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A Taste Of Enlightenment: Feeling Bliss In An Hour

Updated: Jan 25

INTRODUCTION


Welcome to the fifth blog post in my series on Transformative Life Coaching (TLC) and everything related to personal development and enlightenment.


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I believe so strongly in the transformative potential of coaching that I have had, and continue to have, a number of Transformative Life Coaches. I would like everyone to be able to experience enlightenment. This is my purpose - to have maximal impact on the world by sharing this with one person at a time. This will stir you to do the same, so the results will be exponential. Therefore, I do not do 'discovery calls', hard sell or use any sales tactics at all. I simply offer you a free one hour coaching session without expectation so that you can get a sense of the internal shift that can be achieved. We will not even discuss booking future sessions. I am offering an experience of coaching at no charge rather than selling the concept through a discovery call. Below I will set out how you can access bliss any time you desire.


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Enlightenment is the 'Holy Grail' (if you pardon my cocktail of Buddhism and Christianity) of personal development and transformation. It may seem like a distant goal, reportedly only achievable by countless hours of meditation, in specific places like the Bodhi Tree, where Buddha became enlightened. It feels as if one might need to travel to a faraway place to get in touch with timeless truths: In reality, the only journey in inside. Enlightenment is instantly accessible to everyone, but it is obscured by the clouds of thought and emotions.


Enlightenment means to become a Buddha – the pinnacle of human development and potential – and it is the ultimate aim in Buddhism. However, it is something that every single being on earth has the potential to achieve. Right now we’re not Buddhas – instead, we experience a life full of problems and constant ups and downs, both of which knock us off track. We’re stuck like this because our minds automatically project nonsense onto everything and we truly believe that it is reality. We act in ways we think will bring us true happiness, but which in reality end up only bringing misery.


Here I present how in one hour of TLC you may get a feeling of what it is like to become enlightened. The good news is that, although you may not achieve a permanent sense of bliss in one session, it will change you in a way that cannot be reversed, a palpable shift. The guru Osho wrote “Enlightenment will be now the beginning, not the end. Beginning of a non-ending process in all dimensions of richness.” This blog is the distillation of a journey of self discovery and personal reflection that I have made on your behalf, of over 1,100 pages of notes in which I have summarised over 150 books that I have read over the last two and a half years, and having thousands of hours of conversations about philosophy, Existentialism, Stoicism, positive psychology, timeless truths, transformation, TLC, and enlightenment with psychotherapists, psychiatrists, mindfulness experts, meditation teachers, spiritual guides, yoga teachers, and coaches. My key finding is that enlightenment is not a goal to be attained, it is a state-of-being to be regained. We have all we need within.


“Knowing others is Wisdom, knowing yourself is enlightenment” (Lao Tzu).


The Zen teaching of Bodhidharma is “But people of the deepest understanding look within, distracted by nothing. Since a clear mind is the Buddha, they attain the understanding of a Buddha without using the mind… Not creating delusions is enlightenment.” “Enlightenment is always there. Small enlightenment will bring great enlightenment. If you breathe in and are aware that you are alive - that you can touch the miracle of being alive - then that is a kind of enlightenment... We need enlightenment, not just individually but collectively, to save the planet. We need to awaken ourselves. We need to practice mindfulness if we want to have a future, if we want to save ourselves and the planet” (Thich Nhat Hanh). Ramana Maharshi concurred “Your own self-realisation is the greatest service you can render the world.”


"My GIFT is to be YOUR GUIDE" Olly Alexander MA PhD


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According to tradition, Buddhism began with the Buddha’s enlightenment. This was the spiritual awakening of one man, Siddhartha Gautama, around 2,500 years ago, somewhere between 528 and 445 BC, who afterwards was called the “Buddha,” or “awakened one.” Siddhartha trained within several teachers of alternative religious sects. All of these teachers emphasised the potential for an individual to directly perceive deep universal truths and achieve liberation through meditative discipline. After many years of striving, Siddhartha mastered a number of different meditative techniques, but still hadn’t found the answer to his burning spiritual question. According to the texts, he experienced a massive enlightenment experience over the course of a single night. He then taught others what he realised, along with the methods he used to achieve that realisation, and those teachings have been passed down to the present day.


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Buddha, means 'enlightened one', or 'awakened one'


First, Siddhartha’s enlightenment needs a little context. Siddhartha was a rich aristocrat and the son of a ruler of a republic. According to tradition, the future Buddha was raised in conditions of comfort and pleasure, but he nonetheless became dissatisfied with ordinary life. Having inevitably observed that all people were subject to old age, illness, loss, and death, he explains in the Pali Canon that he left the household life to seek “the aging-less, illness-less, deathless, sorrow-less, undefiled, unexcelled rest [from] the yoke: [that is,] Unbinding.” He achieved Nirvana, the release from the cycle of reincarnation. In today's conceptualisation perhaps one could say that he overcame attachment, achieving 'emotional sobriety', where nothing external - people, places, or things - are required for one's happiness.


What exactly did Siddhartha comprehend in his enlightenment? He understood that it was not an intellectual matter. It wasn’t that he sat in meditation and merely perceived abstract principles about the way the universe worked. As we all know, intellectual understanding doesn’t necessarily make you feel any better. Instead, Siddhartha’s realisations were about the nature of the human experience, and how you could radically alter your experience from the inside. He simultaneously applied what he learned to his own mind, and proved his insights were true by achieving his own peace and liberation. He was then able to communicate his insights and approaches to others, and they were able to successfully repeat his experiment. The Hindu Sage Ramana Maharshi said “Your own Self-Realisation is the greatest service you can render the world.” How do we change the world? Khalil Gibran, philosopher, poet and author asks in The Prophet "Is not civilisation, in all its tragic forms, a supreme motive for spiritual awakening?"


In Buddhism, enlightenment leads to Nirvana, or 'blowing out', which means one is ultimately free from the cycle of suffering and rebirth thus never have to be born again except by choice, to save others, by aiding others in the path toward their enlightenment. Is this your destiny? Is that who you would like to BE? I am not being grandiose: We are all made of the divine, universal pure potentiality. Of no coincidence, this is the twelfth step of 12 step recovery programmes in addiction: Be of service to others. That is what best keeps us in on track with our core values. It is hardly surprising that Bill Wilson, who famously, and not quite anonymously, wrote the Alcoholics Anonymous 'Big Book', which has become the core text for all addictions, was heavily influenced by spirituality and psychology (ultimately that of Carl Jung, who acknowledged the need for spiritual awakening for deep psychological shifts to occur).


Since Buddha's time many spiritual guides and philosophers have reiterated these concepts. In Luke 17:20–21, Jesus (who was not a Christian) said, “The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within YOU”. Hermann Hesse wrote “I shall no longer be instructed by the Yoga Veda or the Aharva Veda, or the ascetics, or any other doctrine whatsoever. I shall learn from myself, be a pupil of myself; I shall get to know myself, the mystery of Siddhartha." He looked around as if he were seeing the world for the first time.”


Marianne Williamson suggested that “Enlightenment is the key to everything, the key to intimacy, because it is the goal of true authenticity.” “I believe enlightenment or revelation comes in daily life. I look for joy, the peace of action. You need action. I'd have stopped writing years ago if it were for the money” (Paul Coelho).


Deepak Chopra wrote “According to Vedanta, there are only two symptoms of enlightenment, just two indications that a transformation is taking place within you toward a higher consciousness. The first symptom is that you stop worrying. Things don't bother you anymore. You become light-hearted and full of joy. The second symptom is that you encounter more and more meaningful coincidences in your life, more and more synchronicities. And this accelerates to the point where you actually experience the miraculous.”

Osho said “One thing: you have to walk, and create the way by your walking; you will not find a ready-made path. It is not so cheap, to reach to the ultimate realisation of truth. You will have to create the path by walking yourself; the path is not ready-made, lying there and waiting for you. It is just like the sky: the birds fly, but they don't leave any footprints. You cannot follow them; there are no footprints left behind.” This is why as coaches we act as your guide, not your helper or mentor. I walk beside you as you find your way inside you.


Immanuel Kant, philosopher and one of the central scientific enlightenment thinkers, demonstrates the parallels with spiritual enlightenment “Enlightenment is man's release from his self-incurred tutelage. Tutelage is man's inability to make use of his understanding without direction from another. Self-incurred is this tutelage when its cause lies not in lack of reason but in lack of resolution and courage to use it without direction from another. Sapere aude! 'Have courage to use your own reason!'- that is the motto of enlightenment.”


Anthony De Mello said “The secret for awakening and being happy forever is this: if you do not identify with any labels most of your fears cease. Nothing will have the power to hurt you. You will remain at peace. That’s being a natural human being. Not affected by others. The main preoccupation of society is to keep people sick - addicted and labelled. Money has nothing to do with success. You are a success in life when you wake up and don’t need to explain anything to anyone. Then you are happy and a success - waking up. A job and fame are just labels and are not real success. Our society and culture are telling us that success and money are all that matters. People that are like that are not happy and don’t enjoy life - they all identify the I with a label. When you wake up - I is never a success or failure. Awareness is happiness. Awareness will bring the change of enlightenment. With time you will react less and act more. Do things with enjoyment not competition. If there is someone who you don’t like. Say to them I haven’t the right to have any expectation from you.”


William Blake wrote “Enlightenment means taking full responsibility for your life.”“If you get the inside right, the outside will fall into place. Primary reality is within; secondary reality without” (Eckhart Tolle). “An enlightened man had but one duty - to seek the way to himself, to reach inner certainty, to grope his way forward, no matter where it led” (Hermann Hesse).


“Not till your thoughts cease all their branching here and there, not till you abandon all thoughts of seeking for something, not till your mind is motionless as wood or stone, will you be on the right road to the Gate” (Huang Po). “To know yourself as the Being underneath the thinker, the stillness underneath the mental noise, the love and joy underneath the pain, is freedom, salvation, enlightenment” (Tolle).


Marianne Williamson wrote “From a mind filled with infinite love comes the power to create infinite possibilities. We have the power to think in ways that reflect and attract all the love in the world. Such thinking is called enlightenment. Enlightenment is not a process we work toward, but a choice available to us in any instant.”


Buddha said “To enjoy good health, to bring true happiness to one's family, to bring peace to all, one must first discipline and control one's own mind. If a man can control his mind he can find the way to enlightenment, and all wisdom and virtue will naturally come to him.”

Eckhart Tolle wrote “You are not IN the universe, you ARE the universe, an intrinsic part of it. Ultimately you are not a person, but a focal point where the universe is becoming conscious of itself. What an amazing miracle... Your outer journey may contain a million steps; your inner journey only has one: the step you are taking right now.” Are you ready to take this step? Then I invite you to read on. There are no guarded secrets here! I will share with you all that I know.

​Table of Contents

1. What is enlightenment?

2. Who can become enlightened?

3. How can Transformative Life Coaching achieve enlightenment?

4. The Thinking Environment

​5. Bliss in nature and alignment to your purpose - physical sensations

6. Being present - you are not your thoughts; meditation; mindfulness; yoga

7. Further timeless truths about enlightenment

8. Must-read books related to enlightenment

9. The science of enlightenment

10. My GIFT to YOU - free one hour coaching session


1. What is enlightenment?

Enlightenment means awakening. The term bodhi is used in Sanskrit. Enlightenment is a state of elevated awareness and consciousness, with psychological and emotional ease, and acceptance of one's life circumstances. An enlightened person feels that they understand fundamental truths about life. Therefore, enlightenment is a state of complete understanding and complete compassion with acceptance of others. Wilson Kanadi said "Those who judge will never understand, and those who understand will never judge."


, and spirituality. These intense psychophysiological experiences include joy, wonder, awe, and ecstasy, and in self-actualised people they are thought to be more common. These peak experiences are thought to produce invigorating feelings such as inspiration, physical and mental vitality, and a renewed sense of perspective.



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Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs


It is no surprise that Jung, master psychologist and philosopher, stated “The privilege of a lifetime is to become who you truly are.”


2. Who can become enlightened?

Anyone can become enlightened. It may, in the way that Siddhartha left his luxurious home, be easier for those who have undergone true hardship. Psychologist Dr Steve Taylor explains in his book ‘Extraordinary Awakenings: When Trauma Leads to Transformation’ how trauma and adversity leads to a greater understanding of who we truly are. For 15 years, he researched cases of spontaneous awakening that occurred in the midst of intense psychological trauma such as bereavement, severe depression, addiction, intense stress, and suffering. A miraculous transformation sometimes occurs: the death of an old identity and the birth of a new, spiritually awakened self. He explains what we can learn from the phenomenon and teach some principles that can apply to our own spiritual development and enlightenment. This process is due to the process of the disillusion of identity or ego, breaking down the sense of identity and ego, allowing for the emergence of a deeper essential self. So trauma can lead to new depths of spiritual awakening that most of us find difficult to imagine. Even during deep depression one can feel moments of elation walking in the woods feeling connected and uplifted – trees seem like sentient beings and the sky feels to have radiance a sense that all things are one and you are a part of this oneness. I experience this every day walking in the woods with my dogs. The world feels like harmony, clarity, and truth. The experience leaves you with a sense that life is more meaningful. One can finally understand and accept oneself through these spiritual journeys or awakening experiences – one feels more intensely and fully awake. When we return to normal consciousness, we carry them with us and gain a positivity about life. This is transformation through turmoil – going through a dramatic transformation into a higher functioning state, which is equivalent to permanent spiritual awakening, or enlightenment. In addicts it may manifest itself as ‘addiction release’ – a sudden freedom from craving after hitting rock bottom. It also happens during depression and grief loss. People experience this shift as a new identity: a shift into a new and integrated self-system which is fundamentally different to their previous self-system. Steve Taylor says “It’s like there are two people – there’s a before and after.” People feel that “There’s no going back. I am a different person now, for the rest of my life... I’ve moved into another level of consciousness which I know is going to stay with me. It’s like the transformation of a caterpillar goes through during the chrysalis stage before emerging as a butterfly.” As long as you let go and step back from your predicament you can remain in an ongoing state of bliss and harmony.


Wayne Dyer described one of the first steps of enlightenment as being able to recognise how something difficult in life turned out to be a blessing. As such, a mental health issue like addiction, depression, anxiety, or the like, are blessings because they encourage the person to work on his/ her self, and thereby create a more meaningful and happy, life.


While most mental health practitioners do not explicitly list enlightenment as a goal for their clients, some traits commonly associated with enlightenment are often goals of therapy. These may include self-acceptance, acceptance of others, and deepening awareness. Therapists who incorporate elements of Buddhism or spiritual practice may work to help their clients find enlightenment. Some mental health clients report feel a sense of enlightenment, awareness, and increased peace when they complete therapy. But how can you taste enlightenment without intense psychological trauma? Do read on...


3. How can Transformative Life Coaching achieve enlightenment?

TLC may be the very first time in your life that you experience being totally present with someone who is fully present, and is listening to you with completely undivided attention and laser-like focus. You will feel energised, and my presence will bring out presence within you. You are whole, unbroken, and have all the answers you seek inside of you. You will feel unconditionally worthy, a wonderful sense of well-being, truly listened to, heard and seen, and fully rewarded with transformational shifts, to the point of feeling the feather-light touch of grace, embodying the changes of BEing, with true self-compassion and self-love.


To become enlightened we must look within. This is why you can't be taught or mentored to awakening. However, because we listen to random thoughts that are not our mind we need guiding to remain on our own path. Your path has already been decided: It is that which is in line with your unique talent and purpose. I will help you to see it. Otherwise you will have a tendency to stray into negative thinking, and therefore behaviour. By echoing your values with clarity you can really see who you truly are through TLC. Eventually you will become so self aware that you will become our own coach. TLC achieves all these things and more. As a discipline it is constantly evolving. It encompasses philosophy, positive psychology, timeless spiritual truths, and business culture in companies with compassionate leadership that have seen the benefits of wellbeing on productivity. Occasionally you may benefit need signposting, as well as being gently guided to stay on your path, by me helping you to see the alternative paths so that you can choose the right one: The one that is in line with your values, beliefs, and expectations. But first you will need to discover your values - they are often hidden deeply inside, but they are there. TLC then helps you to see your mind from aloft and provides clarity for you to see the consequences of alternative choices. When it comes to executive coaching, the goal is often to attain a simple goal, but what you really need is a fundamental alteration in your character to multiply your capability: TLC is required. TLC is in high demand in business organisations as the most successful corporations are becoming increasingly conscious of this.


TLC, rather than simply helping you to do things differently, generates the highest level of internal shift in your character, finding clarity, guiding you to your purpose, self-awareness, even to a state of grace, which is the reward for your action. TLC brings about significant changes in your life: new opportunities arise; you transform into a creator. TLC can provide happiness, spiritual awakening, and even enlightenment. TLC, in other words, accomplishes self-initiated change.


TLC causes a long-term shift in mentality that has ramifications throughout your life, which is both powerful and purposeful. To attract what you want like a magnet, you must use resources you didn't even realise you had. It has the same effect as the Earth's gravitational pull. You will be able to materialise your heart's desires without fear of your own power once you have learned how to function like gravity. Your shadow is your creative nuclear force: By embracing, integrating, and embodying it, you will harness it safely and intuitively to create effortlessly. No more hustle. How does that sound?


World-class coaches recognise that their role is to help you make genuine, long-term changes. This can only be accomplished with TLC: it has the ability to produce incredible positive changes in a matter of days, weeks, or months. It's critical that your TLC coach has experienced significant transformation through lived life experience themselves and through TLC! This enables me to deal with clients from all over the world. So keep in mind that not all coaching is transformational. To be this powerful, it needs to be TLC!


4. The Thinking Environment

As a result of 15 years of development, Nancy Kline described the "Thinking Environment" of TLC in her book 'Time to Think.' "The quality of everything we do depends on the quality of the thinking we do first."

The quality of our thinking depends on the way we treat each other while we are thinking." After experiencing Nancy Kline's method for listening to ignite the human mind Shirley Edwards from the Xerox corporation described "This process is not just a set of techniques. It is a way of being in the world." Most people think they listen well, but they rarely do - not at this level. Listen - the quality of people's attention for each other - is the core of this method. Listening in this way is a radical act. The Thinking Environment is a model of human interaction that dramatically improves the way that you think, and thus the way you work and live.


"To take time to think is to gain time to live... A Thinking Environment is a way of being in the world" (Nancy Kline).

She writes "Thinking for your self is the thing on which everything else depends. Thinking for your self is a radical act." Time To Think has identified ten behaviours that generate the finest independent thinking called the Ten Components of a Thinking Environment®. In the presence of this ‘way of being’ people think for themselves with rigour, imagination, and courage. Then, when you take the right actions, in line with your true purpose, you are rewarded and touched by the light feather of grace, which produces deep internal shifts in your character.


In Time to Think, Nancy Kline asserts that as change proliferates in our lives and organisations, we must prize each other's minds above all else. We must learn how to help people to think for themselves. TLC encapsulates the Thinking Environment. Whether you want to have more productive meetings, solve business problems, create bold strategies, or build stronger relationships, the Thinking Environment, through TLC, offers you a new world of possibilities. From blue chip companies to developing high-powered teams to individuals seeking personal growth, a Thinking Environment has come to mean transformation of the highest quality.


There are simple and powerful exercises that you will have never done before, inspired by the Thinking Environment, that we will use to drop out of your inner critical self talk and become instantly mindful and feel totally connected.


"In the presence of the question, the mind thinks again" (Nancy Kline).


Exercise 1:

In this 10 minute exercise I will ask you one question: "What would you like to think about and what are your thoughts?" You are only allowed to ask me for one more question during this time. My question will be "What more do you think, feel, or want to say?"

I will listen with great intent, undivided attention, absolute focus, and I will not interrupt you. This will create a physical environment that says very deeply to you that you matter, that you are worthy, that you are whole, and that you are seen and heard. Such deep listening changes everything. It is likely that you have never experienced this before. I will be completely available to you. We will work in the here and now. This will create space for thoughts, great clarity, and a true power shift within you - we are not used to be truly listened to. People only listen to speak, and they only speak about their thoughts.


Exercise 2:

In this 5 minute exercise we will take turns to share everything that we are noticing, thinking and feeling in the present moment, and the impact that it has on us. In turn, we will share what impact the present moment is having on each of us. This will immediately drop us into a deep presence.


The quality of my attention to you determines the quality of your thinking. Nancy Kline says "Listening of this calibre ignites the human mind. Incisive questions remove limiting assumptions, freeing the mind to think afresh. The most tenacious block to new ideas is a limiting assumption. Limiting assumptions can be removed with an incisive question. Urgency destroys. Knowing they won't be interrupted frees people to think faster and say less" The thinker needs information - at the right moments." Hence the need for invited signposting in TLC, followed by checking in on how receive it. Nancy Kline states "A Thinking Partnership is a personal and professional imperative." She continues "Today's leader must prize the minds of people above all else." The brilliant transformative coach is the one that brings out the brilliance of the client.


"Until we are free to think for ourselves, our dreams are not free to unfold" (Nancy Kline).


Have you ever been radically listened to? Don't you think it's about time you were? Imagine what you could become...


​5. Bliss in nature and alignment to your purpose - physical sensations

Do you feel bliss in nature, when being totally present, or when you are aligned to your purpose? "Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better" (Einstein). "Choose only one master - nature" (Rembrandt). Would you like to feel like that much of the time? I feel bliss when walking in woods, with panoramas such as mountainscapes, or by the sea and when surfing. Do you feel bliss in these conditions? What is it about nature that does this?


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Bliss in nature


Enlightenment feels like happiness and peace. It will feel like a physical sensation - often in your body - I feel it as tingling in my hands, a call to action, and a lifting lightness in my chest, a loving awareness, without attachment.


Why do nature, presence, and purpose make you feel the instant bliss of enlightenment? It's not a place, event, thing, or person that makes you feel like this. The next section will explain...


6. Being present - you are not your thoughts; meditation; and mindfulness

You are not your thoughts – worth thinking about: Sigmund Freud, neurologist and founder of psychoanalysis, said “You are not your thoughts.”


Buddhists believe a person can become enlightened by following the Middle Way; the Middle Way is not too extreme in either way of living, neither an extremely luxurious life of ease and enjoyment nor an extremely harsh life on living on the minimum of the most basic necessities. One develops Sila (morality), Samadhi (concentration), and Prajna (insight or wisdom). This is thought to take a very long time, according to many buddhist monks and nuns. After establishing a strong foundation of Sila (morality), Buddhists become enlightened by using meditation. While they practice Vipassana meditation, they relax their mind with clear understanding of the law of impermanence, which clears their minds of all attachments; craving, aversion, and delusion are destroyed.


Awareness and enlightenment is much simpler than this:"The art of knowing is knowing what to ignore" Rumi.


Presence

It works like this: You have on average around 60,000 thoughts per day: 90 percent of them are repetitive, and 80-90 percent are negative. That's around 45,000 negative repetitive thoughts per day. You latch on to some of the thoughts, which become your ‘thinking’. These negative thoughts cause negative emotions, which are simply the body’s way of commenting on the quality of those thoughts. It is best to simply note the thoughts and the feelings and let them pass: This is the basis of meditation and mindfulness. Then you will feel bliss, which is your truth, the formless energy that you feel when you are aligned to your purpose, totally present, and when you are in nature (as described in the last section) - connection to pure potentially, without the fog of thinking. That energy is clean and is pure energy and truth. You have access to it any time and anywhere. When you become enlightened know that it will not depend on people, places or things, it can't. And with your thoughts you create your world. So you can access the bliss of enlightenment at any time? Yes. Try it.


Nietzsche wrote“There are no facts, only interpretations.” Eckhart Tolle says “What a liberation to realise that the “voice in my head” is not who I am. Who am I then? The one who sees that.” He continued “Your mind is an instrument, a tool. It is there to be used for a specific task, and when the task is completed, you lay it down. As it is, I would say about 80 to 90 percent of most people’s thinking is not only repetitive and useless, but because of its dysfunctional and often negative nature, much of it is also harmful. Observe your mind and you will find this to be true. It causes a serious leakage of vital energy. This kind of compulsive thinking is actually an addiction. What characterises an addiction? Quite simply this: you no longer feel that you have the choice to stop. It seems stronger than you. It also gives you a false sense of pleasure, pleasure that invariably turns into pain… The primary cause of unhappiness is never the situation but your thoughts about it. Be aware of the thoughts you are thinking. Separate them from the situation, which is always neutral. It is as it is... Life isn't as serious as the mind makes it out to be.” Worrying is as beneficial as a chocolate teapot, or a rocking chair, or as Tolle says “Worry pretends to be necessary but serves no useful purpose.” “The mind can go in a thousand directions, but on this beautiful path, I walk in peace. With each step, the wind blows. With each step, a flower blooms” (Thich Nhat Hanh).


“The primary cause of unhappiness is never the situation but thought about it. Be aware of the thoughts you are thinking. Separate them from the situation, which is always neutral. It is as it is” (Tolle).


Presence - today is a gift: That’s why it’s called the present. We must learn to stay in the present moment. We must trust that we are at the right place, at the right time, with all the preparation we need to succeed, here and now. Fretting and negative thinking take our focus away from the moment and the rich invitation for personal involvement that it’s extending. Remember, it’s through the full interaction with the present that we are nurtured emotionally and spiritually and encouraged to attain our full potential, awareness, and enlightenment. Today I’ll remember that I am all I need to be. Nic Nolte, in The Way of the Peaceful Warrior, a movie inspired by true life events, plays the role of a guide named Socrates in a story about the path to healing and spiritual awakening: Following some very painful lessons, an athlete transforms from an ego-centric competitor to becoming a 'peaceful warrior'. I totally identify with this story: My name Olly means 'peaceful' and Alexander means 'defender of people.' As the athlete tackles a seemingly impossible gymnastic sequence “Where are you, Dan?" "Here." "What time is it?" "Now." "What are You?" "This Moment.” World class athletes are coached to remain present. Every shot is the only shot, whether its Championship point at Wimbledon or the first point of the tournament. You must be present to win. The film director Federico Fellini said “There is no end. There is no beginning. There is only the passion of life.” Johnny Cash summed it up: “You build on failure. You use it as a stepping stone. Close the door on the past, don’t dwell on it. You don’t let it have any of your energy, or any of your time, or any of your space.” Even our children are being told this, so why do we forget?: “Yesterday is history, tomorrow is as mystery, but today is a gift. That’s why it’s called the present” (Master Oogway, Kung Fu Panda). There is no fear in the present. Contemporary protagonist Tolle says “Realise deeply that the present moment is all you have. Make the NOW the primary focus of your life… If not now, when?” Of course, such great thoughts always have their antecedents “Confine yourself to the present…. Never let the future disturb you. You will meet it, if you have to, with the same weapons of reason which today arm you against the present” (Aurelius); Saint Charlotte said “Every day is a new day. No need to dwell on the past. Look straight ahead.” Jesus said “Do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Let the day's own trouble be sufficient for the day.” “Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.” (Buddha). Tolle continues “Die to the past every moment. You don't need it. Only refer to it when it is absolutely relevant to the present. Feel the power of this moment and the fullness of Being. Feel your presence… It is not uncommon for people to spend their whole life waiting to start living.” De Mello agrees “Eternity is in this moment”. Corrie ten Boom, author, wrote “Worrying is carrying tomorrow’s load with today’s strength – carrying two days at a once. It is moving into tomorrow ahead of time. Worrying does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow; it empties today of its strength.”


Accept what is, let go of what was, have faith in what will be. “If your mind carries a heavy burden of past, you will experience more of the same. The past perpetuates itself through lack of presence. The quality of your consciousness at this moment is what shapes the future.. the past gives you an identity and the future holds the promise of salvation, of fulfilment in whatever form. Both are illusions… Always say “yes” to the present moment. What could be more futile, more insane, than to create inner resistance to what already is? What could be more insane than to oppose life itself, which is now and always now? Surrender to what is. Say “yes” to life — and see how life suddenly starts working for you rather than against you… All negativity is caused by an accumulation of psychological time and denial of the present. Unease, anxiety, tension, stress, worry - all forms of fear - are caused by too much future, and not enough presence. Guilt, regret, resentment, grievances, sadness, bitterness, and all forms of nonforgiveness are caused by too much past, and not enough presence... As soon as you honour the present moment, all unhappiness and struggle dissolve, and life begins to flow with joy and ease. When you act out the present-moment awareness, whatever you do becomes imbued with a sense of quality, care, and love - even the most simple action” (Tolle).


The human condition, as Eckhart Tolle says, is to be lost in thought. Normally, we do what we want with little thought to how it might affect others, because we feel that we’re the centre of the universe, the only one that counts. This kind of thinking does not correspond to reality: it is selfish and brings unhappiness to ourselves and others. To become enlightened, we first need to start:

  • Realising how everything actually exists, and so no longer let our projections fool us

  • Understanding the effects of our behaviour on ourselves and others, and so refrain from acting destructively

When we stop believing our mind’s projections, we also stop disturbing emotions like anger, hatred, greed and jealousy from arising based on that confusion. We will never again act compulsively on our negative feelings. All of this requires:

  • Concentration, to avoid distraction or dullness

  • Wisdom, to discriminate between what is helpful and harmful, and what is true and false

  • Emotional balance, from cultivating positive qualities like love and compassion

  • Ethical self-discipline, with the strength to refrain from unwise behaviour

As a Buddha, we are also omniscient, but not omnipotent. We can’t eliminate others’ suffering, but we can show the way through teaching them and by being a living example. To travel the path all the way to enlightenment, we need to:

  • Build up an incredible store of positive force: selflessly benefiting others as best we can

  • Work toward understanding reality: stop projecting nonsense onto the world

We all have the working materials – our physical bodies and basic human intelligence – to build up the causes for enlightenment. Like the sky, our minds and hearts are by their very nature unpolluted by emotional turmoil and disturbing thoughts. All we need to do is develop them so that they can reach their full potential.


Enlightenment might seem like an almost impossible-to-reach goal, and it is very difficult to achieve – no one ever claimed it was easy! But, to aim in that direction gives incredible meaning to our lives. Understanding our interconnectedness with everyone, we protect ourselves from depression and anxiety. Our lives become full as we embark on the greatest adventure there is: attaining enlightenment for the benefit of all.


In his book “Awareness” Anthony De Mello states the powerful words “All is well. Everything is a mess. But all is well.” Happiness comes from within. So does misery. So don’t sabotage happiness: We deserve to be happy. De Mello elaborates and expands on the four steps to wisdom and happiness, which may be practiced during meditation and throughout your day:

Step 1: Simply note your negative feelings and let them pass like a wave - e.g. fear, shame, sadness.


Step 2: Understand that the negative thought is in you and not in reality. No other human being or event (people, place or things) has the power to hurt you or make you unhappy when you awake spiritually. Negative thoughts only exist in the human mind.


Step 3. Never identify or define yourself with those thoughts or feelings. Say to your self “I am not those feelings. I am not my thoughts.” Don’t say “I am depressed” or “I am afraid”. Everything passes. Leave the thought or feeling alone, simply noting it. It will pass, it will come and it will go. It has nothing to do with you and your happiness. You only feel love and happiness. You were trained to define yourself by those negative feelings: You learnt this from society. Marketing and capitalism thrives on the fears of your inner child. Now it's time to unlearn it. Your adult self is fearless and assertive. Embody your adult self and always bring them to the table.

Step 4. Understand that when you change inside everything changes. Change your self: Set your self free; Don’t accept labels or judgement from your self or anyone any more. You don’t need to belong to anyone, anything, or any group. What you need is to be free, happy, and to love. You don’t need to be applauded or loved. You become formidable when you are awake and don’t care what people think. All nightmares disappear. You don’t care about criticism. You are not a puppet. Be fearless. Behold the human BEing that is you. You suffered only because you were asleep. Now you are awake!


Mindfulness

the physical structure of your brain.


Jon Kabat-Zinn—referred to by some as the father of mindfulness—said:

“Mindfulness means paying attention in a particular way; On purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally”

According to meditation teacher, Guy Armstrong:

“Mindfulness is knowing what you are experiencing while you are experiencing it. It is moment-to-moment awareness, has the quality of being in the now, a sense of freedom, of perspective, of being connected, not judging”

Yoga

The definition of “yoga” is a bit more complex, as there is no single definition of the word, though in Sanskrit the literal translation is “union.” It is described as a state of connection and a body of techniques that allow us to connect to anything. The experience of having a conscious connection to something is a state of yoga—a joyful, blissful, fulfilling experience. Replace your attachments with connection. Deep, authentic connection is very healthy. Attachment is the root cause of all unhappiness.


The term “yoga” is also used to describe a comprehensive practice and a way of life. It is estimated to be at least 5,000 years old, originating in India and brought to the west in the 1920s (Joshi, 2018). Yoga has been described as the ancient Indian science of self-realisation, or the ancient science of self-culture. Or as the renowned sage, Patanjali, puts it, yoga is “a method to stop thought waves” (Yogamandiram, 2017).


The real secret to yoga can possibly be summed up in one word: "Awareness" (Saraswati).


Meditation

Meditation can produce a deep state of relaxation and a tranquil mind. During meditation, you focus your attention and eliminate the stream of jumbled thoughts that may be crowding your mind and causing stress. This process may result in enhanced physical and emotional well-being.


Loving awareness:

Ram Dass, psychologist, spiritual teacher, guru of modern yoga, and author, said "When talking about awareness, most of us identify with our awareness through the ego, through the mind and senses. But the true self is in the middle of our chest, in our spiritual heart. So, to get from ego to the true self I said: “I am loving awareness.” Loving awareness is the soul. I am loving awareness. I am aware of everything, I’m aware of my body and my senses and my mind, I’m aware of all of it, but I notice that I’m loving all of it. I’m loving all of the world. The self that I identify with emanates from the ocean of love. The self that is the ego is the ocean of fear. When I am loving awareness I’m aware of everything outside, but pulling into the heart, the spiritual heart brings me to loving awareness. I’m aware of my thoughts, but loving awareness is simply witnessing them. And loving awareness is in the moment. I have thoughts about the past and future, and those are not helpful, so I dive deep into the present and the presence and in this present moment we will find loving awareness."


"Only this moment is real, this moment of loving awareness. The past and the future are all just thoughts"

"In this spiritual heart, there is peace, there is contentment, and there is compassion. There is also joy and wisdom, all inside of your spiritual heart and mine. So when you say “I want a peaceful world” you don’t look outside, you go inside where peace exists. In Hinduism the spiritual heart is called the “atman,” and it’s the God within."


"I have a practice in which I say to myself, I am loving awareness... To begin, I focus my attention in the middle of my chest, on the heart-mind. I may take a few deep breaths into my diaphragm to help me identify with it. I breathe in love and breathe out love. I watch all of the thoughts that create the stuff of my mind, and I love everything, love everything I can be aware of. I just love, just love, just love."


"When I wake up in the morning, I’m aware of the air, the fan on my ceiling, I’ve got to love them. I am loving awareness. But if I’m an ego, I’m judging everything as it relates to my own survival. The air might give me a cold that will turn into pneumonia. I’m always afraid of something in the world that I have to defend myself against. If I’m identified with my ego, the ego is frightened silly, because the ego knows that it’s going to end at death. But if I merge with love, there’s nothing to be afraid of. Love neutralises fear. Awareness and love, loving awareness, is the soul. This practice of I am loving awareness turns you inward toward the soul. If you dive deep enough into your soul, you will come to God. In Greek it’s called agape, God love. Martin Luther King, Jr., said about this agape, this higher love: “It’s an overflowing love which is purely spontaneous, unmotivated, groundless and creative … the love of God operating in the human heart. When you can accept that kind of love, you can give that love. You can give love to all you perceive, all the time. I am loving awareness. You can be aware of your eyes seeing, your ears hearing, your skin feeling, and your mind producing thoughts, thought after thought after thought. Thoughts are terribly seductive, but you don’t have to identify with them. You identify not with the thoughts, but with the awareness of the thoughts. To bring loving awareness to everything you turn your awareness to is to be love."


"This moment is love. I am infinite. I am loving awareness" (Ram Dass)


“All that you seek is already within you. In Hinduism it is called the Atman, in Buddhism the pure Buddha-Mind. Christ said, ‘the kingdom of heaven is within you.’ Quakers call it the ‘still small voice within.’ This is the space of full awareness that is in harmony with all the universe, and thus is wisdom itself" (Ram Dass). Ram Dass gave us this beautiful meditation: Fan the flames of the ember inside you:


"Sit Around The Fire" Meditation with Jon Hopkins with Ram Dass, East Forest


7. Further timeless truths about enlightenment

The Kingdom of God is Within

In Luke 17:20–21, Jesus (no introduction needed) said, “The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within YOU”.


Mindfulness

Kabat-Zinn says "In Asian languages, the word for 'mind' and the word for 'heart' are same. So if you're not hearing mindfulness in some deep way as heartfulness, you're not really understanding it. Compassion and kindness towards oneself are intrinsically woven into it. You could think of mindfulness as wise and affectionate attention."


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Fear and faith

Abhaya, a Sanskrit word meaning fearlessness and protection, is symbolised by the mudra (hand gesture) pictured above, with one hand raised and one palm facing up in the lap. The term suggests that being fearless is a function of having faith -- knowing that you are and always will be protected, and that things will turn out okay in the end because of your belief, as Rumi put it, that "Everything is rigged in your favour." The Bhagavad Gita describes fearlessness as one of 26 divine qualities of Lord Krishna. In the Gita, Krishna advices the young warrior Arjuna, "Be fearless and pure; never waver in your determination or your dedication to the spiritual life." In many traditions, faith -- whether religious, spiritual or simply the faith that everything will work out -- is a time-worn antidote to fear and anxiety. Research has linked spirituality with lower stress levels and improved immune system functioning, and prayer has been associated with reduced depression and anxiety.


The obstacle is the way

The Chinese character for "crisis," which combines the characters of danger and opportunity, points toward a timeless truth that we so often forget: It's the challenges and obstacles that make us who we are, and often that lead to our greatest joys and successes.


Love your Self

We're often told that in order to love another, we must love ourselves first. This is a truth long ago noted by Aristotle when commenting on the word philia, one of three ancient Greek terms for love, in the Nicomachean Ethics. The ancient Greeks, and their vocabulary, can help us to better understand the various types of love that we experience. While eros means erotic or romantic love and agape means divine or unconditional love, philia is more difficult to translate. The term is loosely defined as friendship or goodwill, and it can denote the bond that exists between friends, family members or community members. But it has more to do with truly appreciating others -- something that Aristotle believed could only stem from self-love. Because, for Aristotle, the true friend is another self, a man must love himself to love his friend.


We can transform ourselves through love

There is an important word in Buddhism, bodhichitta (the mind of enlightenment/compassion), that essentially summarises how we should live and love if we seek to become more enlightened beings. And in short, it is this: To be enlightened is to love others and embody compassion.


As American Buddhist teacher Pema Chödrön wrote in Shambhala Sun, we don't have to be "enlightened" to access this state of mind. Instead, it is a "soft spot" of kindness that is available to us in both good and bad times -- when speaking of the powerful concept at a 2011 talk in India, the Dalai Lama was racked with sobs.


If we were to ask the Buddha, "What is bodhichitta?" he might tell us that this word is easier to understand than to translate.... Chitta means "mind" and also "heart" or "attitude." Bodhi means "awake," "enlightened," or "completely open." Sometimes the completely open heart and mind of bodhichitta is called the soft spot, a place as vulnerable and tender as an open wound. It is equated, in part, with our ability to love.


The takeaway? We all have bodhichitta, and we can choose to love and stay open when we are struggling. This "enlightened mind," the mind of love, is in fact our most basic essence.


"The openness and warmth of bodhichitta is in fact our true nature and condition," Chödrön writes. "Even when our neurosis feels far more basic than our wisdom, even when we're feeling most confused and hopeless, bodhichitta -- like the open sky -- is always here, undiminished by the clouds that temporarily cover it."


Your thoughts are not your mind

Vritti, a word signifying thoughts in early Sanskrit, literally translates to "whirl pool." In early yogic philosophy, the thoughts of the mind were viewed as fluctuations or disturbances that keep us from being at peace. The image of the "whirl pool of thoughts" is a helpful one, and it can help us to conceptualise our thoughts in a new way. The countless thoughts that swirl through our mind everyday create emotional waves, but the mind that is not consumed by thoughts can become calm like a still lake.


One of the fundamental principles of the Yoga Sutras, an ancient guide to stilling the mind, is yogas citta vrtti nirodhah -- yoga is the stilling of the thoughts of the mind. In its original sense, Yoga simply meant the stilling of the thoughts, whether through meditation, prayer, selfless service, or any other path that united the individual with the divine. According to the Sutras, we tend to identify ourselves with these constant fluctuations -- although they are completely illusory -- which keeps us from seeing and existing within our true nature. Through meditation, the mind can once again become still.

8. Books related to enlightenment that I would like to signpost to you

These are a handful of the books about awakening and enlightenment that I would take to my Desert Island, again. They are great signposts on any journey to awakening. Click on book link to be taken to Audible version of the book:


"The Art of Happiness", by His Holiness the Dalai Lama & Howard C Cutler.


"The Alchemist", by Paul Coelho.


"The Alchemist", by Paul Coelho.


"Awareness", by Anthony De Mello.


"The Bhagavad Ghita" by Eknath Easwaran


"Extraordinary Awakenings: When Trauma Leads to Transformation", by Dr Steve Taylor.


"Meditations", by Marcus Aurelius.


"The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari", by Robin Sharma.


"The Obstacle is the Way", by Ryan Holiday.


"The Power of Now, A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment", by Eckhart Tolle.


"The Power of Now, A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment", by Eckhart Tolle


"The Prophet", by Khalil Gibran.


"The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success", by Deepak Chopra


"Siddhartha", by Herman Hesse.


"Siddhartha", by Herman Hesse.


"Time to Think", by Nancy Kline


"Waking Up : Volumes 1 & 2."


9. The science of enlightenment


The neuroscience of enlightenment

For some, the word enlightenment brings to mind the European “Age of Reason” and the 17th-century origins of science. For others, it evokes the transcendence of self and suffering described by multiple Asian religions. Today, these two traditions have finally met, in the scientific study of meditative and enlightened states. Most of this research has focused on health and productivity benefits, but these states are also capable of providing profound insight into the nature of the mind and even the total transcendence of suffering. In spite of the research bias away from these topics, we are now beginning to get insight into what happens in the brain during states of enlightenment.


By framing enlightenment in terms of psychology we can move away from potentially supernatural claims and towards a naturalistic understanding of how suffering works and how we can overcome it. With the advent of more scientific research into the effects of meditation on the brains of long-term meditators, the idea of enlightenment is becoming less and less taboo in scientific circles.

Viewing enlightenment through this psychological lens, we can see that in normal waking consciousness we don’t typically see reality clearly, and as a result, we suffer. This gives rise to the idea of enlightenment as “awakening” from this deluded state--the Buddha means “the one who woke up”. What is at the core of this delusion? One could argue that it is the perception of the world and the mind as being divided into separate objects. When conceptual divisions are seen for what they are, as concepts rather than objective categories, what’s left is the perception of a perfectly unified reality. Often the most challenging conceptual division to see through is between “self” and “world”. When this division collapses, one experiences what might be called ego-death or ego-dissolution. In the modern world, this is a major route into the liberated enlightened state.


Ecstatic Meditation

Hagerty and colleagues showed in a peer reviewed article, using functional MRI and EEG evidence of a self-stimulating reward system during ecstatic meditation: External awareness dims, internal self-dialogue fades, and joy increases to high levels. Is this neuroscientific evidence of emotional sobriety?


Mind-wandering & the Default Mode Network

When one is not meditating, the mind tends to wander. In our typical way of being we might think about what we did yesterday and what we plan to do tomorrow. Notice that both of these kinds of thoughts are about what “you” did and will do. They refer to your “self”. Our everyday experience of the world is filtered through this self-referential process of mind-wandering. When we are lost in thought in this way, our thoughts weave together a mirage of a solid self that exists over time. In such moments, we typically don’t recognise the self for the illusion that it is. Seeing through this conceptual division between what is “you” and what is not “you” can give rise to liberated states of enlightenment, both through meditation and through the use of psychedelics.


Scientists have discovered that if you let someone’s mind wander while scanning their brain, you see a constellation of brain areas that become active together. There are three brain areas that form the core of this network. One is the medial prefrontal cortex, a region of the part of the brain behind your forehead that we met earlier. Instead of sitting on the surface directly under the skull, however, it sits on the side of the brain where the two hemispheres meet, in the same way as the cingulate cortex that we also met earlier. The posterior cingulate cortex, located behind the anterior cingulate cortex, is another key area of this network. Finally there is the angular gyrus, a bump of brain tissue that sits just above your ears. This network is active when you’re in your everyday, default way of being. As a result, it is known as the default mode network (DMN).


Ego-dissolution

When we meditate we are no longer in our default mode. We may even totally see through the conceptual division of self and other that is thought to be mediated through the activity of the DMN. What happens to the DMN during meditation? When meditation consists of focussed attention on an object like the breath, reductions in the medial prefrontal cortex and posterior cingulate cortex are observed. This fits with the idea of this form of meditation practice as a route to enlightenment through self transcendence. As DMN activity quiets we are less focused on activity constructing a psychological concept of self, allowing this suffering-generating division to be overcome or transcended.

The idea of enlightenment states being reached through psychological self-transcendence associated with decreased DMN activity is supported by studies with that that have been found to reduce brain activity in both the medial prefrontal cortex and posterior cingulate cortex during experiences of ego-dissolution. The forced dissolving of the boundary between self and world routinely produces unitive, enlightenment-type experiences of liberation. Since we know that serotonergic drugs exert their effects by a acting on a particular serotonin receptor that is concentrated in these nodes of the DMN, the 2A receptor, these effects provide causal evidence for the involvement of DMN suppression in experiences of self-transcendence.


The non-dual approach

The DMN isn’t the only network of brain areas that underpin our everyday experience of the world. There is also what has been termed the task-positive network (TPN), a collection of connected brain areas that are recruited when our attention is outwardly focused. These activity patterns of the TPN and DMN are anti-correlated, when one goes up the other usually goes down. They are typically seen as underpinning mutually exclusive functions--either you are inwardly focused and mind wandering or you are externally focused on completing a task. These differences in attentional focus have led to these networks also being termed the intrinsic and extrinsic networks, respectively. During focussed attention meditation, not only is activity in the DMN decreased, but the anti-correlation between this network and the TPN is strengthened. This is thought to reflect the increased external focus on the object of meditation and the decrease in self-referential inward focus.


The enlightened state consists of seeing through false divisions in reality and waking up into a way of seeing in which reality is unified and there is no suffering. Since the primary division that troubles us is the one between self and world, the experience of transcending this division is also termed “non-duality”. In certain Buddhist and Hindu traditions, non-dual approaches to meditation are practiced. In these traditions, instead of gradually cultivating non-clinging, one recognises and returns to the non-dual perspective. This is a comparatively direct path in which one drops into the enlightened state in the moment, rather than attempting to achieve it at some point in the future. By studying the brains of those who are proficient in non-dual meditation, we can perhaps get the closest glimpse possible of the physiology of enlightenment.

Researcher Zoran Josipovic at New York University is leading the charge when it comes to this research. He performed a study in which he asked expert meditators from Tibetan Buddhist traditions to perform both focussed attention and non-dual meditation. He found that as with previous studies, the focussed attention meditation increased the anti-correlation between the DMN and TPN. The non-dual meditation had the opposite effect. Compared to when not meditating, these two networks that typically were mutually incompatible become more co-active. They allowed each other to coexist. This is required to reflect the all-inclusive nature of non-dual awareness, the seeing of the unity of internal and external appearances in consciousness. Josipovic has also argued that a brain area called the precuneus may play a crucial role in non-dual states. As with the medial prefrontal cortex and cingulate cortex, the precuneus is also located where the two hemispheres meet but at the back of the head. It is connected to both the TPN and DMN and so may mediate the observed changes in how these networks interact. Furthermore, the precuneus has been shown to be involved in lucid dreaming, a state that has parallels with the awakening of the enlightened state.


Science & enlightenment Liberation from suffering can be approached from multiple paths. One may cultivate non-clinging through meditation, strengthening the ability of attentional hubs in the brain to let go when attachment causes suffering. This can eventually lead to suppression of the DMN and transcendence of the conceptual division between self and world, leaving one in a liberated state. If one recognises the fundamentally undivided nature of experience, one can see everything, both self-referential processes and world-related processes, as parts of a single unified unfolding. In this case, the DMN and TPN may actually reconcile their conflict over inward and outward focus and leave us with the recognition that internal and external are one.

Ultimately these different approaches will all have their uses. Ultimately the structure of the brain is the physical trace of what we are and how we have acted in the world. It has an incredible ability to perpetually change itself and, armed with the modern synthesis of science and contemplative practice, perhaps more of us can begin to set our brains in the direction of enlightenment.


10. My GIFT to YOU - free one hour coaching session

I believe so strongly in the transformative potential of coaching that I have had, and continue to have, a number of Transformative Life Coaches. I would like everyone to be able to experience enlightenment. This is my purpose - to have maximal impact on the world by sharing this with one person at a time. This will stir you to do the same, so the results will be exponential. Therefore, I do not do 'discovery calls', hard sell or use any sales tactics at all. I simply offer you a free one hour coaching session without expectation so that you can get a sense of the internal shift that can be achieved. We will not even discuss booking future sessions. I am offering an experience of coaching at no charge rather than selling the concept through a discovery call. Below I will set out how you can access bliss any time you desire.


"My GIFT is to be YOUR GUIDE"

Olly Alexander Branford MBBS MA PhD



Namaste.


Sending you love, light, and blessings brothers.


Olly



Email me: 





Hello,

I am delighted and enchanted to meet you. I coach men with 'Deep Coaching', 'Supercoaching', and Transformative Life Coaching (TLC). Thank you for reading this far. I very much look forward to connecting with the highest version of you, to seeing your highest possibility, and to our conversations. Please do contact me via my email for a free connection call and a free experience of coaching on Zoom or in person. 


“Transformative life coaching uniquely creates and holds the space for you to see your self afresh, with clarity, and step into new ways of BEing, which will transform how you perceive and intuitively create your world. My work is to guide you to raise your own conscious awareness to the level that you want to achieve.”







Click here for the books that I know will help you along your journey of recovering your Self:





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I have a Bachelor's degree in Natural Sciences from Trinity College, Cambridge; a Master's Degree in Philosophy from Trinity College, Cambridge; a PhD Doctorate in Scientific Research from University College London (UCL); a Medical Degree (MD/MBBS) from The Royal Free Hospital School of Medicine, London and have been a doctor and reconstructive trauma and cancer surgeon in London for 20 years. I have a number of other higher qualifications in science and surgery. I have published over 50 peer reviewed PubMed cited scientific journal articles, have been an associate editor and frequent scientific faculty member, and am the author of several scientific books. I have been awarded my Diploma in Transformative Life Coaching in London, which has International Coaching Federation (ICF) Accreditation, as well as the UK Association for Coaching (AC), and the European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC). I have been on my own transformative journey full time for over five years and I am ready to be your guide to you finding out who you really are and how the world works.




Please let me know if you would like to join our 'VOICE for men' VIP community: 'Vulnerability & Openness Is a Choice Ensemble', 'Visibility Is Power', where men can find their strength, courage, and authenticity, by dropping their egocentric fears and instead communicate openly with vulnerability. We are co-creating this space. It will change your life. It will empower you. This community is a safe space for men to connect and discuss philosophy, spirituality, positive psychology, awakening to Self-realisation, wisdom and timeless Truths, to share our experience, strength and hope, and to find solutions to our pain and fears. Our meeting is free to join. There is no script, just sharing.


 
 
 

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