The Inexplicable Magic of Cleaning Up After Yourself

Send us Fan Mail“The first rule of magic is containment,” said the great Julia Cameron, author of The Artist’s Way and many other books. This points to the idea that the world we live in changes the way our minds and hearts work. The more uplifted our world, beginning with our actual home, the more potency we have in our spiritual quest. Why? It’s magic?  In this episode, I explore the fifth principle from Inexplicable Magic: Meditation for Mystics: We Clean Up After Ourselves. I also answer a listener's question about why the Buddha described friendship, not as helpful along the way, but as the way. And for the podcast after party, we check in with the great Ini Kamoze. HighlightsWhy caring for your environment is a spiritual practiceHow the "container principle" shapes meditation and daily lifeWhat it means to clean up after yourself — in your space and in your relationshipsRepairing small moments of disconnectionWhy the Buddha taught that spiritual friendship is the whole of the pathThe role of sangha in practiceMusicListen to "Here Comes the Hotstepper" by Ini Kamoze and tell me you somehow remained seated. Mentioned in this podcast: Fake Buddha QuotesMy new book is now availableInexplicable Magic: Meditation for Mystics, is available for purchase. Explore the spiritual path through 7 principles which run counter to conventional wisdom. Learn more and buy your copy here.Watch this episode on videoIf you’d like to watch the podcast, the video version is here.Send me your questions:You can keep the conversation going or send your reflections via Instagram DM or through our form — I’d love to include them in future episodes.New 7-Day Program Starts June 14thSeven Days of Inexplicable Magic is a chance to immerse yourself in post-meditation practice, aka the rest of your life. What happens when practice follows you into your relationships, home life, bill-paying, creative pursuits? Together, we will find out.. The program follows the arc of my new book, and I'm co-leading it with my friend, Crystal Gandrud. Come find out more.Proclaiming Basic Sanity: Living the Bodhisattva Path Retreat Come practice with me at Drala Mountain Center, up in the Colorado Rockies, for a retreat on the bodhisattva path: what it takes to live with real courage and an open heart in the middle of our ordinary, chaotic, beautiful lives. We'll talk honestly about how to recognize and rouse basic sanity right where we already are. Everyone's welcome, and you don't need any prior meditation experience. Learn more and register.If you enjoyed this episode:Please rate, review, and share it with a friend who’s curious about mindfulness, spiritual commitment, or the Buddhist path.For more on Buddhist teachings and how our humanity isn’t necessarily in our way, sign up for my free weekly newsletter or join the Open Heart Project sangha for more connection with community and with me.If this podcast has been meaningful to you, it would be great if you would subscribe, give it a five star rating and share it with a friend. To join or learn more about The Open Heart Project please visit openheartproject.com.Thoughts? Email us at [email protected] by Citizens of SoundMusic by: Derek O'Brien©Open Heart Project