An Astonishing Conversation with Liam Browne

Photo credit: Liam Browne

Liam Browne is a British actor, a Healer, Podcaster, Jivamukti Yoga Teacher, and author from Manchester. He is the author of three books, DEALER TO HEALER: A Modern Tale of A F*cked Up Male, HITCHHIKING: Feel the Good Vibrations, and AYAHUASCA: Healing Your Soul. He is well known for his epic Cacao Ceremonies. All his work is aimed at propelling people towards Self-Realization and Enlightenment via the Yogic path. 

Liam works with the Christ Consciousness energy; he focuses on empowering people to step into their own truth, to show the world the person they have always really been. He uses endearing language, poetry, spoken word, comedy, and descriptive prose to make ancient teachings and ideas open your being to new ways of experiencing. Liam is also the co-founder of events company STONE COLD SOBER whose mantra is “Do no harm, take no sh*t”. They host Retreats, Yoga Raves, Ecstatic Dance’s and love to mix the esoteric and holistic with electronic music and dance. The energy Liam creates at his events is electrifying. He provides a safe space for you to feel the confidence to 'let go and glow'. At his Yoga Rave's banging dance tunes, fresh and funky flow, leave people on another planet feeling fully alive, inspired, filled with love. They are on the pulse of what is needed in the world right now. I had the pleasure of asking Liam about how Yoga and Poetry are similar, how writing has been a therapy for him, and what makes life a work of art.

UZOMAH: Who are some of your favorite authors and poets? Which ones inspired your writing the most when writing your first book, Dealer Healer- A Modern Tale of a F*cked up Male?

LIAM:  I would say my favorites are Aldous Huxley, James Fray, Yogananada, Irvin D. Yalom, Phillip. K. Dick, Richard Milward, and David Icke. As for poets, I vibe off Rumi and Kate Tempest. The authors that inspired me most for my book were James Fray and Irvin d. Yalom, I loved the grittiness and detail of Fray and the intelligence and deep thinking of Yalom. There is venerability in both authors’ work and I was inspired by both to infuse the depth of both into my own work.  

U: How much have you evolved since writing your first book?

L: Jesus, monumentally. From finishing it in 2014 to publishing it in 2019, the process itself was both illuminating and cathartic. The book was just sitting on my laptop doing nothing for years. I knew it needed to be out there, positively inspiring people to overcome adversity. However, I had a lot of self-doubt and shame about releasing it to the world. Who was I to write and publish a book? A dyslexic lad from a council estate in Manchester who got a D in English. That was my limiting belief. It was also opening myself up to ridicule. Would it be laughed at and criticized? Eventually, I got past all those things and stepped up. Since publishing it, my life has just blossomed. Every aspect of my life has improved. God told me that once you publish this book, everything else would fall into place, and it certainly has.

U: Your second book, HITCHHIKING Feel The Good Vibrations, takes the reader on your path after traveling the Americas. What did it teach you about the relationship with other people and the relationship you have with yourself?

L:  It taught me that there is kindness and openness even in this country. We forget because we are all so busy, and so many people are scared of others and what they might potentially do to them, which is probably based on the media or some TV show. But inherently, most people are good and want to help. It taught me to just trust that when we open ourselves up to the universe and God, everything is taken care of. It deepened my understanding that I can create connections with people from all walks of life, that I have the ability to put people at ease and be open in my company. It taught me that I am fearless and that, ultimately, I am taken care of by sources higher than myself. I was comfortable standing at the side of roads and motorways with my thumb out, doing Yoga, and creating vibes with passing traffic. I felt so free and so liberated. It was a truly magical experience I would recommend everyone to try. To leave yourself open to what the day will bring and who will pick you up. To learn their story and see where you get to is simply magical.

U: How has writing been therapy for you?

L:  100% it was a cathartic experience for me. I had never written before, and it just started pouring out of me. Then there were all these signs that I must write a book. Internally I had known for a long time I was to write a book, but like most of us, I thought it was one of those crazy fantasies in the back of my head. I broke down many times while writing it, recalling events from my past, and the number of tears and anguish that came out made me feel a lot lighter.

U: Can you explain the inspiration behind your podcast? Who are your favorite guests so far?

L:  The podcast was to support the book initially and be used as a platform to get a wider readership. I really wanted to get people’s stories of where they had come from to be in the place there were now. How did they awaken to a more spiritual path? What were the significant moments and to points and times of most resistance? I think this really fascinates me. I think my favorites so far have been Wynn Carter because she has been through so much and is just so, so inspiring. Also, Andrea Joy Adams because she said something that set me off, and I couldn’t stop laughing hysterically. Anything that does that is worth its weight in gold because laughter is the greatest medicine, and I bloody love laughing hard!! 

U: Do you still create and perform music? Who are some of your favorite musicians?

L:  I now perform Kirtan, mantra chanting, and shamanic drumming at events and during my classes. So yes, I still perform but no longer in a band, and it is a very different kind of music. It is Bhakti Yoga, devotional singing, and typically, the audience is involved and sings as well. It is more inclusive and is all about connecting with the divine and the divine within. Favorite musicians would be Trevor Hall, Xavier Rudd, Artic Monkeys, Bicep, High Contrast, Rhye; wow, there are so many that I am super grateful to. Music is such a massive part of all I do. I have live DJ’s at most of my events, and I love dirty beats to go crazy to. Give my body permission to move freely and allow the music to do what it wants to do to my body, and that is usually pretty wild.

U: What made you want to become an actor? Is it something you would like to do again?

L:   Ego. I wanted to be famous, and I wanted to be rich, and I wanted people to know who I was. I wanted to have lots of beautiful and famous girlfriends. I also wanted to become amazing at it and gain credibility, but when I was young, I was always coming at it from the wrong angle, and I was never fully invested for the right reasons. 

U: What made you want to become a yoga instructor? How has it been a pursuit to fulfill something more inside of yourself?

L:  Again, it was just part of the divine plan. I always knew I would be a yoga teacher, and that is so weird because it was the furthest thing from how I grew up and the people I was around growing up. I was never exposed to anything like that so to have this little inner knowing deep inside of me was strange. Then as I started on my spiritual path, and I knew it was something I needed to do. It is not a pursuit to fulfill something more inside of me. It is more of getting rid of and burning away the things that are not me and revealing my divine and authentic self to myself. This is Yoga, and the purpose of a Yoga teacher is to empower people to create union with themselves, others, and God. The Yoga method I teach is a path to self-realization and enlightenment through compassion for all sentient beings. Being a teacher of Yoga is what I was born to be. All my life events and past lives have given me the skills I need to inspire people to their own personal greatness. I am the rocket fuel they need to really step up in their lives and find their full power. Consequently, this lifts the vibration of all the people they are around and lifts the vibration of the whole planet. We start to get rid of separation and see oneness. 

U: What are some things you would tell someone new to the practice of yoga that would help them understand the universal benefits of the lifestyle?

 L: I would say: Are you sure you want this? It is going to mess up your whole life. You will change your friends, your relationships, your habits, the food you eat, the perfume you wear, the things you watch and listen to. It's going to destroy your life. Are you ready for that? Because what is waiting for you on the other side of that will make you happy beyond your wildest dreams, you will feel better than you have ever felt, look younger, laugh more and have more fun, and feel enriched from within. Now I repeat, are you ready for that??

One more thing: Yoga is not a lifestyle. Yoga is life. It is why we are here, to self-realize and to reach enlightenment gaining a deeper connection to ourselves and the creator.

Photo credit: Liam Browne

U: What would you suggest a person do if they want to be on a more enlightened path?

L:  Now, some of you will not like this answer, but it's my truth, and you asked. This is not something I shove down people's throats, but when they ask, this is my truth. It is up to the individual if it is time for it to resonate or not. 

Stop eating meat to start with and start a vegan diet. Ahimsa is the very first step on the Yogic path. Stop eating meat and causing harm to other sentient beings. Ahimsa means non-violence, and once we stop participating in violence, we find our lives become more harmonious. Ahimsa is the first practice on the Yogic path. Before you go to a class or do asana you should have worked through the Yamas and Niyamas, which are like the ten commandments—practicing these leads to a life of harmony. So start working through the Yamas and Niyamas, purify mind-body and soul, and then you can get on the yoga mat without as many blockages. So practice Yoga if you can or find a spiritual practice that works for you. It is all Yoga, and so many paths lead to Yoga which again is self-realization and enlightenment. 

U: Was there a moment or event in your life that drove you to the path you are on now?

L:   My mother’s passing in 2007 and then almost going to prison in 2011. Both of these forced me into deep reflection, and the person I was seeing was not the person I knew I was supposed to be.

 U: What was the inspiration behind CACAO THERAPY? What can one expect from your infamous Cacao Ceremonies?

L:  Ha ha ha, this is my real magic and my real spiritual, yogic healing work. Cacao therapy was simply inspired by my Cacao Ceremonies and how I could take the work done in the group sessions to a deeper level on a one-to-one basis. The results have been phenomenal. All my Cacao work has been inspired by the sacred great plant medicine Cacao and its desire for everyone to be living a life of joy, bliss, fun, and laughter. The consciousness of Cacao wants us to be doing the things in life that make our hearts sing. This is what Cacao wants for us. It wants us to get rid of the things that are not serving us and connect with the heart and listen to what makes it smile. We, ourselves, are typically the something blocking that, so when working with Cacao, we start to remove the blockages and make way for pure happiness and connection to the divine. 

I was initiated into the world of Cacao by the Chocolate Shaman Keith in Guatemala in 2012, and since then, I have started hosting Ceremonies. My ceremonies have evolved, being inspired by all my experiences and the different plant medicine ceremonies I had attended. In the past year, they have evolved into something magical, and the deep healing myself and my team of healers facilitate in the space is remarkable. It is like we create this container of bliss, and people want to stay there forever.

U: How is Yoga similar to the beauty of poetry?

L:  Like Poetry, Yoga is a Journey. The poet or the yoga teacher is taking you on a journey and asking you to go deeper, and asking you to see things differently and asking you to be vulnerable, asking you to be open and receptive, and asking you to share this newfound passion, love, expansion, empowerment, and excitement with others. Both can heal past wounds and allow you to recover and find what makes you happy and what makes you tick. Both create stillness so that you can find yourself. Remember, you are the person you have been waiting for. You have just been excelling at a game of hiding and seeking from yourself.

U: What makes life a work of art for you?

L:  I was talking about this in my Yoga Class last night. Life is an adventure. Imagine coming back from experience and having nothing to say or share. Life is like that. When we return home or to God, we want to have great stories. Imagine your Uncle Tony, who just sat and watched TV, complained about world affairs and governments, and was not emotionally available to have fun with his kids. He would get home to God and be asked about his life and not have much to share. God would be like, I gave you limitless opportunities of expression, I gave you many skills, and all you did was make a huge indentation in 6 sofas over 50 years. Right dickhead I am sending you back. You pretty much wasted that life. So make life as textured as possible, be fearless, be willing to fail, be vulnerable, be magnificent, be the super-powerful cosmic being you are, and share your wonderfulness with everyone. Then you will have one stunning, engaging, and epic adventure to share with creation on your return home. Don't be like Uncle Tony, he’s a dickhead! However, be grateful to Uncle Tony because he is a beautiful teacher showing you all you don’t want to be. So God bless Uncle Tony.

For more information about Liam’s books, visit here. Also, follow him on Twitter and Instagram. You can also find more about the events he hosts here. To listen to Liam’s podcasts, please visit here. For all updates about Liam’s creative energy, please visit his site.