Radio Awakened is a new radio program streaming on Radio Boise, but even more so, it is an intersection of the many avenues of a man’s life’s work.
A Personal Awakening
When Michael Sapiro was a teenager, he had a transcendental experience. His mind and identity opened beyond everyday living, into a larger mystery. The event was formidable for a young mind, still in development. Eventually, his takeaway was a compelling need to figure out how to incorporate this extraordinary perspective into his day to day life.
As the years progressed, Sapiro found himself responding in several ways. Around the age of 18, Sapiro began practicing meditation. In his 20’s, he studied at a Zen monastery for a year. He spent time in the Peace Corps, and he lived as a monk in Thailand.
Beyond his own personal journey, Sapiro knew he wanted to serve people. In 2007, he returned to the states. In 2010, he embarked on a doctorate degree in psychology. Not long after, in 2012, he started teaching at the Esalen Institute in Big Sur, California. He described Esalen as a place where science, psychology, and spirituality are integrated. “Esalen is really well known for integrating all of those practices into what we would know as the human potential movement, or, you know, the art and science of transformation,” he said.
Radio Awakened
Flash forward to today where Sapiro’s new program, Radio Awakened, aims to reach the transformation potential in all of us. The show is informed by his own experience growing up, the inner knowing that there was more to him than what was talked about. As Sapiro continues to cultivate his own self-awareness, he wants to guide others to theirs.
“It’s like everybody has the innate genius potential in them. And when we think of genius, we think of chess and Bobby Fischer, or Michael Jordan on the basketball court. And those are really extreme versions of what genius can look like. But we all have innate potential that’s lying dormant. And we get little glimpses of it. But most of us don’t end up following that. ‘Well, I can’t I got all these chores to do.’ It’s like, yeah, you can do chores and follow that inner compass-that’s pointing you to the best of yourself. That’s my real underlying excitement about the show is I’m bringing people on who point to that inner genius potential that is lying dormant,” he said.
Sapiro’s approach to the show is twofold. He is interested in bringing on guests who have tapped into their own potential, meaning anyone from musicians to athletes, artists to spiritual teachers. “The irony is,” Sapiro said, “all of them will say, ‘hey, I’m not even close yet, I don’t even know what that is.’ But for us, as spectators or listeners, we watch and we are like, ‘dang, you know, how does a person do that? How does this woman swim from Cuba to Florida? How does someone create 52 jazz albums?” Part of the show is going on a journey of discovering a person’s process. The other part is inviting guests who look at the process from a scientific point of view, such as “scientists and authors who study human potential, who study human consciousness and can talk about it from the other side, the scientific side, [to describe] what does it look like?”
The Psychologist and the Bridge
Sapiro, now a PsyD, uses his experience as a clinical psychologist to ground the show. He can quickly create an intimate space where guests feel comfortable sharing their story. “I want to be the bridge between these people we want to emulate and…our average listener,” said Sapiro. “And I’m totally quoting ‘average’ because we’re all ordinary and extraordinary at the same time. I want the listener to feel so inspired, that they might start picking up the leads that their heart is sending out and going, ‘hey, try this. Try this. Try this.’”
Radio Awakened can be found streaming Wednesdays, at 4:30 p.m. Mountain Time, on KRBX Radio Boise.
Dr. Sapiro has a private psychology practice where he sees patients three days a week. In addition to his PsyD in Clinical Psychology, he holds a Master’s in Clinical Psychology from JFK University. He holds a Masters of English from Illinois State University, and he “teaches nationally on the art and science of transformation, expanded human capabilities, self-care, and meditation for personal and community growth.” More information on Dr. Michael Sapiro can be found on his website.