Ep161: Natural Meditation - Beth Upton 2

Guru Viking Podcast

In this interview I am once again joined by Beth Upton, meditation teacher, ex-nun, and student of renowned meditation master Pa Auk Sayadaw. Beth shares her emphasis on meditation with the natural rhythms of the body and reveals how she deals with students who experience low motivation, psychological challenges, and even psychosis as a result of meditation practice. Beth also discusses her own relationship difficulties after disrobing as a nun, why she embarked on special communication trainings to address them, and explains why erotic feeling diminishes as one becomes more enlightened. … Video version: www.guruviking.com/podcast/161-natural-meditation-beth-upton-2 Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’. … Topics Include: 00:00 - Intro 00:43 - Beth’s Sanditthika meditation community in Spain 04:16 - Different modes of community 07:36 - Meditation with one’s natural rhythm 10:45 - The structure at Pa Auk monastery 12:04 - Resting for the first few days of retreat 14:35 - Working with low motivation to practice 17:30 - Facing challenging mental and emotional states during retreat 19:47 - Psychosis on retreat 21:34 - Common teacher mistakes when dealing with emotional states and psychosis 23:12 - Fear of litigation and criticism 27:14 - Scandal, transparency, and patriarchal models 31:57 - Living in harmony with nature 33:12 - Relationships after leaving monasticism 40:12 - Does enlightenment eliminate erotic function? 41:58 - Begin in a relationship with an enlightened person 43:49 - Tantric and kundalini practices 47:05 - The value of relational and communication practices 48:14 - Meditation isn’t enough to heal relational patterns 52:04 - Beth’s training in relational practices 53:20 - Truth in relationship 55:32 - Balancing retreat practice and practice in life 58:51 - Off-cushion meditation toolkit 01:01:09 - Beth’s personal practice rhythm 01:03:48 - Sense restrain is a gift to oneself 01:06:00 - The consequences of indulgence … Previous episode with Beth Upton: - https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep138-trained-as-a-nun-beth-upton … To find out more about Beth Upton, visit: - https://bethupton.com/ - https://www.sanditthika.org/ … For more interviews, videos, and more visit: - www.guruviking.com