Unconditional Well Being - The Practice of Non Closing | The Michael Singer Podcast

Quick Overview

The core message is that achieving unconditional well-being, as taught by Michael Singer, requires practicing "non-closing"—the continuous choice to remain open to all life experiences, both pleasant and unpleasant, rather than resisting or closing off due to fear or past programming, which is the root cause of suffering.

Key Points: Unconditional well-being is attained by practicing non-closing, meaning remaining open to all experiences, regardless of whether they are desired or not. The primary reason people suffer is that they close their heart and mind when they encounter things they don't like or expect, such as negative life events or even positive ones that might change. The speaker recounts a personal story of realizing the intensity of his own closed state when a friend calmly told him, 'I love you so much,' which caused him an unexpected emotional reaction (a 'shakti' reaction). The concept of 'shakti' (energy/life force) is central; when the energy flow is blocked by closing, suffering occurs, but when the energy is allowed to flow through, even negative experiences feel less impactful. The speaker contrasts the Western tendency to react to negative events (like getting wet in the rain) with the spiritual practice of accepting and remaining open to the experience. The speaker references the spiritual teaching that 'Man does not live by bread alone,' implying that focusing only on external needs (like food) while ignoring inner spiritual needs leads to problems. The ultimate goal is to stop trying to control external conditions (like the weather or other people's behavior) and instead practice opening the heart/consciousness to whatever arises.

Context: This is an excerpt from The Michael Singer Podcast, presented by Sounds True, focusing on spiritual teachings about achieving a state of unconditional happiness and peace. The speaker, Michael Singer, uses a personal anecdote involving a friend's declaration of love to illustrate the deeply ingrained human habit of 'closing' one's heart and mind when faced with unexpected or uncomfortable experiences, contrasting this with the spiritual path of remaining open to all of life's flow, or 'shakti.'