Psychologist Reveals His Awakening Experiences | Dr. Don Salmon

In this conversation, I speak with Dr. Don Salmon, a clinical psychologist, mindfulness teacher, and longtime practitioner of contemplative practices. In this interview, Don shares some of his most powerful personal experiences of consciousness and the insights they revealed about awareness, presence, and what he calls effortless living. Dr. Salmon has spent decades exploring the intersection of psychology, neuroscience, meditation, and contemplative traditions. His work focuses on helping people discover a simple but transformative shift in attention — one that allows a natural sense of calm, clarity, and open awareness to emerge. Through practices such as mindfulness, breathing exercises, relaxation techniques, and Yoga Nidra, he teaches how small shifts in awareness can profoundly influence the nervous system, emotional well-being, and everyday life. Together with his wife and collaborator Jan Maslow, Don created the Effortless Living approach — a practical system that integrates mindfulness, neuroscience, and gentle contemplative practices designed to help people experience greater ease, focus, and meaning in their lives. Their courses and community explore topics such as effortless mindfulness, sleep, breathing practices, movement meditation, and even creative improvisation as a pathway to awareness. Dr. Salmon has also spent many years helping people with insomnia and stress-related conditions through approaches such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I), mindfulness practices, and deep relaxation techniques. His work emphasizes that the experience of calm and open awareness is always available — often just a simple shift of attention away. Learn more about Don Salmon and Effortless Living Effortless Living courses and community: https://www.remembertobe.life/ About Don Salmon: https://www.remembertobe.life/about