Sex and Natural Meditation: Beth Upton (video)

Beth Upton (bethupton.com), Guru Viking (guruviking.com); Dhr. Seven (ed.), Wisdom Quarterly

Natural Meditation: Beth Upton

(Guru Viking, premiered Aug. 5, 2022) In this interview (Episode 161) Guru Viking is once again joined by [awakened] Beth Upton, meditation teacher, former Theravada Buddhist nun, and successful student of renowned Burmese meditation master Pa Auk Sayadaw.

She shares her emphasis on meditation with the natural rhythms of the body and reveals how she deals with students who experience low motivation, psychological challenges, and even psychosis as a result of meditation practice.

Beth Upton also discusses her own relationship difficulties after disrobing as a nun (sayalay), why she embarked on special communication trainings to address them, and explains why erotic feeling diminishes as one becomes more enlightened.

• guruviking.com/podcast/161-natural-meditation-beth-upton-2

Also available on YouTube, iTunes, and Spotify by searching "Guru Viking Podcast."

Topics include

• 00:00 - Intro
• 00:43 - Beth Upton’s Sanditthika Meditation Community in Spain
• 04:16 - Different modes of community
• 07:36 - Meditation with one’s natural rhythm
• 10:45 - The structured schedule at Pa Auk monastery
• 12:04 - Resting for the first few days of retreat
• 14:35 - Working with low motivation to practice
• 17:30 - Facing challenging mental and emotional states during retreat
• 19:47 - Psychosis on retreat
• 21:34 - Common teacher mistakes when dealing with emotional states and psychosis
• 23:12 - Fear of litigation and criticism
• 27:14 - Scandal, transparency, and patriarchal models
• 31:57 - Living in harmony with nature
• 33:12 - Relationships after leaving monasticism
• 40:12 - Does enlightenment eliminate erotic function?
• 41:58 - Being in a relationship with an enlightened person
• 43:49 - Tantric and kundalini practices
• 47:05 - The value of relational and communication practices
• 48:14 - Meditation isn’t enough to heal relational patterns
• 52:04 - Upton’s training in relational practices
• 53:20 - Truth in relationship
• 55:32 - Balancing retreat practice and practice in life
• 58:51 - Off-cushion meditation toolkit
• 01:01:09 - Upton’s personal practice rhythm
• 01:03:48 - Sense restrain is a gift to oneself
• 01:06:00 - The consequences of indulgence…

Previous episode with Beth Upton: Episode 138: Trained as a Nun - Beth Upton — Guru Viking
To find out more about Beth Upton, visit: bethupton.com
Intentional Meditation Community in Spain sanditthika.org
For more interviews, videos, and more visit: guruviking.com
Music "Deva Dasi" by Steve James