What does it actually mean to wake up?

In this podcast, Jimmy Wightman explores the deeper dimensions of awakening, nonduality and self-realisation, and what happens when we begin to question the fundamental assumption that we are a separate self.

Drawing on traditions including Zen, Advaita Vedanta and modern nondual teachings, Jimmy explores the question “Who am I?”, the nature of the ego, conditioning, awareness and kensho — seeing your true nature.

But awakening isn’t the end of the journey. What happens after awakening? How do you integrate a profound awakening experience into ordinary human life? Why can old patterns, emotions and conditioning continue even after seeing through the ego? And how do you avoid spiritual bypassing and hiding in the “absolute."

The podcast explores the relationship between awakening and practice, drawing on ideas associated with teachers such as Angelo Dilullo, Rupert Spira and Zen, while offering a practical perspective on embodiment, sincerity, surrender and living from what has been recognised.

Ultimately, this is an exploration of freedom — not becoming someone new, but discovering what you are beneath the story of who you think you are.

Instagram: @that_meditation_guy

Website: https://www.delvedeep.com

In this conversation, Jimmy Wightman sits down with Melvin McLeod to explore Melvin’s new book: A Single Breath: The Complete Path of Mindfulness.

Melvin is the Editor-in-Chief of Lion’s Roar, one of the world’s leading magazines on Buddhism, mindfulness, meditation, and contemplative wisdom. For more than three decades, he has helped bring the teachings of some of the world’s most respected spiritual teachers to a global audience. During his time at Lion’s Roar, Melvin has had the privilege of working closely with and learning from figures including Jon Kabat-Zinn, Thich Nhat Hanh, Tara Brach, Daniel Goleman, Diana Winston, Jack Kornfield, Pema Chödrön, and many others.

In this wide-ranging conversation, Jimmy and Melvin discuss the inspiration behind A Single Breath, Melvin’s own personal journey with mindfulness, and the lessons he has learned from a lifetime immersed in contemplative practice and conversation with some of the greatest meditation teachers of our time.

Together, they explore how mindfulness can become far more than a meditation technique—how it can transform the way you relate to your thoughts, emotions, relationships, work, and the challenges of everyday life. Whether you’re completely new to meditation or have been practising for years, you’ll discover practical insights into bringing mindfulness into every moment, allowing it to reshape both your inner experience and the way you engage with the world around you.

If you enjoy the conversation, don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share it with someone who might benefit from these timeless teachings.

Instagram: @that_meditation_guy

Website: https://www.delvedeep.com

In this interview, Jimmy Wightman (That Meditation Guy) & Daniel Schmidt discuss:

• What is an authentic awakening (kensho/Satori)
• What meditation techniques to do before & after awakening
• How meditation changes after awakening
• Common misconceptions along the path
• What is an Enlightenment Intensive
• Common pitfalls of awakening
• Their personal journey
• The spiritual journey: from surface to source

This conversation represents the deep end of spirituality so here is a quick reference glossary of some terms that are used that you might not be familiar with:

Enlightenment Intensive retreat - A 4-day self inquiry retreat that involves contemplating the question "who am I" while sitting opposite a partner and making eye contact. The act of sitting with a partner and contemplating is known as a dyad.

Kensho - A Japanese Zen term meaning “seeing one’s true nature.” It refers to a direct experiential insight into the nature of self and reality — often described as a glimpse of awakening rather than full enlightenment. In many Zen traditions, kenshō is seen as an important opening or recognition that is then deepened and embodied through continued practice.

Five Skandhas (Aggregates) – The five components that make up human experience in Buddhism: form (body), feeling, perception, mental formations, and consciousness. They are used to explore the nature of self and impermanence.

Sādhana – A dedicated spiritual practice or discipline undertaken to cultivate growth, transformation, and realisation.
Vāsanās – Deep-seated tendencies, impressions, or habitual patterns that shape thoughts, emotions, and behaviour.

Jhāna – Deep states of meditative absorption in Buddhist practice, marked by increasing stillness, concentration, and refinement of awareness.

Savikalpa Samadhi – A profound meditative absorption in which awareness remains present with an object, experience, or sense of bliss; duality is reduced but not fully dissolved.

Turiya – In Vedanta, the “fourth state” of consciousness beyond waking, dreaming, and deep sleep — pure awareness itself.

Ox-Herding Pictures – A series of ten Zen images illustrating the practitioner’s journey from seeking truth to awakening and returning to everyday life with wisdom.

Ramana Maharshi – Indian sage known for the practice of self-inquiry (“Who am I?”) as a path to awakening.

Nisargadatta Maharaj – Advaita teacher who emphasised abiding as the sense of “I Am” and recognising one’s true nature beyond identity.

Instagram: @that_meditation_guy

Website: https://www.delvedeep.com

This is a gentle guided meditation by Jimmy Wightman (AKA That Meditation Guy), inviting you to settle into the natural rhythm of your breathing and discover a quiet sense of ease already within you.

Meditating on restful sensations can calm the nervous system, reduce stress, and soften mental overactivity. Over time, it builds emotional balance, deepens presence, and reveals a more peaceful way of relating to experience.

Instagram: @that_meditation_guy

Website: https://www.delvedeep.com

This meditation is an invitation to come home to what you already are — the living Earth, breathing and aware through human form. It starts at 02:22.

As you turn inward to sense the elements — Earth, Water, Fire, Air, and Space — you begin to notice that this body is not “you” in the usual personal sense.
It’s a process of nature: minerals, moisture, warmth, breath, and awareness, endlessly changing.

Recognising this can soften the tight boundaries of the ego — that small, contracted sense of “me” trying to control life.

When those boundaries loosen, something remarkable can happen.
In the Zen tradition, this is called kenshō — a moment of clear seeing, when the illusion of separateness falls away and you experience reality as it truly is: vast, luminous, intimate.

It’s not an achievement or a mystical escape, but a simple recognition — that the same life moving the tides, the wind, and the stars is moving through you.

Practicing this meditation helps prepare the ground for that insight.
By sensing yourself as nature — stardust, breath, awareness — you begin to rest in a deeper truth: that who you are is not limited to this body or story, but is the living universe expressing itself, here and now.

So as you begin, let go of effort and expectation.
Just feel, sense, and remember.

Instagram: @that_meditation_guy

Website: https://www.delvedeep.com

In this guided meditation, I will lead you through the practice of NSDR (Non-Sleep Deep Rest), also known as Yoga Nidra, a powerful technique designed to bring your mind and body into a state of profound relaxation. Unlike ordinary rest, NSDR allows you to consciously enter a deeply restorative state, where the nervous system can reset, stress levels decrease, and mental clarity increases.

Yoga Nidra, sometimes referred to as “yogic sleep,” is an ancient practice with modern scientific validation. Research has shown that engaging in this form of guided rest can:

• Reduce stress and anxiety by lowering cortisol levels and calming the overactive mind.
• Improve sleep quality by training the body to relax deeply and supporting a healthier circadian rhythm.
• Enhance focus and cognitive performance by giving the brain a chance to restore, making it especially useful for memory, learning, and creativity.
• Support emotional regulation by activating the parasympathetic nervous system and creating a greater sense of inner balance.
• Boost physical restoration by lowering blood pressure, improving heart rate variability, and promoting cellular repair.

Through this practice, you’ll be guided step by step into a state of effortless awareness—neither fully awake nor asleep—where deep rest occurs naturally. With consistent practice, NSDR and Yoga Nidra not only replenish energy but also strengthen resilience, sharpen mental clarity, and nurture overall well-being.

Instagram: @that_meditation_guy

Website: https://www.delvedeep.com

In this guided meditation, Vast Spacious Awareness, I invite you to simply rest back into what’s already here. We start by coming into presence in a really natural way—through the body, through sound, and through what we see. These are easy entry points that help us land in the moment. You don’t need to force anything or try too hard, just noticing what’s here in your direct experience.

From there, the practice opens up into something bigger—what I call vast spacious awareness. This is that alive, open presence that everything is happening in: sensations, thoughts, emotions, the sense of “me,” the sense of “world.” All of it just arises and dissolves within this open field. The beauty is, this awareness isn’t something you have to create or imagine—it’s already here, effortlessly holding everything.

This meditation works whether you’re brand new to mindfulness or you’ve been practicing for years. If you’ve explored teachings from folks like Shinzen Young, Michal Taft, Rupert Spira, Loch Kelly, or Adyashanti, you’ll probably feel right at home here. The invitation is simple: relax back, notice what’s alive right now, and let yourself rest in the spacious awareness that’s always been here.

Instagram: @that_meditation_guy

Website: https://www.delvedeep.com

In this podcast Jimmy Wightman & Stephen Mugen Snyder Sensei discuss the reality of authentic awakening, also known as kensho or satori. In this context, awakening refers to an event that happens in consciousness that reveals the nondual truth of reality. It’s a dramatic shift that goes right to the locus of identity, opening to nonduality.

Jimmy & Stephen get specific about what awakening means within different traditions & how awakening is expressed within consciousness. They also discuss the pitfalls of awakening and how the personality can change after an awakening experience. They also talk about the post-awakening state and what you should do after a life-changing shift in consciousness in order to integrate and embody the realisation.

Finally, the pair discuss Stephen's new book: Liberating the self - Buddhist Practices for an Authentic Life.

Jimmy Wightman is the host of this podcast. The guest, Stephen Snyder, is a meditation teacher who began practicing in 1976. Stephen is a recognised master of the Jhanas, which are the absorption states entered through deep concentration taught by the Buddha. He’s also a Zen master, authorised to teach in both the Soto & Rinzai schools of Zen.

Stephen Snyder links:

Website: https://awakeningdharma.org

Stephen’s Interview series: https://youtu.be/bE9oaKl_hPc?si=MrjnWJ_tYKEvhGi8

Jimmy Wightman links:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Delve_Deep_Meditation

Instagram: @that_meditation_guy

Website: https://www.delvedeep.com