When you're stuck in old habits, you only beat one stubborn rhythm, like a low mood or a worried buzz, and nothing else really reaches you. As you practise, that loosens up and you become far more open. The catch is that an open drum picks up every sound nearby, the good and the bad alike.
So the goal isn't just to open up. It's to learn to set your own tone first. Before you walk into the room, you sound your own clear note, whether that's calm, warmth, steadiness or joy, so you bring something to the space instead of just absorbing whatever is already there. This, he says, is what all the old tools were really for. A repeated phrase or mantra, steady breathing, even calling to mind a strong protective figure are all simple ways to settle yourself and hold your own.
And it's not about forcing yourself to be positive or pretending hard things aren't hard. It's the opposite. When you're steady enough in yourself, life's genuinely painful moments can move you towards compassion, rather than just knocking you flat.
If you'd like to go deeper, we're co-hosting an evening of live meditation and discussion with Shamil on Sunday 14 June, 6–8pm BST, online, with a recording sent to everyone who registers.
At the bottom of this email you will also find:
- 10% off the transformative Entheogenesis psilocybin retreat centre in the Netherlands
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FROM OUR PARTNERS
We are delighted to be partnering with the transformative Entheogenesis retreat centre in the Netherlands to offer unique legal psilocybin ceremonies, supported by comprehensive preparation and integration guidance for a safer and deeper experience.
Their approach builds a bridge between ancient plant medicine traditions and modern science-based practices. Curated by a team of experienced trauma-informed guides.
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