For episode twenty of the Real Love Series of the Metta Hour podcast, Sharon has a candid conversation with Alanis Morissette.
Alanis Morissette is one of the most influential singer-songwriter-musicians in contemporary music, with sales of over 60 million albums worldwide. She is a dedicated advocate of female empowerment, spiritual, psychological, and physical wellness, and the advancement of children’s education. Alanis is also the host of her own podcast, Conversations with Alanis Morrisette. In this episode, Sharon and Alanis talk about addiction, creativity, meditation and love.
The Real Love Podcast Series is a special series on the Metta Hour. This series features a variety of conversations with some of the world’s finest thinkers and teachers exploring the topics of Sharon’s new book “Real Love: The Art of Mindful Connection“. Real Love is a field guide for anyone seeking awakened living in the 21st century – regardless of age, race, gender, ethnicity or status. The book explores love as three different arenas in life: love of oneself, love of an other, and love for all of life. Real Love is now available to order in paperback, hardcover, ebook and audiobook format.
Show Notes
Being of Service (Opening) – While typically celebrated for her many musical talents, Alanis Morisette has made a significant impact outside of the music industry working for the betterment of others. Alanis shares her journey as a seeker which led her to serve and impact so many individuals.
“For a long time in my career I would write the songs initially for myself, to gain some level of clarity or understanding, and I realized upon sharing that people would make these songs their own and use them in whatever way they deemed necessary at that moment in their life. It was a very convenient way to be expressive and serviceable at the same time.” – Alanis Morissette
Articulating Love (5:05) – Sharon and Alanis talk about cultivating love as an ability, which includes the ability to articulate our most true selves. They discuss addiction and recovery, looking at what the struggle with desire can teach us about our ego and true nature.
“If we could add to the word ability, love is also the ability to express who we innately are at our core. If we are love at our core – if we are consciousness or light or all these gorgeous words that chase that ineffable indefinable thing – then love is the ability to articulate that.” – Alanis Morissette
Connection as Way of Life (19:30) – Alanis talks about her recent opportunities to connect with others through her upcoming book and holding retreats at 1440 Multiversity. She and Sharon talk about what it means to be able to connect with others this way and the challenges that come with it.
Check out this insightful conversation with Alanis before holding her most recent retreat at 1440 Multiversity: Exploring self and Self
In the Return (27:45) – The trick to mindfulness practice is not trying to maintain 100% absolute mindfulness, 100% of the time – that is just not going to happen. Sharon and Alanis look at the importance of the return in our practice when human nature leads us astray and they talk about what progress in mindfulness practice really looks like. Alanis shares her personal practice and how it impacts her daily life.
“People ask how they can stay mindful after a retreat or how to be mindful all day long at work, and my response is you are not going to. You are going to learn how to begin again, how to start over more gracefully and with a lighter heart. To think that something is going to happen that you will be able to hold on to is a big mistake.” – Sharon Salzberg
