NONDUALITY AND MINDFULNESS GROUP

What is Nonduality and Mindfulness Group?

Nonduality and Mindfulness Group (NMG) is an eight-week group program facilitated by Tyler Orr, NCC, that seeks to answer the age-old question, “Who are you?” The primary intention of NMG is to experience cognitive and emotional freedom through directly exploring the self—the entity you refer to as “me”. The types of self-inquiry used in NMG are derived from ancient and current methods that fall under the teachings of “nonduality” and “mindfulness”.

What is Nonduality?

If you want to learn about nonduality, it’s best to look at the word itself. The word nondual means “not-two.” By this we mean there is no separation between you and the rest of life. In fact, there is no you that could be separate from anything. Stated bluntly: the self doesn’t exist. It never has. It never will. The supposed disconnection between self and other is the result of thinking. Separation is just an idea created by the mind. Seeing there is no you that is separate from life has the power to shatter the illusion of separation and reveal a holistic sense of being that is deeply connected to and inseparable from the fullness of life.

Nondual teachings have been handed down for centuries, all over the world, by various spiritual traditions, including Buddhism, Hindu Vedanta, Taoism, certain Native American traditions, as well as mystical Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. However, this does not mean participation in the group requires an interest or involvement in spirituality. NMG’s approach is free of religious jargon or indoctrination of any kind. In fact, it’s quite secular and scientific in nature, and supported by current neuroscience, physics, and psychotherapy.

What is Mindfulness?

In order to see through the illusion of self, you must look directly for the self. NMG incorporates mindfulness to assist the participant in this type of self-inquiry. Mindfulness is being aware of and accepting the present moment exactly as it is so the mind does not alter the experience by adding thoughts about the past, future, or fantasy. Stated another way, it means being immersed in the now rather than thought. Mindfulness is the vehicle for tapping into your own direct experience, where seeing through the illusion of self occurs. You will not awaken to no-self by thinking about it. This is because the idea of separateness is the result of thinking. In the group, we spend less time thinking about the self, and more time mindfully looking for the self.

How can NMG help me?

Self-help is big business, as people are continually looking for ways to enhance, fix, or understand the self. I work in the mental health profession—an occupation that encourages things like self-esteem, self-monitoring, self-respect, self-actualization, self-worth, and a healthy self-image. Countless approaches, like counseling, have been developed to improve the self, usually with limited success. Perhaps it’s because self-help has been looking at the self all wrong. Could it be that answers about the self are not found in methods designed to enhance the self? What if the self itself is the problem? What goes up must come down. This means an inflated self-image is destined to deflate. If this is so, what does traditional self-help offer other than more suffering?

NMG differs from self-help methods because it does not attempt to enhance or fix the self. Rather, it seeks to reveal the self for what it is—an illusion. The group points to the truth that what you perceive as “me” is just a concept, an idea, a belief, a story fabricated by the mind. Basically, everything you have ever thought yourself to be is just that—thoughts. These self-centered thoughts create a self-image—a you—that is disconnected from the rest of life, and lead to undesirable feelings of anxiety, depression, guilt, resentment, unworthiness, lacking, and a me-against-the-world mentality. The good news is once the separate self is seen as an illusion, those feelings can vanish and seeking can stop. The purpose of NMG is to go to the source—the self—to reveal that there is no separate “you” existing separately in life. There is only life, and who you really are is inseparable from and deeply connected to the fullness of life. 

How much does NMG cost?

There are currently no fees for NMG. However, donations are accepted and greatly appreciated. 

When does the next NMG program start and where is it being held? 

No groups are currently scheduled. Feel free to subscribe to my newsletter to be notified about future groups. 

Goals of Nonduality and Mindfulness Group are to:

• See through the illusion of a separate self.
• Recognize how thoughts create a sense of self.
• Experience freedom from emotional suffering and feelings of separation.
• See life as it truly is, instead of what the mind portrays it to be.
• Adopt new ways of looking at personal choice, guilt, resentment, self-control, and ownership.
• Stop seeking fulfillment in the past, future, and fantasy.
• Increase contentment and live more fully in the moment. 

If you have any questions or would like to receive more information about Nonduality and Mindfulness Group, please complete the form below.