Effortless Mindfulness with Loch Kelly - Nondual Presence: The Unity of Emptiness and Bliss

Nondual Presence: The Unity of Emptiness and Bliss

02/25/25 • 37 min

In this episode, Loch introduces the map and practices of non-dual presence. A lot of us have heard about non-duality before. But how many of us have a truly embodied experience of this profound and transformative dimension of our own consciousness?

Nondual Presence Map

In Loch’s model of The Five Levels of Mind, he refers to non-dual presence as the Fourth Level of Mind — Unity Mind. Throughout the episode, Loch leads you through an experiential inquiry into the nature of both bliss and emptiness and how non-dual presence represents the life-changing union of these two. We all like peak experiences of bliss. But what if the natural experience of our body on a fundamental level was a subtle pervasive Bliss.

In this episode, you’ll get answers to fundamental questions like: What does non-dual presence feel like? How can you begin to embody this for yourself? How is it different from Subtle Energy, Pure Awareness, and the Mindful Witness? And most importantly, how can you access non-dual presence in your own life to foster a new baseline of unconditional love and Self Leadership.

Glimpse & Nondual Meditation

The episode features Loch offering a guided practice and nondual meditation called “Awake-Awareness Energy Embodied.” These mindful glimpses serve as invaluable tools for experiencing ways to access the awake consciousness that is already here within all of us.

You can now explore all of Loch Kelly's practices and teachings on the new Mindful Glimpses app, found at https://lochkelly.org/mindful-glimpses. This innovative meditation and wellness app offers daily micro-meditations, step-by-step programs, and simple-yet-advanced tools for awakening.Loch Kelly Bio

Loch is the creator of the Mindful Glimpses app, and an award-winning author, psychotherapist, and non-dual meditation teacher. He is also known for his unique practical methods that support awakening as the next natural stage of human development. Backed by modern neuroscience and psychology, Loch introduces Effortless Mindfulness, which combines an ancient form of nondual meditation and IFS psychology that allows immediate access to our embodied awake nature which arises as our calm, clear, and compassionate healing capacity.

Connect with Loch:

Mobile App: https://lochkelly.org/mindful-glimpsesWebsite: https://lochkelly.org/Donate: https://lochkelly.org/donatePodcast: https://lochkelly.org/podcast

Nondual Presence Map

Glimpse & Nondual Meditation

Connect with Loch:

Mobile App: https://lochkelly.org/mindful-glimpsesWebsite: https://lochkelly.org/Donate: https://lochkelly.org/donatePodcast: https://lochkelly.org/podcast

Previous Episode

The Stages of Mindfulness: Beyond the Meditator to Living from Effortless Mindfulness

In this episode, Loch explores the progressive stages of mindfulness. This contrasts with common definitions of mindfulness which only feature the first stages of concentration and witnessing. In addition, Loch introduces a nuanced map of consciousness which includes important distinctions and levels.

In this model, which is based on the Indo-Tibetan approach, mindfulness begins similarly with calm abiding—focusing attention on one object as the main type of awareness. Here the goal is to settle the mind, nervous system, and body. In this method we use a narrow beam of attention, like a flashlight trained on a single object. To illustrate, Loch talks about the neuroscience research that shows how this represses the default mode of mind-wandering and creates a calm state by using the task mode for a simple task. This creates a temporary calm during meditation but is not an essential calm that we can live from.

As we progress on the path of mindfulness, we gain the first insight into the changing contents of thoughts, feelings, sensations, and mind objects. In the process we shift into the mindful witness, where the flashlight of awareness shifts from narrow to wide beam or street light. And then the second insight dawns on us that neither our mind nor our self sense is solid.

In the next step, we make the pivotal shift to turn awareness around to see what is aware once we are no longer operating from the self-centered and thought-based sense of “me.” Thus we enter into the advanced stages of mindfulness found in Indo-Tibetan and Zen traditions. This insight represents a new foundation of mind and identity as we become mindful of Mind or aware of Awareness.

Then, once we discover that this wordless awareness is knowing, the next insight is that there is no separation between empty awareness and the contents or forms that arise. This nondual mindfulness—often called Same Taste—is mindful of the interdependence of life. The next stage of mindfulness Loch talks about is Effortless Mindfulness, also known as bodhicitta or non-meditation in the mahamudra tradition. Loch proposes that this represents a potential next level of human development. A mindfulness from awake loving flow that brings together wisdom, safety, connection, clarity and unconditional love.

Connect with Loch:

Mobile App: https://lochkelly.org/mindful-glimpsesWebsite: https://lochkelly.org/Donate: https://lochkelly.org/donatePodcast: https://lochkelly.org/podcast