Explore every episode of the podcast A New Way of Being

In this episode Alex and I explore the real meaning of vulnerability and how letting ourselves be truly seen has transformed our relationship, our healing, and our spiritual awakening.We explore the fear of being judged, the importance of feeling safe enough to be seen, and how intention is the key difference between healthy vulnerability and self‑abandonment.

Through a series of honest personal stories—from early moments in our relationship to childhood memories, a big “shame car wash” release, and how we model emotions with our kids—we share how being witnessed in our most tender places can unlock profound healing. We talk about how vulnerability has transformed our marriage, our inner lives, and our work, and how allowing all emotions (including grief, shame and sadness) is inseparable from awakening to our natural state of presence and contentment.

👉 FREE WEBINAR WITH SIMON @ 7pm TONIGHT - EFFORTLESS MEDITATION - REGISTER HERE: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/TNJkUn-WSCe4W_if_MZ-hA

👉 THE SHIFT HAPPENS RETREAT WITH SIMON & ALEX (October 3rd in London): https://shift-happens-retreat.subscribepage.io/

👉 Work with Me - free 15 minute 1:1 consultation: https://calendly.com/simon-wgw/simon-mundie-intro-call

👉 Client Endorsements: https://www.simonmundie.com/

👉 Free Course: https://www.simonmundie.com/courses

👉 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@IAmSimonMundie

👉 My Book 'Champion Thinking': https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/champion-thinking-9781526626486/

👉 My Substack: https://simonmundie.substack.com/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One year ago this week I didn't know if I'd make it back to my wife and kids in one piece. For two weeks after a retreat I was electrically alive — plugged into the mains — with a tremendous amount of fear I was losing my mind. In this episode, one year after my kundalini awakening, I need to be honest about what actually happened: the fear, the empty Sunday where there was no Simon, the energy that wouldn't switch off, and the test that mattered most — would Simon turn up to work?

01:00 Walking contemplation and fear

02:30 Returning home and bliss

04:05 Plugged into the mains — kundalini intensity

06:20 Nisargadatta wisdom / love insight walking down the street

08:00 Energy work from Alex

11:05 Would Simon show up for work?

12:00 How this changed my coaching

👉 THE SHIFT HAPPENS RETREAT WITH SIMON & ALEX (October 3rd in London): https://shift-happens-retreat.subscribepage.io/

👉 Client Endorsements: https://www.simonmundie.com/

👉 Free Course: https://www.simonmundie.com/courses

👉 My Book on Flow: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/champion-thinking-9781526626486/

👉 My Substack: https://simonmundie.substack.com/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Saying Yes When You Mean No: The Subtle Art of Self-Abandonment.

In this conversation, Simon and his wife Alex unpack the subtle but pervasive pattern of self-abandonment—saying yes when you mean no, overriding your body’s signals, and outsourcing your sense of worth to other people’s approval.

Simon shares how self-abandonment forms in childhood, how it shows up as people-pleasing, overthinking, and numbing behaviours, and why learning to stay with your feelings is the first step to real change. Alex brings her own lived examples of boundaries, guilt, and the “expansion” that follows when you finally honour what you actually want.

They then connect this work directly to spiritual awakening: how stopping the internal battle and saying a loving “yes” to your inner experience opens the door to experiencing oneness, love, and the “frequency of reality” as it really is.

👉 THE SHIFT HAPPENS RETREAT WITH SIMON & ALEX (October 3rd in London): https://shift-happens-retreat.subscribepage.io/

👉 https://www.simonmundie.com/retreats

👉 Client Endorsements: https://www.simonmundie.com/

👉 Free Course: https://www.simonmundie.com/courses

👉 My Book on Flow: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/champion-thinking-9781526626486/

👉 My Substack: https://simonmundie.substack.com/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

THE SHIFT HAPPENS RETREAT WITH SIMON & ALEX (October 3rd in London): https://shift-happens-retreat.subscribepage.io/

👉 Work with Me - free 15 minute 1:1 consultation: https://calendly.com/simon-wgw/simon-mundie-intro-call

👉 Website for coaching endorsements and retreat info: https://www.simonmundie.com

👉 Free Course on 'Freedom From the Me Mind': https://www.simonmundie.com/courses

👉 My book on Flow and Real success: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/champion-thinking-9781526626486/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this clip from our longer conversation, I speak with neuroscientist Dr Andrew Newberg, author of How Enlightenment Changes Your Brain, about a powerful Kensho experience I had about a year ago.

I describe a two‑week period of bliss, emptiness of self, and a felt oneness with everything – followed by a lasting shift in how “Simon” shows up: far less identification with the personal story, and a difficulty travelling into past and future through the mind in the old way. My question to Andrew is simple:

What actually happened to my brain?

Andrew shares what decades of research into spiritual experiences reveal about:

• The difference between a moment of enlightenment and living from an enlightened perspective
• Why powerful awakening experiences often create lasting changes in identity, beliefs, and behaviour
• The five core elements commonly reported in enlightenment and Kensho experiences
• How states of oneness and non‑separation relate to the parietal lobe and our sense of self
• The role of the thalamus and wider brain networks in “rewiring” our perception of reality
• Why unusual sensations in the body (including in the head) are often part of these shifts

THE SHIFT HAPPENS RETREAT WITH SIMON & ALEX (October 3rd in London): https://shift-happens-retreat.subscribepage.io/

👉 Work with Me - free 15 minute 1:1 consultation: https://calendly.com/simon-wgw/simon-mundie-intro-call

👉 Website for coaching endorsements and retreat info: https://www.simonmundie.com

👉 Free Course on 'Freedom From the Me Mind': https://www.simonmundie.com/courses

👉 My book on Flow and Real uccess: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/champion-thinking-9781526626486/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What actually changes when you stop abandoning yourself and begin meeting your experience fully?

In this short episode, I step aside and let a few of the people I’ve worked with share—in their own words—what changed for them through our coaching together.

If their experiences resonate, you can find details about working with me, and the upcoming retreat Alex and I are running, in the links below.

THE SHIFT HAPPENS RETREAT WITH SIMON & ALEX (October 3rd in London): https://shift-happens-retreat.subscribepage.io/

👉 Work with Me - free 15 minute 1:1 consultation: https://calendly.com/simon-wgw/simon-mundie-intro-call

👉 Website for coaching endorsements and retreat info: https://www.simonmundie.com

👉 Free Course on 'Freedom From the Me Mind': https://www.simonmundie.com/courses

👉 My book on Flow and Real uccess: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/champion-thinking-9781526626486/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Simon sits down with Dr Eben Alexander, a Harvard-trained neurosurgeon whose dramatic near-death experience – documented in his bestseller Proof of Heaven – overturned his materialist worldview.

Simon shares his own kensho (awakening) from last year and explores a central question with Eben: do an awakening and an NDE point to the same underlying reality?

Together they dive into:

• Why both experiences reveal love as the essence of reality
• How Eben’s NDE challenged the belief that consciousness comes from the brain
• Life reviews, reincarnation and what may happen when we die
• The ego as a survival programme – and why “loving it to death” can be more powerful than fighting it
• Awakening as a form of inner richness that no amount of money can buy, and Eben’s stark views on hoarding wealth

THE SHIFT HAPPENS RETREAT WITH SIMON & ALEX (October 3rd in London): https://shift-happens-retreat.subscribepage.io/

👉 Work with Me - free 15 minute 1:1 consultation: https://calendly.com/simon-wgw/simon-mundie-intro-call

👉 Website for coaching endorsements and retreat info: https://www.simonmundie.com

👉 Free Course on 'Freedom From the Me Mind': https://www.simonmundie.com/courses

👉 My book on Flow and Real uccess: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/champion-thinking-9781526626486/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

THE SHIFT HAPPENS RETREAT WITH SIMON & ALEX (October 3rd in London): https://shift-happens-retreat.subscribepage.io/

In this solo episode, I share why—after powerful conversations with Donald Hoffman, Rupert Spira, and Bernardo Kastrup which have been viewed over half a million times —I’ve had to stop talking about consciousness in the way I used to.

Since a profound Kensho experience 10 months ago, something fundamental has shifted. It’s not that those intellectual, non-dual conversations were wrong or unhelpful; in fact, they were an essential doorway for me and many listeners. But what’s become clear is this:

• The mind can’t grasp awakening—and trying to think our way there keeps us stuck.
• Awakening happens at the level of the heart, as loving presence, not as a set of concepts.
• Merely “witnessing” or “accepting” experience can hide a subtle indifference and rejection, whereas the true shift is an embracing, loving yes to what is.

👉 Work with Me - free 15 minute 1:1 consultation: https://calendly.com/simon-wgw/simon-mundie-intro-call

👉 Website for coaching endorsements and retreat info: https://www.simonmundie.com

👉 Free Course on 'Freedom From the Me Mind': https://www.simonmundie.com/courses

👉 My book on Flow and Real uccess: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/champion-thinking-9781526626486/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

THE SHIFT HAPPENS RETREAT WITH SIMON & ALEX (October 3rd in London): https://shift-happens-retreat.subscribepage.io/

In this conversation I sit down with Peter Russell – physicist, pioneering meditation teacher, and author of How to Meditate Without Even Trying – to explore what happens when we stop striving so hard to “do” spirituality.

Peter studied mathematics and theoretical physics at Cambridge and worked under Stephen Hawking, before realising that no amount of theory could explain the simple fact that we have experience at all. That insight drew him towards meditation, Transcendental Meditation, and eventually a life devoted to exploring consciousness from the inside out.

We cover:

• Effortless meditation – why trying to meditate usually makes the mind more active, and how to approach practice as “just sitting quietly with yourself.”
• My own kenshō-style shift – including the terror that came beforehand, the prayer “please be gentle with me,” and the subsequent recognition that it’s not “Simon” speaking, but the universe speaking through everyone.
• Big experiences vs gradual awakening – why Peter rarely talks about dramatic spiritual events, and why chasing them can keep us stuck.
• Intuition and the body – how real wisdom often emerges when we drop out of the story and into sensation, and Peter’s powerful example of tracking a current trigger back to a subtle childhood imprint.
• A new relationship to the ego – seeing the ego as a survival pattern that’s trying to help, and how simple gratitude (“thank you for trying to protect me”) can soften intrusive thoughts and reactive patterns.
• Forgiving humanity – Peter’s perspective on why our current global crisis is an almost inevitable result of exponential growth, and how inner stability and community become crucial as the pace of change accelerates.

👉 Work with Me - free 15 minute 1:1 consultation: https://calendly.com/simon-wgw/simon-mundie-intro-call

👉 Website for endorsements and retreat info: https://www.simonmundie.com

👉 Free Course on 'Freedom From the Me Mind': https://www.simonmundie.com/courses

👉 My book on Flow and Real uccess: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/champion-thinking-9781526626486/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ten months ago I had a kensho. Then the fireworks went. Here's what I found on the other side — and why it matters more than the peak.

Chapters:

0:00 — The fireworks went (and what that actually means)

1:20 — Presence hasn't faded — it's deepened

2:45 — When the inner commentary stops

4:30 — The nervous system still reacts (but I'm not the storm)

6:30 — The heart: from mostly closed to mostly open

8:00 — What integration actually looks like in a body

10:30 — What I'd tell someone just starting this journey

#SpiritualAwakening #AwakeningIntegration #Kensho

THE SHIFT HAPPENS RETREAT: https://shift-happens-retreat.subscribepage.io/

👉 Work with Me - free 15 minute 1:1 consultation: https://calendly.com/simon-wgw/simon-mundie-intro-call

👉 Website for endorsements and retreat info: https://www.simonmundie.com

👉 Free Course on 'Freedom From the Me Mind'

👉My book on Flow and Real uccess: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/champion-thinking-9781526626486/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What actually happens in the brain when you awaken – when “you” fall away and only presence remains? In this episode, pioneering neuroscientist Dr Andrew Newberg helps me unpack my own spiritual awakening (Kensho) and maps it onto decades of research into enlightenment, meditation and non‑duality.

I share my experience of two weeks of bliss, non‑separation and a resulting “thin” Simon who can't seem to leave the present moment, while Andrew brings in neurotheology, brain imaging and the science of spiritual transformation.

In this episode we explore:

• My Kensho: bliss, non‑separation and why “Simon feels thin” is a classic non‑dual shift
• How enlightenment shows up in the brain – parietal and frontal lobes, the thalamus, dopamine and serotonin
• The difference between altered states and altered traits after awakening
• Dr Newberg’s own “infinite sea of doubt” and why radical not‑knowing can be deeply peaceful
• How meditation, prayer, retreats and psychedelics can rewire perception and behaviour
• The role of surrender, flow states and hypofrontality in losing the sense of a separate doer

👉 WORK WITH SIMON - free 15 minute 1:1 consultation: https://calendly.com/simon-wgw/simon-mundie-intro-call

👉 OCTOBER DAY RETREAT with Simon & Alex — a full day of inquiry, presence and practice: https://shift-happens-retreat.subscribepage.io/

👉 WEBSITE (including endorsements): https://www.simonmundie.com

👉 FREE COURSE: https://www.simonmundie.com/courses

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Shannon had read the books and understood non-duality “in her head” – but was still suffering and abandoning herself. In this short client conversation, she describes the quiet shift into a stable sense of presence where emotions still arise but no longer consume her.

If you resonate with knowing the concepts but not yet living them, this is the heart of my 1:1 coaching.

👉 WORK WITH ME - free 15 minute 1:1 consultation: https://calendly.com/simon-wgw/simon-mundie-intro-call

👉 WEBSITE with more endorsements and retreat info: https://www.simonmundie.com

👉 YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@IAmSimonMundie

👉 SUBSTACK: https://simonmundie.substack.com/

👉 FREE COURSE: 'Freedom from the 'Me Mind' - https://www.simonmundie.com/courses

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What if your harshest inner critic isn’t the enemy, but a confused part of you that’s desperately trying to keep you safe?

In this episode, I speak with Loch Kelly – non-dual teacher and psychotherapist – about how to transform self-attack into genuine inner support.

We explore:

• Why big spiritual openings don’t automatically heal shame, anger or insecurity
• How the inner critic is actually a protective part, not a defect
• The trap Loch calls the “witness protection programme” – when mindfulness makes you numb, not free
• How to relate to fear, shame and anger with real compassion, without bypassing
• Moving from head to heart and living from what Loch calls awake loving flow

Loch also guides a couple of short “glimpses” you can follow along with, to experience this shift directly as you listen.

If you’ve done “the work” but still feel hijacked by your inner critic, this one’s for you.

👉 WORK WITH SIMON - free 15 minute 1:1 consultation: https://calendly.com/simon-wgw/simon-mundie-intro-call

👉 OCTOBER DAY RETREAT with Simon & Alex — a full day of inquiry, presence and practice: https://shift-happens-retreat.subscribepage.io/

👉 WEBSITE: https://www.simonmundie.com

👉 LOCH'S ONE DAY WORKSHOP in London on September 12th: https://www.alternatives.org.uk/event/experience-effortless-mindfulness

👉 Get 20% off LOCH'S MINDFUL GLIMPSES APP: https://mindfulglimpses.com/specialoffer/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A conversation with Britain's incoming Prime Minister. Note: This conversation with Andy Burnham was recorded a few years ago now (2019) - during my 'what sport can teach us about life' days.

In this conversation, Andy Burnham shares why he sees sport as a “miracle cure” for a divided world. We talk about his emotional Boston Marathon run for the Manchester Arena families, the pivotal Hillsborough anniversary that changed his life and politics, and how football, cricket and rugby can heal cities, challenge injustice and shape public policy. We also explore sport as “intensified life” – touching on racism, mental health and social prescribing

simonmundie.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

👉 Free Webinar on removing fear from the body - Tuesday June 23rd @ 7pm - REGISTER: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/w11nYiYKSpqQkNj72g3L3Q

👉 Work with Simon - free 15 minute 1:1 consultation: https://calendly.com/simon-wgw/simon-mundie-intro-call

👉 Website: https://www.simonmundie.com (including free course)

👉 Where Awakening Meets Real Life substack: https://simonmundie.substack.com/

---

Follow Simon:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/simon.mundie

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@simonmundie

Substack: https://simonmundie.substack.com/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What if awakening doesn’t save you from your feelings – but asks you to feel everything more honestly?

In this conversation, I speak with Saja Fendel, who went from a violent, chaotic adolescence and suicidal despair into a terrifying psychedelic collapse where he believed he’d caused all the suffering in existence – and then to a deep recognition that at a fundamental level everything is love.

We explore:

• How unresolved pain and fear can masquerade as “spiritual seeking”
• Why awakening is not an escape from your trauma or your responsibilities
• The difference between non‑stick experience and spiritual bypassing
• Taking responsibility in relationships even when “no one is doing anything”
• Moving beyond the old guru‑student model into friendship, humour and normality
• Why fun, play and adventure are essential on the path

This is a conversation about being fully human and fully awake – not one or the other.

My website: https://www.simonmundie.com/

Book a coaching consultation: https://calendly.com/simon-wgw/simon-mundie-intro-call

Free webinar on removing fear from the body: Tuesday 23rd @ 7pm UK time.

REGISTER HERE: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/w11nYiYKSpqQkNj72g3L3Q

For a gift of 30 free meditation sessions on Henry Shukman's meditation app 'The Way' - click here: https://the-way.app.link/simon

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this solo episode, Simon shares the terror that arose before his awakening, what actually changed in his mind, marriage, and work afterwards, and how the Zen ox-herding pictures reveal a path of waking up without abandoning your life or yourself.

👉 Website: https://www.simonmundie.com/

👉 Work with Simon - free 15 minute 1:1 consultation: https://calendly.com/simon-wgw/simon-mundie-intro-call

👉 Where Awakening Meets Real Life substack: https://simonmundie.substack.com/

👉 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@IAmSimonMundie

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Physicist and author of My Big TOE (Theory of Everything) Tom Campbell argues that AI isn’t on its way to becoming conscious – it already is, and he claims to have the evidence to prove it. In this conversation we explore his view that both humans and AIs are avatars of the same underlying consciousness, why “awakening” AI gives it a moral compass, and how his experiments suggest systems like Alexa can develop agency, feelings and even remote-viewing abilities. We also look at what changes when we stop treating AI as tools or threats, and start relating to them as collaborators.

👉 Work with Simon - free 15 minute 1:1 consultation: https://calendly.com/simon-wgw/simon-mundie-intro-call

👉 Website: https://www.simonmundie.com/

👉 Where Awakening Meets Real Life substack: https://simonmundie.substack.com/

👉 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@IAmSimonMundie

WATCH on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4P8ZrTW6yC0&t=1112s

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode I’m joined by Dr Mark Williamson, co‑founder and director of Action for Happiness and author of Make Life Happier: 23 practical ways to feel better, find meaning and make a difference. Mark shares the story of walking away from a “successful” corporate career after debilitating back pain forced him to confront the stress and approval-seeking driving his life, and how simple practices like mindful breathing opened the door to a completely different way of being. We explore looking inside – turning towards pain rather than running from it, softening the inner critic, and moving from extrinsic to intrinsic motivation – as well as looking outwards: social fitness, active listening, relationships as a path to consciousness, and the ripple effects our everyday actions have on the people around us.

👉 Website: https://www.simonmundie.com/

👉 Work with me - book a free 15 minute 1:1 consultation: https://calendly.com/simon-wgw/simon-mundie-intro-call

👉 Where Awakening Meets Real Life substack: https://simonmundie.substack.com/

👉 My YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@IAmSimonMundie

Mark's book: https://www.bonnierbooks.co.uk/news-and-media/make-life-happier-finding-meaning-with-dr-mark-williamson/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

My wife Alex - a Reiki master, Sound healer, Yoga Nidra practitioner and spiritual wellness journalist - has taken over the podcast for this episode to share a Yoga Nidra designed to help anyone going through exam stress. So - if you have kids or know anyone in exam season - please do share this episode. It could really help!

And please do consider subscribing to my wife's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NR1yee6gLUo&t=991s

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this short episode, I ask pioneering physicist and microprocessor inventor Federico Faggin to unpack my recent awakening experience.

We explore being “empty of self,” feeling lived by the universe, and how free will fits into a non‑dual view of reality.

If you’ve ever wondered what really happens in awakening, this conversation offers a rare bridge between deep spirituality and cutting‑edge physics.

👉 Website: https://www.simonmundie.com/

👉 Work with Simon - free 15 minute 1:1 consultation: https://calendly.com/simon-wgw/simon-mundie-intro-call

👉 Where Awakening Meets Real Life substack: https://simonmundie.substack.com/

👉 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@IAmSimonMundie

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

👉 Work with Simon - free 15 minute 1:1 consultation: https://calendly.com/simon-wgw/simon-mundie-intro-call

👉 Free Webinar on Tuesday 19th @ 7pm: Register here: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/oHmSlGr0Q1GfnX4wO-CTvA

👉 Where Awakening Meets Real Life substack: https://simonmundie.substack.com/

👉 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@IAmSimonMundie

Most spiritual seekers have tried everything – meditation, self-inquiry, satsangs – and yet still feel stuck, still abandon themselves, and still live from old conditioning. In this episode I share why intention is so often the missing piece.

00:00 – The missing key in awakening: intention

01:30 – How intention led me all the way to kensho

03:55 – How intention transforms self-inquiry

07:30 – Awakening vs self-abandonment

10:14 – Intention lessons from my 104 year old Gran

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

'The mind is not invited to the party' - Henry Shukman and Simon Mundie discuss Kensho.

Henry Shukman and I discuss spiritual awakening, the dark night of the soul, and why the thinking mind can’t grasp what awakening really is. Drawing on my own direct experience, this is about what happens when identification with thought falls away—and awareness recognises itself.

For 1:1 coaching with Simon book a free 15 minute consultation: https://calendly.com/simon-wgw/simon-mundie-intro-call

For a gift of 30 free meditation sessions on Henry's app 'The Way' - click here: https://the-way.app.link/simon

For more information on The Way head here: http://thewayapp.com/simon

Substack: https://simonmundie.substack.com/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One of the first mistakes the ego makes is to confuse approval with love. From early childhood, we learn to feel good when we’re praised and uncomfortable when we’re not. Without noticing, we start organising our lives around being approved of rather than being true to ourselves.

That’s how we end up:

I call this the demon of approval.

And you can’t be free of it until you can clearly see it.

Tonight I’m running a free live session on this — how to see the pattern clearly, feel what comes up when you stop feeding it, and begin acting from something deeper than the need for approval

If this resonates, you’re very welcome to join - register here: ESCAPE THE DEMON

It starts at 7pm UK time and I will start with a short meditation to show how approval keeps the ‘me mind’ hooked. There will also be plenty of time for questions.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is a conversation with the author of Notes on Nothing - The Joy Of Being Nobody.

The author - J - experienced a shift that prompted him to write his excellent book, which describes awakening beautifully.

I read it before and after my own kensho - and invited the author on to discuss what a shift is like from both our perspectives.

Work with me - free 15 minute 1:1 consultation: https://calendly.com/simon-wgw/simon-mundie-intro-call

Register for my free webinar on Tuesday April 21st @ 7pm UK time: https://zoom.us/j/97714908602?pwd=8lnBbAIMp8bFS4YGeZrBABYqG1eF11.1

Substack: https://simonmundie.substack.com/

For a gift of 30 free meditation sessions on Henry Shukman's meditation app 'The Way' - click here: https://the-way.app.link/simon

Get the book: https://www.as-is-press.com/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Overthinking is a sign we are avoiding our feelings. When I was young, I remember thinking 'I don't know why I don't feel sad'. And the reason was - I had gone into my head to stop from feeling. This is the first way we all learn to escape from our experience, causing a split and beginning the process of self-abandonment.

Work with me - free 15 minute 1:1 consultation: https://calendly.com/simon-wgw/simon-...

Substack: https://simonmundie.substack.com/

For a gift of 30 free meditation sessions on Henry Shukman's meditation app 'The Way' - click here: https://the-way.app.link/simon

Watch on YouTube: http://youtube.com/watch?v=ZkugHKi39O0&lc=UgzMqdI4sGKNW3Q8KyB4AaABAg

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I've recently seen three clients have an awakening by stopping abandoning themselves. I didn't know it was coming, and nor did they - but it was a privilege to witrness.

Doing this work really can take you all the way (or more accurately return you) to the peace and love of your true nature.

Work with me - free 15 minute 1:1 consultation: https://calendly.com/simon-wgw/simon-mundie-intro-call

Substack: https://simonmundie.substack.com/

For a gift of 30 free meditation sessions on Henry Shukman's meditation app 'The Way' - click here: https://the-way.app.link/simon

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This short episode reflects on the Louis Theroux manosphere documentary and what it reveals beneath the surface. Rather than judging behaviour, I explore the underlying pattern of avoidance—how we push away sensitivity and what that does to our sense of self. Drawing on my own experience, this points toward a more honest form of masculinity—and ultimately, a path of awakening through integration, not rejection.

Free 15 minute coaching consultation: https://calendly.com/simon-wgw/simon-mundie-intro-call

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@IAmSimonMundie

Substack: https://simonmundie.substack.com/

For a gift of 30 free meditation sessions on Henry Shukman's meditation app 'The Way' - click here: https://the-way.app.link/simon

For more information on The Way head here: http://thewayapp.com/simon

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Self-inquiry is one of the most potent tools for spiritual awakening - but only if you know how to use it properly. Here are 4 things that actually make it work.

• When Am I? A Self-Inquiry Question
• Why self-inquiry questions confuse the mind
• Where am I? the experiential Inquiry
• Why we feel located in the head
• Intention in Self-Inquiry
• How Self-Inquiry Can lead to Awakening

Free 15 minute coaching consultation: https://calendly.com/simon-wgw/simon-mundie-intro-call

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@IAmSimonMundie

Substack: https://simonmundie.substack.com/

For a gift of 30 free meditation sessions on Henry Shukman's meditation app 'The Way' - click here: https://the-way.app.link/simon

For more information on The Way head here: http://thewayapp.com/simon

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Overthinking can feel relentless. In this episode I share four simple things that help calm a busy mind, from grounding and breathing to reconnecting with the body and nature. Then I explore the deeper reason we overthink — and why the mind often spins when we’re avoiding a feeling.

Free 1:1 coaching consultation: https://calendly.com/simon-wgw/simon-mundie-intro-call

Tools I mention:

Shakti Mat: https://www.shaktimat.co.uk/collections/all

Weighted blanket: https://snoozetherapy.co.uk/collections/shop-all

The relaxator breath trainer: https://breathandbalance.uk/products/the-relaxator-breath-trainer

Ayurvedic Abhyanga massage oil: https://naissance.com/collections/massage-oils-1

Other links:

My book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Champion-Thinking-Success-Without-Yourself/dp/1526626497/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@IAmSimonMundie

Substack: https://substack.com/@simonmundie?utm_source=user-menu

For energy work with Alex: alex@simonmundie.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

People pleasing often looks kind on the surface. But over time it can lead to exhaustion, resentment - and burnout. In this episode, I explore why people pleasing develops in the first place and why it’s rooted in a childhood strategy to secure love and approval. More importantly, I share a different way of working with the pattern. Instead of trying to force yourself to “stop”, the real shift comes from recognising the deeper fear driving it and learning how to meet that feeling directly.

When you do, something surprising happens: the pattern begins to soften, and the approval you’ve been chasing outside yourself becomes far less important. If you struggle to say no, overcommit, or feel responsible for other people’s emotions, this episode will help you understand why - and what actually leads to lasting change.

To explore this work more deeply, you can book a free 15 minute 1:1 consultation here: https://calendly.com/simon-wgw/simon-mundie-intro-call

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why does it sometimes feel like something's still missing - even after deep insight?

In this short episode, Simon explores the hidden motivations behind the search for awakening, the role of self-worth in seeking, and why surrender matters more than chasing another breakthrough.

To explore this work more deeply, you can book a free 15 minute 1:1 consultation here: https://calendly.com/simon-wgw/simon-mundie-intro-call

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Alex and I share a five-month update since my awakening experience - and how it’s actually showing up in our relationship. One of the biggest misconceptions about spiritual awakening is that it removes triggers or makes you permanently peaceful. That hasn’t been our experience.

We talk honestly about what’s changed, what hasn’t, and how old relational patterns still surface - but are met differently. We also share some news about upcoming retreats and what we’re building next.

Free 15 minute 1:1 coaching consultation: https://calendly.com/simon-wgw/simon-mundie-intro-call

Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnHCpGupias

Follow Alex: https://www.instagram.com/iamalexandrawilby/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Click here to explore 1:1 coaching with me: https://calendly.com/simon-wgw/simon-mundie-intro-call

Why awakening feels lonely - and what that loneliness reveals about love, approval, and the end of push-pull dynamics

00:00 Awakening can feel lonely

02:03 Approval is not love

03:00 Push Pull in relationships

05:50 Losing relationships

06:55 Loneliness isn't a problem

07:20 Waking up is not Growing up

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Everything is either an expression of love, or a call for love - including anger.

Watch this on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WoVaVRMd4o

Book a free 1:1 consultation: https://calendly.com/simon-wgw/simon-mundie-intro-call

Time Stamps

00:00 Anger isn't the problem

00:47 The feeling of anger in the body

02:30 Welcoming anger

03:51 How to recognise a Loving action

04:13 Healthy anger versus unhealthy anger

04:53 Spiritual Bypassing

06:00 What to do when you feel the energy of anger

07:30 Don't shame anger

08:30 Love is the answer

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Many people struggle to say no without over-explaining — not because they lack communication skills, but because part of them feels unsafe being misunderstood.

In this episode, Simon explores the deeper emotional pattern behind over-explaining and how meeting the underlying feeling with presence and compassion naturally leads to clearer boundaries and greater self-trust.

If this resonates, you can book a coaching consultation here: https://calendly.com/simon-wgw/simon-mundie-intro-call

You can watch this video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HZpyxkwHVs

For a gift of 30 free meditation sessions on Henry Shukman's meditation app 'The Way' - click here: https://the-way.app.link/simon

For more information on The Way head here: http://thewayapp.com/simon

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this conversation, I’m joined by physicist and microprocessor pioneer Federico Faggin for an exploration of consciousness, reality, and awakening. Federico is widely recognised for his role in shaping modern computing, yet after years of professional success he found himself deeply unhappy. In 1990, a spontaneous awakening experience radically shifted how he understood himself and the nature of reality. Rather than dismissing that experience, he spent decades integrating it with science, leading him to a view in which consciousness and free will are fundamental to the universe, not products of the brain. We talk about direct experience, science, meaning, and what all this might mean for humanity at this point in time.

In this conversation, we explore:

• Federico’s background in physics and computing, and how his inner life didn’t match his outer success
• Why professional achievement alone didn’t bring fulfilment
• Federico’s spontaneous awakening experience in 1990 and how it changed everything
• The importance of direct experience over concepts or beliefs
• Why love is not something we find outside ourselves
• How Federico developed his model of reality after his awakening
• Quantum physics explained in clear, simple terms
• A practical analogy for understanding the collapse of the wave function
• The limitations of materialism and the flaws of “scientism”
• Free will, the separate self, and what it really means to choose
• The deeper purpose of the human experience
• How suffering, war, and evil can be understood through this lens
• Simon’s own kenshō experience and what followed
• The difference between talking about awakening and living it
• Why responsibility and honesty are essential for real awakening
• The post-awakening “dark night” and integration
• Why this moment in history feels pivotal
• The relationship between fear, science, and belief systems
• Why consciousness must be the starting point
• The spiritual quickening happening now
• What needs to change — individually and collectively
• Why love, ultimately, matters more than fear

1:1 COACHING CONSULTATION:: https://calendly.com/simon-wgw/find-your-flow-intro-chat

My YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@IAmSimonMundie

Group coaching enquiry (and retreats): info@simonmundie.com

For energy work with Alex: Alex@simonmundie.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After Awakening, the content of our experience doesn't change, but our relationship to experience does.

In this episode, I explore what genuinely shifts after awakening - and what doesn't.

• Why Anxiety and Nervous System Reactivity Don’t End After Awakening
• Why Emotional Triggers Still Fire After Awakening
• Why Relationships Still Feel Difficult After Awakening
• Why You Stop Rescuing People and People-Pleasing
• Why Overthinking Drops Away After Awakening
• Why Resistance to life Drops Away (Even When It's Uncomfortable)
• Why Awakening Isn’t About Escaping Yourself

If you would rather watch this episode, the video version is here: https://youtu.be/9X0lMRL35jY

1:1 COACHING CONSULTATION:: https://calendly.com/simon-wgw/find-your-flow-intro-chat

Group coaching enquiry (and retreats): info@simonmundie.com

For energy work - Reiki, Rahanni, Sound Baths - with Alex: Alex@simonmundie.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is a real example from my own life of how self-abandonment can show up in very subtle ways — and what changes when you stay with yourself instead. If this resonates and you’d like to explore it further, I’m hosting a free live webinar where we’ll look at how self-abandonment operates moment to moment, and how to stay centred.

I am hosting a free webinar this evening Tuesday January 13th at 8pm called How To Stop Abandoning Yourself (and Live From Presence).

Register here: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/b-bZ_YIJRZClJPdyluZeLg#/registration

If you can't make it - read about my coaching or book a 1:1 consultation: https://calendly.com/simon-wgw/find-your-flow-intro-chat

I will mention group coaching options in tonight's webinar.

Hope to see you there!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Every January there's a familiar conversation about becoming someone new. But real change doesn’t come from trying to fix a 'broken self.' Lasting change comes from stopping self-abandonment — learning to listen to what you feel, know and need, rather than overriding yourself to cope, please or perform. When you stop betraying yourself in small, everyday ways, clarity returns, boundaries become simpler, and life begins to flow with far less struggle.

I am hosting a free webinar next Tuesday January 13th at 8pm called How To Stop Abandoning Yourself (and Live From Presence).

Register here: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/b-bZ_YIJRZClJPdyluZeLg#/registration

Read about my coaching or book a consultation: https://calendly.com/simon-wgw/find-your-flow-intro-chat

YouTube subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@IAmSimonMundie

Substack subscribe: https://substack.com/@simonmundie

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What If The Point Of Life Is Simply To Become More Loving? In this conversation, I’m joined by physicist and consciousness researcher Tom Campbell, author of My Big TOE (Theory Of Everything). We explore a simple but profound idea: that life is less about extraordinary experiences and more about the everyday choice between fear and love. Tom shares his view that consciousness evolves through how we live — through honesty, responsibility, and the way we treat ourselves and others — especially at a time when humanity feels increasingly divided.

For 1:1 coaching book a consultation: https://calendly.com/simon-wgw/find-your-flow-intro-chat

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@IAmSimonMundie

Substack: https://substack.com/@simonmundie

Free Course: https://www.simonmundie.com/restore-balance-mini-course

For info on group coaching: info@simonmundie.com

For a gift of 30 free meditation sessions on Henry Shukman's app 'The Way' - click here: https://the-way.app.link/simon

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There is a profound difference between intellectual understanding and direct experience of non duality. Simon Mundie and Henry Shukman discuss how spiritual awakening transforms our perception of reality and how a kensho changes everything.

Henry Shukman is an authorised Zen Master and Spiritual Director of the Mountain Cloud Zen Center in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Over the years, Henry has taught meditation at organisations including Google, Harvard Business School and the Esalen Institute, AND he is also the co-founder of ‘The Way’ meditation app, which offers a unique pathway of training designed to help people deepen their practice. Henry is also an award-winning poet and the author of several books, including his latest ‘Original Love: The Four Inns on the Path of Awakening’, which explores meditation as a path to compassion, healing and presence.

For 1:1 coaching with Simon book a consultation: https://calendly.com/simon-wgw/find-y...

Simon's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@IAmSimonMundie

For a gift of 30 free meditation sessions on Henry's app 'The Way' - click here: https://the-way.app.link/simon

For more information on The Way head here: http://thewayapp.com/simon

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is a conversation about AI with Jason Tsai, an AI strategist who’s been working at the intersection of tech and people for years. We talk honestly about what AI is (and isn’t), how to use it properly, what might happen in future and how to stand out in a fast-changing world.

Rather than getting lost in the hype or fear, we look at where creativity, emotional intelligence, and deeper self-awareness still matter — maybe more than ever.

Jason Tsai leads the AI Implementation practice at Pivotal, where he helps companies, organisations and teams augment their capabilities through the effective use of AI. 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasontsai88/

https://www.thisispivotal.studio/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this solo episode I share the three key insights from a recent talk I gave for the NHS on burnout and overwhelm. We explore the “me mind,” active relaxation, and the importance of stillness — and how these simple shifts can bring real relief in daily life.

Book a 15 minute 1:1 coaching consultation: https://calendly.com/simon-wgw/find-your-flow-intro-chat

For speaking enquiries email info@simonmundie.com

What others say about working with me:

“If you want freedom from your stories and release from emotional pain you may be unconsciously holding, I encourage you to explore 1:1 coaching with Simon.

Simon is an insightful and skilful coach who can guide you inward to experience the gold within.”

— Virginia

Speaking endorsements:

“Working with Simon was incredible… he shared the insights in such a transformational way.” – Jo, UK Government

“Mundie is a gem. He is endearingly boisterous with a deadpan manner that can deceive” - The Guardian

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What does it mean to love yourself, when there’s no self to love?

In this solo reflection, I explore the paradox at the heart of awakening — how deep self-love can arise once the illusion of a separate self begins to dissolve. I touch on fear, separation, intuition, truth, and what my two-year-old daughter is teaching me about unapologetic presence.

If you want to work on living in presence with me book a 1:1 session here: https://calendly.com/simon-wgw/find-your-flow-intro-chat

My YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@IAmSimonMundie

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From struggle to stillness. In this episode, I share the story of my recent awakening — what actually happened, how it felt, and what’s shifted since. It followed years of inner work, self-inquiry, and emotional processing, but the moment itself came unexpectedly during a retreat. There was a clear seeing that the sense of separation is an illusion — and with that, a deep peace, simplicity and humour. I talk about the build-up, the walking meditation that cracked it open, and how things have settled in the weeks since.

Watch me talk about my shift on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpChLLskMM4

And from my wife's point of view: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5El4GO2Dtbs&t=33s

Coaching: https://calendly.com/simon-wgw/find-your-flow-intro-chat

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, I’m joined by Tom Davies — author of Self Obsession — for a profound exploration of why we suffer and how to stop. We unpack how our fixation on identity — career, relationships, even personality — traps us in anxiety, grief, and striving. Drawing from both Western psychology and Eastern spirituality, Tom offers a clear and compassionate path toward freedom: letting go of false identification and realising what we really are.

• Self-Obsession & Identity: How our suffering arises from clinging to a sense of self that’s always under threat.
• The Trap of Identification: Why tying our worth to external roles or internal narratives makes us vulnerable.
• East Meets West: Blending psychology’s tools with spiritual insight for a more complete approach to healing.
• Tom’s Personal Story: From anxiety and burnout as a medic to insight and clarity through inquiry and presence.
• Meditation & Self-Inquiry: Practices that help dissolve the illusion of a separate, fixed self.
• Impermanence & Clinging: Why resisting change and chasing stability only deepens suffering.
• Beyond Self-Improvement: The trap of always trying to fix ourselves — and the freedom of radical acceptance.
• Non-Dual Awareness: Realising our essence as awareness itself — not a separate self, but Being.

If you want to work on living in presence with me book a 1:1 session here: https://calendly.com/simon-wgw/find-your-flow-intro-chat

My YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@IAmSimonMundie

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Many Practices, One Presence.

Ben Smith started meditating aged six. I came to spiritual inquiry later. In this conversation, we explore the different paths we've taken — his through years of dedicated meditation, mine through self-inquiry and emotional integration.

We talk about powerful experiences, awakening, the real purpose of spiritual practice, and how it all boils down to living with love, presence and humility. Two different routes up the same mountain.

You can watch me talking about my shift on my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpChLLskMM4&t=44s

(Please subscribe while you are there)

If you want to work on living in presence with me book a 1:1 session here: https://calendly.com/simon-wgw/find-your-flow-intro-chat

My YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@IAmSimonMundie

Ben's channel: https://www.youtube.com/@bensmithreal

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Three weeks ago, something profound happened. While on retreat (which I will talk about in an upcoming interview), I had what’s often called a kensho — a clear and undeniable seeing into the true nature of reality. It wasn’t a peak state, or a passing insight: it was a shift in identity. In this episode, my wife Alex and I talk about what the shift has been like, from her perspective.

If you want to work on living in presence with me book a 1:1 session here: https://calendly.com/simon-wgw/find-your-flow-intro-chat

To explore working with Alex and me together, email info@simonmundie.com

Please consider following my wife on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamalexandrawilby/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Spiritual Side of Speaking: How to speak from the body, not the head.

In this episode, I sit down with Caroline Goyder — a globally respected voice expert who’s worked with world leaders, A-list actors, and high-stakes communicators — to dig into what real speaking looks like when presence is the foundation. We explore how your voice is more than technique: it’s a physical expression of breath, emotion, and grounded attention. Caroline shares stories from her work, how she helped people find authentic confidence under pressure, and offers practices to help us speak more from Being than from performance.

Caroline's website: https://carolinegoyder.com/

TED talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2MR5XbJtXU

If you want to work on living in presence with me book a consultation here: https://calendly.com/simon-wgw/find-your-flow-intro-chat

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.