marinating the mind
By Spyros Heniadis - marinatingthemind.com
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Podcast Description
Awareness and the Self are squishy topics that are often poo-pooed in our society and many people may look upon this with disdain and contempt, but the truth is, Awareness and Self are the most important things in life. It is long past time that we as individuals and as a society looked inward past this disdain to find and free our True Selves.
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Shooting from the Hip episode 001 | This podcast is 11 minutes and 22 seconds. Feel free to leave feedback in the comments. You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes Email subscribers, you can right click to download the podcast or click to listen in your browser with this link. Hello readers, I was busy living life this past week, so I didn't get a post/podcast up for you on Tuesday. This is things evolving a bit. Today's episode is straight, no script, no editing, Shooting from the Hip. Enjoy. | 7/7/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Understanding the Power Structure | The podcast is a reading of this post and is 7 minutes and 12 seconds. Feel free to leave feedback in the comments. You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes Email subscribers, you can right click to download the podcast or click to listen in your browser with this link. Words have power. Take "F**k" for example. The dictonary definition of f**k is: sleep together: have sexual i*********e with. This literal definition means to have sex, so big deal. Most of us have sex, and we enjoy it at that. It's not that simple though. F**k is a much more complex word. As we know, the word is used in many different ways, It's an adjective, a verb and a noun. It's used positively and negatively. In fact, "f**k" has become one of those all purpose words that can and does mean just about anything depending on the context it is used in. So let's break it down. It's a collection of four letters. "F" originates from the Semitic letter vâv that represented the /v/. "U" is also Semetic in origin, from the letter Waw by way of the letter Y. It also shares a relationship with "F" via the Romans. "C" comes from the same letter as "G", and is again Semetic. The origin letter is gimel. And "K", from the Greek Kappa, and, surprise! Also Semetic as Kappa is derived from the Semetic kap. Here we have four letters, all Semetic in origin, which really means nothing at all. And that's the point. This word, has no power. In fact, things only have power if we give them power. Does this idea bother you? If it bothers you then you need to take a step back, because understanding the power structure is one of the keys to living the life that you want to live. As an example, this is the desktop wallpaper I have on my laptop: Last week I talked about how terrible I am at getting s**t done, and after writing that post I was able to let go of this idea that I can't get s**t done and start actually getting s**t done. Shortly after that I realized one of my biggest problems is procrastination. It's not that I can't get s**t done, it's that I don't. And this wallpaper serves as a not so gentle reminder to me of that fact. By the same token I have already changed my approach to bedroom activities with my wife, and though it's only been a week, I think there has already been some incremental improvement. Last week's post was a major catharsis for me, and in letting go of these things I have freed myself to make the changes that I want to be. This is power. I've come out of the other side with the understanding that nothing in life has power over us unless we give it power. The victim you know in your life, the one who always has something going wrong? They have surrendered their power. We surrender power to our governments, we surrender power to our jobs, our bosses, our friends, our family, our spouses, everywhere in life we surrender power. When we look at the power structure it seems overwhelming, and it becomes a very scary thing. It's a terrible monolith of all that we have given up, and in many cases the return on investment sucks. Giving up power is easy. Taking that power back is not. One of the most important things you can do to begin reclaiming power is to let go. I may sound like a broken record, but if we just let the f**k go, things become much, much easier. From what I've written before you may have gotten the idea that in letting go we become cave dwelling yogis eschewing all of life in favor of solitude and a diet of nettles. You couldn't be more wrong. The arc of letting go lends itself to that idea when you approach it without an understanding of where we land after letting go. That landing place is a place of power. It is the place where we see that nothing has power over us, unless we give it power. Here's the thing, we sit back and give up our power, however every time we give up that piece of power, | 6/28/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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This is who I am, who are you? | The podcast is a reading of this post and is 6 minutes and 20 seconds. Feel free to leave feedback in the comments. You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes Email subscribers, you can right click to download the podcast or click to listen in your browser with this link. I have to admit I was a little scared writing this because I've become comfortable in this little corner I've been carving out for myself. That being said, comfort is the balm of the unaware and in order to continue writing my own story I have to push my boundaries and bleed from the eyes from the effort I put in to this. This isn't a hobby, a side project, it is something I love. I love writing, and I love this topic I am exploring, but really, what I'm exploring, what we're all exploring, is life. You're supposed to be specific in your blogging niche. Well, I can write about this stuff and it's great, but there are other things that interest me. Among other things, I like Art Economics Food Cooking Life Money People So things are gong to change a little bit around here. This blog is really a continuation of my #portaraitaday project and to continue that I have to really explore myself as much as I write content that is enjoyable or useful to you dear readers. So things are going to change. I'm probably going to swear more. See, here's something you don't know about me. I like to swear. I really like the word "F**k". It's a beautiful word. I worked in a couple of different factories over the course of ten years, and if you know anything about factory environments, you know that the air is blue with cursing. For example in a factory we worked in we would measure things in terms of c**t hairs. So if we had to make a tiny machine adjustment, it was a "c**t hair" and if it was a super tiny adjustment, it was a "red c**t hair" That's kind of dirty and I don't really talk like that anymore, but I still curse. I use to be too loose, swearing around kids like the bad uncle that doesn't watch his language. I don't really want to be that guy, but my language here is going to get a little more colorful. Because in the end, as my friend Tim writes, "It's all about me." It is, but it isn't, and what you've been reading, that is me. Don't think I've been hiding. I am genuinely me in this space, but I haven't opened the door of this writing space to all of me. Which is interesting because when I was working through my portraits, that was raw, and it was all me. All of it, the good, the bad, the ugly, the beautiful, foul, clean, bright and beautiful. Becasue in the end, life is about me, it's about you, and everything under the sun pertains to that. And that means I'm going to talk about whatever the f**k I want. To open this up a little bit I'm going to take a page from a bunch of other bloggers, who bare their souls and lay it all out here in public. Here are some other things you may or may not know about me. (If you've followed my portraits or twitter for awhile, some of this may not be new, but I know I have some new folks out there reading as well, so here it goes.) I'm a selfish bastard I try not to be, but more often than not I am. This means that many times I am not as kind or loving or caring to my wife as I should be, and it is something that I am ashamed of. In putting this here in this public space for all of you to read, I am letting go of that shame, and opening my love to my wife. I love her, but I've let my selfish nature get in the way for far too long. I'm terrible at getting s**t done I am so bad at this. I look good and organized on the surface, but right below that I'm a disorganized mess. I've tried lots of different methods to get things done and keep track of what I have to do and so on and so on, but I just haven't found anything that works for me yet. I suspect this is something like my care for my body. It's not that I can't do it, | 6/21/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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We are men | The podcast is a reading of this post and is 2 minutes and 57 seconds. Feel free to leave feedback in the comments. You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes Email subscribers, you can right click to download the podcast or click to listen in your browser with this link. âDonât compare your inside to someone elseâs outside.â â Karen Walrond Lynn Fang at Upcycled Love wrote a wonderful piece encouraging women to stop worrying about what society says is beautiful and realize that you are beautiful already, right now, just the way you are. When viewed through the lens of society men suffer our own pressures and expectations. There is man, and there is Man. Man is a buff, sports loving, beer drinking, car fixing, stereotypical Man. Man does not cry. He always looks effortlessly buff and has the perfect combination of Brad Pitt scruff and George Clooney suave. Man is supposed to have 6 pack abs and know the stats of the top ranking NFL quarterback, the top 3 point NBA shooter and the most current collegiate football rankings in that f****d up system they use. Man is supposed to swear. Man's cars are fast, tough and cool, unless they're trucks, and Man can fix anything. Man is confident, cool, good with the ladies and bad with emotions. F**k that. This is for all the men out there. We are men We cry, we don't have six pack abs and I don't give a crap about sports We are men, and we're not all confident We are men, and my scruff looks nothing like Brad Pitt's and my arms don't look like Vin Diesel's We are men and we don't always like to get our hands dirty, we don't all like to fix things, and some of us have no idea what the f**k a box wrench is We are men, and we are perfect just the way we are We are men, and when we talk to women, we're usually scared out of our minds We are men, and all we really have in common is X and Y chromosomes We are men and that's nothing to be ashamed of We are men and that means liking sports is fine, but so is liking art, a good romance movie, a smutty book, or a hot fast car We are men and there is no reason to not love ourselves We are men and all that means is that we're human We are men, and we don't have to be the idea of Man We are men, and we need to be ourselves We are men, and I don't mean to be cliche, but men, we were born this way We are men, this is who we are We are men, and we should love ourselves because We are men If you're a man, love and accept yourself and let the world know about it by sharing via the tweet and like buttons below. If you are a woman, support the men and women out there in loving themselves by doing the same. Share and spread the love. | 6/14/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Welcome Love and Trash Readers | NOTE TO MY REGULAR READERS This week I am guest posting over at Love and Trash (post link). The guest post will be up tomorrow at noon PST time and I welcome and encourage you to visit Love and Trash, it's a great blog with lots of great people writing on a variety of topics. As an exclusive and thank you to my regular readers and subscribers I have the podcast for the guest post ready for  you today (albiet a bit late since we just got home from Portland, Orgeon). Enjoy! END NOTE The podcast is a reading of my guest post over at Love and Trash and is 8 minutes and 54 seconds. Feel free to leave feedback in the comments. You can now subscribe to the podcast on iTunes Email subscribers, you can right click to download the podcast or click to listen in your browser with this link. Hello and welcome Love and Trash readers! I appreciate you stopping by. Here on marinating the mind I write and explore the depths of awareness and self, looking into the motivations behind what we do and how to get past the idea of self that is built upon us over time by society to discovery of the self we have within. I also podcast my blog posts (as of 4/12/11) and for my regular readers and everyone stopping by from Love and Trash, and you can download the podcast from the Love and Trash post  here. You can read more about the blog and me on the about page. Here are a few of my most popular posts: The Importance of Immersion and How to Cultivate it How Privacy is Ruining the World and What You Can Do About it Why I Think Maslow was Wrong How You Can Change the World I appreciate you stopping by and if you like what you've read you can subscribe via email, RSS, or you can pick up the podcast in iTunes. Thanks again for stopping by! | 6/7/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Embracing the Power of Change | The podcast is a reading of the following post and is 9 minutes and 28 seconds. Feel free to leave feedback in the comments. You can now subscribe to the podcast on iTunes Email subscribers, you can right click to download the podcast or click to listen in your browser with this link. On Thursday my wife and I are flying out of Milwaukee, Wisconsin; we are headed to Portland, Oregon for the World Domination Summit. This trip is going to be pretty amazing. I've never flown on a plane, I've never been to Portland or the west coast, and I've never been to a conference like this before. It will be even more amazing because I'm going to meet my mastermind buddy Niall Doherty, and a friend from Twitter, Kat Ostrow. (If you're going to be at WDS, give me a shout. I'd love to say hello!) All in all I expect it to be pretty awesome, but leading up to this trip there has been something in the back of my mind that is both sobering and inspiring me. As we fly out of Milwaukee, my sister in law will be flying out of North Carolina. She is not flying to Portland, or any destination in the US. Instead, she is flying to the Guangdong province of China. She is flying to China to adopt a child. This by itself is pretty amazing. This is her family's second adoption, they adopted their 8 year old son from South Korea when he was born. But this adoption is different. The child she is adopting is four years old. She only speaks Chinese, and she has spent her entire life in a Chinese orphanage. Just think about this for a moment. This girl's entire worldview is about to be shattered. The entire structure of her life is about to change and be rebuilt. Her environment, her language, her eating habits, her friends, her social circle, even her name is going to change. I can't stop thinking about this, about how monumental this change is going to be for her. When I think about it, it inspires me to question my own worldview, to crack it open, to examine what I accept and what I believe. This is a challenge because we live our lives with worldviews that we accept as individuals and as a group. These ideas ultimately form not only the shape and fabric of society, but the shape and fabric of the self. It is deceptively easy to live without examining these assumptions. In learning that seeing the world is the key to seeing the self we take time to look past the categorizing we do in our environments, which gives us an opportunity to see these things in a clearer light, but at this stage it is important to go further. When you consider the very remaking of your existence, as is about to happen to this four year old girl, taking time to examine the brick in a wall or to say hello to a person working as a store clerk is not quite enough to understand what is really happening. It is here we step beyond and begin to question the filters and assumptions we hold. In looking past them we can see them, and in seeing them we can begin to change them. For example, I've been questioning the need to own a home, and the base conflict over owning a home boils down to this: I am torn between the urge to root myself in this community, and the urge to be untethered. I am questioning the ties that a home, a mortgage, and the things that accompany it all bring. However in the beginning, I wanted to own a home. I wanted to own a home becasue that was a worldview that I accepted. The idea of home ownership has been writ large into the fabric of American society. It is an idea that has been perpetrated upon us by government, and has trickled throughout society in such a way that few people question the need or desire to own a home. Yet we can see the damage that idea has brought to the economy. Despite my questioning, the foreseeable future has me living in a house, but within that I continue to question and embrace change. An example is the idea that I need to use soap and shampoo to bathe myself daily. | 5/31/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Understanding the Nature of Happiness | The podcast is a reading of the following post and is 8 minutes and 5 seconds. Feel free to leave feedback in the comments. You can now subscribe to the podcast on iTunes Email subscribers, you can right click to download the podcast or click to listen in your browser with this link. We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. - [emphasis added] US Declaration of Independence Happiness is a tricky thing to understand. We feel endowed with this right to happiness, and as we move through our days and lives we often feel that this happiness is lacking. There has also been a ton of research done on happiness, just look at the Google search results: Happiness nets 163,000,000 results Happiness research nets 44,600,000 results and there are 771,000 sholarly articles on happiness. In our lives and the society we live in today we find ourselves seeking happiness in the belief that it is our right to be happy. That not only do we deserve to be happy, we need to be happy. This kind of seeking shifts happiness from a state of being to an end in itself, and ends up tying it to external conditions. The most generally accepted external condition for happiness is financial wealth. However when we look at the research we find that more money doesn't really make you happier. The main reason more money does not make us happier comes down to something we've talked about before. More. More is a relative concept. What that means is that the perceived value of what we have changes relative to what others around us have. So if I have a salary of $75,000 a year, I am happy according to this study. But if I have that same $75,000 a year, and you make $150,000 a year, my $75,000 suddenly has less value in comparison to your $150,000. Understanding that relative value changes lets us understand that what we believe will make us happy changes. The key here is the perception. In fact one of the most powerful concepts to understand is our perception It is with our perception that we accept and define the conditions of our lives and the world around us, and it is with our perceptions that we accept things such as relative value. This goes deeper than just relative value and delves into the belief systems we hold and the facts we accept within those belief systems. Just look at the statement I made above about financial wealth being the generally accepted key to happiness. This is a perception, we accept the idea that money will make us happy. We think it will make us happy because with money we believe we will have the freedom to, "do what we want." While more money can afford us a certain amount of freedom to "do what we want", the relative nature of value creates a cycle that Penelope Trunk illustrates here: As a society, we are not actually all that interested in happiness. If we were, people would stop relocating for jobs, people would stop eating french fries, and people would stop scheduling their kids for activities that happen close to dinnertime. If anything, I think people are focused on hiding the fact that they desperately want more money and more passion in their lives even though it's not fashionable to admit it. [link] I would disagree that we aren't all that interested in happiness, just look back at those Google results. I would argue that this desperate and relentless pursuit is an ill guided attempt at pursuing happiness, and it illuminates a couple of things. First, it highlights the relative nature of value. People "desperately want more money and more passion in their lives", despite the money they have to relocate for jobs, eat french fries, and have their kids in activities. Yet these very activities show a passion for the relative value we think these things will bring us. Second, | 5/24/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Re-post with podcast: Naked Yoga | The podcast is a reading of the following post and is 7 minutes and 40 seconds. Feel free to leave feedback in the comments. Email subscribers, you can right click to download the podcast or click to listen in your browser with this link. I don't have a new post this week. Instead I offer you podcast of one of my favorite posts from the archive: Naked Yoga. As an update since this post, I've now lost around 80 lbs, though I don't know for sure because I don't weigh myself regularly. I also left the gym I had joined and I now practice yoga daily. *** I practice yoga naked. I have been practicing yoga with more serious intent for a couple of months now and it feels like a very natural extension to this path that I've been on. This also relates to my daily portrait project from last year. I remember when I started the project I would contort and twist my body into different poses. It was like a physical manifestation of my efforts to remove the shell from around my heart and untie the knot of emotions that I had been choking on for so long. Over time the physical contorting lessened as I learned to let myself go emotionally. The transformation took place over time and as I closed the project last year my portraits reflected the peace and happiness that has been growing with me as I learn to share the love in my heart. The yoga poses I practice are a reflection of the stillness I continue to pursue along with the comfort I feel with my body. Each pose challenges me and I learn to conform the pose to my body as I work my body into the pose. As my body finds the equilibrium my mind rests and I find there is little room left inside my mind, heart and soul. The peace fills me. The stillness is yet elusive, but like the perfect pose perfect stillness is never achieved. Instead I take each pose and each moment to breathe, feel my body and acknowlege the thoughts in my mind as I allow them to float by. I practice yoga naked because it feels right. The clothes that I was wearing when I first started practice were cumbersome, they would get in the way and distract me from the breath and my body in the moment. I feel freer when I practice naked and my body flows more smoothly and I feel more comfortable and whole in that freedom. Last July I joined a gym and started an exercise program. For the last six months I was following the stronglifts 5x5 program, with which I have had great success. I lost 45 pounds as of my last weight check and more importantly I have gained strength and balance, making my body healthier than it has been in a long time. Now though as I move forward and pursue yoga I look to transition away from the stronglifts program and to focus more on yoga for my fitness and health. There are a few reasons for this. - I exercise alone, and with that comes a strong danger of injury as I get into heavier weights, particularly in the squats, overhead press and dead lift. - My goal was never to be a muscle man, but to be fit and healthy. Weightlifing requires continual progress and additional stress to be most effective. I haven't found a way to achieve equilibrium in this kind of strength training. - To continue to strength train I will either need a gym membership or to purchase my own weight equipment. Conversly the benefits I am finding with yoga are - Equilibrium. I am able to accept myself in each moment and yet in each moment I can feel the efforts my body is making through the pose. - Mobility. I can do Yoga anywhere. I don't even really need my mat. - Whole body wellness. In Yoga I have found areas of my body that were being neglected by the weightlifting program. What I have learned from Yoga There is no perfection I've talked about this before and in yoga this is a constant reinforcement. There is no perfect pose, no perfect body, no perfect blog post, painting, photo or book. Nothing is perfect. Everything is perfect. | 5/17/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Why Humanity Doesn’t Understand Balance Pt 2 | The podcast is a reading of the following post and is 9 minutes and 17 seconds. Feel free to leave feedback in the comments. Email subscribers, you can right click to download the podcast or click to listen in your browser with this link. W... | 5/10/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Why Humanity Doesn’t Understand Balance | The above podcast is a reading of the following post and is 8 minutes and 2 seconds. Feel free to leave feedback in the comments. Email subscribers, you can right click to download the podcast or click to listen in your browser with this link. ... | 5/3/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
| Total: 10 Episodes |
