In this essential talk from 1987, Ram Dass uses his life experience to guide us through the process of taking off our spacesuit of identity and embracing the curriculum our lives offer us. Want to be part of the discussion about this episode of Here and Now? Join us for the SoulPod Meet-Up on February 27th at 3 pm EST. This episode is brought to you by Magic Mind, a matcha-based energy shot infused with nootropics and adaptogens designed to crush procrastination, brain fog, & fatigue. Use the code RAMDASS at checkout to get up to 50% off your subscription: https://www.magicmind.com/ramdass This episode of Here and Now is from a classic talk given in April 1987. Using his journey as a guide for this talk, Ram Dass explores the spacesuits of ego and identity we wear in our lives. He tells us how ill-fitting this spacesuit felt for him, and the feeling of freedom he found when he was first able to take it off. Ram Dass describes how he began to chase the high of not wearing the spacesuit through the use of mind-altering chemicals and spiritual practices. Eventually, though, those things became a different kind of suit he was wearing. Through the advice of a wise friend, he realized he needed to take the curriculum that everyday life has to offer and not just live with his head in the clouds. Once the object of the game shifted from getting high to getting free, Ram Dass chose to stop pushing away all of the things that brought him down. Instead, he embraced the many forms of suffering in the world, working with prisoners, AIDS patients, and people going through the process of dying. To get free, we need to embrace it all, the good and the bad. “As I took off the suit, I felt at home, I felt present. It felt extremely familiar to me, even though as an adult in society I didn’t remember having been in this space before. I was always constantly checking everybody to see if I was enough ‘somebody’ so that I would be allowed to exist.” – Ram Dass ================ Ram Dass on Taking Off Our Spacesuit – Here and Now Podcast Ep. 245 - https://youtu.be/kqaeHebxwms Ram Dass – Here and Now – Ep. 245 – Taking Off Our Spacesuit - https://beherenownetwork.com/ram-dass-here-and-now-ep-245-taking-off-our-spacesuit ================ Make sure not to miss a single video podcast from Be Here Now Network! Click here to Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCc1lvEoC5PZWm-MzgUfJQfg Follow Be Here Now Network: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BeHereNowNetwork Twitter: https://twitter.com/beherenownet Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beherenownetwork ================ Be Here Now Network Podcasts, Courses, and Articles to help you live a Life in Balance. Heart-Centered wisdom from Ram Dass, Jack Kornfield, Sharon Salzberg, Krishna Das + many more! Get a Free Guided Meditation from Sharon Salzberg when you first sign up at: https://beherenownetwork.com/