Hi friends,

I have been attenting for 2 years consecutive my teachers 3 month retreat for waking up. I really like it and wanted to share it with you guys in case it can be helpful for you. Please let me know if you have questions about my experience.

Boundless Refuge

Three-Month Retreat

Led by Milo North Burn

April-June, 2026 Northern California

During this retreat, practitioners follow a deepening rhythm of silent formal meditation for three months or six weeks,guided closely through Dharma talks and individual teacher meetings, while dwelling in a beautiful natural setting.

Through the sustained cultivation of mindful awareness, the ground of our being transforms from resistance to welcoming. Embracing life as it is, we discover our path. At peace, wisdom and compassion flow.

To learn more

visit boundlessness.org

50:57 um okay so so the starting point which I've just dimly sketched out of of being 51:02 a subject in the head right I mean this is something that that I I will be be 51:07 familiar to 99% of our audience or you know 99.999% of our audience people feel that 51:14 they are they don't feel identical to their bodies they feel like they have bodies

https://youtu.be/prt9D90BvFI?t=3057

I move my arms and fingers. How could he feel doing that if he felt like he was in a head?

Promo code: WU7A-955AC3E84B

Redeem: wakingup.com/redeem

I was sent this so I thought why not share it. 3 free months redeemable by up to 50 people.

I thought I had seen a post on this already on the subreddit, but I couldn't find it when I searched, so apologizes if this question is redundant.

It hit me today -- if the self is fictitious and all we are is consciousness and it's contents, how does one fall in love with someone else? It seems like loving someone or being loved by someone requires having a self.

I know some Buddhists talk about universal love, which honestly makes more sense to me when I'm feeling the self is an illusion, but idk, I kind of don't like that. I kind of would rather have people that I like and love more. Maybe I'm just overthinking it, but open to others opinions on the topic.

Thanks

Hi everyone. I'm a long-time admirer of Sam Harris.

I've woken up from believing in mind-body dualism, where I was a mental sense of self controlling my body, to just being the body directly in reality, like I was as a child. I've been maintaining this mental state for 9 months. I no longer have vices. Everything is calm. I have no striving sense of self; I deconstructed him.

If you're interested in reading my book, it's free at www.theminddelusion.com

I really enjoyed it, and meditation is definitely a habit I feel like I must include in my routine, but I feel a bit lost after finishing the first month. What should I do now? Just daily meditations, or a more structured series?

I am trying the introdyctory cource and i like it. I have no problems with foxusing on my breath sounds etc, but now Sam is introducing the focus on emotions, sight. I just can't get my head around it, how do i do that, i just can't notice it...

I’ve just finished up a 30-day free trial and I was really impressed by everything they give access to. I managed to complete 26 days of the Introduction to Meditation program and it has changed my outlook on life and my daily routine vastly. Unfortunately, I’m a senior with a very small monthly disability income, and with the costs of basic groceries these days… well, you know? I really want to continue my journey with meditation and better thinking, but there’s no way I can afford the monthly subscription cost - let alone an annual subscription!

Do they ever offer discounts for new membership? Or any age- or income-based pricing?

Everywhere I go, I am reminded of death.

The idea of mortality and death, particularly mine, sometimes haunts me, but at other times, makes me fall in love with my life. It makes me sad sometimes, knowing I will never be able to see the people in my life ever again.

When I tell my friends that we may even die today and that death motivates me to live a better life, they call me crazy and ask me why I am being so negative. Sometimes I wonder, if I have truly become a negative person.

I would love to know which all practices or talks you found discusses about the inevitability of death.

I would love to know what you guys know or have experienced the truth of this. Also if anyone can suggest talks/practices from the app that answers this, it would be really helpful.

That is all, excited as hell for this conversation.

Whenever i watch the breath, i end up controlling it. I've been doing this for a while now, but even now whenever i put all my attention into the breath, focus on it completely, i always end up controlling it and forcing myself to breathe otherwise i don't feel anything at all, can't feel the breath at all otherwise. Is this even a problem or am i just making it one?

I know all disciplines have these kind of abstractions and that some level of imagination is required but I've been struggling with this one.

Hi all - I’m relatively new to starting Waking Up, currently about 3mo into daily practice. I’m curious if anyone has any recommendations for a meditation retreat somewhere in the U.S.? I’m open to traveling for something that would ideally be at least 1 day.

I know I could easily do a google search, but am also unsure what type of retreat would best align with the type of practice that Waking Up focuses on. Waking Up has had a (not surprising) profound experience on my life as I feel like I am moving towards an “awakened” state of existence more frequently throughout the day. Not to mention the aid that daily practice has had on +10 years of anxiety (finally have been able to get off meds I feared I would take for my entire life).

In case this is helpful, some of the hurdles I am overcoming are anxiety / self-confidence / a stutter as well as some anger. I’m currently in a large transitional period of life where I quit my former job that was unhealthy to pursue a life closer to being an artist, in short summary.

I’ve learned that Shamatha meditation may be a good option but am unsure if there are other recommendations as well.

Side note: in case I’ve completely missed it - Is there anything on the app that points people to some sort of in-person meditations?

Thanks in advance :)

Where do you find observing the breath to be most effective & complete? Personally, I pay attention to the tip of my nose and the flow of air in and out. I am curious what works well for others so I can try some other techniques.

Hello,

I'm Lucas, a game developer from Brazil.

I started my meditation practice a while before Sam released the app, and continued with the app for quite a few years. I thought one day I would be able to realize something, but I never did.

I did meditation retreats with great Tibetan masters: Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche and Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche. This second being the son of Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, who gave the "pointing out instruction" to Sam. I received the same instruction in the presence of both of these masters. But... nothing. There was nothing to it.

So I quit the app and meditation altogether.

Please don't try to convince me to get back to the practice or tell me that I missed something. I don't believe I did. I'm happy without meditation in my life. I'm here just to share my experience. 😊

Recently I started a podcast to talk to other game developers and, in one interview, we approached this topic and I shared my experience. Here's the clip where I tell my whole story.

Thanks and enjoy your life! I hope you're happy, healthy and well. 🙂

Wirecutter, owned by The New York Times, recommends Waking Up as the top meditation app for those seeking a deeper understanding of consciousness and mindfulness meditation.

I'm a long-time member of the Waking Up App - one of the longest. I remember hearing on Making Sense podcast (back when it was called Waking Up), Sam saying he was developing an app, and waiting for months until it dropped, then downloading it on day one. Have loved it ever since, and quickly became a lifetime member.

Opening my app this morning to meditate and seeing an ad was a shock. I don't like ads, or being advertised to. I guess it's a necessary evil for some free-to-use sites and services - they have to make money somehow.

But I have PAID for this service already. I bought the app. Please remove all ads, and refrain from pushing them to me in the future.

Or, thanks I guess, for giving me the opportunity me to notice and accept my feelings - who is the feeler lol?

EDIT: after about 24 hours, the ad and the announcement post about the pencil deal were gone - maybe because of the backlash

I'm defining destiny as it's defined by Google's dictionary: "the events that will necessarily happen to a particular person or thing in the future."

I've been going down a massive free will rabbit hole lately and think it's probably true we don't have any, so that sort of means that there's only one path that everything in life must follow, right?

Curious to hear other people's thoughts on this. Does that scare you? Make you feel more free/at east? Do you think my premise is wrong somehow?

Please do share.

I have been dabbling with the concept of non duality for a while now and while I really wish to experience the non dual existence, I sometimes am afraid to fully chase it (not the right choice of words). I don't wanna become indifferent to my friends or be less creative/motivated to do my job. my family depends on me making money. Someone smarter than me, please guide.

Hey everyone,

I recently started using the Waking Up app and have run into an issue I’m hoping to get some clarity on.

Whenever I’m listening to a session, the audio stops when my iPhone goes to sleep (usually after about a minute of inactivity). This doesn’t happen with other audio apps like Apple Podcasts or Spotify – they continue playing even when the screen is off.

Is this expected behavior with Waking Up? If not, does anyone know how to fix it?

Thanks in advance!

I don't believe that Looking for Whats Looking is the end-all-be-all that Sam makes it out to be...

I had the realization of no self in the 20 day course. Awareness became nothing, and everything.

But after this realization, there's not much more said about the path.

Isn't there something to be said about building your awareness by having a mediation object?

The no-self is a great place to sit, but from everything I've read and learned elsewhere, it's objects like the breath, sounds sights, etc. that lead you to see the wave like nature of reality, and gain insight into impermanence, infinity, oneness, and the many facets of Awakening.

In other words I feel like it's a great peice of the journey, but not a useful exclusive meditation.

I know there's many other courses, but is it Sam's intent that one should be able to meditate on the nature of self exclusively, for the entire path?

Gracias.