How Mindfulness Can Fix Pretty Much Anything—And How To Be Consistent Without Self-Criticism | Alexis Santos

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Oct 30, 2024

In this captivating discussion, Alexis Santos, a mindfulness and meditation teacher, shares how to seamlessly incorporate meditation into daily life. He emphasizes a gentle, natural approach that contrasts with rigid practices. Alexis reflects on the challenges of parenting and the necessity of mental health awareness. He offers insights on navigating chaos in turbulent times, emphasizing self-care and awareness. The conversation also addresses the impact of modern distractions, advocating for mindfulness as a powerful tool for personal growth and clarity.

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ADVICE

Gentle Awareness

Cultivate continuous awareness gently, not forcefully.
Integrate mindfulness into your daily life, making it a natural habit.

INSIGHT

Awareness vs. Remembering

Awareness is effortless; remembering to be aware is the challenge.
Direct experience of the present moment, like feeling your hands, is awareness.

ADVICE

The "Am I Aware?" Practice

Regularly ask yourself, "Am I aware?" to cultivate presence.
This simple question serves as a gentle reminder throughout the day.

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How to get the practice into your molecules—not in some militaristic way, but in a way that feels easy and natural.

Alexis Santos has been in the field of mindfulness and meditation since 2001. After graduating from Harvard University in 1995, he spent several years in medical school before leaving his chosen career as a doctor to seek out a different path. It was while traveling in India that he was introduced to insight meditation.

Since that time, Alexis has practiced in many meditative styles and traditions, including with Sayadaw U Tejaniya, the Thai Forest tradition with Ajahn Sumedho, the Tibetan tradition with Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche and within the lay Western insight community where he continues to learn from the growing diversity of voices.

Alexis's primary teacher has been Sayadaw U Tejaniya, from the Burmese Theravada tradition, and with whom he ordained as a Buddhist monk from 2003 - 2005. Sayadaw encouraged Alexis to teach in 2012. Alexis also completed the Spirit Rock/IMS four-year teacher training program with Jack Kornfield and others, including mentors Joseph Goldstein and Carol Wilson.

Alexis teaches meditation at retreat centers around the world. He is featured on the Ten Percent Happier meditation app and is co-founder of Open Door Meditation Community in Portland, Maine where he is a guest teacher.

Alexis's teaching style is natural and uncrafted. He brings a practical, intuitive and compassionate approach to the development of wisdom.

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Want to study and practice with Alexis? Visit his website at alexissantos.io where you can join his freely offered online practice sessions.

He will also be teaching at the Insight Meditation Society from March 5 - 12. When Awareness Becomes Natural: An U Tejaniya-style Insight Meditation Retreat

Related Episodes:

A More Relaxed Way to Meditate | Alexis Santos

I Just Did A 10-Day Silent Meditation Retreat With Joseph Goldstein. Here’s What I Learned