• E117: The Real Work: Letting Go from Within

    Michael Singer — October 2, 2025

    True spirituality isn’t about mystical experiences or lofty ideals—it’s about honestly facing and working with the reality of your inner world. The journey begins by...

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    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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Subscribe to The Michael Singer Podcast

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

Most Recent

E112: The Dance of Shakti: Conscious Energy and Libera...

All of life is Shakti, the universal conscious energy that vibrates at different rates to manifest as physical form, thoughts, emotions, and the flow of spiritual energy. Our suffering arises when we resist life’s experiences and block this flow, storing disturbances that shape the personal mind and distort our lives. Freedom comes when we stop pushing experiences down, let old disturbances rise and pass, and learn to relax in the face of life so that the inner flow of shakti can carry us back to our natural state of joy, openness, and oneness with God.

© Sounds True Inc. Episodes: © 2025 Michael A. Singer. All Rights Reserved.

 

E111: The Mind Isn’t the Problem—It’s That You a...

The deep spiritual teachings emphasize that the real problem is not the mind itself but our attachment to it and the impressions we’ve stored inside that distort our experience of life. We mistakenly look outward for solutions to this problem, when the real work is to release the inner disturbances that block the natural flow of energy and cause suffering. Spiritual liberation is found by turning inward, observing the mind, letting go of stored pain, and returning to the joyful, transcendent nature of consciousness itself.

© Sounds True Inc. Episodes: © 2025 Michael A. Singer. All Rights Reserved.

Acharya Shunya: The Five Phases of the Vedic Afterlife...

In the second half of Acharya Shunya’s talk, she shares her personal journey from tradition to transformation, offering practical tools and Vedic insights to help us embrace our greater purpose here.

Through her personal experiences, practical guidance, and teachings from her lineage, Acharya Shunya offers us a roadmap to awakening and living a more meaningful, empowered life.

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 join.soundstrue.com.

Customer Favorites

Terri Cole: High-Functioning Codependency—Breaking t...

High-functioning codependency? That’s not an oxymoron. For psychotherapist Terri Cole, a pattern emerged in her practice that led her to take a deeper look at what we traditionally define as codependent. With her new book, Too Much, Terri introduces high-functioning codependency (or HFC)—illuminating the key traits and behaviors associated with HFC, how it gets passed from generation to generation, and how we can finally break the cycle to reclaim our time, energy, and independence. 

Join Sounds True founder Tami Simon in conversation with Terri Cole about: giving unsolicited advice; the habit of auto-accommodating; the FAQ “is this codependent, controlling, or caring?”; the compulsive nature of codependency; when efforts to help backfire; allowing others to experience the consequences of their actions; giving without resentment; how to know if you’re an HFC; taking a resentment inventory; the emotional drivers of HFC; the environmental factors that propagate codependency; self-awareness on the path of recovery; tolerating the discomfort of changing our behaviors; the connection between being easily defensive and HFC; letting go of defensiveness as an HFC; getting back to your “just right”; 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.

Rewriting Your Food Story

Elise Museles is on the board of directors for the Environmental Working Group, a holistic health expert, and the host of the podcast Once Upon a Food Story. With Sounds True, she’s released the new book Food Story: Rewrite the Way You Eat, Think, and Live. In this episode of Insights at the Edge, Tami Simon speaks with Elise about the concept of “food stories”—your personal relationship with food and eating, defined not only by your own experiences but by the familial and cultural messages you grew up with. They discuss the different kinds of food stories, their origins, and what it takes to “rewrite” your own food story. Elise details different ways you can shift your attitudes toward food, including mindful eating, acceptance of your body’s needs, and cutting screens out of your meals. Finally, Tami and Elise talk about the therapeutic quality of food prep, how to tailor recipes to specific moods, and why “emotional eating” isn’t always a bad thing. 

 

Vanessa Loder: Listening to the Voice of Your Soul

Vanessa Loder was a successful VP at a private equity firm, swiftly making her way up the corporate ladder, when she had a striking realization: Everything on paper looked great, but inside there was this feeling that something was missing… In this paradigm-shifting podcast, Tami Simon speaks with Vanessa Loder about her new book, The Soul Solution, and the “star seeds of awakening” we are called to become at this time. Listen in as they discuss: past-life regression and the insights it can provide; the courage to listen to “the whispers of your soul”; following your “energetic breadcrumbs”—the inner impulses that will lead you to your most fulfilling life; the intersection of creativity, making money, and doing what you love; finding your role models; working with fear, anger, sadness, and other challenging emotions; unwinding the myths we tell ourselves; how to “break up with busyness”; the “power hour” practice; allowing ourselves leisure time and pleasure; visualizing your greatest future; and more.

Timeless Classics

Kristin Neff: The Liberating Power of Self-Compassion

Dr. Kristin Neff is a professor of human development and culture at the University of Texas and a practitioner of Buddhist meditation. The book and documentary The Horse Boy chronicle Kristin and her family’s extraordinary journey to help her autistic son. With Sounds True, Kristin has created the audio program Self-Compassion Step by Step, which includes clinical evidence of the importance of self-compassion along with techniques and exercises for cultivating this pivotal quality. In this interview, Tami Simon and Kristin talk about the vital distinction between self-esteem and self-compassion, three pillars of self-compassion, ‘self-compassion breaks,’ and the importance of recognizing our common humanity during difficulties that feel unique and isolating. (68 minutes)

Tami’s Takeaway
In any moment of self-criticism or self-blame, a “go-to move” that is immediately effective and state-changing is to gently touch your arm, stroke your face, or place your hand on your heart (any form of soothing touch). This activates our mammalian “tend and befriend” system, releases oxytocin, and shifts us out of the threat-defense system. Try it next time you feel self-critical. Gently touching your body can shift your state of mind—fast!

Mary O’Malley: What’s in the Way Is the Way

Mary O’Malley is an author, counselor, and acknowledged leader in the field of spiritual awakening. With Sounds True, Mary has published What’s in the Way Is the Way: A Practical Guide for Waking Up to Life. In this episode of Insights at the Edge, Tami Simon and Mary discuss the eight “spells” that keep us feeling separate from life—as well as the remedies that bring us more fully into the energetic flow of existence. They speak on the need for curiosity and the role it plays in uniting our attention with our present-moment experience. Finally, Mary explains her understanding of the awakening process and the skills one can cultivate to come into a robust and joyous alignment with life itself. (60 minutes)

Tami’s Takeaway
One of the worst feelings for me is helplessness. Mary teaches that “life is destined to bring up what is bound up.” This podcast brought up for me how I push away feelings of helplessness. According to Mary, “what’s in the way is the way,” and we can become what she calls “tightness detectives” to see how we clamp down in certain situations and resist what we don’t want to feel. When instead we meet our feelings with curiosity and spaciousness, we discover the free flow of aliveness and the absolute trustworthiness in every experience.

Zainab Salbi: Wielding Our Sword of Truth

Zainab Salbi is an author, humanitarian, and media commentator who founded the nonprofit organization Women for Women International when she was only 23 years old. With Sounds True, she has published the book Freedom Is an Inside Job: Owning Our Darkness and Our Light to Heal Ourselves and the World. In this episode of Insights at the Edge, Tami Simon and Zainab discuss what it means to be an agent of social change while also navigating the everyday journey of being human. They talk about why it’s necessary to let go of what no longer works in our lives in order to embrace our most deeply held truths. As an Iraqi-American, Zainab speaks on engaging with people whose values oppose ours—especially those who currently oppose Muslim immigration to the United States. Finally, Zainab and Tami talk about the healing power of making amends and what “freedom” really means. (83 minutes)

Tami’s Takeaway
Zainab teaches how we can befriend people who hold opposing views not through debate, but through embrace and a strong, open stance that is curious about the other person’s underlying needs and emotions. I believe this skill—truly understanding people who disagree with us and feel “other”—is one of the most important skills we need to be peacemakers and bringers of love in all of our interactions.

Most Recent

E99: Why Spiritual Experiences Are Not Enough

Spiritual liberation is not about attaining extraordinary experiences; it is about releasing the internal blockages that keep us from a permanent state of well-being. The cause of suffering is not life—it is our belief that life must be what we want in order for us to be okay. We can learn to let go of this constant sense of lacking by releasing the stored blockages from our past. When this purification takes place, we become open, peaceful, and capable of living with unconditional joy regardless of circumstances.

© Sounds True Inc. Episodes: © 2025 Michael A. Singer. All Rights Reserved.

E98: The Guru Within: Returning to Consciousness

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.

© Sounds True Inc. Episodes: © 2025 Michael A. Singer. All Rights Reserved.

E97: Spirituality Is Awareness—Not Beliefs or Concep...

Spirituality is about realizing that all experiences, thoughts, and emotions are just objects that consciousness is aware of. It is awareness that gives meaning to the object, but we get fixated on the object itself. By learning to remain centered as the objects of consciousness pass before you, you can stop being pulled down into suffering and begin to rest naturally in your true seat of Self. Ultimately, when you surrender completely, your individual consciousness merges into Universal Consciousness, revealing a state of boundless peace and love.

© Sounds True Inc. Episodes: © 2025 Michael A. Singer. All Rights Reserved.

E96: Untethering Consciousness: The Path Back to Your ...

All living beings share the same divine consciousness, but the sophistication of the human body, mind, and heart allows us to expand our consciousness into very broad frames of reference. Unfortunately, we limit that expansion by constantly being distracted by an entire barrage of personal preferences formed by our limited past experiences. True spiritual evolution comes through letting go of these psychological distractions and allowing consciousness to return to its natural state of unlimited expansion—Enlightenment.

© Sounds True Inc. Episodes: © 2025 Michael A. Singer. All Rights Reserved.

 

E95: Relax, Release, and Rise: The Real Work of Spirit...

Deep spiritual growth is not about collecting more techniques but about releasing the inner disturbances we have stored from our past. These suppressed energies—called samskaras—remain inside, continuing to influence and limit our lives. Instead of struggling to cope with life’s experiences, we can learn to welcome them as opportunities to release these past blockages. Over time, this leads to purification of the heart and the ability to remain undisturbed, even in the face of intense experiences. Our natural state is one of unconditional joy, love, and divine energy—reclaim it!

© Sounds True Inc. Episodes: © 2025 Michael A. Singer. All Rights Reserved.

E94: Spiritual Freedom Is Simpler than You Think

Life is fundamentally simple—we’re sitting on a tiny planet spinning through infinite space for a few years, and that’s it. We make it complicated by deciding how everything must be for us to be okay. This creates suffering, anxiety, and endless worries. Spirituality is about opening up, honoring, and appreciating life as it is. As we let go of ourselves, life becomes joyful, creative, and rich, not because it changed, but because we did.

© Sounds True Inc. Episodes: © 2025 Michael A. Singer. All Rights Reserved.

Listener Favorites

E17: The Power of Acceptance: Evolving Beyond the Ego

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.

© Sounds True Inc. Episodes: © 2024 Michael A. Singer. All Rights Reserved.

 

E32: Transforming Struggle into Strength: The Art of C...

True peace comes from letting go of preferences and consciously interacting with life as it unfolds. Life’s moments, good or bad, are unique experiences to be appreciated and respected. Embracing challenges with openness can transform struggles into meaningful experiences. This shift in consciousness toward acceptance fosters an elevated, peaceful inner state. This is the foundation for deep spiritual growth.

For more information, go to michaelsingerpodcast.com.

© Sounds True Inc. Episodes: © 2024 Michael A. Singer. All Rights Reserved.

E2: Cultivating the Discipline to Free Yourself

Once we realize that the higher self lies beyond our thoughts and emotions, we’ve taken an important first step. But anyone who’s had this insight knows that the journey has just begun. “If you think you can quickly free yourself from the power of the mind and the heart,” Michael Singer teaches, “you are in for a surprise.” Here, he guides us into the work of freeing ourselves through our choices and our continual commitment to spiritual practice.

For more information, go to michaelsingerpodcast.com

© Sounds True Inc. Episodes: © 2024 Michael A. Singer. All Rights Reserved.

E42: Why We Suffer: A Spiritual Perspective on Problem...

Why do people experience so many problems in life? If you look objectively, you will see that problems arise because we have deeply ingrained preferences about how life should unfold. These manifest as desires and fears that are rooted in our unresolved experiences from the past. True freedom and joy can only be achieved by letting go of this stored negativity and embracing life as it unfolds. Ultimately, fulfillment comes not from controlling external circumstances but from inner alignment and openness to life’s flow. 

For more information, go to michaelsingerpodcast.com.

© Sounds True Inc. Episodes: © 2025 Michael A. Singer. All Rights Reserved.

E95: Relax, Release, and Rise: The Real Work of Spirit...

Deep spiritual growth is not about collecting more techniques but about releasing the inner disturbances we have stored from our past. These suppressed energies—called samskaras—remain inside, continuing to influence and limit our lives. Instead of struggling to cope with life’s experiences, we can learn to welcome them as opportunities to release these past blockages. Over time, this leads to purification of the heart and the ability to remain undisturbed, even in the face of intense experiences. Our natural state is one of unconditional joy, love, and divine energy—reclaim it!

© Sounds True Inc. Episodes: © 2025 Michael A. Singer. All Rights Reserved.

E68: The Illusion of Control and the Power of Acceptan...

It should be obvious that most of life unfolds beyond your control. Your heart beats, your lungs expand and contract, 35 trillion living cells provide you with your body, atoms bond into molecules, and billions of other vital things go on every moment that you do not control. In spite of all of this, you suffer by resisting reality instead of appreciating it. Your desires and struggles come from storing the past experiences you liked and didn’t like and then comparing reality to what you want it to be. Eventually, you will realize that true peace and joy arise not from controlling life but from letting go of your inner blockages and learning to appreciate and fully embrace the gift of creation.

For more information, go to michaelsingerpodcast.com.

© Sounds True Inc. Episodes: © 2025 Michael A. Singer. All Rights Reserved.

Timeless Classics

E115: Spiritual Evolution: From Control to Equanimity

Spirituality is inner evolution—adaptability to reality instead of struggling with the outside world because you can’t handle it. Begin by relaxing and releasing inner resistance the moment it comes up, rather than storing life’s events as past negative impressions. This will gradually harmonize your inner energy flow with the unfolding of life. Willful action, when needed, will come from a state of inner clarity, and over time, this elevated state will become a permanent state of being rather than a passing experience.

© Sounds True Inc. Episodes: © 2025 Michael A. Singer. All Rights Reserved.

E116: Doing the Best You Can: The Path to Liberation

Doing the best you can every moment with what’s in front of you is the entire path to liberation. Outcomes don’t define you; the inner growth you earn by showing up wholeheartedly does. Life is your teacher; just do your very best and what comes back are your lessons, not your punishments or rewards. Let go of goal-orientation and approval-seeking. Keep welcoming life’s experiences, and you’ll trade neurosis and control for openness, energy, and joy.

© Sounds True Inc. Episodes: © 2025 Michael A. Singer. All Rights Reserved.

E117: The Real Work: Letting Go from Within

True spirituality isn’t about mystical experiences or lofty ideals—it’s about honestly facing and working with the reality of your inner world. The journey begins by realizing you’ve been reacting, resisting, and clinging to disturbing experiences, and then defining an ego that struggles to be relatively okay inside. Real growth begins when you start letting go of internal disturbances instead of learning to live with them. Through surrender, acceptance, and inner relaxation, you can rediscover your natural state of unconditional love and well-being. This is the real spiritual path—practical, grounded, and available to anyone willing to do the inner work.

© Sounds True Inc. Episodes: © 2025 Michael A. Singer. All Rights Reserved.

E12: Beyond the Barriers: Reclaiming Your Inner Ecstas...

Everyone is naturally filled with love and ecstasy, but this is obscured by the baggage we carry inside. You are blocked from realizing your divine state by the stored emotions and mental constructs from your past. The spiritual path is not about acquiring something new; it’s about letting go of the barriers that prevent you from experiencing the greatness that has always been within you.

For more information, go to michaelsingerpodcast.com.

© Sounds True Inc. Episodes: © 2024 Michael A. Singer. All Rights Reserved.

E13: The Mind: Prison or Liberator?

The mind can act as either a prison or a liberator, depending on how we use it. By holding on to uncomfortable past experiences, we trap ourselves in suffering. Expanding our thoughts beyond ourselves allows us to break free of the prison of mind. Through this process, we can liberate our consciousness, experience peace, and ultimately achieve enlightenment.

For more information, go to michaelsingerpodcast.com.

© Sounds True Inc. Episodes: © 2024 Michael A. Singer. All Rights Reserved.

E14: From Thoughts to Awareness: Reclaiming Your Divin...

In this talk, Michael explains that the mind need not be an obstacle to spiritual growth but can actually be a great tool when used properly. This involves realizing you are not your thoughts, any of your thoughts—rather, you are the awareness observing them. By remaining centered in this awareness, free from the pull of personal thoughts and emotions, one can experience great states of natural joy, love, and divinity.

For more information, go to michaelsingerpodcast.com.

© Sounds True Inc. Episodes: © 2024 Michael A. Singer. All Rights Reserved.

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