Expanded Minds Podcast Ezekiel Funches interviews Lyam Boylan (Yamsox)

Beyond Breath and Emptiness: A Journey Through Spiritual Awakening

Embark on a transformative journey through the realms of spirituality, where breath becomes a tool for awakening and the void a space for profound growth. This session delves into the art of conscious breathing, the relief it brings from anxiety through willpower, and the embracing of emptiness and nothingness as gateways to deeper understanding. Discover how apophatic theology guides us to detachment, the significance of the body in spiritual transformation, and the role of self-observation in realizing awareness. Explore the conceptual differences between duality and non-duality across cultures, the importance of gurus, and the power of devotion and service in bhakti. Learn the symbolic meanings behind mandalas and lotus flowers, and how stargazing can connect us to the cosmos. This comprehensive exploration offers insights into conquering sleep as shared by great figures like Arjuna and Buddha, the balance of masculine and feminine energies, and the overarching journey towards enlightenment.

Chapters:
00:00:00 Introduction and Daily Spiritual Practice
00:01:49 The Art of Conscious Breathing
00:03:40 Breathing, Willpower, and Anxiety Relief
00:06:04 Embracing Emptiness and Nothingness
00:07:45 Consciousness and the Experience of Nothingness
00:09:45 Subject and Object: The Essence of Perception
00:11:36 Apophatic Theology and the Way of Negation
00:13:11 Detachment Through Negation
00:14:59 The Body in Spiritual Transformation
00:16:53 Self-Observation and Realizing Awareness
00:19:20 Exploring Beyond Awareness
00:21:08 Ego Ungluing and Embracing Duality
00:23:36 Duality vs Non-Duality in Cultural Contexts
00:25:10 Transmission of Spiritual Knowledge
00:26:51 Higher and Lower Knowledge
00:28:31 The Role of a Guru in Spiritual Growth
00:30:06 Synchronicity and Spiritual Awakening
00:31:47 Bhakti and Seva: Devotion and Service
00:33:34 Confronting the Void in Spiritual Practice
00:35:32 Paths Towards Understanding the Void
00:37:12 Meditation, Sleep, and Turiya
00:39:25 Bhagavad Gita on Day and Night
00:41:24 Conquering Sleep: Wisdom from Arjuna and Buddha
00:42:58 Positive Reframing as a Spiritual Practice
00:44:58 Awakening and Compassionate Space
00:47:14 Symbolism of Mandalas and Lotus Flowers
00:49:37 Stargazing and Cosmic Connection
00:51:45 Manifestation and Universal Balance
00:54:02 Masculine and Feminine Energies in Breath
00:56:14 Closing Thoughts and Gratitude