Waking Up

Freedom is a big word. It suggests escape from all the messiness of being human. But in the final installment of Awake Where You Are, Martin Aylward shows us that real freedom not only includes the vagaries of daily life—it emerges through them. bit.ly/44SNVVc

Sunday Moment: Where is your life in this moment? bit.ly/4f7LDox Artwork by Machado Leão

In the second installment of The Open Path, Elias Amidon shows us that, more than anything else, our paths open when we open ourselves: by caring for others, by taking action in the face of worry, by welcoming new experiences without preconception. bit.ly/4o3Oenq

Sunday Moment: Whatever you’re about to do, see if you can do it fully awake. bit.ly/4f2ZZ9G Animation by Ceci Erlich

What if the difference between resentment and gratitude was one mental move? In this clip, Sam shares how shifting your perspective, even just for a moment, can dissolve frustration and reveal gratitude. Find more Stoic philosophy in the Waking Up app. bit.ly/45ixiBl

Understand how mindfulness can enhance your creative process with Drawn from Wonder, the @Blackwing x Waking Up playlist. Slow down with 11 curated tracks focusing on creativity, attention, and seeing differently. bit.ly/46i5sas

In Knowing Presence, Ayya Ānandabodhī invites us to see our personal experiences—difficult thoughts, pleasant sensations—not as solitary perceptions but as evidence of our connection to others, to nature, to the world. bit.ly/4eSnH8v Series artwork by Ceci Erlich

Sunday Moment: Find your superpower. bit.ly/44NQ2JI Artwork by The Real Theory

Heading out of town for the holiday weekend? With our On the Road playlist, you can get lost with Tom Lutz, rediscover your city with Rob Walker, explore Burma with Joseph Goldstein and go on an adventure with Pico Iyer. bit.ly/45Tp84c Artwork by Morgan Powell

Sunday Moment: If you think you can stay angry without continually manufacturing this emotion, you are mistaken. Artwork by Machado Leão. bit.ly/4lzDnzQ

Many teachers say meditation is about effortlessness—about ease, not striving, letting things be. But in three new sessions of Sitting in Stillness, Adyashanti goes further, inviting us to drop the subtlest sense of even being a meditator. bit.ly/3GbDZMY

Portrait by Jason Chatfield

In Better Things & Better People, Sam speaks with historian @rutgerbregman. They discuss why it seems like we are at the hinge of human history, how altruism should be rewarded, why empathy is overrated, moral entrepreneurship, existential risk, and more. bit.ly/4lfL11U

Body. Injury. Relationship. Sex. Breath. Care. Intimacy. You. In a new installment of Consolations II, David Whyte explores words that point to our greatest vulnerabilities. Instead of protecting these tender spaces, he honors them as sources of beauty. bit.ly/3SYMrly

Consciousness. Meditation. Psychedelics. A documentary that asks deeper questions without forcing answers. Excited to see this collaboration with @JakeOrthwein come to life at the @PsychedelicSci.

In The Open Path, Elias Amidon shares Sufism-inspired reflections and insights from Zen and Dzogchen. This series helps us let go of what we think we need for spiritual fulfillment—and create space for it to appear all on its own. bit.ly/404qTHQ Artwork by Jonathan Conda

In the latest installment of Beyond Concepts, John Astin doesn’t offer techniques, instructions, or guidance along a path. Instead, across six poetic reflections, he simply describes how ordinary experience is already vast, alive, and complete. bit.ly/43T1ulP

Series artwork by Marta Ryczko

What if the reason you feel stuck isn’t that you’re doing life wrong, but trying too hard to do it right? In a new installment of You Are Here, Oliver Burkeman helps us get out of our own way and just move forward—imperfectly, uncomfortably, but freely. bit.ly/43PRzhP

Portrait by Jason Chatfield

In Philosophy for Life, Sam speaks to author and psychotherapist @DonJRobertson. They discuss the relationship between wisdom and virtue, ancient versions of psychotherapy, parallels between Stoicism and Buddhism, the life of Marcus Aurelius, and more. bit.ly/3Fb39e2