Michael Singer Podcast

Michael Singer Podcast

E188: The Illusion of Self—Breaking Free from Ego

Michael Singer — June 8, 2026

Ego is the false self, created from past experiences, that constantly judges, fears, and tries to control life to feel okay. Suffering comes from identifying with these inner...

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The Michael Singer Podcast

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Insights At The Edge

Tami Simon’s in-depth audio podcast interviews with leading spiritual teachers and luminaries. Listen in as they explore their latest challenges and breakthroughs - the leading edge of their work.

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Join the New York Times bestselling author of The Untethered Soul, The Surrender Experiment, and Living Untethered for this free series of curated teaching sessions, recorded at his Temple of the Universe yoga and meditation center.

Meet Your Host Michael Singer

Michael A. Singer is the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller The Untethered Soul, The Surrender Experiment, Living Untethered, and several popular Sounds True programs, including the Living from a Place of Surrender online course. In 1971, while pursuing his doctoral work in economics, he experienced a deep inner awakening and went into seclusion to focus on yoga and meditation. In 1975, he founded Temple of the Universe, a yoga and meditation center where people of any religion or set of beliefs can come together to experience inner peace. Through the years, he has made major contributions in the areas of business, the arts, education, health care, and environmental protection. Author photo © Timothy Davis

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Steven Washington: “My Recovery Is Non-Negotiabl...

Steven Washington — December 2, 2025

How do we remain committed to staying sober when grief strikes, when stress becomes overwhelming, or when shame threatens to pull us back into old patterns?

This week on Insights at the Edge, Tami Simon welcomes Steven Washington, a former professional Broadway dancer who has transformed his 23-year recovery journey into a powerful practice of embodied healing. Steven is the author of Recovering You: Soul Care and Mindful Movement for Overcoming Addiction and creator of the SWE Studio, an online community offering movement and meditation support for people in recovery.

In this deeply personal interview, Tami and Steven explore:

Why recovery must be “non-negotiable”—with no conditions attached, regardless of life’s challenges
How shame operates as the linchpin of addiction and the healing power of sharing it with trusted others
The connection between sensitivity and addiction, and how to transform sensitivity from vulnerability into strength
Practical tools for creating a trigger plan that works for both small daily stressors and major life crises
How Qigong and embodied practices help regulate the nervous system and process emotions held in the body
The journey from inherited shame to self-compassion and authentic self-worth
Why asking for help—practiced with small things—prepares us for life’s biggest challenges
Developing a personal relationship with a higher power that feels authentic rather than inherited

If you’re navigating recovery, supporting someone who is, or seeking to understand the connection between embodiment and transformation, Steven offers both practical wisdom and profound compassion for the journey.

Note: This interview originally aired on Sounds True One, where these special episodes of Insights at the Edge are available to watch live on video and with exclusive access to Q&As with our guests. Learn more at https://www.join.soundstrue.com

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E134: Why You Feel Open or Closed—The Real Meaning o...

Michael Singer — December 1, 2025

When we’re open, we feel joy, love, and inspiration; when closed, we feel heavy, sad, and lifeless. Most people try to fix these varying states by outwardly seeking what makes them feel good and avoiding what makes them feel bad. But spirituality asks, why we are not always okay inside?

The reason is that consciousness, the true self, becomes distracted by the objects of its awareness—thoughts, emotions, and external events—and identifies with them. This false identification forms the sense of “I” with all its likes and dislikes, causing the outer world to determine the state of the inner one. As we relax and release these stored preferences, our inner energy flows freely, restoring our natural state of joy, love, and union with the divine.

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E133: Freedom Through Surrender — The Real Work of t...

Michael Singer — November 27, 2025

There are two viable spiritual paths: one is reaching upwardly to touch your higher self, and the other is working inwardly to release the blockages that keep you bound to your lower self. The latter encourages radical self-honesty, acceptance of reality, and daily inner work to stop resisting life and start letting go of stored blockages that create suffering. Through this surrender-based path, the natural upward flow of energy is restored, leading to lasting well-being, freedom from disturbance and, ultimately, full spiritual liberation.

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Elaine Aron: Are You a Highly Sensitive Person?

Elaine Aron — December 3, 2019

Dr. Elaine Aron is a clinical depth psychologist and the author of the seminal 1997 book The Highly Sensitive Person: How to Thrive When the World Overwhelms You. With Sounds True, she has published the new audio learning program The Highly Sensitive Person’s Complete Learning Program: Essential Insights and Tools for Navigating Your Work, Relationships, and Life. In this episode of Insights at the Edge, Tami Simon speaks with Dr. Aron about what it means to be a highly sensitive person and recent research into the phenomenon. They consider whether the trait is genetic or adaptive, as well as the various ways sensitive behaviors manifest in day-to-day life. They also discuss how best to approach romantic relationships with highly sensitive people and the possible social advantages of sensitivity. Finally, Dr. Aron shares the connection between extreme sensitivity and intuition, as well as attitudes necessary for embracing the entirety of your unique, sensitive self.(50 minutes)

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David Whyte: Everything Is an Invitation

David Whyte — April 9, 2024

A good poem, says David Whyte, is revelatory; it takes hold of us and surprises us with new understanding. David Whyte is the bestselling author of ten books of poetry, three works of prose, and the celebrated Sounds True audio program What to Remember When Waking.

In this podcast, Tami Simon speaks with David about his writing career, his creative approach to leadership, and the conversation with life to which we are all constantly invited. Tami and David discuss the willingness to have courageous conversations; the generativity of “a well-felt sadness”; reframing regret; the seven steps of invitational leadership; “robust vulnerability” and choosing the path we really care about; anguish, anxiety, and being OK with the unknown; letting go; “apprenticing ourselves to our own disappearance”; and more.

Note: This episode originally aired on Sounds True One, where these special episodes of Insights at the Edge are available to watch live on video and with exclusive access to Q&As with our guests. Learn more at join.soundstrue.com.

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Lance Allred: The New Alpha Male

Lance Allred — March 4, 2020

Lance Allred is a former NBA player (who was the first legally deaf player in the league), public speaker, and author. With Sounds True, he has published The New Alpha Male: How to Win the Game When the Rules Are Changing. In this episode of Insights at the Edge, Tami Simon speaks with Lance about the experiences he had in professional sports that led him to reevaluate what it means to be a man in contemporary society. Lance explains how his upbringing in a rural, polygamous commune informed his original ideas about masculinity, highlighting the subconscious assumptions about money and power that affect American men’s self-worth. Tami and Lance also discuss the roles of emotional vulnerability and surrender in the lives of modern men. Finally, they talk about the principle of perseverance and the increasingly urgent need for all cultures to reexamine their assumptions and core values.(63 minutes)

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E20: Turning Daily Life into a Spiritual Practice

Michael Singer — October 27, 2024

Spiritual growth comes from treating daily life and spiritual practices as one and the same. To do this requires accepting reality and responding to life’s events with calm awareness rather than reacting out of desire or fear. By surrendering to the present moment and acting without personal motive, one can achieve true spiritual evolution and live in harmony with life as it unfolds.

For more information, go to michaelsingerpodcast.com.

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E19: Learning to Serve the Present Moment

Michael Singer — October 23, 2024

True spiritual growth comes from ceasing to constantly focus on yourself—I, me, and mine. Instead of getting caught up in personal likes and dislikes, you can learn to serve the moment in front of you with your full heart and soul, without expecting anything in return. To do this, you must gradually become comfortable with both positive and negative experiences by letting go of inner resistance. Understand that spiritual practice is not about seeking rewards, but about deep surrender to the present moment and serving that moment as your gift to God.

For more information, go to michaelsingerpodcast.com.

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E18: Beyond the Mask of the Ego: Embracing Pure Awaren...

Michael Singer — October 20, 2024

Consciousness is the foundation of all meaning, because without awareness, nothing has significance. People mistakenly identify with their ego, which is simply a collection of thoughts and self-concepts they are aware of. This false identification leads to tremendous suffering. True spiritual enlightenment comes from recognizing that the self is not the ego but the pure awareness behind it.

For more information, go to michaelsingerpodcast.com.

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E17: The Power of Acceptance: Evolving Beyond the Ego

Michael Singer — October 16, 2024

Life is a spiritual journey where every experience serves as an opportunity for growth and evolution. The core of human suffering stems from attachment to the ego and resistance to the natural flow of life. By recognizing that we are not our egos but are instead the divine consciousness that is aware of the ego, we can transcend suffering and embrace inner peace. The ultimate purpose of life is spiritual liberation, achieved by letting go of resistance, aligning with reality, and embracing love and compassion in all circumstances.

For more information, go to michaelsingerpodcast.com.

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E16: When the Mind Becomes Disturbed

Michael Singer — October 13, 2024

The mind, like the ocean, can be calm or disturbed, but the same consciousness is observing both states. Rather than trying to fix or overreact to a disturbed mind, one can learn to step back and observe the disturbance without feeding it. Ultimately, ceasing to thrash around in the disturbed mind allows the mental energies to settle down naturally. This process of letting go of the impulse to struggle leads to greater inner peace and spiritual growth over time.

For more information, go to michaelsingerpodcast.com.

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E15: Contemplating Truth: The Path to Inner Freedom

Michael Singer — October 9, 2024

There are two fundamental truths that can help free you from the bondage of the ego. The first is your relationship to the vastness of the universe, and the other is how short your time is on this tiny planet. By acknowledging these truths, you can free yourself from the burden of personal preferences, opinions, and the mind’s fixation on past experiences. Embracing these deep truths leads you to a greater sense of perspective and a life of freedom that comes from releasing ego and harmonizing with Reality.

For more information, go to michaelsingerpodcast.com.

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E80: Wavelets of Consciousness: The Field of Mind Expl...

Michael Singer — May 25, 2025

The mind is a field of infinite energy that generates thoughts like wavelets or ripples in a lake. These wavelets are transient and harmless unless we hold them in place by focusing undue attention on them. Held in place, these wavelets freeze and become the mental patterns of our ego and belief systems, which distort our perception from then on. Liberation comes from learning to relax and not resist energy as it passes through, and by letting go of the older patterns as they arise.

For more information, go to michaelsingerpodcast.com.

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E134: Why You Feel Open or Closed—The Real Meaning o...

Michael Singer — December 1, 2025

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E98: The Guru Within: Returning to Consciousness

Michael Singer — July 27, 2025

True spiritual masters are not mystical icons, they are beings who have transcended the distractions of mind and emotion to rest in the constant ecstasy of pure consciousness (Sat Chit Ananda). This is in drastic contrast to the suffering we incur by allowing our preference-driven mind to control our lives. The path back is simple but profound: begin by noticing the reactive nature of your mind, then work on relaxing and releasing those impulsive reactions. Stop always needing life to match your preferences, and instead, learn to honor and appreciate life as a miraculous gift.

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E148: Not My Will—The Path from Ego to Liberation

Michael Singer — January 19, 2026

Human suffering arises from the belief that life must match our inner preferences, which are simply selectively stored past experiences. This attempt to control reality leads to anxiety, resistance, and endless struggle, because the outside world unfolds according to its own laws—not ours. True spiritual freedom comes through surrender, acceptance, and dying to the ego-self, allowing us to rest in the seat of consciousness and live in peace, love, and service to what is.

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E157: Understanding Mind—The Vibrations of Thought a...

Michael Singer — February 19, 2026

The mind and heart are vibrational fields shaped by past experiences we’ve clung to or suppressed, resulting in the reactive inner world we live in. Liberation begins by stepping back into witness consciousness, seeing that we are not our thoughts or emotions, but the awareness behind them. The path to freedom is through inner purification—letting go of stored impressions and no longer adding more disturbance by resisting or clinging to what life presents. Serve life, don’t fight it.

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E70: Beyond the Self-Concept: Returning to Spiritual T...

Michael Singer — April 20, 2025

Have you noticed that you live with a personal mind that is shaped by your past experiences? In that mind, you develop a self-concept of how life should be. This ego-mind leads to tremendous suffering and distorted views of truth. True spirituality involves recognizing that you are not your thoughts or experiences, but the consciousness that observes them. By ceasing to identify with your ego and facing reality without resistance, you can awaken to a deeper truth and experience lasting peace and fulfillment.

For more information, go to michaelsingerpodcast.com.

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E81: Expanding Beyond the Personal Mind

Michael Singer — May 28, 2025

The mind is not inherently a problem—it becomes one when used to narrowly define reality based on our extremely limited personal experiences. This limited frame of reference leads to suffering, judgment, and a compulsive need to control life to match our preferences. Spiritual freedom comes from recognizing the vastness of existence, surrendering the egoic mind, and appreciating the miraculous nature of reality as it is.

For more information, go to michaelsingerpodcast.com.

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E82: Stop Leaving the Self: The Path to Unconditional ...

Michael Singer — June 1, 2025

Most people must constantly manage their thoughts, emotions, and outer conditions to avoid discomfort. The deeper path through life is to realize that there is a place of great beauty and peace inside that transcends all outer turmoil. This is the seat of Self. Spiritual growth means learning how to become established in the Self by relaxing through all inner and outer disturbances, and returning to a state of absolute, unconditional well-being.

For more information, go to michaelsingerpodcast.com.

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E83: You Are Not Broken—You’re Just Full of Unrele...

Michael Singer — June 4, 2025

The belief that your inner state is fundamentally not okay, and you must spend most of your life struggling to be okay, is the cause of great suffering. Eventually, you will come to realize that it is only because you stored unresolved past experiences inside your heart and mind that you don’t feel a natural flow of great joy within. These stored blockages get triggered repeatedly, creating mental and emotional turmoil. Real spiritual growth comes through recognizing this pattern and learning to release these inner blockages rather than resisting or suppressing them.

For more information, go to michaelsingerpodcast.com.

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E84: Unconditional Love Is Who You Are

Michael Singer — June 8, 2025

The true meaning of Mother’s Day is to celebrate the idea of unconditional love—a love that does not judge or withhold. Most humans misunderstand this because the mind judges everything, creating inner resistance and leading to closure of the heart. Spiritual growth is the process of learning how to stop judging by understanding the root of judgment: past experiences stored in the personal mind that we couldn’t handle. By consistently relaxing through these blockages, instead of resisting their release, they will dissolve naturally, allowing the spiritual energy to rise. This culminates in the realization that God is love, and our own consciousness is that same ocean of love.

For more information, go to michaelsingerpodcast.com.

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E85: You Are Not Who You Think You Are

Michael Singer — June 11, 2025

You are not your thoughts, emotions, or experiences—you are the conscious awareness behind them. Identifying with these inner phenomena creates a disturbed inner world that you mistakenly try to fix with the outside world. Spiritual growth involves changing your relationship with your mind and emotions by releasing their past stored blockages and rediscovering the stillness, clarity, and joy of your true nature.

For more information, go to michaelsingerpodcast.com.

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E86: The Addiction to Self: Breaking Free from the Ego...

Michael Singer — June 15, 2025

Spiritual growth begins not by seeking higher states, but by fully recognizing how we built the ego out of thoughts from our past and are now identified with it. Our resultant preferences and suppressed past experiences make us suffer and constrict our awareness to ourselves. True liberation comes not by spiritualizing the ego, but by relaxing behind it and allowing reality to pass through while remaining centered in our true nature as consciousness.

For more information, go to michaelsingerpodcast.com.

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E188: The Illusion of Self—Breaking Free from Ego

Michael Singer — June 8, 2026

The Michael Singer Podcast

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