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Now before our episode begins, here's a quick word from our sponsors.

Hey there, good morning, and welcome to wake me up.

I'd like to start today with one of the biggest illusions in life.

The illusion is that we are completely

separate from each other. We live in separate bodies with separate minds and to be, we need that illusion to an extent.

That sense of separation allows us to simplify our existence to a degree to which we can understand it. But we can't forget that it is in

fact an illusion. The systems of our bodies, brains, the workings of nature, and other relationships of plants and animals are all

so interconnected.

In fact, we wouldn't even be able to exist if we weren't interconnected.

In this episode, we'll dive into this topic, the principle that all things are connected.

And you'll see why this idea is not only inspirational, but both freeing and supportive.

Now before we dive in, just take one moment to pause.

Take a deep breath in, fill all the way up.

Hold, and then release. Just let it all fall back out.

And as you do, envision how the air is moving around you. As you breathe in, you remove air from your surroundings, which shifts every other bit of air to fill that empty space.

As you breathe out, you force more air back into your surroundings,

pushing the other air molecules away to make more space.

In and out, each time you breathe, you're shaping your surroundings.

And in the same way, your surroundings shape you. A breath of really fresh air can be felt in the body, just like a breath of dirty air can be too.

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