The Attunement Podcast

Samek explores how treating boxing as a sacred want turned it into presence, creativity, and a way to heal old trauma. Harry reflects on how deeper empowerment brings both freedom and grief—especially when “maybe later” lingers instead of a clean yes or no. Together they unpack the pain and beauty of honoring wants, owning a no, and letting go of old patterns.Timestamps:00:00 – Feeling our no01:00 – Dao of boxing as presence and healing06:50 – The grief hidden in empowerment17:30 – Maybe later: the most painful pattern32:00 – Owning a clean no vs. stringing along38:00 – Treating every want as sacred44:00 – Clarity, boundaries, and real power52:00 – Fear of being real with some friends

Harry shares how a last-minute decision to attend a kink retreat opened up a deeper experience of asking for what he wants—and receiving it. He explores the grief underneath old strategies for getting love, and the safety of a culture built on attuned consent. Samek reflects on how grief softened his system and made space for stillness, intimacy, and effortless coaching. Together, they explore what happens when there’s no strategy left but truth.Timestamps:00:00 – Harry’s week: Earthdance, leaving a crush, and joining a kink retreat09:00 – What real consent feels like and why it builds trust14:00 – Samek on grief, coaching, and letting the moment lead22:00 – Grief as integration and remembering through presence34:00 – The beauty and heartbreak of not being each other38:00 – Parenting your own shame and longing41:00 – When obligation and missing someone coexist42:50 – Closing + Attunement Residency plug

Samek learns to say “ouch” instead of saving others and rebels less against his own wants. Harry shares about quitting summer camp, letting go of a dream identity, and the surreal transformation that followed. Together they explore the pain of self-sacrifice, the clarity in expressing hurt, and the quiet relief of surrendering to what’s real.Timestamps00:00 – Intro: crushes, quitting jobs, and this week’s experiment00:52 – Saying ouch and letting love in21:17 – Harry leaves summer camp and lets a dream identity die34:23 – Samek quits a “perfect” job that wasn’t his life51:03 – Sharing openly with a crush and an old flame

Harry reports from summer camp with no voice and a raw update on belonging, breakdown, and the ego’s confusion when love is given freely. Samek shares the unfolding layers of grief following his cat’s death—how heartbreak splinters into joy, disgust, tears, pleasure, and helplessness.They explore the difference between internal alignment and control, how attunement across head, heart, and gut changes decision-making, and how being “dumb” or silent can be its own kind of intimacy. This episode circles themes of giving up the win, attuning through heartbreak, and letting in love when there’s nothing to earn.Timestamps 00:01 — Summer Camp Breakdown04:53 — Being Home, Feeling Connection08:56 — Love Without Earning11:48 — Grief as Heartbreak and Joy20:43 — The Power of No and Inner Alignment34:12 — Dumb, Silent, and Loved

In this episode, Samek and Harry explore what happens when wants shift without explanation. Samek shares the grief of losing his cat and how it opened him to deeper presence, quiet, and sorrow. Together, they unpack how following what you want—especially when it means leaving people behind—can feel both helpless and liberating. They talk through the mechanics of emotional release: how grief unfolds in waves, how helplessness reorganizes behavior, and how saying yes or no becomes clearer with somatic attention.Timestamps00:01 – Intro: Samek’s cat passed away,06:25 – upright apology13:07 – Fascia massage as metaphor for helplessness22:47 – love and grief begin to feel indistinguishable34:00 – Summer camp, romance, and following authentic contribution without obligation52:20 – Childhood dissociation, grief as initiation, emotional depth and development

Harry and Samek unpack a week of noticing the subtle places where life is only a “maybe.”Samek describes moving from automatic half-agreements into body-led, full-hearted yeses—whether that’s tweaking a workout, reshaping family time, or catching the quiet “no” beneath anxiety. Harry shares how contact-improv jitters and a helplessness release turned manic over-planning into a calm, lion-like clarity. Together they track how authentic wants shift moment-to-moment, how surrender emerges when nothing needs fixing, and why “being yourself” is what happens after you feel safe enough to feel everything. (Plus: Earthdance farewells and a quick plug for their upcoming Attunement Residency.)Timestamps00:00 – Intro & “listen to ourselves” experiment01:30 – Samek: AI reflections and life of maybes04:30 – The workout that turned into a body-led yes07:00 – Maybes with parents, meetings, and money10:20 – How to hear a somatic “no” (and ask what makes it yes)15:00 – Harry: contact-improv jitters & authentic exits18:40 – Want changes → fear of losing connection21:00 – Helplessness release: from manic ideas to lion calm25:30 – Obligation loops and doing what you actually want29:30 – Global awareness, surrender, and real safety34:30 – Earthdance wrap-up & what surprised Harry most40:00 – Surrender that feels empowered, not submissive46:00 – Final reflections, residency plug, sign-off

In this thirteenth episode, Harry and Samek dive into the uncomfortable territory of feeling good. Harry shares how a coaching session pivoted him toward pleasure as a practice, leading to unexpected breakthroughs—like crying over country music. Samek unpacks the terror of being loved too much, of enjoying life too deeply, and the sweaty chaos of letting that in. They both explore the resistance that arises when there's nothing left to fix, only joy to receive. The conversation expands into soul-guided living, ego untangling, and the cultural tipping point toward deeper connection.Timestamps00:00 – Feeling good is the new edge02:00 – Country music and chicken fried enlightenment09:30 – Samek’s pleasure-shame spiral14:00 – Overwhelmed by love from everything18:30 – Avoiding strangers because it feels too good22:00 – Resistance loops and pleasure in the head25:30 – Projections, sweaty love, and hiding from the world30:00 – We're all on the same cultural boat37:00 – God, soul, and surrender in daily life45:00 – Identity as playful construction52:00 – Science, ego, and the flow of experience57:30 – Country music, God, and goodbye

In this twelfth episode of The Attunement Podcast, Samek and Harry dive deep into the raw terrain of post-retreat integration, angsty inner teenagers, and the spontaneous intelligence of emotional truth. Samek recounts his intense Yosemite trip with Pablo, where play, conflict, and relational mastery collided in a whirlwind of triggers, boundary-setting, and childlike repair. Together, they explore the surprising healing potential of play-fighting as a way to metabolize anger without rupture.Meanwhile, Harry reflects on his time at Earthdance, where steak offerings, maple syrup, and free-flowing connection confront his stories about scarcity and purpose. From this wellspring of safety and generosity, he shares a powerful insight: when authority is embodied like a humble Taoist janitor named Death, doing what needs to be done becomes natural and easeful.Together, they dismantle internalized productivity myths, expose the burdens of performative adulthood, and revel in the awkwardly beautiful process of showing up as-is. In a heartfelt section, they unpack the oppressive intensity of certain wants, discovering how tuning into needs offers a more expansive and compassionate path forward.Whether it’s crying after texting “I love you,” feeling like a rebellious teen, or realizing your body now holds the five-year plan, this episode is an ode to the confusing, precious process of becoming more real.Timestamps00:01 – Samek's Angry, Tired Entry + Yosemite Story05:30 – The Roleplay of Triggers and Conscious Repair08:10 – Play-Fighting as a Tool for Emotional Connection16:00 – Loving Anger vs. Shame-Driven Disconnection21:00 – Harry’s Life at Earthdance: Abundance and No Plan30:00 – Wants, Needs, and Letting the Body Lead46:00 – Authority as Taoist Janitor (“Death”)51:00 – Recursive Victim Loops and Feeling Through Stuckness58:00 – Needs as the Groundless, Expansive Operating System1:06:00 – New OS Reflections and Podcast as Time Capsule

SummaryIn this eleventh episode, Samek returns from an intense seven-day Art of Accomplishment reunion focused on projection work and emotional releases. He shares the core insight of seeing everyone as "incomparable humans" - absolute peers in their own unique reality rather than objects for comparison. Through projection work, he discovered that everything we see in others is actually a reflection of ourselves we haven't yet owned, leading to the realization that "everyone is just you."Harry parallels this with his epiphany about projecting onto emotional development itself - realizing he'd been treating growth teachings as "how to develop faster" rather than "how to enjoy myself as I am." He explores his attachment of self-worth to ideas and developmental level, ultimately finding relief in simply being at whatever level he's at.Both hosts explore "play" as the underlying frame for all growth work. Samek shares how approaching the retreat as play rather than improvement naturally accelerated learning while dissolving hierarchical comparisons. They discuss how even emotional releases only work with an element of enjoyment, and how all choices - from clothes to developmental focus - are equally arbitrary expressions of what we want.The episode culminates in Samek's vulnerable sharing about "relaxing into his humanity" through unprecedented love and connection at the retreat, concluding with both hosts doing the final retreat exercise: sharing what they'd say if they never saw each other again.Timestamps:00:01 - Introduction and "Speaking as Mountains" Experiment00:33 - Samek's Art of Accomplishment Reunion Experience02:03 - Projections Work and Seeing Everyone as Yourself04:12 - Incomparable Humans vs. Comparison-Based Relating08:58 - Harry's Projection onto Growth and Development14:16 - The Frame of Play in All Emotional Work18:13 - Greg's Live Anger Release During Recording20:34 - Play as the Foundation for Learning and Growth24:05 - Trusting Facilitators vs. Holding Your Own Power26:26 - Daily Experiments and the Arbitrariness of Choices29:35 - Essential Self and the Fear of Reification32:51 - Relaxing into Humanity Through Love and Connection37:40 - "If We Never See Each Other Again" Exercise40:04 - Closing Reflections on Wild Content and Enjoyment

In the tenth episode, Harry and Samek explore transformative personal growth with raw authenticity. Samek shares his breakthrough with direct communication, discovering that speaking plainly without justification leads to deeper respect and better relationships—including a confrontation with his father that resulted in unexpected appreciation. This realization ignites what he calls "joyful divine rage" at having lived so long without this knowledge.Harry discusses his experiences with grief and expanded states of consciousness while both hosts examine the liberating distinction between the "voice in the head" versus one's authentic embodied voice. They practice saying "fuck you" to their inner critics as a pathway to self-acceptance.The conversation highlights Samek's powerful "projection reclamation" exercise where they identify qualities projected onto others, then reclaim those same qualities within themselves—dissolving the specialness attributed to others while reconnecting to their own power. The episode concludes with reflections on pursuing goals without attaching self-worth to outcomes and finding dignity in one's inherent value.Timestamps:00:01 - Introduction to the double-digit milestone episode00:49 - Samek's breakthrough with boundary-setting and directness05:11 - Divine rage at discovering reality could have been different10:10 - Harry's experiences with grief and expanded consciousness15:00 - Differentiating the voice in the head from authentic voice22:37 - Saying "fuck you" to the inner critic29:38 - The projection reclamation exercise introduction32:13 - Practical demonstration of reclaiming projections41:57 - Building the "kingdom of heaven" through reclaimed power42:53 - Growth edges, intentional creation, and pursuing wants47:50 - The Way of Men with Maid - dignity comes from within50:41 - Final projection reclamation and closing thoughts

In the ninth episode of the Attunement Podcast, Harry and Samek explore personal transformation through metaphors of mountains and whirlpools. Harry shares insights from his emotional work retreat and new life at Earth Dance, a contact improv center where he's experiencing profound expansion and integration in community. Samek describes his transformative hiking experience, where nature's regulating power allowed him to process emotions with unprecedented ease and connect with the awe-inspiring "mountain energy" that transforms how he moves through the world. Together they dive into Rob Burbea's Soul-Making Dharma, exploring how emptiness and divine relationship coexist, while discussing the infectious quality of empowerment, the gravity of authentic presence, and the "third entity" that emerges in deep connection. The episode concludes with reflections on inner wealth - the ability to experience heaven on earth through the cultivation of soul, emptiness, and conscious relationship with all things.Timestamps:00:01 - Introduction and emotional work retreat reflections01:43 - Harry's experience at Earth Dance and community integration04:04 - Safety that allows expansiveness and self-processing07:18 - Honoring emotions without buying into stories13:00 - Confusion as a limiting belief14:55 - Samek's transformative hiking experience and nature's regulating power22:03 - Rob Burbea's Soul-Making Dharma and emptiness33:04 - The field between people and collective consciousness41:21 - Relationship to cultural and social fields47:07 - Contact improv jam and witnessing participation49:55 - Culture shaping dreams and desires55:31 - Inner wealth and experiencing heaven on earth

In this eighth episode, Harry and Samek experiment with listening to themselves while speaking. Harry shares his newfound appreciation for simple beauty in everyday objects, describing a state where ordinary things take on profound significance. Samek discusses his morning emotional awareness, noting how he now wakes up with immediate access to specific emotions that need processing. The conversation explores shadow work and projection, with Harry describing how identifying projections leads to greater presence but also unfamiliar vulnerability. They discuss narcissistic protection patterns and the discomfort of releasing familiar protective mechanisms, comparing it to Neo's journey in The Matrix and the concept that "there is no spoon." The hosts critique traditional Buddhist approaches to emptiness, with Samek arguing that emotional fluidity offers a more effective path than intellectual deconstruction. They present the metaphor of "shedding a snake skin" versus complete identity dissolution, advocating for layer-by-layer growth that honors emotional processing rather than forcing confrontation with overwhelming spiritual challenges. The episode concludes with reflections on entering new communities and adapting ancient spiritual practices to modern contexts.Timestamps:00:01 - Introduction and speaking while listening experiment00:49 - Harry on experiencing simple beauty in ordinary things03:02 - Samek on morning emotional awareness07:57 - Harry on working with projections and expanded presence10:11 - The Matrix, control, and "there is no spoon"14:26 - Shadow work and narcissistic protection patterns17:25 - Harry on Earth Dance retreat center anxiety19:47 - Samek's "imaginal being" for attuning to new environments24:03 - Robert Masters' Soul Making Dharma and relating to the divine28:23 - Critique of traditional Buddhist approaches31:33 - Emotional fluidity versus intellectual deconstruction35:03 - Daniel Thorson, ego crisis, and spiritual transformation38:12 - "Shedding snake skin" versus identity crisis40:35 - Video game metaphor for spiritual growth43:05 - Adapting ancient practices for modern contexts44:10 - Conclusion

In this seventh episode of the Attunement Podcast, Harry and Samek explore three main themes that have been alive for them recently. Samek shares his transformative experience at a week-long Soto Zen retreat, describing the rhythmic daily structure, group dynamics, and the gradual embodiment process that led to powerful insights about interconnection. Harry then discusses his evolving approach to using AI for emotional processing, explaining how he's moved away from dependency-creating interactions toward a journaling approach that honors his own authority. The conversation deepens as they explore the vulnerability of leadership, the relationship with one's own authority, and the helplessness inherent in creation. Both hosts reflect on the beauty of imperfect leadership, the value of loving accountability, and how reality itself provides a foundation of acceptance. The episode concludes with touching quotes from Winnie the Pooh that exemplify the simple yet profound wisdom of being present to life's ordinary beauty. Timestamps: 00:01 - Introduction and Embodiment Experiment00:43 - Samek's Zen Retreat Experience06:47 - Body Awareness and Visual Field Integration11:07 - Anger Expression in Group Dynamics16:44 - Harry on Using AI for Emotional Processing27:34 - Dependency vs. Self-Authority in Helping Relationships35:33 - Authority, Creation, and Helplessness46:10 - Accountability and "Good Enough" Leadership50:24 - Divine Mother and Reality's Acceptance54:56 - Tantric Perspectives on Embodiment57:51 - Winnie the Pooh's Wisdom on Presence and Simplicity

In this sixth episode, Harry and Samek share their transformative experiences with the Art of Accomplishment's Connection Course, which both consider their most valuable emotional and spiritual work experience. They discuss how the course provides powerful "pointers" to presence, connection, and self-awareness that naturally dissolve upon use rather than becoming rigid concepts. Harry reveals he's taken the course 10-11 times (paying only twice by rerunning it with other participants), while Samek has completed it five times, each experience bringing new insights. They explore how the course enhances quality of listening, changes perception of reality, and creates a container for processing emotional "projects" faster and more safely than other modalities. Key elements include impartiality, vulnerability, empathy, and wonder, with both hosts emphasizing how the course naturally returns participants to their own authority rather than creating dependence. The episode concludes with an invitation for listeners to reach out with questions about the Connection Course. Timestamps: 00:01 - Introduction to the Connection Course03:52 - Personal Experiences and Benefits11:04 - Deep Listening and Reality Transformation16:24 - Self-Dissolving Pointers vs Rigid Concepts25:15 - Choosing to Keep Your Heart Open35:13 - View Conversations and Problem Dissolution46:00 - Impartiality and Unconditional Love49:35 - Accelerated Emotional Processing

SummaryIn this fifth episode of the Attunement Podcast, Harry and Samek explore the theme of aliveness and how it manifests through creativity, love, and presence. Harry shares how his relationship with social media has transformed from avoidance to alignment, leading to a surge in creative energy that resulted in website redesigns and new projects. Samek opens up about his deep experiences with love and his realization that past shame stemmed from an innocent part believing "I'm bad because I was hurt." They discuss how increased psychological safety enables authentic expression, the dissolving of stuckness, and the ability to remain present without escaping the moment. The conversation culminates in the insight that everything is essentially love, prompting them to consider more structured formats for future episodes to explore this understanding in more complex ways. Timestamps: 00:01 - Attunement Opening and Aliveness08:40 - YouTube, Twitter, and Authentic Engagement15:23 - Love, Shame, and Childhood Wounds21:45 - Safety Enabling Aliveness25:38 - Unstuck and Present Moment31:10 - The Universe as Love38:45 - The Beauty of Everyone's Hearts41:20 - Future Format Exploration