If you long to go beyond the story of your life and discover greater freedom, happiness, and ease of being, I teach the “direct approach” to self-realization, which bypasses elaborate belief systems and self-improvement techniques. Instead of meditating to achieve some special state or chanting a mantra to quiet your mind, you can learn to relax into your own natural state of inherent wakefulness, peace, love, and well-being, from which you’ve never been separated even for an instant. This approach is based on my many years of practice and realization in the nondual wisdom traditions of Zen, Dzogchen/Mahamudra, and Advaita Vedanta.


Begin your journey

My books Wake Up Now and Beyond Mindfulness provide a comprehensive conceptual framework for understanding the journey of awakening. Each book includes direct pointers to your nondual spiritual nature, guided meditations and self-inquiry exercises, and answers to frequently asked questions. An excellent source of basic guidance and an opportunity to experience my approach.

Books

 

Watch recent teachings

For a more experiential taste of what I offer, you can sample free videos of recent webinars and satsangs featuring extended guided meditations, teachings and pointers, and evocative dialogue and Q&A. The video selection is updated regularly and supplemented with online interviews and other resources.

Videos

 

Practice guided meditations

Teachings point directly to your essential spiritual nature, but they can remain largely conceptual unless you have a way to put them into practice. The free meditations I offer introduce you to the power of awareness and self-inquiry to reveal your natural state of inherent wakefulness. Discover how to rest and allow your experience to be just the way it is; expand your awareness beyond the body; work with challenging emotions and mind-states; and open to a deeper dimension of being beyond the mind. For a deeper dive into nondual meditation, you can purchase the video course Meditation without a Meditator on the Video page.

Meditations

 

Learn the basics

This eight-hour introduction to the nondual nature of reality guides you step by step in questioning your accustomed identities and assumptions and discovering your true self, beyond the mind. Perfect both for the new seeker who wants a concise introduction to spiritual awakening and for the seasoned student who wants to clarify and deepen their understanding, this video course can be watched over several weeks or used as the focus of a solo weekend retreat.

Intro Class


Going deeper

Webinars
and Retreats

If you’re ready to discover how to awaken from the illusion of separation and embody this awakening in everyday life, I offer live online webinars, classes, and the annual School for Awakening—intimate gatherings that combine powerful pointing-out instructions, teachings, guided meditations, and ample time for dialogue and discussion. With the insights and guidance these meetings provide, you have the opportunity in any moment to "wake up now" to the truth of your being.

 

Counseling
and Mentoring

If you’re looking for individualized guidance, I offer spiritual mentoring and counseling sessions designed to foster the realization of your natural state of awakened awareness while helping you to release the core stories that perpetuate your suffering. Depending on your needs in the moment, we can focus on increasing self-awareness, connecting with inner wellsprings of love and compassion, deepening spiritual understanding, and freeing yourself from painful conditioning and reactive emotional patterns.


What students are saying

These online classes bring me closer and closer to myself. In the past, I was always struggling to achieve a "special" state of consciousness and kept reacting to almost every form of thoughts in my mind, judging them and trying to fix them. Through your teaching and the discussion in our group, I am much more sure about the fact that the awakening to our true nature is precious and deep, but also very simple and plain. I never lose it, so there is no more struggle to get it. Every moment is fresh and new, and the answer to "Who am I?" cannot be fixed to a conceptual idea. This shift in my understanding of spirituality really made a difference to my life.
— Lingfei, China
Thank you so much, Stephan, for your Wake Up Now course. You address so many of the pitfalls and ways of thinking, which as you said are common on this ‘path’. I know many of these pitfalls personally; actually, I am an expert on them! So this has been a huge help to me, releasing me from my blame, and thinking that I was the only one who had fallen into this way of thinking – what a relief! Your meditations are wonderful: gentle yet powerful; grounded; simple; spacious and beautiful. You hold the group with openness, authenticity, and absolute integrity. You are a blessing to those whose paths you cross. Thank you.
— Carolyn, Scotland
The Wake Up Now class was the first meditation class I've taken. For a few years I had been exploring meditation on my own, but felt the need for guidance. Your approach aligned with where my explorations kept bringing me back to: the essence of the practice, free of jargon and baroque techniques. Thank you for sharing your insights and wisdom and for fostering a collaboration environment in which we could share our experiences. It was invaluable to be with others who are on a spiritual path. The class helped me see my experience in a different light and left me more empowered to continue my exploration.
— Jennifer, Atlanta
It was a rare and special opportunity to study and practice with Stephan Bodian, an extraordinary teacher and author. After reading his book Wake Up Now twice, I signed up for his 8 week online class and was very glad that I did. The class offered a small, intimate setting where I could directly ask him my burning questions and get clarification on some of the lessons. Stephan is patient, knowledgeable, and able to articulate the teachings in a compelling and understandable way. I feel uplifted by my experience in his class.
— Garrison, New York
Stephan's presence and teaching is a powerful and direct pointer to that which is. From the very first week the awareness that had been obscured by searching, beliefs and misconceptions became suddenly and immediately apparent. The unfolding that took place over the course of the 8 weeks resulted in a recognition of this awareness as vibrant aliveness itself. I'm most grateful.
— Stacey, Australia