S1E7 Untethered Soul Michael Singer

Generated: 2025-07-04

Full Transcript

[00:04] Welcome to Read, Reflect, Rise, where we explore words of wisdom from inspiring authors, nourish [00:09] our personal growth and return to ourselves again and again in the midst of this wild, [00:14] beautiful life. I’m Will Struthers-Cooper, a teacher, wellbeing coach and one of your [00:19] biggest fans on this path of self-discovery. Whether this is your first time or you’ve [00:24] been listening from episode one, I’m really glad you’ve joined us. [00:28] Each week on this podcast, we slow down together. I’ll read a powerful extract from a thought [00:34] leader or a heart-led writer, give some gentle reflections, guide a meditative moment or pause, [00:40] and I’ll leave you with an affirmation that will carry you throughout the week, no matter what day [00:44] it is and what day you think it is. I’m certainly having one of those weeks that’s just gone a [00:50] little bit sideways in terms of what day comes after which. But today, we’re turning inward, [00:55] so it doesn’t matter what day of the week it is. We’re going into the inner space beneath the [01:00] noise, the place where peace isn’t necessarily to be found at first glance. We’re exploring [01:07] The Untethered Soul by Michael A. Singer, a book that’s been like a spiritual lightning [01:12] rod for millions around the world and one that can help people come home to stillness again [01:17] and again and again. Let’s talk about the voice inside our head. We’ve had 10% happier, [01:25] we’ve had chaos, we’ve all got a voice inside our head. If your mind has ever felt like a constant [01:32] monologue, if you’ve ever longed to feel more ease, more space, more peace, more trust, more connection, [01:39] or if today you’re simply ready to meet yourself, the one that’s beyond your basic thoughts, [01:46] then today’s episode is here for you. [01:50] Michael Singer is a spiritual teacher, he’s an entrepreneur, and he’s author of The Untethered [01:55] Soul, the surrender experiment and more recently Living Untethered. His teachers are grounded in [02:01] mindfulness, inner freedom, and what he calls letting go of the inner noise. He’s got a pretty [02:07] simple and clear message. You are not the voice inside your head, you’re the one that’s listening [02:12] to it. The Untethered Soul is not just a book for so many people, it’s a companion. [02:19] It’s an invitation to us to wake up from the endless chatter of our mind, [02:24] to become the observer of our thoughts and to live from that place. There are deep, deep roots in it [02:30] in equanimity and unattachment, things that you may recognize from ancient paths and older religions. [02:36] I find it really steeped in a lot of those concepts, but worded in a way that’s really [02:42] accessible in the modern day for someone who’s walking a path of spirituality rather than religion. [02:50] Singer doesn’t promise us control over life with these words, but he offers something much more [02:55] powerful. He offers us the chance to understand how to create peace within our lives. Let’s dive in. [03:05] And this is from chapter two, Your Inner Roommate. [03:10] Your inner growth is completely dependent upon the realization that the only way to find peace and [03:16] contentment is to stop thinking about yourself. You’re ready to grow when you finally realize that [03:22] the I who is always talking inside will never be content. It always has a problem with something. [03:31] Honestly, when was the last time you really had nothing bothering you? Before you had your current [03:38] problem, there was a different problem. And if you’re wise, you will realize that after this one’s [03:44] gone, there will be another one. The bottom line is you’ll never be free of problems until you’re [03:52] free from the part within that has so many problems. When a problem is disturbing you, don’t ask, [03:59] what should I do about it? Ask, what part of me is being disturbed by this? [04:08] If you ask, what should I do about it? You’ve already fallen into believing that there really [04:14] is a problem outside that must be dealt with. If you want to achieve peace in the face of your [04:21] problems, you must understand why you perceive a particular situation as a problem. If you’re [04:29] feeling jealousy, instead of trying to see how you can protect yourself, just ask, what part of me [04:37] is jealous? That will cause you to look inside and see that there’s a part of you that’s having a [04:43] problem with jealousy. Once you clearly see the disturbed part, then ask, who is it that sees this? [04:51] Who notices this inner disturbance? Asking this is a solution to your every problem. [04:58] The very fact that you can see the disturbance means that you are not it. The process of seeing [05:05] something requires a subject-object relationship. This subject is called the witness because it is [05:14] the one who sees what’s happening. The object is what you are seeing, in this case the inner [05:21] disturbance. The act of maintaining objective awareness of the inner problem is always better [05:28] than losing yourself in the outer situation. This is the essential difference between a [05:36] spiritually minded person and a worldly person. Worldly doesn’t mean that you have money or [05:43] stature. Worldly means that you think the solution to your inner problems is in the world outside. [05:49] You think that if you change things outside, you’ll be okay. But nobody has ever truly become okay [05:57] by changing things outside. There’s always the next problem. The only real solution is to take [06:05] the seat of witness consciousness and completely change your frame of reference. To attain true [06:13] inner freedom, you must be able to objectively watch your problems instead of being lost in them. [06:19] No solution can possibly exist while you’re lost in the energy of a problem. Everyone knows that [06:25] you can’t deal well with a situation if you’re getting anxious, scared or angry about it. [06:33] The first problem you have to deal with is your own reaction. You will not be able to solve [06:41] anything outside until you own how the situation affects you inside. [06:49] Problems are generally not what they appear to be. When you get clear enough, you will realize that [06:55] the real problem is that there is something inside of you that can have a problem with almost [07:02] anything. I’m going to repeat that. When you get clear enough, you will realize that the real problem [07:10] is that there is something inside of you that can have a problem with almost anything. [07:20] The first step is to deal with that part of you. This involves a change from outer solution [07:28] consciousness to inner solution consciousness. You have to break the habit of thinking that the [07:34] solution to your problems is to rearrange things outside. The only permanent solution to your [07:41] problems is to go inside and let go of the part of you that seems to have so many problems with reality. [07:53] Once you do, you’ll be clear enough to deal with what’s left. [08:08] If you’re sitting comfortably or standing, moving, I invite you now to tune into that voice inside you. [08:19] It might be saying, I don’t have a problem with anything. There’s no part inside of me that has [08:24] a problem with things. It might be running fast. It might be heating you up and making you angry. [08:30] It might be saying, I don’t want this. I’m going to turn this off. I’m done with this. Nope. No, [08:34] you’re not. Thank you. Goodbye. We all have an inner voice. [08:41] It has lots of really strong opinions and it is normally the one that has a problem with things [08:49] in the outside world. [08:55] That doesn’t mean that we, our true I, have a problem with things in the outside world. [09:05] Most people are kind, caring, compassionate. [09:15] Love is their default setting. We can get up in the morning and all we want to do is enjoy life. [09:25] Be present, connect with people, do our thing, whatever our thing is. [09:36] And then things happen. Always, always things happen. That’s just the way it goes, isn’t it? [09:46] But our mind, the witness, can have really strong opinions. [09:59] And that can trigger all sorts of reactions in us. So let’s have a short practice [10:08] that helps widen that space between [10:13] between life as it is and life how we want it to be and the inner monologue chat that just goes and [10:19] goes and goes about how things should be and shouldn’t be. [10:25] Okay, let’s take a couple of breaths. This is some heavy stuff. I’m really, I’m really proud of you [10:31] for sticking it out and still being here. If you haven’t heard this concept before, [10:36] it’s a deep one. Your bravery is showing and I’m really proud of you. [10:45] Okay, let’s have a few breaths. We’ll do another chime. [10:52] Breathing in and breathing out. [11:00] If you have the opportunity, you might want to put your hand on your chest [11:03] and another hand on your stomach. Breathing in and breathing out. [11:15] Allowing yourself [11:18] to bounce or press some part of our body against something solid [11:25] so that we can feel its presence, feel connected, and allow ourselves to sink a little bit more [11:32] into our bodies. If you’re noticing any tension anywhere, it’s time to invite softness [11:40] either with how you view it or how you hold it. [11:45] We’re not here to change anything. [11:53] We’re noticing. What do you notice in your body, in your surrounding? Is there brightness? [12:02] Is there wind movement? Is there something hard or soft? [12:11] Is there something tactile that you can touch? [12:19] Bring your focus to that thing that you can touch. What does it feel like? [12:25] What’s the texture of it? What’s the temperature of it? [12:32] Allow yourself to relax into that sensation. [12:40] And you might want to give yourself space to have a sigh. [12:46] Or even a yawn. [12:53] Or even a pretend yawn and see if it turns into a real yawn. [12:59] Moving your jaw, noticing if there’s tightness anywhere and allowing it to be. [13:09] Holding space for your thoughts to arise and allow yourself to look at them, to view them. [13:17] Maybe imagine yourself sitting on a riverbank, watching a thought pop up and another thought pop up. [13:29] And choosing not to follow those thoughts down the river. [13:37] Allowing yourself to see them. [13:42] Maybe feel the quality of them just as you did with your fingers. [13:48] Are they spiky? Sticky? Slippy? Soft? Hard? Are they jagged? [14:00] If a thought keeps popping up, [14:04] maybe something from your to-do list, maybe something to do with your body, [14:11] maybe a worry or a concern, maybe a happy event. [14:16] If it keeps popping up, explore it in terms of its texture. [14:22] In terms of how it looks as you sit on the riverbank and watch it as if it was a little boat [14:28] bobbing up and down or moving along on this river of thought. [14:42] And allow yourself to step back from it, to settle back on your little riverbank [14:50] and not become attached to that thought. [14:56] And if it was a jaggy one or a sticky one or a heavy one, maybe you’ll flick your fingers at it, [15:05] removing any last feeling or sensation or leftover feel on your fingers. [15:13] Ta-ta, goodbye. I see you. You exist. I exist. I’m sitting here on my riverbank. [15:28] And allow yourself another breath. [15:36] You are here. Again, you are here. Your thoughts exist and you are not your thoughts. [15:53] Bringing the feel of your seat or your feet back to your conscious attention, pressing down on something, [16:08] allowing yourself to revisit the room that you’re in. You’re no longer sitting on a riverbank. [16:16] But know that you can take that seat anytime you wish. [16:22] When you feel you’re getting sucked too much into that river of thought, [16:26] just pitch yourself back on that riverbank. [16:33] Opening your eyes if you’ve had them closed. [16:39] And perhaps retouching that thing that you were pressing and exploring with your fingers or your feet. [16:49] Welcome back. [16:52] And I want you to remember that we don’t have to listen to everything our mind says. [16:56] We don’t have to follow it. [17:00] There’s a space within you, a place that you can see things, where you know things, [17:07] where there’s no grasping or judging. [17:12] When we sit there, we remember we’re not the chaos. We’re the calm beneath it. [17:23] And the affirmation for your week ahead. [17:27] May I let go of this moment. May the stillness within me flow. May I watch and let it go. [17:37] May I let go of this moment. May the stillness within me flow. May I watch and let go. [17:48] And the shorter one I give to you, which is perfect for out and about, [17:51] and to remind us that we’re the listener and the observer with the thoughts in our minds. [17:57] I watch. I breathe. I release. I watch. I breathe. I release. [18:08] So repeat it, write it down, whisper it on your walk or into your morning tea. [18:13] And let it meet you wherever you are. [18:20] Thank you for sharing in this untethered pause with me today on Read, Reflect, Rise. [18:25] I hope that Michael Singer’s words offered you even just the tiniest flicker of spaciousness, [18:30] of quiet strength, of remembering that there is so much more to the hamster wheel of thought that [18:35] we hear inside our head. If this episode has been a support to you, I’d love for you to share it with [18:43] a loved one feeling stuck in thought or maybe even your future self. [18:48] You can find links to the untethered soul and everything else in the footnotes. Go check them [18:53] out. All that good stuff is also in my weekly email newsletter. So do sign up so you can get [19:00] the written versions of the affirmations and bonus prizes too. Leaving a review or tapping [19:05] follow on your podcast app helps so much in getting these words into more ears and more [19:10] hearts. So thank you those of you that have written reviews. Thank you those of you that [19:14] have given me so many gorgeous five stars. You have kind hearts and I’m really grateful you’re here. [19:19] As you move through your week, folks, please remember you’re not your thoughts. You’re the [19:24] one that hears them. Take a moment to see that so you can reflect and rise. Go well, take great care [19:30] of each other and remember there’s magic, medicine and power in the words we weave and wield. Listen [19:36] wisely, my observing friend.