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40 contributions to Shangriballa - Non Dual Group
6h •
Shangriballa Method - Non Dual Therapy
Hello, Shangriballa Family! I have a feeling many of you will be as excited about this as Patrick and I are. We've heard countless times how much the Trauma-Informed Non-Dual sessions at our retreats have helped you gain not only profound insights but also integrate them upon returning home. It's the critical link between the cushion and real life, right? Well, we took those deep-dive sessions and recorded them! We packaged them up so you can revisit the wisdom, or catch up on what you might have missed. Think of it as your ongoing integration support, available right here in our classroom. Here’s what you get: - Part 1: The Blueprint of Trauma. We explore what it means to be trauma-informed and understand the very foundations of how the separate self creates and holds trauma, - Part 2: Connecting the Threads. This is where the magic happens! We examine closely how trauma affects every aspect of your life and skillfully connect those threads to the core understanding of non-duality. - Part 3: Working with the Body. It's not enough to just know this stuff. This final piece shows you how to bring all this information together, embodying it and working with it actively in yourself to dissolve the mist. Who gets access? This entire three-part workshop is a gift for our retreat alumni. If you've joined us at a Shangriballa retreat, drop a comment below saying 'Access, please!' and I'll personally grant you entry. Don't let those amazing insights fade; keep the integration flowing! What part of the trauma work did you find most helpful at your retreat?" https://www.skool.com/shangriballa/classroom/a3ed6c1e?md=229b53aa895c48e08cebe9f0922c7d0a
0 likes • 2h
@Michael Finch Granted
0 likes • 2h
@Stacy Townsend Granted
11d •
Understanding Trauma by Patrick Boulan
Non-Duality and Trauma. This article by Patrick forms part of a more extended discussion in our classroom, "Shangriballa Method" Understanding Trauma and integrating it is very much part of non-dual states of awareness. It is essential to understand that trauma is not in the event we have to face, but in the unfinished response of our nervous system and emotions to that event. Trauma can be the consequence of a shock in the face of an extreme or harrowing situation, but it can also be the consequence of a more gradual process when a child is faced with adversity, or when their needs are not met, or when they are hurt. This is known as developmental or complex trauma. Etymologically, the word trauma comes from the Greek Trauma, which means injury. But the injury is not in what happened to us but in what happened within us in reaction to what happened to us. We can, therefore, define trauma as a fixation or blockage of our nervous system's natural response to a situation that threatens our physical, psychological, emotional, or energetic balance. When faced with a highly adverse situation, the autonomic nervous system triggers a chain reaction that sets up a fight, flight, or freeze response. This reaction simultaneously creates significant energy charges in the body and a range of emotions. But if the situation is perceived as too dangerous or unsettling, or if it generates too high a level of insecurity, or if it causes an internal reaction that is experienced as too strong, too violent, too intense, or too disturbing, or if it leaves us feeling too helpless or destabilised, then our whole being contracts around the experience because we feel threatened in our ability to restructure ourselves or to survive. Because of this contraction, the response initiated by the nervous system to the situation remains constrained and cannot be fully executed. The nervous system can no longer work towards its return to equilibrium and its regulation. Furthermore, the energy charges, emotions, and feelings evoked by the system's activation cannot unfold normally either and are prevented or repressed, unable to find their resolution.
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29d •
Non-Duality: From the Mountaintop to Your Laptop
Isn't it funny how some concepts, which once felt so far away, are now popping up everywhere? It's as if non-duality is having its moment, suddenly appearing in podcasts, on social media, and in various spiritual circles. We've got to wonder what it even means to us, here and now, in the middle of our chaotic, modern lives. Non-duality, a simple idea with a big history, literally means "not two." It's the understanding that there's no fundamental separation between you and everything else, between the observer and the observed, or between the self and the universe. A hundred years ago, this concept was mostly reserved for mystics and monks in remote monasteries. It was something you dedicated your entire life to, often giving up worldly possessions and human connections to pursue. The non-duality of a century past was often about escaping the material world to find a deeper, singular truth. But today, the conversation is different. It's more about how to live this truth right here, in the messy, dualistic world we inhabit. We aren't all moving to a mountaintop. We're trying to figure out how to be "not two" while paying bills, raising kids, and navigating social media. This is where the struggle comes in. It's easy to read a book or listen to a talk and feel a glimmer of non-duality, but putting it into practice is a different matter. That's a whole other story. Here are some challenges: - The "I" is Sticky: We've spent our entire lives building up this identity, this "I," with all its stories, preferences, and fears. Suddenly being told it's not real, that it's just a concept, can feel disorienting and even threatening. How do you go to work and get things done if there's no "doer"? - Emotions vs. Detachment: Non-dual teachings can sometimes be misinterpreted as being emotionless or apathetic. People worry that if they don't experience anger or sadness about things, they won't be able to stand up for themselves or others. Non-duality isn't about getting rid of emotions; it's about seeing them for what they are, just passing sensations, without letting them run the show.
5 likes • 28d
@Shanita Cesaire You're welcome dear sister. And thank you for sharing your story . It takes a lot of courage to talk about where you're really stuck, and what you've described is something so many people wrestle with. It's easy to feel the oneness when you're looking at a sunset or hugging someone you love. The real work begins when you're faced with someone who feels like an emotional storm cloud. When your aunt is bullying you, your ego is screaming, "This is happening to me! I am a victim, and she is the enemy!" This feeling is completely natural. It’s the fight or flight response kicking in, and it's built on a foundation of separation. Trying to find oneness with a bully isn't about ignoring the pain or pretending the bullying isn't happening. That would be spiritual bypassing, and it’s not helpful or healthy. The point isn't to say, "Oh, this bullying is part of the flow of life, so I'll just accept it and let her walk all over me." Absolutely not. You need to protect yourself, and that might mean setting boundaries, limiting contact, or even cutting her out of your life completely if possible. The crossover you're looking for, the place where non-duality can help, isn't in your relationship with her, but in your relationship with your own experience. The non-dual perspective would ask you to look at the feeling of being bullied itself. That tightness in your chest, the anger, the frustration—those feelings are happening within you, but they are not you. Instead of seeing yourself as a separate "victim" and her as a separate "bully," you can observe the whole situation, including your feelings, without getting lost in the story. You can acknowledge the pain, and at the same time, recognize that it’s a temporary sensation flowing through your consciousness. Here's how I think about it: Imagine you are the ocean. Your feelings about your aunt are just waves on the surface. Some waves are gentle, like your love for nature. Other waves are stormy and violent, like the bullying. The ego gets fixated on the storms, believing the whole ocean is chaos. But the truth is, the ocean is always there, vast and calm underneath. The storms come and go. When you feel stuck, try to remember the depths.
1 like • 28d
@Paul Buxton You've already hit on some of the key benefits, the equanimity, the lessened fear, the greater appreciation for life. Those are big shifts . They're not just abstract ideas; they change the way we move through the world. The "so what" is in the subtle but powerful shift from feeling like a tiny boat being thrown around by massive waves to realizing you are the entire ocean, waves and all. It's a fundamental change in your relationship to suffering, your own and others. This brings us to your most honest and difficult point about compassion. How can we feel sympathy for someone who commits horrific acts? It's important to remember that non-duality doesn't mean you condone harmful actions. It doesn't mean you stop trying to protect people or seek justice. You can absolutely be against an action without seeing the person as fundamentally separate from yourself. Think of it like this. Think of a fever. A fever is a symptom of an illness, and you want to treat the disease. You don't hate the fever; you understand it as a manifestation of a deeper problem or your immune system. Similarly, from a non-dual perspective, destructive behaviour isn't some evil force floating on its own. It's a manifestation of pain, ignorance, or a brokenness in the system. Seeing this doesn't excuse the behaviour, but it can shift your feeling from personal hatred to a more profound, more impersonal compassion for the brokenness itself. You can still work to stop the behaviour and protect others, but you're doing so from a place of wisdom rather than pure rage. Ultimately, living with non-duality is a practice, not a destination. It's about remembering that we are all part of the same grand, strange, beautiful, and sometimes terrible dance of life. The "so what" isn't an answer you find one day It's a continuous exploration. much love and thank you for sharing. x
29d •
Integration Call Sunday
If you cant make the Integration call, but have questions please post them here and we will answer them for you, the calls are recorded for the Skool community only.
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29d •
Psychedelics and Non-hallucinogenic Analogs Work Through the Same Receptor, Up to a Point
Understanding exactly how psychedelics promote new connections in the brain is critical to developing targeted, non-hallucinogenic therapeutics that can treat neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric diseases. To achieve this, researchers are mapping the biochemical pathways involved in both neuroplasticity and hallucinations. In new research led by the University of California, Davis, researchers found that non-hallucinogenic versions of psychedelic drugs promote neuroplasticity through the same biochemical pathway as psychedelics. However, unlike psychedelics, they don’t activate genes long thought to be key players in that process. The research, published Aug. 4 in Nature Neuroscience, compared the biochemical pathways activated by the hallucinogenic compound 5-MeO-DMT and its non-hallucinogenic analog tabernanthalog (TBG). “The prevailing hypothesis in the field was that psychedelics promote neuroplasticity by causing this big burst of glutamate in the brain, which then turns on intermediate early genes,” said David E. Olson, director of the Institute for Psychedelics and Neurotherapeutics and a professor of chemistry and of biochemistry and molecular medicine at UC Davis. “We now know that non-hallucinogenic compounds like TBG can promote neuroplasticity without inducing a glutamate burst or immediate early gene activation.” “This work challenges the current dogma in the field,” said John A. Gray, a co-author of the study and the associate director of the Institute for Psychedelics and Neurotherapeutics as well as a professor in the Center for Neuroscience at UC Davis. The team found that TBG promotes neuroplasticity by activating the same psychedelic receptor as 5-MeO-DMT, but the difference is the extent of the activation. The researchers also provide the first direct evidence that a non-hallucinogenic psychedelic analog like TBG, produces sustained antidepressant-like effects through the growth of dendritic spines in the brain’s prefrontal cortex.
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