In this episode, I strongly encourage you to look at the beliefs you’re living by.

There may be conflicting beliefs. You may believe things you swear you don’t believe. The only way to know – and for those beliefs to change – is to honestly and eagerly look and be willing to see what’s there.

***

I will be leading a Silent Retreat in Taos, New Mexico, February 22-27. 

The retreat will provide a supportive space for you to steep in your essential being. You’ll immerse in what’s always here, unchanging, beyond the pull of thoughts, feelings and identities, in the absence of everyday distractions and conditioning.

The retreat is small, so space is limited. You can check out all the details at dramyjohnson.com/newmexico/

The post EP388: Beliefs you live by but didn’t choose appeared first on Dr. Amy Johnson.

In this episode, I speak to a question from a listener who says she chooses romantic partners who are not right for her because – in her words – they make her feel more worthy. 

I talk her through some of the ways she can examine this pattern in depth, noticing the beliefs behind her behaviors, so she can see this with more objectivity and ultimately so it can change.

***

I will be leading a Silent Retreat in Taos, New Mexico, February 22-27. 

The retreat will provide a supportive space for you to steep in your essential being. You’ll immerse in what’s always here, unchanging, beyond the pull of thoughts, feelings and identities, in the absence of everyday distractions and conditioning.

The retreat is small, so space is limited. You can check out all the details at dramyjohnson.com/newmexico

The post EP387: Choosing the wrong relationships: A question from a listener appeared first on Dr. Amy Johnson.

There is a lot of talk about prevention in the physical health world. It makes sense to prevent physical health problems when possible.

Does this extend to emotional health?

Can we prevent emotional discomfort? Does it make sense to try? 

Or is it safe to “wear your heart on your sleeve”, even when the world may be warning you against that?

***

Join me for a live, free, 2-hour class: The Silence at the Heart of Everything: Rediscovering What Never Changes on Monday, November 10th

In the class I’ll talk about the silence and stillness at the center of all things as well as several common benefits of prolonged time in silence. 

I’ll also tell you a bit about my upcoming Silent Retreats and answer your questions. Then we’ll have a quick break and an optional 30 minute guided-meditation-turned-silent-sitting together to give you a tiny taste of what’s possible. 

Register for the live class at dramyjohnson.com/silenceclass

The post EP378: Prevention appeared first on Dr. Amy Johnson.

One function of thought appears to be creating continuity– the sense of a solid me, traveling through time. You, your life, the thoughts, feelings, and experiences that arise, often feel familiar. We feel stuck in repeating patterns, saying things like “I’m back here again” and “This always happens to me”. 

At the same time, when we really look, is anything ever truly repeated? 

In a very real way, despite the sense of continuity created by the mind, have you ever really felt this exact feeling before? Has this experience ever actually happened? 

The implications of this realization are profound. Suffering happens when we think we know. But if everything that arises is brand new and therefore unknown and unknowable, is there suffering? 

The post EP290: You’ve Never Felt This Before appeared first on Dr. Amy Johnson.

This episode of Changeable was inspired by a goal one of my private coaching clients shared with me.

Her goal for our coaching was to feel a particular way when faced with a particular work situation. 

While I don’t know that our time together can deliver what her mind says it wants–that specific  feeling–I’m pretty certain it can help her be less reactive. I’m certain it can help her care less about which thoughts and feelings are showing up at all. And I think that’s what she really wants anyway.

I’ll share my reflections on how and why we feel pulled around by thoughts and feelings, and the direction we can look in to begin to unravel this. 

The post EP289: How to be Less Reactive appeared first on Dr. Amy Johnson.

Today’s episode explores a question from a listener who says she has been stuck in a sense of nostalgia for years.

She’s convinced that it’s all downhill from here. 

This may be one of my favorite episodes. The questions she asks opened the door to look at what nostalgia is, what the past and future are, etc, in a very deep way. I hope this discussion opens the door for you to see the things that seem so solid and real in a somewhat new way.

The post EP288: I’m Stuck in a Feeling of Nostalgia: A Question from a Listener appeared first on Dr. Amy Johnson.

In this episode, Helen Amery and I discuss “authentic expression”, or just “being as you are”.

The veil that appears to be in the way of our experience of simply being as we are is perhaps not as thick as it feels. And that veil, when it’s felt, is here to be felt. We feel our way through it. 

We also discuss the sometimes tricky situation of expressing ourselves with people in our lives once we have a sense that everything we want to express is creative, reflective thought. Helen coaches me through the stumbling block I have around expressing “my thoughts” when I’m annoyed with my husband. 

At the end of the episode, Helen talks about The Enlightenment Event, an incredible 10 month event with a variety of teachers doing workshops on all aspects of awakening. I’m honored to be one of the teachers in this event. It will be a very unique event with a lot of interaction and support. I highly recommend you check it out! https://wildfigsolutions.co.uk/2024/01/03/the-enlightenment-event-feb-to-nov-24/

The post EP287: Authentic Expression with Helen Amery appeared first on Dr. Amy Johnson.

This week’s episode is a talk I gave about the difference between reality and imagination.

Reality is what’s alive in your sensory experience right now.

It’s seeing, hearing, feeling, smelling and tasting. What also might be alive right now is thought. The content of that thought is what I’m calling imagination. It’s the concepts, images, stories and narratives that are, well, alive only in imagination. 

Reality has an aliveness that imaginary thought forms seem to lack. Reality is illuminated, immediate, and alive. 

We all live in imagination at times and that’s fine. It’s just really, really helpful to know the difference.

The post EP286: Reality vs. Imagination appeared first on Dr. Amy Johnson.

In this episode, Change Coach Alex Linares and I discuss turning toward everything.

Thoughts. Questions. Doubt. Discomfort. Seeking.

We explore how subtle, immediate, and complete everything is (which, not surprisingly, is the exact opposite of how thought often portrays it). We feel this completeness when we immerse in it. 

We discuss how questions, doubts and seeking burn themselves out when we invite them to be exactly as they are.  All experience is safe and complete exactly as it is. 

I highly recommend hiring Alex if you’re looking for support for something you’re going through, or to explore the nature of experience in a very deep way. To see more about her and her offerings, go to https://canaimacoaching.com. 

The post EP285: The completeness of everything  appeared first on Dr. Amy Johnson.

I hear a lot of people not wanting to fully give up identification with thought. 

They get that not all thought is true, but some of it is, right?

Or they get that thought is reflective and narrative, but we need it for practical tasks, right?

These are very natural, innocent thoughts. And, there can be an element of fear in them. A sense of wanting to hold onto something that appears known and certain. 

If no thought were ever true and thought was absolutely unneeded, then what? Exploring that question can allow us to see much more than keeping one foot firmly planted in the thought-camp. 

***

Beginning January 10th, I’ll be leading a brand new course: The Welcoming What Arises Workshop. 

In the workshop we’ll lean in together, learning to fully embrace the felt sensations of life. I have found this way of going straight into the physical to be incredibly powerful and freeing.

I would love for you to join us for this workshop! Go to https://www.dramyjohnson.com/welcomingclass to learn more and sign up! 

***

The 2024 Change Coach Training Program is now enrolling! The course begins in January and is THE most complete, supportive training around. See all the details and save your seat in this intimate group training at https://www.dramyjohnson.com/coachtraining

The post EP284: Thought isn’t needed appeared first on Dr. Amy Johnson.

Change Coach Bill DeKramer and I talk allll about feeling in this episode!

Bill shares a metaphor that came to him in his work with clients about waking a sleeping dog and how that relates to how we are with the emotions that arise.

We discuss triggers, how every feeling is absolutely perfect, saying YES to all experience, what it’s like to feel what’s here free of any labels, how the inside-out understanding helped Bill feel with far more freedom, and so much more. 

Bill has some amazing insights about welcoming what arises and we go into this in a deep way in this episode.

If you want to see more about Bill, his website is https://www.billdekramer.com/. Bill also coaches around health alongside his wife, Connie. Their website (full of recipes, videos, and other natural health resources) is https://www.amazinghealtheffortlessly.com/

***

Beginning January 10th, I’ll be leading a brand new course: The Welcoming What Arises Workshop. 

In the workshop we’ll lean in together, learning to fully embrace the felt sensations of life. I have found this way of going straight into the physical to be incredibly powerful and freeing.

I would love for you to join us for this workshop! Go to https://www.dramyjohnson.com/welcomingclass to learn more and sign up! 

***

The 2024 Change Coach Training Program is now enrolling! The course begins in January and is THE most complete, supportive training around. See all the details and save your seat in this intimate group training at https://www.dramyjohnson.com/coachtraining

The post EP283: Meeting what arises with love and compassion with Bill DeKramer appeared first on Dr. Amy Johnson.

Today’s episode is the replay of a webinar I recently held with Rohini Ross on how the way we work with people and the way we mentor others to work with people is rooted in awakening from the illusion of the separate self rather than bettering things for who we take ourselves to be.

I discuss the me-and-my-life paradigm that is dominant. From the perspective of a separate me with a life, suffering is inevitable. Huge ups and downs are inevitable. Hope, disappointment, and seeking are inevitable. It can’t really be any other way when we feel like a separate me with a life to manage. 

There is no winning the me-and-my-life game because everything we’re chasing is constantly changing.

Our coaching looks in a totally different direction, toward awakening from that illusion. It’s not agenda-based or about bettering anything. It’s immediate. It’s about waking up to what is here now, in reality rather than in imagination (i.e., someday).

Rohini’s sharing is really beautiful in this conversation. Enjoy!

The post EP282: Coaching and the Illusion of the Separate Self  appeared first on Dr. Amy Johnson.

Do you ever feel like you hate yourself? 

And do you sense the stigma around that feeling? When people share with me that they hate themselves, they often lower their voice and look around as if they are about to be hauled away. 

But who is this self that’s hated and who is the hater? 

What if feeling self-hatred and inauthenticity is actually super insightful? What if it suggests you’re seeing things quite clearly, actually?

***

Beginning January 10th, I’ll be leading a brand new course: The Welcoming What Arises Workshop. 

In the workshop we’ll lean in together, learning to fully embrace the felt sensations of life. I have found this way of going straight into the physical to be incredibly powerful and freeing.

I would love for you to join us for this workshop! Go to https://www.dramyjohnson.com/welcomingclass to learn more and sign up! 

***

The 2024 Change Coach Training Program is now enrolling! The course begins in January and is THE most complete, supportive training around. See all the details and save your seat in this intimate group training at https://www.dramyjohnson.com/coachtraining

The post EP281: Inauthenticity and self-hatred appeared first on Dr. Amy Johnson.

How – and why – communicate how you’re feeling with someone else?

Dropping into the inner landscape and opening to what’s there…the thoughts, sensations, emotions, and beliefs that are present…and then expressing those to another person feels infinitely helpful.

And it feels like something we often shy away from for any number of reasons. 

We’ll explore some of the reasons we shy away and also the enormous benefits of expressing experience  in this episode. 

***

Join me for a live, free, 2-hour class: The Silence at the Heart of Everything: Rediscovering What Never Changes on Monday, November 10th

In the class I’ll talk about the silence and stillness at the center of all things as well as several common benefits of prolonged time in silence. 

I’ll also tell you a bit about my upcoming Silent Retreats and answer your questions. Then we’ll have a quick break and an optional 30 minute guided-meditation-turned-silent-sitting together to give you a tiny taste of what’s possible. 

Register for the live class at dramyjohnson.com/silenceclass

The post EP377: Communicating feelings in a helpful way appeared first on Dr. Amy Johnson.

It seems that much of our experience is based on unquestioned assumptions.

For example, it “seems like” we’re a separate self carrying ourselves through time and space. It “seems like” we have insecurity issues, or a history of addiction, or that conversation we just had didn’t go well.

But what makes it “seem like” that? What are the aspects of that “seems like” experience, and how are they connected?

Are they connected, or does it just “seem like” it?

***

Beginning in early January, I’ll be leading a brand new course: The Welcoming What Arises Workshop. 

In the workshop we’ll lean in together, learning to fully embrace the felt sensations of life. I have found this way of going straight into the physical to be incredibly powerful and freeing.

I would love for you to join us for this workshop! Go to dramyjohnson.com/welcomingclass to learn more and sign up! 

***

The 2024 Change Coach Training Program is now enrolling! The course begins in January and is THE most complete, supportive training around. See all the details and save your seat in this intimate group training at dramyjohnson.com/coachtraining

The post EP280: Nothing is hidden appeared first on Dr. Amy Johnson.

I’ll share how I’ve been doing something I call “feeling my way through life” rather than “thinking my way through life”, and how this seems to coincide with a massive downward shift in energy and attention from the head space and mental constructs, to the body/heart/physically felt space.

From this deeper sense of living from the body, it’s increasingly obvious how irrelevant most thought is. 

I’ll also introduce a sense of being with the felt energy of wanting without the thing wanted; being with the felt energy of disappointment without any attempts to change anything.

***

Beginning in early January, I’ll be leading a brand new course: The Welcoming What Arises Workshop. 

In the workshop we’ll lean in together, learning to fully embrace the felt sensations of life. I have found this way of going straight into the physical to be incredibly powerful and freeing.

I would love for you to join us for this workshop! Go to https://www.dramyjohnson.com/welcomingclass to learn more and sign up! 

***

The 2024 Change Coach Training Program is now enrolling! The course begins in January and is THE most complete, supportive training around. See all the details and save your seat in this intimate group training at https://www.dramyjohnson.com/coachtraining

The post EP279: Feeling your way through life appeared first on Dr. Amy Johnson.

In this episode, Betty returns to Changeable for another coaching session. Betty was coached in episode 266 around her urges to over-exercise and her beliefs that she must constantly be moving in order to be healthy. 

Due to health issues related to under-nourishing and over-exercising for so long, Betty is not exercising at all right now by doctor’s orders. In this session, we explore the aimlessness and restlessness she feels without constant movement in her life. Her old identities are no longer relevant, and Betty’s mind is struggling to form new ones. But does it need to?

This is an amazing conversation that reveals so much. While it seems like Betty has questions about innate health and why her body isn’t functioning in a healthy way, what we uncover is much more simple and basic than that. There’s a feeling Betty isn’t wanting to feel, and her mind is trying everything it can to help her avoid it. 

***

Beginning in early January, I’ll be leading a brand new course: The Welcoming What Arises Workshop. 

In the workshop we’ll lean in together, learning to fully embrace the felt sensations of life. I have found this way of going straight into the physical to be incredibly powerful and freeing.

I would love for you to join us for this workshop! Go to https://www.dramyjohnson.com/welcomingclass to learn more and sign up! 

***

The 2024 Change Coach Training Program is now enrolling! The course begins in January and is THE most complete, supportive training around. See all the details and save your seat in this intimate group training at https://www.dramyjohnson.com/coachtraining

The post EP278: A coaching session on restlessness, aimlessness, and simply being  appeared first on Dr. Amy Johnson.

Today’s episode of Changeable is a portion of the last LSBC call in this fall’s 6-week course. 

In this call, I talk about the difference between reality and imagination. Every “reality” is a point of perspective, and I share how the explorations they’ve been doing as part of this course has simply opened up more perspectives for them. Things are not as they appear. There is so much freedom in that. 

***

Would you like to be part of a supportive, loving community of like-minded people exploring the big questions in life?

Would you like a place you can turn for personal support on anything you’re struggling with at any time from several certified Change Coaches?   

For the first time ever, my incredible LSBC community is now open to anyone, even if you haven’t been through the LSBC 6-week course 

To join us, please go to https://www.dramyjohnson.com/thecommunity

***

The 2024 Change Coach Training Program is a 6 month, highly supportive, small group training where you’ll get to observe and debrief a ton of coaching, before doing a ton of coaching yourself with support and feedback the whole way through. You will leave the program feeling confident and ready to work with others, and with the option of becoming a certified change coach.

The course begins in January and is the most complete, supportive training around. See all the details and save your seat in this small group training at https://www.dramyjohnson.com/coachtraining

The post EP277: Perspective appeared first on Dr. Amy Johnson.

In this episode, Change Coach Chiara McHale shares some of the insights she’s had in her romantic relationship, and how the things she’s seen have led to a completely different relationship than she had in the past.

This is a fascinating conversation about how a relationship can look when one or both people have a deep sense of who they are and how their experience works. Although we talk in detail about Chiara’s personal relationship, what she shares applies to all relationships. I know you’ll enjoy this episode!

If you’d like to reach out to Chiara, you can find her here: www.happinessjourney.com.au

***

On Tuesday, November 14th I’ll be hosting a webinar where you can hear all about the 2024 Change Coach Training Program. 

I’ll talk about the way the program works, who it’s for, and what people come away with personally and professionally. And best of all, I’ll be joined by some actual change coaches who can speak to their experience. 

You can register at dramyjohnson.com/changecoachwebinar 

The post EP276: Grounded Relationships with Chiara McHale appeared first on Dr. Amy Johnson.

Where’s the problem when everything is always changing? Can you find it?

Can you find it outside of thought? Really look at that…we can easily find things that need changing within thought, as thought. Do they exist anywhere else?

Can you hold onto the problem? Can you hold onto anything? 

When we can’t hold onto anything, what does that mean about the things we want so desperately to change? 

***

On Tuesday, November 14th I’ll be hosting a webinar where you can hear all about the 2024 Change Coach Training Program. 

I’ll talk about the way the program works, who it’s for, and what people come away with personally and professionally. And best of all, I’ll be joined by some actual change coaches who can speak to their experience. 

You can register at https://dramyjohnson.com/changecoachwebinar 

The post EP275: Where’s the problem when everything is always changing? appeared first on Dr. Amy Johnson.

It can look like there are things in our lives we need to accept. Acceptance is a concept, in this case. We have an idea of what acceptance is and what it looks like, and we’re told it’s a good idea if we don’t want to suffer.

When we can’t accept (how do we even do that?), the flipside sometimes feels like resignation.
“I can’t accept this health issue so I guess I’m resigned to the fact that this is ‘the way it is’. That feels like resignation (another concept, of course).

But what is “the way things are”? How can there even be a “way things are” when this seamless flow of experience is constantly changing? 

Maybe that’s why acceptance feels so hard…?

***

On Tuesday, November 14th I’ll be hosting a webinar where you can hear all about the 2024 Change Coach Training Program. 

I’ll talk about the way the program works, who it’s for, and what people come away with personally and professionally. And best of all, I’ll be joined by some actual change coaches who can speak to their experience. 

You can register at https://dramyjohnson.com/changecoachwebinar 

The post EP274: Acceptance, Resignation, and “The Way Things Are”  appeared first on Dr. Amy Johnson.

In this episode, we’ll explore the difference between thinking and looking. 

Thinking is taking what’s said as another concept to go back and ponder. It’s adding more thought to what is already a lot of thought.

Looking is looking into what’s here now, before labels and concepts. It looks like curiosity rather than pondering. 

There may be a time and place for thinking and reflecting, but it’s very different from looking.

***

Scott Kelly and I will be hosting an Introduction to Breathwork workshop, including a guided breathwork journey so you can experience this amazing practice yourself. 

The workshop is Saturday, October 28th and you can go to www.dramyjohnson.com/breathwork to see all the details and to register. 

We would love to see you there! 

The post EP273: Thinking versus Looking appeared first on Dr. Amy Johnson.

Chris Neibauer is the author of No Self, No Problem. Chris talks about how the left brain interpreter, narrative-self, works and how we easily mistake that narration for who we are. 

This is a beautiful, deep conversation that goes far beyond neuroscience. His way of explaining how and why we become mind-identifying is so helpful.

You can see more about Chris and his books at https://chrisniebauerphd.com/

The post EP272: Beyond the Interpreter appeared first on Dr. Amy Johnson.

A vague, ill-defined feeling of uneasiness is behind so much of what we do. 

Look for yourself and see–is something we might label “restlessness” there in the background? Is it what gets you up from the couch, doing something “productive” rather than rest? Is it what runs you around from rest to the refrigerator, to your phone, to buy/do/consume/help something?

What happens when you sit? When you’re not productive, helpful, or useful, not contributing in any way? 

Can you even imagine what life might be like if that vague feeling of restlessness wasn’t a problem? If you just sat and felt it? If it had no power to get you up and run you around all the time? 

The post EP271: Restlessness appeared first on Dr. Amy Johnson.

In this episode I speak to a listener’s question about how she can be less reactive and more patient with her mom.

We explore how she can watch the reactive patterns that arise with a sense of objectivity, curious about what’s showing up rather than judgmental of it and trying to change it. 

We also explore the nature of the resentment she feels and look at why that’s so important to explore.

***

I will be leading two Silent Retreats in 2026.

The primary retreat (hosted and facilitated by me) will be in Taos, New Mexico, February 22-27. The second retreat (facilitated by me) will be in Hendersonville, North Carolina, February 1-6.

Both retreats will provide a supportive space for you to steep in your essential being. You’ll immerse in what’s always here, unchanging, beyond the pull of thoughts, feelings and identities, in the absence of everyday distractions and conditioning.

The retreats will be small, so space is limited. You can check out all the details at https://dramyjohnson.com/silent-retreats-2026/

The post EP376: How can I stop being so reactive toward my mom? A question from a listener. appeared first on Dr. Amy Johnson.

I often hear parents say these things to their children about emotion:  

“You decide how you feel.” “You choose your reactions.” “What other people say has no meaning except the meaning you give it.”

We can ask ourselves: Are these things we heard somewhere that seem helpful, or are they our direct experience? Do you–mom or dad or aunt or uncle or teacher–decide how you feel? Or is that just an empowering statement you hope is true?

I don’t think we can go wrong when we share from our own direct experience. 

It’s also worth exploring the flip side of these “empowering” statements. What happens when your child is told they are in charge of their own feelings and their feelings continue to be painful? What conclusions might they draw? 

The post EP270: What we teach young people about emotion appeared first on Dr. Amy Johnson.

Today’s episode is taken from a recent guest speaker call with The Little School of Big Change graduate community with Violet Synergy. 

Violet talks about looking toward the mysteries in life (and how everything is a mystery, really), leaning into what’s arising and the most obvious thing we can do, meeting life from a place of I-don’t-know, and much more.  

Violet is a friend and trusted advisor to me and I am thrilled to share her with you all here. You can see more about Violet at https://www.violet-synergy.com/

The post EP269: Looking toward the mysterious with Violet Synergy appeared first on Dr. Amy Johnson.

This episode is an excerpt from a The Little School of Big Change 6-week course call that took place in March of 2023. 

I talk about how this–what’s being experienced right this very moment–is all there is. There is no better place to find or arrive at.

What you’re looking for is so much closer than your mind will tell you. 

I talk about how realizing what’s being pointed to here is a lot like swim lessons. What’s completely natural can’t be taught. 

The post EP268: This is all there is (from LSBC Spring 2023) appeared first on Dr. Amy Johnson.

Are you examining the nature of experience in order to see through the illusion of you as a separate, limited self?  Are you trying to “smoke the veil” that has you feeling separate from life?

I’ll talk about the ways we do that, plus share a couple stories of how my husband successfully “smoked the veil” on identities and experiences he wanted to shed. 

***

The Little School of Big Change begins on September 11th. Registration closes Thursday, September 14th. I hope you’ll join us for 6 weeks of insights! Enroll at https://www.thelittleschoolofbigchange.com

The post EP267: Smoking the Veil appeared first on Dr. Amy Johnson.

A listener asks:  “My family and work colleagues describe me as a ‘speedy’ person and many times I get asked to chill out or calm down. I try to calm myself but I’m still not getting to the root reason why I can’t seem to slow myself down! 

…I’m wondering if I am avoiding something by not being able to slow myself down enough to feel my own peace?”

I love these questions! In this episode, we’ll look at our unique bodymind “speed”, root causes for that speed, what might be avoided by remaining sped up, and a lot more. 

***

The Little School of Big Change begins on September 11th. I hope you’ll join us for 6 weeks of insights! Enroll at https://www.thelittleschoolofbigchange.com

The post EP266: Why is my bodymind so sped up? A question from a listener. appeared first on Dr. Amy Johnson.

In this episode, Change Coach Samantha Miller shares her nearly lifelong experience with OCD and how it has changed over the years, especially in recent years.

If you have experienced OCD in any form or duration, I know you’ll relate to so much that Samantha shares.

And if you would like some support around OCD from someone who has clearly been there (and seen her way through it), please consider checking out Samantha’s course, The OCD Peace Plan: Finding Quiet in a Busy Mind.

Registration for the September course closes on September 4th. 

If you’d like to receive a replay of a live webinar Samantha recently ran called How to Experience More Freedom from your OCD – Without All the Strategies, email her at: info@thesamanthaspark.com. 

***

The Little School of Big Change begins on September 11th. I hope you’ll join us for 6 weeks of insights! Enroll at thelittleschoolofbigchange.com

The post EP265: Freedom from OCD with Samantha Miller appeared first on Dr. Amy Johnson.

A listener asked to hear more about “welcoming the unknown”. What does that mean? How do we do it?

It seems that an important first step is looking at what we think we do know, and considering that perhaps knowing isn’t all the mind makes it out to be. 

Thinking we know feels safe…but is it? Perhaps the unknown is where the real freedom is. 

***

The Little School of Big Change begins in just 3 weeks on September 11th. I hope you’ll join us for 6 weeks of insights! Enroll at thelittleschoolofbigchange.com

The post EP264: What do you mean by “welcome the unknown?” A question from a listener appeared first on Dr. Amy Johnson.

When faced with death…whether it’s the death of the physical body or the “death” of the dream of being a separate me…the mind will grab for something, anything, to hold onto. 

It often grabs at false identities, trying to solidify a sense of ‘me’. It does this by clinging to personal identities, group identities, and by making up extra doses of meaning and purpose it can apply to me-and-my-life. 

This makes perfect sense from the perspective of a mind whose job it is to keep “you” intact. But since there is no solid “you” outside of your mind, it’s all for naught. There is nothing to keep intact. In fact, freedom is in nothing being bound or intact.

The post EP263: Terror Management  appeared first on Dr. Amy Johnson.

In truth, nothing is carried through time. 

Because there is no time. Time is a thought.

In the thought-world, everything refers to time. There is clear and obvious continuity, a clear and obvious past and future for a clear and obvious ‘me’. 

When thought is not projecting this world, there is none of that. Zilch. Not even a whiff of it. 

All suffering comes from continuity–worry about, or replaying of things that might happen or did happen to “me”. Can you find suffering that doesn’t depend on continuity?

Given that, it’s good to know that continuity is only a thought, isn’t it? 

The post EP262: Nothing is Continuous appeared first on Dr. Amy Johnson.

In this conversation with the amazing Razmik Sargsyan, we discuss how what’s true must always be true.

If it’s true that we are okay in any experience, that must always be true. In the East and in the West, for people in luxury and comfort as well as for people in the middle of war. It must be true for people in pain and those with thriving health. If something is true, it has to be always true, across the board.

What looks always-true to you? Razmik shares how he sees this given his experience as someone living in Armenia, where he says it’s “never a dull day”. He’s lived through near constant wars and revolutions and he’s seen firsthand what’s possible and present in any circumstance. 

We also talk about Razmik’s meditation practice, spiritual traps and spiritual maturity, how anything that’s arising can wake us up, and much more.

I have loved my conversations with Razmik this month, first on his show Brand New Thought and now on Changeable. I highly recommend getting in touch with him if you resonate with what he’s sharing. He’s an excellent coach with a ton of wisdom and insight to share.  

See more about Razmik here: brandnewthought.com

The post EP261: What’s true must be always true with Razmik Sargsyan appeared first on Dr. Amy Johnson.

This week’s episode is a portion of a call with Kat Adamson. 

Kat talks about how awareness is the essence of all things. Mostly, she talks about love. She shares her experience of the death of her partner and she discusses unconditional love and compatibility.

I hope you are as impacted by this conversation as we were being part of it live.

The post EP375: Awareness and Love with Kat Adamson appeared first on Dr. Amy Johnson.

I am a guest on a lot of podcasts and I’m not always inspired to share those conversations here. 

But this conversation with Razmik Sargsyan for his podcast Brand New Thought felt like one that I wanted more people to hear. 

Part “the basics” and part pushing the edge, we covered a lot of ground. I think you’ll enjoy this conversation a lot! 

You can see the Brand New Thought podcast here.

**

If you’re curious to see what could shift for you in just two weeks, please join me and my Change Coaches for a special two-week program called 14 Days of Change! 

Go to dramyjohnson.com/14days to register

The post EP260: My conversation with Razmik on the Brand New Thought podcast appeared first on Dr. Amy Johnson.

What do you really know?

You think you know your name, that you love your dog, that you’re thinking, that there is a quiet, still space within…

Look again. How do you know?

What are those things you think you know made of? What is that quiet, still space? What is love for your dog? What’s it made of?

When you really, really look, you might discover that you know a lot less than you thought. 

***

If you’re curious to see what could shift for you in just two weeks, please join me and my Change Coaches for a special two-week course called 14 Days of Change! 

Go to https://www.dramyjohnson.com/14days to register

The post EP259: Do you really know anything? appeared first on Dr. Amy Johnson.

Andrea says she can easily see other people’s thinking for what it is. She can even see some of her own thinking as thinking, and she can see how being identified with thought led her into past habits. 

So why can’t she see this now with regard to her current habit? 

She says, “I don’t know how to get curious with an urge to binge or overeat. I feel like I’m either fighting the urge or giving in. There is no other option.”

We’ll explore this in this episode. 

The post EP258: I see thinking for what it is for everyone but myself. A question from a listener appeared first on Dr. Amy Johnson.

Katie has several questions about listening to her heart rather than her head. How does one do that? Is it even something we can do?

She also says she starts to sense freedom from her habits, but then she “clams up”. She wonders if this response is due to being in an unsafe environment in the past, leaving her still not sure what’s safe and what to trust.

I’ll speak to these and Katie’s other excellent questions.

The post EP257: Guidance versus conditioning, trauma and habits, and practices versus intuition: Questions from a listener. appeared first on Dr. Amy Johnson.

I hear some variation on this question a lot.

If I’m feeling discomfort and I know an untrue thought is behind it, why lean into that discomfort? 

The discomfort reveals that something untrue is being identified with. So why lean into that discomfort if it’s rooted in a lie?

When someone asks a version of this question my curiosity always goes to a question for them: 

Why not just feel? 

Turns out, there are many “reasons” we don’t want to feel. We’ll explore some of them in this episode.  

The post EP256: Why ‘lean into what arises’ when the thoughts behind those feelings aren’t true? appeared first on Dr. Amy Johnson.

Aneta Mruz was diagnosed with OCD shortly after her son was born, about 6 years ago. As difficult and terrifying as it was at the time, she says OCD healed her and she’d go through it all over again for what it’s given her. 

OCD forced Aneta to re-examine everything she thought she was and everything she believed. Little by little, her identities, beliefs and assumptions were stripped away, leaving a beautiful space of freedom and-what she calls-connection with the divine. 

Her experience with OCD allowed her to see that everything is energy. She can now discern energy in a way she couldn’t before. Aneta uses this ability to discern energy in her work as an intuitive coach and medium. 

I know you’ll hear so much in her story. To connect with Aneta, visit centerofsolace.com or follow her on Instagram at instagram.com/centerofsolace

To learn more about the Change Coach Self-Study Course, visit dramyjohnson.com/changecoachselfstudy

The post EP254: “OCD healed me” appeared first on Dr. Amy Johnson.

Maya wrote to me about the suffering she’s in over, what she calls, her “physical imperfections”.

She’s seen so much about life beyond thought and it’s brought her a lot of peace, but this feels different. 

Maya’s skin discoloration is making her life very small. She doesn’t date, she stays physically covered up, and she hasn’t talked about this with any of the people closest to her.

Listen in as I speak to Maya’s question.

The post EP253: A listener question about physical imperfections  appeared first on Dr. Amy Johnson.

I was asked to share the story of how my binge eating/bulimia habit ended as a contribution to an upcoming book. The book will be a collection of stories of diagnosed mental health issues that came to an end as people explored the sorts of things we explore here. 

So, this episode is my telling of that story. 

I discuss how my habit was at its worst, the various things I did for support, how it ended and the insights I had along the way, and how life is now. 

Of course, I don’t know exactly what shifted or how change like this works. I don’t know how a shift in consciousness really happens–only that it happens and when it does, everything looks different (and oddly, also sort of the same).

So, this is the story of my habit with an emphasis on story. I hope you hear something helpful in it!

The post EP252: How my habit ended appeared first on Dr. Amy Johnson.

The idea that each of us has a specific life purpose that’s our job to figure out…and that we’ll be endlessly happy and fulfilled when we discover it, and empty and lacking until then…is an idea I’ve seen create more suffering than most.

Matt Cooksey helps people see this in a fresh way. He frees people from this limited idea of a singular life’s purpose while, at the same time, looking at what truly is wanting to be created and move through them. Matt knows that we are here to create – that natural impulse can feel unnecessarily complicated when we’re clinging to beliefs about it that aren’t true.

I absolutely loved this conversation with Matt. The depth with which he sees things, and his astuteness and compassion in helping people spot the hidden beliefs that are in their way, is incredible. I know you’ll really hear a lot in this conversation. 

You can learn more about Matt and the amazing work he does at: 

www.matthewcooksey.com 

www.instagram.com/thespiritualmidwife/

www.linkedin.com/in/mattcooksey/

If you have questions about “life purpose”, send them to Matt and he’ll reply on video! Submit your questions here www.matthewcooksey.com/amy by May 29th and Matt will respond.

The post EP251: When you know you’re here for more: A bigger view of purpose and what’s in the way with Matt Cooksey appeared first on Dr. Amy Johnson.

Being “hard on yourself” is only possible when some very simple, near universal misunderstandings are in place.

One, that you’re responsible for what you think, feel, and do. Two, that what you think, feel, and do means something about you. These are basically the same thing, both rooted in the illusion that there is a you that’s separate from the seamless flow of life with ultimate say in what happens. 

And three, that a thought, feeling, or behavior other than what happened, could have happened. In other words, that life could be other than it is.  

All of these feel true only in the fabricated story thought tells. Outside of that story, there is no self to be hard on and no reason to hard on that false self if it were real! 

The post EP250: How to stop being so hard on yourself appeared first on Dr. Amy Johnson.

An inch deep and a mile wide typically describes a person with superficial knowledge of many things, but without deep knowledge of anything. A generalist, broad but shallow.

Is experience an inch deep and a mile wide? 

In this episode, we use this phrase to explore the depths and dimensions of the felt sense, thought, emotion, and even the sense of self. 

***

I will be leading two Silent Retreats in 2026.

The primary retreat (hosted and facilitated by me) will be in Taos, New Mexico, February 22-27. The second retreat (facilitated by me) will be in Hendersonville, North Carolina, February 1-6.

Both retreats will provide a supportive space for you to steep in your essential being. You’ll immerse in what’s always here, unchanging, beyond the pull of thoughts, feelings and identities, in the absence of everyday distractions and conditioning.

The retreats will be small, so space is limited. You can check out all the details at https://dramyjohnson.com/silent-retreats-2026/

The post EP374: An inch deep and a mile wide appeared first on Dr. Amy Johnson.

Giacomo is unsure what he wants to do for a career and where to place his attention. He has many passions but says he has a hard time choosing which to pursue. 

As we explore what his mind is telling him about all of these passions and what it means to choose one, he begins to see a lot of invisible thinking about what it means to pursue a career, what must be sacrificed, how it should feel, etc. He begins to wake up to just how much forward thinking his mind is doing. 

Minds love to forward-think (especially when you’re in your early 20s and “should” be settling in on some major life choices!). But what if none of that is helpful or necessary? What if dabbling in exactly what pulls on his attention is the way through?

The post EP249: A coaching session on choosing which passions to pursue appeared first on Dr. Amy Johnson.

I’ve come to love a familiar feeling of dread that visits many mornings. How this feeling is experienced has changed quite a bit over the years. 

Initially, I found a lot of benefit in curiously inquiring into the thought behind the feeling. Was there one? I’d explore who this feeling was about and who it was for, looking to see if I could find an owner or recipient of this feeling. (I never could).

Then I looked forward to leaning into the sensations and thoughts that naturally arose. This was less inquiry and more exploration of only what was there in my experiencing of it.

More recently, something new has been seen about this feeling. It’s not in “my” body, or any body, at all.

It’s just experiencing. No container, no belonging to, no location. Just experiencing. Same with thought. Feelings aren’t in “your body” and thoughts aren’t actually in “your head”, right? Do you really experience them there?

This container-free exploration is worth exploring! 

–the book mentioned in this episode is Refuting the External World by Goran Backlund https://www.amazon.com/Refuting-External-World-Goran-Backlund-ebook/dp/B00NOXW8QE

The post EP248: Feeling is not in your body appeared first on Dr. Amy Johnson.

Have you noticed this story? It’s a sometimes obvious, sometimes incredibly subtle storyline that is present anytime suffering is present.

Often, the story is not noticeable but the physical and emotional resistance of “this shouldn’t be happening” is felt. 

That story has nothing at all to do with life. It has zero to do with truth or what’s happening or any of that. It’s a habitual background hum of resistance + dissatisfaction that has nothing to do with anything. 

There is nowhere else to go. Leaning into THIS, including that story and resistance when it is noticed, is the only place to go. 

The post EP246: Noticing the story that says everything would be better if this wasn’t happening appeared first on Dr. Amy Johnson.