Hey everyone. Let's start with a simple question that can change how you see the world. We all have this feeling of "me," right? A separate person living in our head. Non-duality says that the feeling of being an individual "me" is more like a story our mind tells us, not the whole reality. When we start to see that story as just a story, a deep sense of connection and peace can show up. - You're the awareness—the space where thoughts and feelings happen, not the thoughts and feelings themselves. - The "me" is a concept. It's like a character in a movie, and the real you is the screen everything plays on. Unaffected by the stories that appear on it. - You're not alone. Everything is interconnected, and seeing through the illusion of separation reveals that connection. - So, here's a challenge: for the rest of today, notice the feeling of "me" without judgment. When the thought "I'm hungry" pops up, ask, "Who is noticing this thought?" What did you discover when you did this, or please share other practices that you find helpful?

THE PROCESS OF EMOTIONAL INTEGRATION: A PATH TO REALISATION ( Patrick Boulan) When we face a difficult situation, a challenge, or a conflict, and this situation brings forth strong emotions or feelings within us, along with a high level of inner turmoil, it's most often because our nervous system reactivates energy charges corresponding to old, unintegrated emotions. When the nervous system activates in this way, it operates in "survival" mode, locked into its automatic response mechanisms to the perceived threat (primary responses are fight or flight, then the system freezes if we can't implement either of these options). In this activation, the intensity of the energy is so strong that it leads us to regress into older parts of our psyche – those wounded parts connected to the unresolved emotions we are experiencing – and to behave as if what these wounded parts perceive is reality. As long as we remain in this state of identification, we are trapped in cycles of action and reaction, where everything we do aims to suppress the activated emotions and feelings. Furthermore, identification leads us to believe that our emotions tell us something true about the situation (and for the mind, this can only be true since our feelings confirm it). As a result, the thoughts and emotions loop remains constantly activated and continues to fuel the emotion with energy, maintaining the system's activation. This prevents us from gaining the necessary perspective to recognise that the emotion speaks of the past, not the present situation. When these emotions don't activate, they remain latent, as if hidden, lodged in our body and energy system in the form of charges, tensions, and contractions. They will crystallise even in our cells, which then reproduce with this energetic imprint, thus transmitting traumatic memories from generation to generation. Generally, we are so invested in the activity of thoughts and in maintaining our personality structure that we don't consciously feel these emotions and feelings. Yet, we have an intuition of their Presence, as thought constantly processes this information, seeking its resolution in our relationship with the outside world. However, we often remain terrified at the idea of engaging with them, imagining that delving deeply within ourselves will awaken something bad and dysfunctional, causing us to sink or annihilate ourselves. These fears keep our attention fixed on the periphery of our Being: in the mental activity that creates and maintains the sense of personality and in the construction of the innumerable strategies and mechanisms that this personality generates to try to compensate for or keep all these memories at a distance.

"The Wisdom of Trauma" is a powerful and impactful documentary featuring Dr. Gabor Maté, a renowned physician, author, and expert in addiction, trauma, and childhood development. The film challenges conventional understandings of mental illness, addiction, and chronic disease by proposing that trauma is at their root. Here's a breakdown of the key themes and explanations presented in the video: 1. Redefining Trauma: 2. The Interconnectedness of Trauma, Addiction, and Illness: 3. The Body-Mind Connection: 4. A Call for a Trauma-Informed Society: 5. Healing Through Connection and Authenticity: In essence, "The Wisdom of Trauma" aims to raise global awareness about the pervasive and often unrecognized impact of trauma. It invites viewers to shift from "what's wrong with you?" to "what happened to you?" and offers a hopeful vision of individual and collective healing rooted in compassion and understanding.

A special, heartfelt welcome to the nine new members who just completed our transformational July Retreat! Your presence here is a testament to incredible courage and a deep commitment to personal growth. You've not only dedicated yourselves to working on your awareness but have also bravely opened up to new insights. Remember, the wisdom gained from each lesson, the release from every tear, and the exhilaration of every breakthrough ripple out to benefit everyone in our community. The Shangriballa method is all about guiding you back to your true self and a profound sense of peace, and we're so excited to see how you'll continue to blossom within this supportive space.

I am excited to share a talk I had with Paul today. He shares some of his experiences from the retreats, and we discuss integration. VIDEO