Share
A New Way of Being
Cultivating Creativity and Finding Flow – with Author, Broadcaster and Comedian Chris Smith
•
We are in the middle of a 'creativity crisis' - with so many people are distracted, unable to focus and lacking in connection. So what to do about it? Here to help me unpick how we can find more flow, creativity, connection, peace and ease - is Chris Smith, an award-winning author, broadcaster and stand-up comedian. For many years we sat alongside each other in the Newsbeat studio on BBC Radio 1. We discuss:
- How to get into flow and tap into the 'intelligent unconscious'
- The relationship between unplugging and creativity
- Why we love losing ourself in what we are doing, and how modern life is killing that
- Recognising that the future is never as bad as we fear it will be when it arrives as 'the present'
- How to develop a different relationship with our thoughts
- How to cultivate the space for true creativity to arrive
- The value of having a sauna
I am creating a course about Banishing Burnout and Finding Flow - which I will be sharing more about that over coming weeks and months. Together we can create a new way of being - one that is less distracted and combative, and has more flow and peace.
Book: https://www.simonmundie.com/book
YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/YouTubeSimonMundie
Website: simonmundie.com
Substack Newsletter: https://simonmundie.substack.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/
**
For many years Chris was the voice of Newsbeat on BBC Radio 1. In 2017 he published Kid Normal which he co-wrote with his friend Greg James. It became the first in a series of children’s books. In early 2025 Chris is bringing back Enid Blyton‘s classic characters the Famous Five in a brand-new adventure.
https://chrissmithauthor.co.uk/
More episodes
View all episodes
**BONUS** Yoga Nidra for Exam Stress: Alex Wilby (my wife)
25:06|My wife Alex - a Reiki master, Sound healer, Yoga Nidra practitioner and spiritual wellness journalist - has taken over the podcast for this episode to share a Yoga Nidra designed to help anyone going through exam stress. So - if you have kids or know anyone in exam season - please do share this episode. It could really help!And please do consider subscribing to my wife's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NR1yee6gLUo&t=991sWhat Really Happened in My Awakening? Legendary Physicist Federico Faggin’s View
10:01|In this short episode, I ask pioneering physicist and microprocessor inventor Federico Faggin to unpack my recent awakening experience.We explore being “empty of self,” feeling lived by the universe, and how free will fits into a non‑dual view of reality.If you’ve ever wondered what really happens in awakening, this conversation offers a rare bridge between deep spirituality and cutting‑edge physics.👉 Free Webinar on Tuesday 19th @ 7pm: Register here: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/oHmSlGr0Q1GfnX4wO-CTvA👉 Work with Simon - free 15 minute 1:1 consultation: https://calendly.com/simon-wgw/simon-mundie-intro-call👉 Where Awakening Meets Real Life substack: https://simonmundie.substack.com/👉 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@IAmSimonMundieThe Power of Intention: The Commitment That Changes Your Life
12:07|👉 Work with Simon - free 15 minute 1:1 consultation: https://calendly.com/simon-wgw/simon-mundie-intro-call👉 Free Webinar on Tuesday 19th @ 7pm: Register here: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/oHmSlGr0Q1GfnX4wO-CTvA👉 Where Awakening Meets Real Life substack: https://simonmundie.substack.com/👉 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@IAmSimonMundieMost spiritual seekers have tried everything – meditation, self-inquiry, satsangs – and yet still feel stuck, still abandon themselves, and still live from old conditioning. In this episode I share why intention is so often the missing piece.00:00 – The missing key in awakening: intention01:30 – How intention led me all the way to kensho03:55 – How intention transforms self-inquiry07:30 – Awakening vs self-abandonment10:14 – Intention lessons from my 104 year old GranThis Zen Teacher's Surprising Response To my Awakening | Henry Shukman
11:20|'The mind is not invited to the party' - Henry Shukman and Simon Mundie discuss Kensho.Henry Shukman and I discuss spiritual awakening, the dark night of the soul, and why the thinking mind can’t grasp what awakening really is. Drawing on my own direct experience, this is about what happens when identification with thought falls away—and awareness recognises itself.For 1:1 coaching with Simon book a free 15 minute consultation: https://calendly.com/simon-wgw/simon-mundie-intro-callFor a gift of 30 free meditation sessions on Henry's app 'The Way' - click here: https://the-way.app.link/simonFor more information on The Way head here: http://thewayapp.com/simonSubstack: https://simonmundie.substack.com/Escape the Demon of Approval
08:37|One of the first mistakes the ego makes is to confuse approval with love. From early childhood, we learn to feel good when we’re praised and uncomfortable when we’re not. Without noticing, we start organising our lives around being approved of rather than being true to ourselves.That’s how we end up:· People-pleasing instead of setting boundaries· Staying small instead of taking risks· Needing others to respond a certain way before we can feel okayI call this the demon of approval.And you can’t be free of it until you can clearly see it.Tonight I’m running a free live session on this — how to see the pattern clearly, feel what comes up when you stop feeding it, and begin acting from something deeper than the need for approvalIf this resonates, you’re very welcome to join - register here: ESCAPE THE DEMON It starts at 7pm UK time and I will start with a short meditation to show how approval keeps the ‘me mind’ hooked. There will also be plenty of time for questions.Notes on Being Nothing - A Conversation on Awakening
56:09|This is a conversation with the author of Notes on Nothing - The Joy Of Being Nobody.The author - J - experienced a shift that prompted him to write his excellent book, which describes awakening beautifully.I read it before and after my own kensho - and invited the author on to discuss what a shift is like from both our perspectives.Work with me - free 15 minute 1:1 consultation: https://calendly.com/simon-wgw/simon-mundie-intro-callRegister for my free webinar on Tuesday April 21st @ 7pm UK time: https://zoom.us/j/97714908602?pwd=8lnBbAIMp8bFS4YGeZrBABYqG1eF11.1Substack: https://simonmundie.substack.com/For a gift of 30 free meditation sessions on Henry Shukman's meditation app 'The Way' - click here: https://the-way.app.link/simonGet the book: https://www.as-is-press.com/Overthinking is a sign we are avoiding our feelings
07:11|Overthinking is a sign we are avoiding our feelings. When I was young, I remember thinking 'I don't know why I don't feel sad'. And the reason was - I had gone into my head to stop from feeling. This is the first way we all learn to escape from our experience, causing a split and beginning the process of self-abandonment.Work with me - free 15 minute 1:1 consultation: https://calendly.com/simon-wgw/simon-...Substack: https://simonmundie.substack.com/For a gift of 30 free meditation sessions on Henry Shukman's meditation app 'The Way' - click here: https://the-way.app.link/simonWatch on YouTube: http://youtube.com/watch?v=ZkugHKi39O0&lc=UgzMqdI4sGKNW3Q8KyB4AaABAgI've recently seen 3 coaching clients 'wake up' by doing this
05:11|I've recently seen three clients have an awakening by stopping abandoning themselves. I didn't know it was coming, and nor did they - but it was a privilege to witrness.Doing this work really can take you all the way (or more accurately return you) to the peace and love of your true nature.Work with me - free 15 minute 1:1 consultation: https://calendly.com/simon-wgw/simon-mundie-intro-callSubstack: https://simonmundie.substack.com/For a gift of 30 free meditation sessions on Henry Shukman's meditation app 'The Way' - click here: https://the-way.app.link/simonThe Pattern Underneath The Manosphere (It's Not What You Think)
05:34|This short episode reflects on the Louis Theroux manosphere documentary and what it reveals beneath the surface. Rather than judging behaviour, I explore the underlying pattern of avoidance—how we push away sensitivity and what that does to our sense of self. Drawing on my own experience, this points toward a more honest form of masculinity—and ultimately, a path of awakening through integration, not rejection.Free 15 minute coaching consultation: https://calendly.com/simon-wgw/simon-mundie-intro-callYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@IAmSimonMundieSubstack: https://simonmundie.substack.com/For a gift of 30 free meditation sessions on Henry Shukman's meditation app 'The Way' - click here: https://the-way.app.link/simonFor more information on The Way head here: http://thewayapp.com/simon