Will mindfulness meditation lead to enlightenment? In this talk I respond to an email from follower on Insight Timer who has found some contradictory advice relating to their meditation practice and the goal of enlightenment. I go deep on the different interpretations of awakening presented by different practices/instructors, and offer some guidance for everyone moving forward. Work with me: 1 on 1 coaching and mentoring

Every Christmas season I talk on this topic, because every Christmas season I am reminded of just how overwhelming, panic inducing and confusing it all can be. Thankfully I am learning from the past and have realised the need for intervention, prevention, and pre-emptive attention to self-care and preparation to stay sane over the next few months. So with that said I want to share with you the following podcast and blog post. If you, or someone you know is neurodivergent, you will get a lot...

Last night I woke enraged. At the world. At my family. At my job. At myself. I was lying in bed in a state of utter tension; with a headache, racing heart, and complete emotional overwhelm. Then, a moment of detachment. A breath. A reminder of my mindfulness practice and the realisation of two fundamental truths of my current predicament. 1: All of my pain was coming from inside of me. In that moment there was no external forces that was ‘causing’ my pain.2: I know from experience that...

Perhaps like me, you are struggling with a collection of symptoms and functionality issues. Some days are amazing, but other days you just fall apart. The people around you have suggested that perhaps you may have ADHD or ASD or some other kind of neurodivergence, but you are unsure if you should seek a diagnosis. The stigma, shame, and self blame block you form acting, yet you know that if you do nothing, nothing will change. So the question is, should you seek a formal diagnosis for your...

Dissociation is a feeling of unreality; a fog over consciousness that makes everything, even the self, feel ethereal. A barrier to connection that blocks most everything, leaving your goals, dreams and hopes to merely bleed through the window of mind offering little more than an opaque view of life. Until of course, that window cracks, letting in the cold winds of anxiety, depression and the harshness of a reality that was all but ignored. In this episode I share my current mental state, as...

Today I share the audio from my live talk on the Insight Timer app, titled "Stop Quitting On Yourself", inspired by my 10 day course - “Discover Your Divine Purpose” This session will begin with a guided meditation that will prime you to be ready to sit in contemplation a question designed to evoke transformation. We will then sit in silent contemplation together for 1 minute. The session will end with a shared discussion of the question and our discoveries. ~ Zachary Phillips is a poet,...

It is impossible to judge people objectively - your basis for forming an opinion is a function of the unique circumstances of your life (location, time, genetics, environment etc), thus your conclusions are dependent on factors external to you. No one is privy to your inner world and you are not privy to theirs. How then can we ever know what they should or shouldn’t do? In this talk I break down the pitfalls of judging others and discuss the implications for a life well lived. ~ Zachary...

In this episode I share a chapter on changing habits.The best advice I’ve heard to change habits is to implement new habits that superseded the old.Eg: if you struggle to go to bed at night/want to quit partying etc, establish the habit of morning exercise (with a friend to keep you accountable).The insertion of the new habit will force you to curb the undesirable habits. Just make sure to take your time and implement change in a way that is appropriate for your life.To quick and you risk...

Today I share the audio from my talk on the Remotely Possible Community, titled "From Blog to Bookshelf: How Entrepreneurs Can Publish Their Content," here we unveil the secrets to transforming your online presence into a tangible book. Designed specifically for aspiring authors and entrepreneurial minds, this informative session will guide you through the entire publishing journey, from turning your blog into a manuscript to navigating the world of traditional or self-publishing. Get...

In this episode I introduce my YouTube channel ‘Ask A Poet’ and share a poem. ~ Zachary Phillips is a poet, author and podcaster. You can find him on social everywhere @zacpphillips, and at zachary-phillips.com

The concept of inner child work is vital to recovery. The body holds trauma and it often ‘feels’ like it is held at the age that that trauma happened. In this episode I share my discovery of issues with my inner child as well as my plans to reconnect and heal. I also share a chapter ‘Give Yourself A Break’ from the book ‘How To Get Your Sh!t Together’ ~ Zachary Phillips is a poet, author and podcaster. You can find him on social everywhere @zacpphillips, and at zachary-phillips.com

When you are at your lowest point, perhaps it is time to celebrate. You are in a state of healing, of shadow work leading to growth, of transformation - towards beauty, towards abundance, towards every possibility that life can offer you. In this short talk I share how my life fell apart and how I am celebrating the process of putting it back together, better than it ever has been. Who is willing to join me for a look into the dark night of the soul? ~ Zachary Phillips is a poet, author and...

When you are at your lowest point, perhaps it is time to celebrate. You are in a state of healing, of shadow work leading to growth, of transformation - towards beauty, towards abundance, towards every possibility that life can offer you. In this short talk I share how my life fell apart and how I am celebrating the process of putting it back together, better than it ever has been. Who is willing to join me for a look into the dark night of the soul? ~ Zachary Phillips is a poet, author and...

The medication is making it worse and I am sick of it. In this episode I share my how anger and anxiety feels preferable to apathy and why I am choosing to stop the medication I was on. I also read out the poem ‘elated’ - from my new YouTube channel, as well as the chapter ‘give yourself a break’, - from the book How To Get Your Sh!t Together ~ Zachary Phillips is a poet, author and podcaster. You can find him on social everywhere @zacpphillips, and at zachary-phillips.com

Today I talk about the how it can take longer than you think to even begin to process emotions, particularly when you have a history of dissociation/trauma. I begin the episode with the poem:“by the timei feel safe enoughto process my emotionsso much time has passedbetween the eventand my response to itthat i fear being judgedas patheticor hypersensitivethus i tend to close offand instead suffer in silencealone with all the emotionsi never learnt how to feel” ~ Zachary Phillips is a poet,...

In this episode I share my latest blog post, I Don't Know How To Be A Dad, where I talk about the impact of having a neglectful, addicted father and how not being shown what to do/the ways to be a good father impact me with my children If you resonated with this piece, I encourage you to read my story in the book ‘Under The Influence, Reclaiming My Childhood’, there I share the raw, honest, and vulnerable reality that was my childhood. ~ Zachary Phillips is a poet, author and podcaster. You...

In this episode I share my latest blog post, The Problem With Pride - On The Connection Between My Trauma & Gender Dysphoria. Thank you to the many people who have read it, resonated and chose to reach out in support. You are amazing. ~ Zachary Phillips is a poet, author and podcaster. You can find him on social everywhere @zacpphillips, and at zachary-phillips.com

This episode is the first of a new epoch in my life. A time in which I am stepping away from the norm and into a life in which I open myself up, totally and fully to the world. I have some offerings to share with you. Offerings that I know will be tremendously transformative and beneficial for those that undertake them. If you are interested, book a discovery call here. I have also released the eBook ‘Break Through Writers Block & Create Your Next Masterpiece’, it’s only $0.99 USD, so...

Join me for a free 90 minute Zoom workshop where you will learn how to use creative writing for healing.Learn how to use writing to process the past, accept the present, and embrace the future with positivity and purpose.When: 9-10:30 am Saturday, 13th May, Australian Eastern Standard Time (GMT + 10). Secure your spot here!

Just a couple of lessons learnt in the process of losing my job and picking up some bit work.They say it is darkest before the dawn and I sure hope they are right! I start and end this episode with readings from the book, A Requiem For What Could Have Been: Poetry For The Broken, out now as a paperback, eBook, hardcover, and audio

I have just released a poetry collection called A Requiem For What Could Have Been: Poetry For The Broken. In this episode I talk about the book, sharing some of the poems within, the thoughts behind the collection, and the greater impact of writing for healing. If you resonate with my work, you will get a lot from this collection. It is out now as a paperback, eBook, & hardcover (audio coming soon)!

More medication more failure. Once again I was apathetic, depressed and not feeling at all like myself, to such an extent that it felt dangerous. I am taking a break from medication whilst I wait for an appointment with a psychiatrist, as well as some test results back. Hopefully something comes from it because whilst anxiety is bad, it feels like the lesser of two evils.

My first attempt at finding the right medication hasn’t gone so well… In this episode I share it’s impact, my thoughts, and what I am doing moving foward. Thank you to everyone offering their support. Sertraline

Medication saved my life. It ‘worked’ but the implementation, support, and planning was laughably incompetent. The side effects were crippling and I didn’t have an exit plan, nor a holistic approach to wellness. This was only the start of the my terrible indoctrination into the world of therapy. 15 years later, and I have the self care down pat, I meditate, exercise, write, and do the therapy. Nonetheless, I have had a significant downturn (this happens to the best of us). Thus, in...

It’s okay to not be okay… but is it okay to be okay? Are we romanticising mental illness? What can we do to best safeguard our ongoing mental health? In this episode I muse on these questions, as well as break down the come down from Christmas season. Venus Fly Trap - Short Story Subscribe to me on YouTubeGet $30 off Calmigo with coupon code ‘zacpphillips’Read ‘How To Get Your Sh!t Together’ - The last self-help book you will ever need Please rate, review and share this episode!