interesting people

Keenan is a member of the city council in Kelso, Washington. He's a commercial insurance agent, he's held jobs in the non-profit sector, has been a pseudo-law enforcement officer, has been a parole and probation officer, he has a bachelor's degree in Criminal Law and Justice, holds an advanced certificate of municipal leadership, is Vice President of Kelso Rotary, is active in the Kelso/Longview Chamber Of Commerce, and is on the Cowlitz Economic Development Council Board. Keenan is kind, fun, intelligent and compassionate. 
In this thought-provoking and fun episode, Keenan and I talk about a lot of things, including changing times, technological glow-ups, growing up, hard work, valuable lessons, love for the city, homelessness, finding a reasonable middle with different types of people, future plans, music, not making judgments from the fringe actors, intrusive thoughts, impulsivity, mindfulness for people down on their luck, strange law-structures, addictions, alienation, the importance of community, self-policing, skatepark environments, spray painting dicks, pride in our city, beautification, personal stories, silly jokes, the fucking weather for some reason, music festivals at The Gorge, flowers in Castle Rock, response to a few questions submitted online from Facebook, some perspectives from Keenan about his job and vision as a leader, future plans, fat camp surgery, feeling better, foot races, friendships, being imperfect, and much more. 

If you enjoyed the chat, hit subscribe to hear new episodes. Follow like and share your thoughts.
Full video version is up on youtube typically one day after the audio only drops. Thanks for listenin. 

"This is how a human being can change: There's a worm addicted to eating grape leaves. Suddenly. He wakes up, call it Grace, whatever, something wakes him, and he's no longer a worm. He's the entire vineyard, and orchard too, the fruit, the trunks, a growing wisdom and joy that doesn't need to devour." Rumi

0:00 - 22:00 - solocast intro
The interview starts at 22:36

I was recently a guest on "The Spiritual Awakening Show" and the last 100 minutes of this episode is that conversation, where the first 22 is a solocast of me blabbering on about my spiritual puberty and hitting 100 episodes. I share my experience having what I've grown to know as "A Kundalini Awakening" and some of my journey along the way. A Spiritual Awakening is very personal and not for everyone to have to know or understand deeply, it is work done by the individual experiencing the change in consciousness. I find myself in a peculiar spot to share some of the journey through my online voice and reach, and that's what I am doing here. Thanks for listening!

More on Brent's show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dx__XZx3hwg

“So, you have to ask yourself: do you think human creativity matters?

Well, hmm.
Most people don’t spend a lot of time thinking about poetry, right?

They have a life to live and they’re not really that concerned with Allen Ginsberg’s poems or anybody’s poems.

Until; their father dies, they go to a funeral, you lose a child, somebody breaks your heart, they don’t love you anymore, and all the sudden, you’re desperate for making sense out of this life, and

‘Has anybody ever felt this bad before? How did they come out of this cloud?’

 - Or the inverse; something great. You meet somebody and your heart explodes, you love them so much you can’t even see straight, you know, you’re dizzy. 

‘Did anybody feel like this before? What is happening to me?’

And that’s when art’s not a luxury, it’s actually sustenance. We need it.

OK. Well, what is it?

Human Creativity is Nature manifest in us. 

I believe that we are here on this star and space to try to help one another.

And first, we have to survive, and then we have to thrive.

And to thrive, to express ourselves, alright, well, here’s the rub: we have to know ourselves.

What do you love?

And if you get close to what you love, who you are is revealed to you, and it expands. 

Whenever you talk about creativity, it can have this kind of feel that it’s just nice, or it’s warm or it’s something pleasant.

It’s not.

It’s vital.

It’s the way we heal each other.

In singing our song, in telling our story, in inviting you to say ‘Hey, listen to me, and I’ll listen to you,” - we’re starting a dialogue, and when you do that, this healing happens, and we come out of our corners, and we start to witness each other’s common humanity, we start to assert it. And when we do that, really good things happen. So, if you want to help your community, if you want to help your family, if you want to help your friends, you have to express yourself. And to express yourself, you have to know yourself.

It’s actually super easy. 

You just have to follow your love.

There is no path.

There’s no path till you walk it,

and you have to be willing to play the fool.”

 - Ethan Hawke

Brent Spirit went through an unintentional spiritual process that is often called “Kundalini Awakening”. Since, he has begun playing the role of spiritual teacher and helps many going through the same or similar process, primarily through his youtube channel and podcast “The Spiritual Awakening Show”. He joins us on the show to eloquently lay out the awakening process in a way that is reachable and direct for many, he teaches about the various forms of the spiritual path from a place of gentle and clear understanding that is welcoming to all persons across all versions of the awakening path. 

In this episode, Brent details with us his absolutely fascinating and turbulent experience amidst his transformation in consciousness over the last 15 years. He tells personal stories of mental health, depression, confusion, hopelessness, disassociation, dpdr, derealization, psychedelics, pitfalls with teachers, Zen sickness, having ‘no-self’, meditation abnormalities, heartbreak, living in a dreamlike state, self-love, energy shooting through his spine, transformation, eastern philosophy, catholicism, and much more. We also talk about healing, Joe Dispenza, the differences in various kundalini experiences, gurus, Shakti, Brent meeting "The Hugging Saint" named Ama, as well as offer lots of personal anecdotes and resources to aid those on the path. 

Check out Brent's show “The Spiritual Awakening Show” here: https://open.spotify.com/show/72DRFO9phISD5s7djoAC2E?si=3d1a82a42b6d458a (About: Spiritual teacher and intuitive, Brent Spirit, shares his insights and various topics surrounding the journey of Self-Realization, Enlightenment, Kundalini Awakening, Meditation, Ascension, Lightwork, Non-Duality, Yoga, The Law Of Attraction, and more.)
and follow @BrentSpirit on Youtube and Instagram. BrentSpirit.com

Books and resources mentioned for those undergoing an awakening experience:
The End Of Your World (Uncensored Straight Talk On The Nature Of Enlightenment) - Adyashanti

Touched By The Light - Dr. Yvonne Kason
The Spiritual Awakening Guide - Mary Mueller Shutan
Kundalini Vidya The Science of Spiritual Transformation (A comprehensive system for understanding and guiding spiritual development) - Joan Shivarpita Harrigan
The Cosmic Serpent (DNA and the Origins of Knowledge) - Jeremy Narby
Ram Dass - Be Here Now
The Power Of Now - Eckhart Tolle
A Path With Heart (A Guide Through the Perils and Promises of Spiritual Life) - Jack Kornfield
Matt Kahn  - various works on self-love
Aaron Abke - various works found on youtube
The Buddha At The Gas Pump show - Kundalini category on BATGAP.com

Welcome, my friends, to a groundbreaking podcast that celebrates the incredible power within each and every one of us. I am your host, Erik Hardy, and together, we're embarking on an extraordinary journey where you become the architect of your own life.

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