What If Awakening Isn't the End? Loch Kelly on Flow and 'One Taste'

Evelyn Reed · 2026-09-15

Ever had one of those moments where everything just clicks? You feel spacious, clear, and strangely okay — like you've finally stepped out of the noise. That's often called a glimpse. But what happens after the glimpse fades? That's the question host Michael Taft digs into with meditation teacher Loch Kelly in a conversation that feels less like an interview and more like two friends unpacking a mystery. ### Waking Up vs. Waking With Most of us know the phrase "waking up" — that sudden recognition of openness, stillness, and the absence of a separate self. It's profound. It's also fleeting. Loch Kelly draws a clear line between that and what he calls "waking with." Instead of just recognizing awareness, you start to see that everything arising — thoughts, sounds, sensations — is inseparable from that awake awareness. It's what some traditions call "one taste." Think of it this way: waking up is like noticing the sky. Waking with is realizing the clouds are made of the same stuff as the sky. Nothing is left out. ### Flow States as a Gateway The conversation also explores flow states — those absorbed moments when time melts and action feels effortless. Kelly suggests these aren't just productivity hacks or athletic peaks. They can be a doorway into something deeper. - Flow often arrives when self-consciousness drops away. - That dropping away mirrors what happens in meditation. - The difference is that flow is usually triggered by an activity, while waking with becomes a way of being. So if you've ever lost yourself in painting, running, or even a great conversation, you've brushed up against it. The invitation is to let that openness spill into the rest of your life — not just the peak moments. ### Why This Matters for Everyday Life You don't need to retreat to a cave or log 10,000 hours on a cushion. Kelly's approach is refreshingly ordinary. It's about small shifts: pausing before you react, noticing the space between thoughts, letting go of the need to fix anything. As he puts it, "The awakening is not the end. It's the beginning of living from that openness." That line stuck with me. Because so many of us chase the big breakthrough — the retreat high, the aha moment — and then feel lost when it fades. But what if the fading isn't failure? What if it's just the next invitation? ### Bringing It Home If you're a mindfulness professional, this conversation is a goldmine. It reframes progress not as accumulating experiences but as relaxing into what's already here. Flow states become less about performance and more about presence. And waking with becomes a practice you can do while washing dishes, driving, or listening to a client. No special equipment. No app subscription. Just a willingness to look. So the next time you catch a glimpse of stillness, don't cling to it. Let it move through you. That's where the real adventure begins.