Gail is a clinical psychologist and author in Santa Barbara, CA, who joyfully speaks from her own experience about the possibility of moving from common everyday problems to living in the deepest acceptance and peace. Problems are seen as opportunities; the illusion of the separate self as a doorway to enduring happiness. Stories are honored, while fierce and loving investigation invites their dissolution. She has special expertise working with older adults and their families, bringing clear seeing and compassion to the transitions of aging, death, and dying. She meets with people both individually and in groups and blogs at GailBrenner.com, where she invites readers to see through the confusion of separation and discover reality, which is true, alive, and undeniable. Her core offering is to bring non-dual understanding to the moments of suffering in everyday life. She is the author of
- “The End of Self-Help: Discovering Peace and Happiness Right at the Heart of Your Messy, Scary, Brilliant Life
.”
- Suffering Is Optional: A Spiritual Guide to Freedom from Self-Judgment and Feelings of Inadequacy
- At the Core of Every Heart: Reflections, Insights, and Practices for Waking Up and Living Free
Website: GailBrenner.com
Interview recorded 10/25/2015 at the Science and Nonduality Conference.
Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group.
Second BatGap interview with Gail.
Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.
YouTube Video Chapters:
- 00:00:00 – Buddha at the Gas Pump
- 00:01:58 – The Inspiration to Write
- 00:03:38 – Transformative shift through Buddhism and meditation
- 00:05:48 – The Journey of Self-Discovery
- 00:07:17 – The Joy of Meditation
- 00:08:51 – The Integration of Spiritual Practice in Everyday Life
- 00:10:58 – The Pros and Cons of Habit and Rote
- 00:12:53 – Working through depression
- 00:14:30 – Healing the Physiology
- 00:16:31 – Welcoming What Is
- 00:18:26 – Encouraging personal exploration and growth.
- 00:20:01 – Facing Fear and Uncovering the Unconscious
- 00:21:45 – The ultimate goal of Buddhist practice
- 00:23:05 – The Power of True Nature and Surrender
- 00:24:48 – The Discovery of “The End of Self-Help”
- 00:26:30 – Polishing up a False Sense of Self
- 00:27:24 – Understanding the Source of Suffering
- 00:29:35 – The Nature of Thought and Identity
- 00:31:44 – The Importance of Attention to the Body
- 00:33:35 – Relationship and Living in True Nature
- 00:35:22 – Recognizing our True Nature
- 00:38:14 – Dissolving Routine Grooves for True Nature
- 00:40:48 – The Potential in Every Moment
- 00:42:40 – The Vastness of Awareness and the Beauty of Letting Go
- 00:44:43 – Developing Freshness in Each Moment
- 00:48:35 – Recognizing our True Nature
- 00:49:49 – Balancing spirituality in a relationship
- 00:52:41 – Acceptance and Evolution in Relationships
- 00:54:51 – Nonacceptance and resistance
- 00:56:13 – Craving for Acceptance in Relationships
- 00:57:44 – Consciousness is timeless
- 00:59:09 – Thank you
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