Spirit Matters Talk: Recent Episodes
Discussion by Dennis and Phil
The spiritual landscape has never been more diverse, more eclectic, more individualized or more internally focused. Spirit matters, and in our open-source world, matters of the spirit are complex and endlessly fascinating. The Spirit Matters podcast aims to help listeners make sense of it all.
This is the Spirit Matters Grand Finale. Dennis and Phil reminisce about their seven years and reflect on the 300 or so interviews they've conducted about spirituality with teachers, leaders, scholars, scientists and experts of various kinds - all wise and all happy to share their insights and guidance. They share what they've learned from the experience and their gratitude to everyone who helped along the way. And they announced that Phil will be carrying the Spirit Matters banner solo on a new platform: mindbodyspirit.fm.
Paul J. Mills is Professor of Public Health and Family Medicine and the Director of the Center of Excellence for Research and Training in Integrative Health. A clinical researcher with a focus on integrative medicine and spiritual practice, his former positions include: President of the American Psychosomatic Medicine Society, Chief of Behavioral Medicine at the University of California San Diego, Director of Research at the Chopra Center for Wellbeing, and editor of several professional journals. He has more than 400 scientific publications in the fields of pharmacology, oncology, cardiology, psychoneuroimmunology, behavioral medicine, and integrative health. His work has been featured in Time magazine, The New York Times, National Public Radio, and many other sources. He has presented at hundreds of conferences and workshops around the world, including at the United Nations. And he is the author of the intriguing new book, Science, Being, & Becoming: The Spiritual Lives of Scientists. We spoke about that book, the historic tension between science and spirituality, and what he learned interviewing scientists about their spiritual experiences. Learn more about Paul Mills here: https://profiles.ucsd.edu/paul.mills
Eric Shaw is a scholar, writer, and yoga instructor with a particular interest in yoga's history, philosophy, and postural evolution. He received a masters degree from United Theological Seminary in Religious Studies, and other masters degrees from Western New Mexico University and the California Institute of Integral Studies. He has written over 100 articles on the yoga tradition for leading web and hardcopy platforms, as well as essays on art, religion, politics, race, and gender. His lectures have been hosted by museums, colleges, and conferences throughout Asia and North America. Eric is also the author of two books, BKS Iyengar and the Making of Modern Yoga and Sacred Thread: A Comprehensive Yoga Timeline: 2000 Dates that Shaped Yoga History. We spoke about that second book and his comprehensive research on the history of yoga, and touched as well on the state of contemporary yoga in the West. Learn more about Eric Shaw here:
Henry Yampolsky is a lawyer, a mediator, an educator, a public speaker, and an author. He serves as the Assistant Director for Education, Outreach, and Conflict Resolution at Virginia Tech's Office for Equity and Accessibility and teaches conflict resolution, mediation, and peace building through the Center for Peace Studies and Violence Prevention. Henry has worked on many complex conflicts and has taught and lectured around the world. He’s also a yogi and a master-level instructor of Sattva Yoga, having been trained in Rishikesh, India. He’s also the author of a new book, Dis-Solving Conflict from Within: An Inner Path for Conflict Transformation. A native of Kyiv, Ukraine, Henry currently resides in the mountains of Southwest Virginia. We spoke about his new book, spiritual development as a vital aspect of handling conflict effectively, why he speaks of “conflict transformation” rather than “resolution,” and much more. Learn more about Henry Yampolsky here: https://www.livingpeaceinstitute.com/#about
Machiel Klerk is a social entrepreneur, a licensed mental health therapist, an international speaker, and a dream worker. Trained as a Jungian psychologist and an expert in the spiritual and therapeutic value of dreams, he has traveled the world studying the healing and dream technologies of many cultures, especially in Africa where he was born. He’s the founder of the Jung Society of Utah and of Jung Platform, an online teaching organization. His new book is Dream Guidance: Connecting to the Soul Through Dream Incubation. We spoke about his background, his book, and the spiritual insights and guidance that can be gleaned from dreams. Learn more about Machiel Klerk here: https://machielklerk.com/about-me/.
Stephen G. Post is the founding director of the Institute for Research on Unlimited Love, and the founding director of the Center for Medical Humanities, Compassionate Care, and Bioethics at Stony Brook University School of Medicine in New York. A public speaker and an opinion leader in medicine, Alzheimer research, and religion, he has promoted the idea of “give and live better” across the globe. Dr. Post is the bestselling author of Why Good Things Happen to Good People: How to Live a Longer, Happier, Healthier Life by the Simple Act of Giving. Another book, God and Love on Route 80, is a meditation on the meaning of life and the importance of spirituality. His latest, Dignity for Deeply Forgetful People: How Caregivers Can Meet the Challenges of Alzheimer's Disease, is about caring for those afflicted with Alzheimer’s Disease. We spoke about his own path, consciousness, and the surprising philosophical and metaphysical implications of research on Alzheimers. Learn more about Stephen Post here: https://stephengpost.com/stephen-g-post-bio.php.
Robert A. Jonas, is an author, musician, environmental activist, and retreat leader, and the founder and director of the Empty Bell, a contemplative sanctuary in Northampton, MA, with an emphasis on Buddhist-Christian dialogue and the arts. A Christian in the Carmelite tradition, he has also received spiritual formation with Buddhist teachers. He is a student of Suizen, the Japanese shakuhachi bamboo flute (his shakuhachi album “Blowing Bamboo” is available on iTunes), a member of the Society for Buddhist-Christian Studies and the Eckhart Society, and past board member of the Kestrel Land Trust and the Henri Nouwen Society. He is a Visiting Lecturer at the Northwind Seminary, and author of several books and articles including The Essential Henri Nouwen and Rebecca: A Father’s Journey from Grief to Gratitude. His new book, My Dear Far-Nearness: The Holy Trinity as Spiritual Practice, is an exploration of the Holy Trinity as three dimensions of spiritual awareness rather than dogma or doctrine. In this, his second visit to Spirit Matters, we focused on his new book and his provocative interpretation and application of the Trinitarian concept. Learn more about Robert Jonas here: http://emptybell.org/.
Acharya Shunya is the first female head of a 2,000-year-old spiritual lineage from northern India. An award-winning and internationally renowned spiritual teacher, scholar of Advaita (nondual) Vedanta, and a classically-trained master of Yoga and Ayurveda, she is the founder of The Awakened Self Foundation and the nonprofit Vedika Global, Inc., platforms that empower, educate, and inspire a global community of students through online courses, workshops, and retreats. Acharya demystifies and contextualizes sacred concepts for modern life through her podcast, Shadow to Self, and her books—Ayurveda Lifestyle Wisdom: A Complete Prescription to Optimize Your Health, Prevent Disease, Live with Vitality and Joy; Sovereign Self: Claim your Inner Joy and Freedom with the Empowering Wisdom of the Vedas, Upanishads and Bhagavad Gita (the subject of her previous visit to Spirit Matters); and her latest, Roar Like a Goddess: Every Woman's Guide to Becoming Unapologetically Powerful, Prosperous, and Peaceful. We spoke about her new book, and how women and men can use the symbolism, practices, and energy associated with principle goddesses in their lives. Learn more about Acharya Shunya here: www.AcharyaShunya.com.
Mark Nepo is a poet and philosopher who has taught in the fields of poetry and spirituality for over 40 years. Mark has moved and inspired readers and seekers all over the world. A #1 New York Times bestselling author, his numerous award-winning books—including The Book of Awakening, More Together Than Alone, and Drinking from the River of Light—have been translated into over twenty languages. Mark has appeared several times on Oprah Winfrey’s Super Soul Sunday program. In 2016 he was named one of the 100 Most Spiritually Influential Living People by Watkins: MindBodySpirit, and was chosen as one of OWN’s SuperSoul 100. Mark devotes his writing and teaching to the journey of inner transformation and offers readings, lectures, and retreats internationally. In this, his third visit to Spirit Matters, we spoke about the subject of his timely new book, Surviving Storms: Finding the Strength to Meet Adversity. Learn more about Mark Nepo here: https://marknepo.com/about_bio.php.
Jim Blake is the CEO of Unity World Headquarters, the nonprofit organization that oversees the facilities of Unity, which helps people of all faiths and cultures apply positive spiritual principles in their daily lives. He previously served Unity as chief information officer and vice president of operations, and has held numerous executive positions in the corporate world, including as Director of Customer Operations for one company and as Vice President of Products and Technology for another. Jim has a bachelor’s degree in computer science and a masters of Divinity degree. He was ordained as a Unity minister in 2021. He is also the author of The Zen Executive: Gems of Wisdom for Enlightened Leadership. We spoke about ways to ground effective management and leadership in spiritual principles. Learn more about Jim Blake here and Unity here.
Spirit Matters continues its brief hiatus. Meanwhile, here is another offering from the special series of interviews Phil did for Unity Online Radio in the spring of 2021, under the title of his book Spiritual Practice for Crazy Times. In this episode, "Living in the Heart with Sally Kempton," the longtime spiritual teacher and author of "Meditation for the Love of It" shares yogic wisdom for building resilience; finding meaning in upsets; developing the inner witness; and integrating the energy centers of the mind, heart, and belly.
Spirit Matters continues its brief hiatus. Meanwhile, here is another offering from the special series of interviews Phil did for Unity Online Radio in the spring of 2021, under the title of his book Spiritual Practice for Crazy Times. In this episode, “Being a Holy Rascal with Rabbi Rami Shapiro,” the interspiritual rabbi and prolific author shares perennial wisdom about grieving for the dead and the dying, addiction and recovery, the profound concept of being surrendered, and what it means to be a Holy Rascal.
Spirit Matters continues its brief hiatus. Meanwhile, here is another offering from the special series of interviews Phil did for Unity Online Radio in the spring of 2021, under the title of his book Spiritual Practice for Crazy Times. In this episode, Choosing Love with Barbara De Angelis, the best-selling author and popular workshop leader tells us why it’s vital to treat difficult times as part of our “cosmic curriculum,” to be authentic, and to practice “courageous compassion.”
Barbara - DeAngelis - Summ - 2022aug - Audio - With - Intro - Mp3 by Discussion by Dennis and Phil
Barbara - DeAngelis - Summ - 2022aug - Video - With - Intro by Discussion by Dennis and Phil
Spirit Matters continues its brief hiatus. Meanwhile, here is another offering from the special series of interviews Phil did for Unity Online Radio in the spring of 2021, under the title of his book Spiritual Practice for Crazy Times. In this episode, Choosing Love with Barbara De Angelis, the best-selling author and popular workshop leader tells us why it’s vital to treat difficult times as part of our “cosmic curriculum,” to be authentic, and to practice “courageous compassion.”
Spirit Matters continues its brief hiatus. Meanwhile, here is another offering from the special series of interviews Phil did for Unity Online Radio in the spring of 2021, under the title of his book Spiritual Practice for Crazy Times. In this episode, "Entering the Interior Castle with Mirabai Starr," the celebrated author and expert on mysticism shares the blessings of Sabbath, the deep meaning of Dark Night of the Soul, the wisdom of the Divine Feminine, and turning loss into transformation.
Spirit Matters continues its brief hiatus. Meanwhile, here is another offering from the special series of interviews Phil did for Unity Online Radio in the spring of 2021, under the title of his book Spiritual Practice for Crazy Times. In this episode, “Life Visioning and Soul Guidance with Rev. Michael Bernard Beckwith,” the globally recognized teacher and speaker, author – and Founder and Spiritual Director of Agape International Spiritual Center in Los Angeles – speaks about the virus of fear, climate reality, and practical methods for learning and growing despite difficult times.
Spirit Matters is on a brief hiatus. Until we record new shows, we are posting a special series of interviews Phil did for Unity Online Radio in the spring of 2021, under the title of his book Spiritual Practice for Crazy Times. In this opening episode, “Regeneration and Sacred Activism,” Andrew Harvey, the renowned author and expert on the world’s mystical traditions, talks about how we can thrive spiritually and help birth a new humanity in this perilous time for our planet.
Anneke Lucas is an author, speaker, advocate for child sex trafficking victims, and creator of the Unconditional Model, a mindfulness modality. Her work is based on the personal experience of a 30-year healing journey after surviving being sold by her family as a child sex slave to a pedophile network. Her healing through psychotherapy, writing, yoga and meditation were synthesized during a decade of service with incarcerated populations and with survivors of sex trafficking inside and outside of prisons. Sharing her own healing shaped her message for personal and global evolution through the Unconditional Model. On this, her second visit to Spirit Matters, we spoke about Anneke’s gripping new book, Quest for Love: Memoir of a Child Sex Slave, and the surprising way her harrowing journey led to profound spiritual gifts. As she puts it, “Heinous suffering can unlock hidden spiritual treasures of transcendence and unconditional love. Learn more about Anneke Lucas here: https://annekelucas.com/
Roger Walsh MD, Ph.D. DHL, is professor of psychiatry, philosophy, and anthropology at the University of California. His research focuses on topics such as meditation, psychological wellbeing, wisdom, and our global crises. An early pioneer in the field of Transpersonal Psychology, he is a student, researcher, and teacher of contemplative traditions, and an authorized lama in Tibetan Buddhism. His research and writings have received over twenty national and international awards, and his books include Essential Spirituality: The Seven Central Practices; The World of Shamanism; and The World's Great Wisdom. With John Dupuy, he cohosts the podcast Deep Transformation: Self-Society-Spirit, which is among the top 5% of English language podcasts and has listeners in over 100 countries. Among his more curious careers have been circus acrobat and “an extremely brief and unsuccessful career as a standup comedian.” In this, his second interview on Spirit Matters, we spoke about his podcast, the status of research on spirituality and consciousness, and the relevance of contemplative practice for today’s collective challenges. Learn more about Roger Walsh here: www.drrogerwalsh.com.
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Arthur Aghajanian is a Christian contemplative, essayist, and educator whose work explores visual culture through a spiritual lens. After many years of study and practice in Eastern traditions, he found his way back to Christianity with his discovery of the mystical tradition. His work, which combines a passion for art history and ongoing study of the great religious traditions, is committed to the idea that the study of images in both popular culture and art history through a contemplative lens provides support for those on the spiritual path. He holds multiple teaching credentials and has applied innovative pedagogy as an art educator for over twenty years, designing and implementing visual arts courses and teaching mindfulness to high school students. His essays have appeared in a variety of publications, including Ekstasis, Tiferet Journal, Saint Austin Review, The Curator, and many others. We spoke about the spiritually transformative qualities of visual art for both artists and viewer. Learn more about Arthur Aghajanian here: https://www.imageandfaith.com/
Stephen Cope is a best-selling author and scholar who specializes in the relationship between the Eastern contemplative traditions and Western depth psychology. Among his seminal works in this area are: Yoga and the Quest for the True Self, The Wisdom of Yoga, The Great Work of Your Life. Deep Human Connection, and his most recent book, The Dharma in Difficult Times: Finding Your Calling in Times of Loss, Change, Struggle, and Doubt. For almost thirty years, Stephen has been Scholar-in-Residence at the renowned Kripalu Center—the largest center for the study and practice of yoga in the Western world in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. Formerly, he was director of the Kripalu Institute for Extraordinary Living, one of the world’s most influential research institutes examining the effects and mechanisms of yoga and meditation, in collaboration with researchers from Harvard Medical School and other institutions. In its twenty-fifth anniversary edition, “Yoga Journal” named Stephen one of the most influential thinkers, writers, and teachers on the current American yoga scene. We spoke about his personal path, his engagement with Kripalu, and mainly his new book, The Dharma in Difficult Times. Learn more about Stephen Cope here: https://www.stephencope.com/
Paul Muller-Ortega, Ph.D. is an internationally recognized meditation teacher, and a highly respected academic scholar in the field of Indian Religion and Hindu Tantra. A long-time student of the Kashmir Shaiva tradition with a PhD from the University of California, Paul is the founder of Blue Throat Yoga. He is devoted to teaching students how to access their truest Self, and to offering the knowledge base to understand and support that experience. He has led hundreds of meditation retreats, offered a vast array of study courses, translated and provided commentary on many of the most inspired sacred texts of the Śaiva-Śākta tradition, and has personally trained over 40 ācāryas as Authorized Teachers of Neelakantha Meditation. After teaching for 25 years at Michigan State and the University of Rochester, Paul left academia in 2009 to teach about the Shaiva tradition to a wider audience. We spoke about the origins, precepts, practices, and under appreciated influence of Kashmir Shaivism. Learn more about Paul Muller-Ortega here. http://www.bluethroatyoga.com/about/about-paul/
Paul John Roach is a longtime Unity minister and host of the weekly show World Spirituality on Unity Online Radio. A native of Wales and a graduate of Jesus College, Oxford University, he has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English and a postgraduate degree in education from the University of Wales. Paul was ordained by Unity in 1988 and served as the senior minister at Unity of Fort Worth, Texas, from 1988 to 2018. He has served the Unity movement on several boards and teams, including the board of Unity World Headquarters, and has written for Unity Magazine and other publications. Paul has traveled extensively throughout the world, including a journey to India in 1976, about which he is currently writing a book. In this, his second visit to Spirit Matters, we focused on his new book, Unity and World Religions. We spoke about what Paul calls “the golden thread” that runs through all religious traditions—what scholars call the Perennial Philosophy. Learn more about Paul John Roach here: https://www.pauljohnroach.com/about/
Dean Sluyter is the award-winning author of several books, including Natural Meditation, Cinema Nirvana: Enlightenment Lessons from the Movies, Fear Less, and his latest, The Dharma Bum’s Guide to Western Literature: Finding Nirvana in the Classics. A grateful student of Eastern and Western sages in several traditions, Dean has taught natural approaches to meditation and awakening since 1970. He gives talks, workshops, and retreats throughout the United States and beyond, from Ivy League colleges to maximum-security prisons. His media appearances have included National Public Radio, The New York Times, Coast to Coast AM, The Dr. Oz Show, and O, The Oprah Magazine. He is known for conveying authentic teachings in forms that are relaxed, accessible, and down-to-earth. In this, his fourth appearance on Spirit Matters, we spoke about his latest book, and his knack of finding deep spiritual lessons in unlikely places, like certain pages in the books we were assigned in high school and college. Learn more about Dean Sluyter here: https://deansluyter.com/about-dean/
Sara Critchfield is Vice President, Movement Building for the Fetzer Institute, a foundation whose mission statement is “Helping build the spiritual foundation for a loving world.” At Fetzer, she serves as “a strategist and innovator for inspiring, revealing, and serving the emergence of a movement toward personal and societal transformation grounded in love.” Prior to that, she built a track record of forwarding social movements by positioning organizations and businesses as credible leaders in the market. Sara was a faith-based activist with the United Church of Christ; an overseas economic justice volunteer; an entrepreneur and consultant across the corporate, startup, and nonprofit sectors; and founding editorial director of Upworthy.com, which was named the fastest growing media site of all-time in 2013 with a mission of “changing what the world pays attention to.” She has also worked for MoveOn.org, CO-OP Financial Services, Nuevos Horizontes, The Moral Courage Project, Noro Intellectual Property, and consulted with countless media entities and startups. We spoke about the history and purpose of the Fetzer Institute and some of the research projects the organization has funded. Learn more about Sara Critchfield here https://fetzer.org/community/scritchfield, and about the Fetzer Institute here https://fetzer.org/.
Matthew Fox is a spiritual theologian, an Episcopal priest, and an activist for gender justice and eco-justice. Originally a Catholic priest, he was silenced for a year and then expelled from the Dominican order by Cardinal Ratzinger for teaching liberation theology and creation spirituality. His 37 books have been translated into other languages over 70 times. Among them are Original Blessing, The Coming of the Cosmic Christ, A Spirituality Named Compassion, The Reinvention of Work, Naming the Unnameable: 89 Wonderful and Useful Names for God…Including the Unnameable God; and The Lotus & the Rose: A Conversation Between Tibetan Buddhism & Mystical Christianity. The founder of the University of Creation Spirituality in California, he conducts dozens of workshops each year and is a visiting scholar at the Academy for the Love of LearningIn this, his second visit to Spirit Matters, we spoke about a new book, Matthew Fox: Essential Writings on Creation Spirituality, a curated collection of his writings on a range of topics reflecting his vital perspective on spirituality. Learn more about Matthew Fox here: http://www.matthewfox.org/.
Willa Blythe Baker, Ph.D. is the Founder of Natural Dharma Fellowship in Boston, and its retreat center, Wonderwell Mountain Refuge, in Springfield, New Hampshire. She was authorized as a dharma teacher and lineage holder of Tibetan Buddhism after twelve years of monastic training and two consecutive three-year retreats. Willa completed a doctorate at Harvard University, and was Visiting Lecturer in Buddhist Ministry from 2013 to 2017. Her articles and translations have appeared in Tricycle, Lion’s Roar, Buddhadharma, Journal of the International Association of Buddhist Studies, Tibet Journal, and other periodicals and anthologies. Her books include The Arts of Contemplative Care: Pioneering Voices in Buddhist Chaplaincy and Pastoral Work; Everyday Dharma: Seven Weeks to Finding the Buddha in You; Essence of Ambrosia; and her latest, The Wakeful Body: Somatic Mindfulness as a Path to Freedom. At present, she writes, teaches, guides meditation retreats, and develops curricula for people interested in cultivating a deep meditation practice in daily life. We spoke about her remarkable path and insights drawn from her new book about the wisdom of the body. Learn more about Willa Blythe Baker here: https://naturaldharma.org/
s Vidal is a teacher of Yoga and a practitioner of both Ayurveda and Vedic Astrology. He offers lectures, workshops, and unique certification training programs internationally. He also maintains a counseling practice that embraces Vedanta, Ayurveda, and Vedic Astrology. As the founder of Dancing Shiva, an American educational and consulting organization, he promotes health, wellness, and societal reform based on universal spirituality and a natural approach to lifestyle. His work is primarily influenced by the lineage-based traditions of India, particularly those of Paramahansa Yogananda and Swami Sivananda. He is the author of Sun, Moon and Earth: The Sacred Relationship of Yoga and Ayurveda and, most recently, The Evolution Revolution: Yoga, Ayurveda, and the Rise of Soft Power Culture. We spoke mainly about his new book, the higher and deeper meaning of evolution, and the practical implications of conscious evolution. Learn more about Mas Vidal here: https://dancingshiva.com/en-us
Amy Edelstein is the founder and Executive Director of Inner Strength Education, a non-profit organization that supports youth development. Its innovative teen mindfulness and systems-thinking program has empowered 17,000 high school students in under-resourced schools in Philadelphia. The curriculum blends evidence-based mindfulness tools, evolutionary neuroscience, the science of large-scale cultural shifts, and the art and science of relationship. In recognition of the program’s impact on violence reduction, Amy was awarded a Philadelphia Social Innovators’ Award. She is also the co-founder of Emergence Education Press, which is dedicated to creating a more compassionate and inspired world. Amy has more than forty years experience of contemplative practice, including a background in Western and Eastern spiritual traditions. The author of six books, including the educational bestseller The Conscious Classroom and a recent memoir, Adventure in Zanskar. We spoke about that book, which chronicles the extraordinary beginning of her spiritual journey, and about her work with young people. Learn more about Amy Edelstein here, https://amyedelstein.com/about/, and about her work on this sites: www.InnerStrengthEducation.org and www.TheConsciousClassroom.com.
Thom Krystofiak holds a B.A. from Harvard (magna cum laude) and an M.A. from Cambridge University, where he was a Knox Fellow. A trained teacher of Transcendental Meditation, in 1983 he joined an intentional community in Fairfield, Iowa, where he and his wife continue to live. He calls himself “a rigorous and thoroughgoing skeptic surrounded by ready believers,” and says he has “developed unique perspectives on the eternal and ever-new contest of doubt vs. belief.” He is the author of Tempted to Believe: The Seductive Power of Claims About ‘The Truth’. We spoke about the perspective that informs that book, touching on topics central to life on the spiritual path, such as the need for objectivity and discernment, balancing trust and independent thinking, and the temptation to believe the hard-to-believe. Learn more about Thom Krystofiak here: https://krystofiak.com
Amanda Lucia is Professor of Religious Studies at the University of California-Riverside. Her research engages the global exportation, appropriation, and circulation of Hinduism, with designated attention to global guru movements. On her previous visit to Spirit Matters we discussed her book about Mata Amritanandamayi, Reflections of Amma: Devotees in a Global Embrace. On this program we focused on her new book, White Utopias: The Religious Exoticism of Transformational Festivals, which analyzes yoga practice and the intersections of whiteness and religious exoticism among the “spiritual, but not religious” (SBNR) at global transformational festivals such as such as Bhakti Fest, Wanderlust, Lightning in a Bottle, and Burning Man. The author of numerous scholarly articles, she is currently crafting a body of research on media representations of gurus, with particular attention to scandal. Learn more about Amanda Lucia here: https://www.amandajeanlucia.com/about
Dana Sawyer is professor emeritus of philosophy and world religions at the Maine College of Art. His primary expertise is in Hinduism and Buddhism, but for more than twenty years his work has focused on comparative mysticism, theories of the “perennial philosophy,” and the value of psychedelic experiences in the study of mysticism. He is the author of two critically acclaimed spiritual biographies, of Aldous Huxley (2002) and of Huston Smith (2014), and has written on a wide range of topics related to consciousness expansion, Tibetan Buddhism, Hindu mysticism, and alternative philosophies. His essays have been published by the University of California at Berkeley, the State University of New York, the University of Muenster, Germany, and have appeared in such popular journals as Parabola, Yoga Journal and Tricycle: the Buddhist Review. Most recently, he published an essay in the Journal of Humanistic Psychology on common errors in the ways scholars have characterized the perennial philosophy. In this conversation, Dana’s second appearance on Spirit Matters, we spoke mainly about the so-called perennial philosophy and common misconceptions about the similarities and differences among spiritual traditions. Learn more about Dana Sawyer here: http://www.dana-sawyer.com/
Dr. Jon Kolkin is an internationally recognized photographer as well as a physician, educator, humanitarian, and public speaker. His award-wining images have been widely published, exhibited in numerous solo and group exhibitions, and have drawn the attention of private and corporate clients worldwide. He has served on the faculty of the prestigious Maine Media Workshops and is a frequent guest lecturer at major universities and other venues worldwide. Kolkin’s renowned Inner Harmony series—rare and intimate photographs taken in contemplative Buddhist settings in Asia—has been exhibited in museums and galleries in the U.S. and abroad, and has garnered 20 photography awards and feature coverage in LensWork magazine. It has now been published as a book: Inner Harmony: Living in Balance, with a Foreword by His Holiness the Dalai Lama and commentary about mindfulness and Buddhist practice. We spoke about the book, his method of obtaining photographs in sensitive settings, his connection to the Dalai Lama, and his humanitarian work as a physician. Learn more about Jon Kolin here: www.kolkinphotography.com.
Paul Denniston is a well-known yoga teacher based in Los Angeles. Certified in Hatha Yoga, Vinyasa Flow, Kundalini Yoga, Laughter Yoga, Restorative Yoga, and Let Your Yoga Dance, he is the founder of Grief Yoga®, which combines various forms of yoga, movement, breath, and sound to release pain and suffering and connect to love. At one time he also taught movement at the Stella Adler Academy in Hollywood. He has taught frequently at teaches at the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health, at Esalen, and at 1440 Multiversity, and he leads online courses dealing with grief and loss. Paul has trained thousands of therapists, counselors, and health care professionals in the United States, Europe, and Australia through Grief Movement Training; he certifies yoga teachers through Grief Yoga Teacher Training. Paul’s new book is Healing Through Yoga: Transform Loss into Empowerment. We spoke about his path to Grief Yoga, the contents of his book, and key points about healing from all forms of loss. Learn more about Paul Denniston here: https://griefyoga.com/about-paul-denniston/
Clare Goldsberry is a professional writer whose has been engaged in the study of religion and spiritual traditions since childhood. Her path has taken her from Protestant Christianity (at one time her ambition was to become a minister), to Mormonism (she wrote the book A Stranger in Zion: A Christian’s Journey through the Heart of Utah Mormonism), to the Ageless Wisdom traditions, Gnosticism, and finally Hinduism and Buddhism. She remains a practicing Buddhist. Clare has written about religion and spiritual traditions for various publications and has taught a number of unique classes such as the three-part Quantum Buddhism. She teaches introductory classes on various spiritual traditions for the Maricopa County Community College in Phoenix, AZ, and the New Vision Center for Spiritual Living. Her latest book is The Illusion of Life and Death: Mind, Consciousness, and Eternal Being. We spoke mainly about that book, and about her partner Brent’s illness and death, what it means to have a good death means, which she defines as a death without fear of the unknown. Learn more about Clare Goldsberry here: https://claregoldsberry.com/
Clare Goldsberry is a professional writer whose has been engaged in the study of religion and spiritual traditions since childhood. Her path has taken her from Protestant Christianity (at one time her ambition was to become a minister), to Mormonism (she wrote the book A Stranger in Zion: A Christian’s Journey through the Heart of Utah Mormonism), to the Ageless Wisdom traditions, Gnosticism, and finally Hinduism and Buddhism. She remains a practicing Buddhist. Clare has written about religion and spiritual traditions for various publications and has taught a number of unique classes such as the three-part Quantum Buddhism. She teaches introductory classes on various spiritual traditions for the Maricopa County Community College in Phoenix, AZ, and the New Vision Center for Spiritual Living. Her latest book is The Illusion of Life and Death: Mind, Consciousness, and Eternal Being. We spoke mainly about that book, and about her partner Brent’s illness and death, what it means to have a good death means, which she defines as a death without fear of the unknown. Learn more about Clare Goldsberry here: https://claregoldsberry.com/
Akash Kapur is a respected journalist who has written for a variety of publications, including The Atlantic, The Economist, Granta, The Hindu, The New York Times, The New Yorker, and The Wall Street Journal. At one point he wrote a fortnightly “Letter from India” column for the international edition of The New York Times. A Senior Fellow at New York University’s The GovLab, where he works on issues such as open data, Internet governance, and technology law and policy, he is the author of India Becoming: A Portrait of Life in Modern India and, recently, Better to Have Gone: Love, Death, and the Quest for Utopia in Auroville. He was born and raised in Auroville, the intentional community in South India based on the teachings of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother. We spoke mainly about that book and the remarkable story it tells, and we touched on themes such as the promise of utopia that Auroville represented. Learn more about Akash Kapur here: https://akashkapur.com/.
Jason Gardner is executive editor at New World Library, a San Francisco Bay Area publisher where he has worked for twenty-five years. He acquires books on spirituality, philosophy, personal growth / psychology, parenting, and nature/environment. New World Library publishes classic books such as The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle, Creative Visualization by Shakti Gawain, The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success by Deepak Chopra, Way of the Peaceful Warrior by Dan Millman, and The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell. Before joining New World Library, Jason worked as a writer and editor for a nonprofit magazine covering urban environmental issues, for a literary agency, and as a bookseller. He lives with his wife and children in Berkeley, California. We spoke about what he’s learned in his many years at a company that specializes in contemporary spirituality. Learn more about Jason Gardner here: https://www.publishersmarketplace.com/members/jasongardner/ and about New World Library here: https://www.newworldlibrary.com/AboutUs.aspx#.YcETkGjMJdg.
This is the second of two episodes celebrating the 75th anniversary of Paramahansa Yogananda’s iconic Autobiography of a Yogi. Nayaswamis Jyotish and Devi are the Spiritual Directors of Ananda Worldwide, which was founded by Swami Kriyananda, a direct disciple of Yogananda. Ananda has spiritual communities, centers, and meditation groups in several countries. The couple travel the world sharing Yogananda’s teachings and instructing students in the path of Kriya Yoga. Jyotish is the author of How to Meditate: A Step-by-Step Guide to the Art and Science of Meditation, and Jyoyish and Devi have coauthored four books about spiritualizing daily life: Touch of Light, Touch of Joy, Touch of Love, and Touch of Peace. Married for many years, Jyotish and Devi were honored with the Global Peace Ambassador Peace Award in November 2017 at the United Nations Church Center. Learn more about Nayaswamis Jyotish and Devi here, and about Ananda Worldwide here.
Brahmachari Martin has been a member of the Self-Realization Fellowship monastic community since 1977. Born and raised in Southern California, he currently resides at the Self-Realization Fellowship monks ashram at the SRF Lake Shrine, where he assists with ministerial duties. Brahmachari Martin has traveled throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe to give lectures on the teachings of Paramahansa Yogananda. We spoke about the remarkable influence of Yogananda’s iconic book, Autobiography of a Yogi, on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of its publication in 1946. Learn more about Self-Realization Fellowship here: https://yogananda.org/, and about Autobiography of a Yogi here: https://yogananda.org/blog/75th-anniversary-of-autobiography-of-a-yogi-in-the-news.
Neal Allen is a coach and writer who studies and practices traditional and contemporary spiritual paths. His private coaching practice blends standard psychodynamics with spiritually oriented methods. His earlier careers included newspaper journalism and corporate marketing for large public companies. The author of Shapes of Truth: Discover God Inside You, he lives in Northern California with his wife, the author Anne Lamott. We spoke about what he’s learned from Adyashanti, A.H. Almaas (the Diamond Approach) and other spiritual teachers, as well as his book, which focuses on “thirty-five abstract nouns of value - concepts like strength, will, and acceptance - show up as symbolic feelings in your body, for exploration by anyone.” Learn more about Neal Allen here: https://www.shapesoftruth.com/neal-allen-bio-1
Steve Taylor is a senior lecturer in psychology at Leeds Beckett University in the UK and the chair of the Transpersonal Psychology Section of the British Psychological Society. His articles and essays have been published in over 100 academic journals, magazines, and newspapers, and he blogs for Scientific American and Psychology Today. His bestselling books include Spiritual Science: Why Science Needs Spirituality to Make Sense of the World and The Leap: The Psychology of Spiritual Awakening. His most recent book is Extraordinary Awakenings: When Trauma Leads to Transformation. We spoke mainly about that last book and his research on what he calls “transformation through turmoil” and “shifters”—people whose struggles lead to a dramatic shift into a new, expansive identity. Learn more about Steve Taylor here: www.StevenMTaylor.com
Michael Tobin has been a marital and family psychologist for 45 years. He is the founder of the award-winning website, www.wholefamily.com, which contains numerous articles about relationships. His series of articles, The Marital Labyrinth , which delves into marriage, marital affairs, and how to affair-proof a relationship, was featured in Psychology Today. His new book, Riding the Edge, A Love Song to Deborah, chronicles a six-month transformative journey in 1980, when he, an American Jew, and Deborah, an Arab American, bicycled across Europe, Lebanon, and Israel, where they confronted the challenges of love, war, and identity. They have been together for 47 years now, and are the parents of four and the grandparents of 14. We spoke about the spiritual implications of the adventure he describes in his book and the challenges he’s faced since Deborah was diagnosed with Alzeimer’s. Learn more about Michael Tobin here: www.drmichaeltobin.com
Sadhguru is a mystic, philanthropist, author (his books include Inner Engineering and Death: An Inside Story), public speaker, and highly respected spiritual teacher with thousands of students around the world. His non-profit Isha Foundation, which has large centers in India and the US, offers a variety yogic teachings and conducts social and community development projects globally. This program, Sadhguru’s second appearance on Spirit Matters, is a special one: Phil was invited to interview Sadhguru on the publication of his latest book, Karma: A Yogi’s Guide to Crafting Your Destiny. The Isha Foundation gave us permission to post it on the podcast and YouTube channel. We spoke for more than an hour about Sadhguru’s perspective on the important and often misunderstood teachings about karma. Learn more about Sadhguru here: https://www.innerengineering.com/online/blog/sadhguru?gclid=Cj0KCQjw5JSLBhCxARIsAHgO2Se6oVa-6uTpulSD6FvDQTJavTOH4EBMmx9CzzZ7zIUreNHImr0ZmY0aAqsMEALw_wcB and Isha Foundation here: www.ishafoundation.org/us/
Swami Tyagananda joined the Ramakrishna Order in 1976 after graduating from the University of Mumbai in India. He received spiritual instruction from Swami Vireswarananda, a disciple of Sri Sarada Devi (known as Holy Mother), and his monastic vows from Swami Gambhirananda. After serving at the Mumbai monastery (1976–80), he served at Belur Math (1980–82), New Delhi (1982–83), and Chennai (1983–1997) before being sent to Boston in 1998. After Swami Sarvagatananda’s retirement in 2002, Tyagananda was appointed head of the Boston Vedanta Society. Since 1999 he has also been the Hindu chaplain at Harvard and MIT. Tyagananda was editor of the English journal Vedanta Kesari for 11 years, and has written, translated, or edited fourteen books. They include Walking the Walk: A Karma Yoga Manual, Knowing the Knower: A Jñāna Yoga Manual, and his latest, Looking Deeply: Vivekacūḍāmaṇi of Śrī Śaṅkarācārya. He has presented at numerous academic conferences and gives lectures and classes at the Vedanta Society as well as at MIT, Harvard and, on invitation, other colleges and religious groups. We spoke about his own spiritual path, the influence of Shankara (Adi Shankaracharya), and the substance of Looking Deeply¸ which is described as “a favorite of Vedānta students for its clarity and precision.” Learn more about Swami Tyagananda and the Vedanta Society here: https://vedantasociety.net/tyagananda
Connie Zweig, Ph.D., is the co-author of Meeting the Shadow and Romancing the Shadow, and the author of Meeting the Shadow of Spirituality and a novel, A Moth to the Flame: The Life of Sufi Poet Rumi. A retired therapist, she has extended shadow-work into late life and teaches aging as a spiritual practice. That is the focus of her latest book, The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul. Connie has been doing contemplative practices for 50 years and was initiated as an Elder by Sage-ing International in 2017. In this, our second interview for Spirit Matters, we spoke about the theme of her new book, i.e., a spiritual perspective on the inevitable challenges of aging, what it means to be an Elder, and the importance of consciously shifting from role to soul. Learn more about Connie Zweig here: https://conniezweig.com
Jacob Kyle is a meditation and yoga asana teacher, a writer, an educator, and the Founding Director of Embodied Philosophy, an online educational platform for wisdom studies and contemplative practices. He is the host of Embodied Philosophy’s podcast Chitheads and publisher of its quarterly journal Tarka, whose stated mission is “to dissolve the institutionalized boundaries between scholarly, devotional, and embodied methods.” Jacob holds an MSc in Political Theory from the London School of Economics and Political Science and an MA in Philosophy from the New School for Social Research. A devoted student and practitioner of the Śaiva-Śakta Darśana, he was initiated as an Acharya (authorized teacher) of Neelakhanta Meditation in the tradition of Blue Throat Yoga by scholar-practitioner Paul Muller-Ortega. We spoke about the origin and mission of Embodied Philosophy and about its Spiritual Citizenship initiative. Learn more about Jacob Kyle here https://www.embodiedphilosophy.com/author/jacobembodiedphilosophy-com/ and about Embodied Philosophy here: https://www.embodiedphilosophy.com/.
Jeremy Engels is an award-winning professor of Communication and Ethics at Penn State University as well as a yoga and meditation teacher and co-owner of Yoga Lab Studios in State College, PA. Dr. Engels considers himself an American Transcendentalist whose work is to “explore the rituals of oneness that humans have developed to affirm our interconnectedness, with each other, and with the world in which we live.” He is the author of several books, including The Ethics of Oneness, which draws on the Bhagavad Gita, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Walt Whitman to explore our interconnectedness and shared divinity. We spoke about the profound ethical and political implications of the awareness of Oneness with respect to today’s challenges. Learn more about Jeremy Engels here: https://jeremydavidengels.com and about The Ethics of Oneness here: https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/E/bo68657749.html. Note the publisher’s special offer for our audience: use the code UCPNEW and get a 20% discount.
Stephen G. Post is the founding director of the Institute for Research on Unlimited Love, and the founding director of the Center for Medical Humanities, Compassionate Care, and Bioethics at Stony Brook University School of Medicine in New York. A public speaker and an opinion leader in medicine, Alzheimer research, and religion, he has promoted the idea of “give and live better” across the globe. Dr. Post is the bestselling author of Why Good Things Happen to Good People: How to Live a Longer, Happier, Healthier Life by the Simple Act of Giving. Dr. Post’s recent book, God and Love on Route 80, is a meditation on the meaning of life and the importance of spirituality. His latest book, Dignity for Deeply Forgetful People, is about caring for those afflicted with Alzheimer's Disease. We spoke about his own spiritual path and the intersection of spirituality and ethics, giving, and caring. Learn more about Stephen Post here: https://stephengpost.com/
Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati earned a Ph.D. in psychology from Stanford and was ordained in the order of Sanyas (monastic renunciation) in 2000, by Swami Chidanand Saraswati of the Parmarth Niketan Ashram in Rishikesh, India, where she resides. She is President of Divine Shakti Foundation, which runs free schools, vocational training programs, and empowerment programs in India. The director of the International Yoga Festival in Rishikesh, Sadhvi also serves on the United Nations Advisory Council on Religion and on the steering committees of the International Partnership for Religion and Sustainable Development (PaRD) and the Moral Imperative to End Extreme Poverty. She also lectures, teaches meditation, and counsels individuals and families. This is her second visit to Spirit Matters, prompted by her new book, Hollywood to the Himalayas: A Journey of Healing and Transformation. We spoke about that memoir, her role as a female voice of spiritual leadership, and her decision to write candidly about her traumatic early years and the challenges of monastic life. Learn more about Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati here: www.Sadhviji.org, and about her memoir (with free chapers) here: www.HollywoodToTheHimalayas.com
Chris Busch and Dean Sluyter are the cohosts of podcast and YouTube channel “The Filmosophers,”which features interviews with the people who make and who love the movies. Chris was a child actor in the 60’s and hosted the Filmosophers live-streaming weekly radio show for 15 years. He works with the David Lynch Foundation to bring the Transcendental Meditation program to at-risk populations, addressing trauma and toxic stress. Dean Sluyter is the award-winning author of several books, including Natural Meditation and Cinema Nirvana: Enlightenment Lessons from the Movies. He has been a Spirit Matters guest twice before, in 2016 and 2018. Both Chris and Dean have taught meditation for several decades. We spoke about movies, their podcast, and the often surprising spiritual lessons to be found in great films. Learn more about Filmosophers here: https://thefilmosophers.com/
Franz Metcalf teaches religious studies at California State University, Los Angeles. For his Master’s degree at the Graduate Theological Union he compared Buddhist and Catholic spiritual retreats. In his doctoral program at the University of Chicago he was awarded distinction for his dissertation on the question “Why do Americans practice Zen Buddhism?” The Past President of the American Academy of Religion, Western Region, he has published numerous articles and chapters on the psychology of religion and contemporary Buddhism. He is also a founding editor of the scholarly organization H-Buddhism and founding book review editor at the Journal of Global Buddhism. Franz is the author or coauthor of five books, including What Would Buddha Do?, a best seller published in over a dozen languages, and Being Buddha at Work. He is currently working on a historical-spiritual-detective novel set in and around the sangha during the life of the Buddha. We spoke about a variety of issues in contemporary Buddhism in America. Learn more about Franz Metcalf here: https://mind2mind.net/
Rev. Dr. Margaret Bullitt-Jonas is an Episcopal priest, author, retreat leader, and climate activist. A lead organizer of many Christian and interfaith events about care for Earth, she leads spiritual retreats in the U.S. and Canada on spiritual resilience and resistance in the midst of a climate emergency. She is co-editor (with Leah Schade) of Rooted and Rising: Voices of Courage in a Time of Climate Crisis), a collection of essays by religious environmental activists. She has been arrested in Washington, D.C. and elsewhere while protesting the expanded use of fossil fuels. She serves as Missioner for Creation Care in the Episcopal Diocese of Western Mass. and the Southern New England Conference of the United Church of Christ, as well as Creation Care Advisor for the Episcopal Diocese of Mass. Her website, RevivingCreation.org contains numerous resources. We spoke about her unique ministry and the urgency of the climate crisis. Learn more about Margaret Bullitt-Jonas here: https://revivingcreation.org/bio/
Norman Rosenthal, M.D. is a clinical professor of psychiatry at Georgetown Medical School and maintains a private clinical practice in Maryland. He earned international attention as the psychiatrist who first described seasonal affective disorder and pioneered the use of light in its treatment while at the National Institute of Mental Health. He has also researched other innovative psychiatric treatments, and is the author of several books including the New York Times bestseller Transcendence: Healing and Transformation through Transcendental Meditation and the national bestseller Super Mind. His latest book is Poetry Rx: How Fifty Inspiring Poems Can Heal and Bring Joy to Your Life. We spoke about that book, the healing power of poetry, and homed in on a few sublime poems. Learn more about Norman Rosenthal at https://www.normanrosenthal.com/
David Nichtern is a senior Buddhist teacher, an Emmy award winning/Grammy nominated musician, and a successful entrepreneur. One of the original students of Tibetan Buddhist teacher Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, David is the founder and CEO of Dharma Moon, an online mindfulness-based education platform that offers meditation training and life and career coaching aimed at helping people integrate creative expression, spiritual practice, and livelihood. He has created meditation teacher training programs for a variety of organizations, has consulted for businesses, and has had a successful career in music as a composer, guitarist, and executive. We spoke about teaching Buddhism in America, the integration of business, creativity, and spirituality, based on his most recent book, Creativity, Spirituality & Making a Buck. Learn more about David Nichtern and Dharma Moon here: https://www.dharmamoon.com/
Krishna Das is a leading figure in the burgeoning popularity of kirtan, the traditional practice of call-and-response chanting with Sanskrit mantras, helping to move this form of bhakti yoga from intimate gatherings to large concert halls. Called by many “yoga’s rock star,” for his layering of traditional kirtan motifs with accessible melodies, modern instrumentation, and his distinctive, soulful voice, which is said to touch the deepest chord in even the most casual listener. The best-selling Western chant artist of all time, he has produced numerous albums, one of which, Live Ananda (2012), was nominated for a Grammy in the Best New Age album category. He is also the author of memoir, Chants of a Lifetime. On June 6, 2021, he and other prominent kirtan artists will be featured in Chant for India, a free concert to benefit India in its COVID crisis. Learn more about Krishna Das here: https://www.krishnadas.com/about/
David Kundtz spent 19 years as a Catholic priest before leaving the clergy and becoming a psychotherapist. With degrees in psychology and theology and a doctorate in pastoral psychology, he teaches courses on stress management and emotional health. As a writer, he has produced seven books, including Quiet Mind; Moments in Between; and Awakened Mind. His most recent book is The Art of Stopping: How to Be Still When You Have to Keep Going. We spoke about his calling to the priesthood, the subsequent call to relinquish collar, and mainly the substance of his new book on the importance of pausing, being still, and doing nothing. Learn more about David Kundtz here: https://davidkundtz.com/
Francis X. Clooney is the Parkman Professor of Divinity and Professor of Comparative Theology at Harvard Divinity School. Prior to that he taught at Boston College. He is a leading scholar in the field of Indology and the developing discipline of comparative theology, which is distinguished by the study of traditions other than one’s own. A Jesuit priest, he has written on the Jesuit missionary tradition, particularly in India, and on the dynamics of dialogue and interreligious learning in the contemporary world. His numerous articles and books include influential works on the intersection of Catholicism and Hinduism, such as Theology after Vedanta: An Experiment in Comparative Theology , The Truth, the Way, the Life: Christian Commentary on the Three Holy Mantras of the Shrivaisnava Hindus, and Reading the Hindu and Christian Classics: Why and How It Matters. He is also President-Elect of the Catholic Theological Society of America. We spoke about comparative religion, the value of learning from traditions other than one’s own, and his experience as a Catholic priest interested in Hinduism. Learn more about Francis Clooney here: https://hds.harvard.edu/people/francis-x-clooney
Sharon Salzberg is a leading figure in the American Buddhist community and a major force in the rise in prominence of Buddhist philosophy and practice over the past four decades. In 1976, she cofounded the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts, which became one of the most prominent meditation centers in the West, and later cofounded the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies. A sought-after teacher and speaker, she has led workshops at all the major venues in the US, appeared on leading talk shows and other media outlets, and has actively promoted the scientific study of meditation. Her books include Love Your Enemies, Loving-Kindness, the bestselling Real Happiness, and her latest, Real Change: Mindfulness to Heal Ourselves and the World. We spoke about her long and fascinating journey, the challenges of life in the pandemic, and the practical advice she offers in Real Change. Learn more about Sharon Salzberg here: https://www.sharonsalzberg.com/
Kikanza Nuri-Robins is an organization development consultant who helps people and organizations that are in transition – or ought to be. Her clients include schools, NPOs, government, and faith-based organizations. She has been an advocate for justice, equity and inclusion for her entire career, serving mission-driven organizations across the country. An ordained Presbyterian minister, she has been an advocate for marginalized and targeted people for over 40 years. She focuses on sustaining healthy organizational cultures by improving communication, developing effective leaders, and aligning values with daily practice—making a difference “one conversation at a time.” Kikanza is the author of many articles and six books, including: Cultural Proficiency and Fish Out of Water. She lives in Los Angeles where she has served on the Bio-Ethics Committee of the UCLA Medical Center for 20 years, and on the boards of several social service organizations. In addition to offering several Core Courses, she designs training and development interventions to meet organizations’ specific needs. We spoke mainly about the challenges of inclusion and cultural proficiency in spiritual organizations. Learn more about Kikanza Nuri Robins here: www.KikanzaNuriRobins.com
Tenzin Priyadarshi is the Founding President and CEO of the Dalai Lama Center for Ethics and Transformative Values at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), a non-partisan collaborative think tank focused on interdisciplinary research and programs related to the development of human and global ethics. Born in India, he entered a Buddhist monastery under his own volition at the age of ten. He studied traditional Indo-Tibetan and Japanese Buddhism and was ordained by His Holiness The Dalai Lama, who is his spiritual mentor. While receiving traditional Buddhist training he also had a secular education. He completed graduate studies in Comparative Philosophy of Religion at Harvard in 2003. His keen interest in inter-religious conversation led to meetings with Popes John Paul II and Benedict, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and other religious leaders. He is also the Founding Director and President of the Prajnopaya Institute and Foundation, which offers innovative health, education and social welfare programs worldwide. He is also a member of the MIT Board of Chaplains and serves as the Buddhist Chaplain to the Institute, lectures internationally on a variety of subjects, and serves on the Board of several academic, humanitarian, and religious organizations. Learn more about Venerable Tenzin Priyadarshi here: https://imonk.org/bio
Rameshwar Das is a photographer, photo-journalist, environmentalist and writer. In 1968 he met Ram Dass, soon after the renowned spiritual teacher returned from India, and learned yoga and meditation from him. He traveled to India and spent time with his and Ram Dass’s guru, Neem Karoli Baba, (aka Maharaj-ji) from 1970-72. His working life has been primarily as a photographer, including freelance work for the New York Times and other publications. He has also taught photography and photo-journalism. Ramesh collaborated on several projects with Ram Dass, including the original collection of manuscripts that became the seminal Be Here Now and the Love Serve Remember box set of recordings. He is the co-author of Ram Dass’s last few books, Be Love Now, Polishing the Mirror, and the newly released memoir Becoming Ram Dass. We spoke about how Harvard psychologist Richard Alpert became Ram Dass, what it was like to work with him on an intimate memoir, Ram Dass’s final days, and more. Learn more about Ram Dass here, https://www.ramdass.org/, and about the memoir here: https://beingramdass.soundstrue.com/
Craig Hamilton is a pioneer in the emerging field of evolutionary spirituality and a leading voice in the movement for conscious evolution. As the guiding force behind Integral Enlightenment, Craig offers spiritual guidance and teachings to a growing international community spanning 85 countries. His courses, “designed to support people who are committed to evolving themselves and our culture,” have more than 14,000 graduates to date. To support these pioneers, Craig created the Academy for Evolutionaries, which offers practical spiritual tools and training in step with our times and informed by an up-to-date understanding of the human condition. He brings together core insights and approaches based on decades of on-the-ground research at the leading edge of spiritual practice and inquiry. Craig’s programs integrate his decades of intensive spiritual practice with insights gleaned during his eight years as Senior Editor of What Is Enlightenment? magazine. He is a founding member of Ken Wilber’s Integral Institute, a member of Deepak Chopra’s Evolutionary Leaders Forum, and was a participant in the Synthesis Dialogues, an interdisciplinary think tank presided over by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. We spoke about the programs he offers, his personal journey, and his insights into the evolving spiritual landscape. Learn more about Craig Hamilton here: https://craighamiltonglobal.com/
Jeffrey J. Kripal is the Associate Dean of the Faculty and Graduate Programs in the School of the Humanities and the J. Newton Rayzor Chair in Philosophy and Religious Thought at Rice University. Jeff is the author of eight books, including Kali’s Child, Roads of Excess, The Serpent’s Gift, and Esalen, a definitive history of the landmark institute in in Big Sur, California, where he currently serves as Associate Director of the Center for Theory and Research. His most recent book is The Flip: Who You Really Are and Why It Matters, which contemplates the central importance of the humanities. He is presently working on a three-volume study of paranormal currents in the sciences, modern esoteric literature, and the hidden history of science fiction. We spoke about a wide range of topics related to his wide and far-reaching academic interests. Learn more about Jeffrey Kripal here: http://jeffreyjkripal.com
Sara Ivanhoe, M.A. is the Director of YogaUSC, a program designed to support the campus life of students and faculty at the University of Southern California. She has been teaching yoga since 1995 and has been the Yoga Spokesperson for “Weight Watchers,” “Yoga for Dummies,” and “Crunch Yoga,” and she has appeared as a series regular on “Dr. Drew’s Celebrity Rehab” as the therapeutic instructor. She served as the yoga columnist for Health magazine for three years and has written and appeared in almost every yoga and health publication. Sara earned a master’s degree in the inaugural class in the historic Yoga Studies program at Loyola Marymount University, where she served as Senator of the student body for Bellarmine College. She currently serves as the Yoga and Meditation Content Curator for Glo, teaches in the LMU Yoga Studies department, leads an ongoing class called “Sleep” for the MindfulUSC program, and presents at conferences internationally. We spoke about her diverse career as a yoga instructor, her blend of scholarship and practical yoga, and various issues around modern yoga. Learn more about Sara Ivanhoe here: https://www.saraivanhoe.com
Acharya Shunya is an award-winning and internationally renowned spiritual teacher and scholar of Advaita (nondual) Vedanta, as well as a classically-trained master of Yoga and Ayurveda. The first female head of her 2,000-year-old spiritual lineage from northern India, she has dedicated her life to disseminating Vedic knowledge for the spiritual uplifting of all beings. She is the driving force behind an online wisdom school and worldwide spiritual community; the president of the Awakened Self Foundation headquartered in San Francisco; and founder of the spiritual nonprofit Vedika Global. Acharya Shunya demystifies and contextualizes sacred concepts for modern life through her books—Ayurveda Lifestyle Wisdom: A Complete Prescription to Optimize Your Health, Prevent Disease, Live with Vitality and Joy and the recently published Sovereign Self: Claim your Inner Joy and Freedom with the Empowering Wisdom of the Vedas, Upanishads and Bhagavad Gita—as well as her podcast Shadow to Self and the award-winning online program Alchemy Through Ayurveda. Her signature offerings on the theme of Sovereign Life include e-courses, international retreats, and corporate workshops. We spoke about the importance of lineage, the role of teachers, Sovereign Self and more. Learn more about Acharya Shunya here: https://www.AcharyaShunya.com.
ames Martin is a Jesuit priest, the author of numerous books, the editor at large at America, the national Catholic review, and a Consultor to the Vatican’s Dicastery for Communication. Father Martin graduated from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business in 1982 and worked for six years at General Electric before entering the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits). During his training he worked in a hospital, a hospice, an orphanage, a homeless shelter, a school for inner-city boys, an outreach program with street-gang members, a community center with unemployed men and women, in East Africa with refugees. He was ordained a Catholic priest in 1999, and in 2009 pronounced his Final Vows. Among Father Martin’s books are the bestsellers The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything: A Spirituality for Real Life and Jesus: A Pilgrimage. His most recent book is Learning to Pray: A Guide for Everyone. A sought-after commentator on matters of religion and social issues, he has written for major publications and been interviewed by prominent journalists as well as celebrated TV and radio hosts such as Terry Gross and Stephen Colbert. He has also served as a consultant to plays and films, including “Doubt” and “The Irishman.” We spoke about a wide range of topics, including Father Martin’s positions on controversial issues such as the church and the LGBT community as well as the nuances of prayer, the topic of his new book. Learn more about James Martin here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Martin_(priest,_born_1960) and visit his Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/FrJamesMartin/
Christopher Key Chapple is Doshi Professor of Indic and Comparative Theology and founding Director of the Master of Arts in Yoga Studies at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, the first program of its kind in the US. A specialist in the religions of India, he has published more than twenty books, including the recent Living Landscapes: Meditations on the Elements in Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain Yogas. He serves as advisor to multiple organizations including the Forum on Religion and Ecology, the Ahimsa Center, the Dharma Academy of North America, the Jain Studies Centre, the South Asian Studies Association, and International School for Jain Studies. He teaches online through the Center for Religion and Spirituality at LMU and YogaGlo. In Chris’s second visit to Spirit Matters, we spoke mainly about the relationship between spirituality/religion and climate change and global ecological challenges in general. Learn more about Christopher Chapple here: https://bellarmine.lmu.edu/yoga/people/meetthedirector/
Khyati Y. Joshi is a Professor of Education at Fairleigh Dickinson University and a social science researcher whose work informs policy-makers, educators, and everyday people about race, religion, and immigration in 21st century America. She has lectured around the world and published ground-breaking scholarly and popular work in her field, while also serving as an advisor to policy-makers and a leader in the South Asian American community. She also created the Institute for Teaching Diversity and Social Justice, which offers professional development programs for educators. Her most recent book is White Christian Privilege: The Illusion of Religious Equality in America. Previously, she was the author and co-editor of Teaching for Diversity and Social Justice, one of the most widely-used books by diversity practitioners and social justice scholars, and the author of the award-winning New Roots in America’s Sacred Ground: Religion, Race, and Ethnicity in Indian America. Dr. Joshi is also the co-editor of the forthcoming book Envisioning Religion, Race, and Asian Americans. We spoke about the profound historical and current-day significance of white Christian privilege in America. Learn more about Dr. Joshi here: https://www.khyatijoshi.com/bio/about-khyati
Andrew Harvey is an internationally renowned religious scholar, writer, teacher, and the author of more than 40 books, including the critically acclaimed The Hope, Son of Man, and his latest, Radical Regeneration: Birthing the New Human in the Age of Extinction (coauthored with Carolyn Baker). Born in south India in 1952, Andrew has devoted much of his life to studying the world's mystical traditions, including intensive study of Hinduism, Buddhism and Sufi mysticism. He has taught at Oxford University, Cornell University, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, The California Institute of Integral Studies, and the University of Creation Spirituality as well as at various spiritual centers throughout the world. He is the founder and director of the Chicago-based Institute of Sacred Activism. We spoke mainly about Radical Regeneration, the challenge posed by climate change and looming issues, the need for spiritual activism, and much more of immediate relevance. Learn more about Andrew Harvey here: http://www.andrewharvey.net/
Bruce McGraw has taught college courses in philosophy, religious studies, humanities, and mythology for over 20 years. His academic interest is finding the core essence or wisdom behind the ideas of all the great philosophers and spiritual teachers and applying that understanding to today’s problems. His goal is to put it all in an evolutionary framework that explains the history of everything from the Big Bang to now. Bruce also helped start, edit, and write for a local San Diego newspaper, winning First Place awards from the San Diego Press Club for Best Series, Best Commentary, and Best Science/Environmental Writing. His first book, The Magical Universe set the stage for his second book, The New Mythology: A New Vision for a Troubled Planet. We spoke about what he calls a New Creation Story, or New Cosmology, which would integrate traditional religious creation stories with modern science. Learn more about Bruce McGraw here: https://www.bruce-mcgraw.com/
Fred Stella has served as President of the Interfaith Dialogue Association in Michigan for the past 23 years. In this capacity he hosts the radio program, Common Threads, which airs over local NPR affiliate, WGVU-FM. He is also a weekly contributor to the Grand Rapids Press column “Ethics and Religion,” in which he and fellow clerics from various traditions answer questions on theology, morality and personal issues. A product of 16 years in the Catholic education system, including an undergraduate degree in Communications & Mass Media at the University of Detroit, Fred’s interest in Hinduism began at age 15 when studying comparative religions. By the time he was in his mid-30s he had formally embraced Hindu Dharma. Over the years he has studied and practiced in various ashrams and temples in the US and India, and in 2009 was ordained as Pracharak, or “Outreach Minister,” by the West Michigan Hindu Temple. He has also held leadership positions in his local chapter of Self-Realization Fellowship, is a weekly contributor to the Grand Rapids Press column “Ethics and Religion,” and sits on the National Leadership Council of the Hindu American Foundation. We spoke about lessons learned from decades of interfaith work and radio interviews, and his decision to identify as Hindu. Learn more about Fred Stella and Common Threads here: www.wgvunews.org/programs/common-threads.
Rev. Prem Anjali, Ph.D., has been a student of Swami Satchidananda and Integral Yoga since 1974 and served as Satchidananda’s personal and traveling assistant for 24 years. An Integral Yoga interfaith minister, Rev. Prem is the editor of Integral Yoga Magazine, editorial director of Integral Yoga Publications & Media, and director of the Integral Yoga Digital Archives. She produced the documentaries, “Living Yoga,” “The Woodstock Guru,” and “The Launching of a Global Yoga Revolution.” She also produced numerous books and CDs, including Portrait of a Modern Sage, Boundless Giving, The Yoga Way, and the Sacred Mantra audio series. Her interests include the classical system of Yoga, the intersections of spirituality and psychology, and the nondual traditions. We spoke about the origins of her spiritual path, her years with Swami Satchidananda, and the current status of Integral Yoga and Yogaville. Learn more about Integral Yoga here https://integralyoga.org/ and meet Prem Anjali on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/premanjali
Clyde Ford is a software engineer, a chiropractor, and a psychotherapist. A long-time yoga and Buddhist practitioner, he’s the award-winning author of more than a dozen books, including We CAN All Get Along: 50 Steps You Can Take To Help End Racism and The Long Mile, for which he received the Zora Neale Hurston/Richard Wright Award. His most recent book, Think Black, is a memoir about his father, the first Black software engineer in America, and a cautionary tale about the intersection of technology and race. Clyde’s forthcoming book is Freedom Dues: How Black Lives Matter in Creating White Power and Wealth. He was a featured guest on the Oprah Winfrey Show, where he discussed practical steps people can take to help end racism. Clyde is a fellow of Humanities Washington, a National Endowment for the Humanities affiliate, for whom he tours the Washington State, presenting a program entitled “Let’s Talk About Race.” We spoke about the how issues of race affect spiritual communities, the unique challenge these communities face, and Clyde’s experiences as an African-American in a Hindu ashram and a Buddhist sangha. Learn more about Clyde Ford here: http://www.clydeford.com/
Ananta Govinda is a musician, author, and multimedia producer. As a practitioner of Vedic sciences and bhakti-yoga for more than 25 years, his presentations blend artistic expression with human values. Ananta was born and raised in post-communist Russia and moved to the US as a young man, spending time on the East Coast before landing in Northern California. There, he quickly became a staple of the spiritual music scene as a producer of devotional events. Working with Google Talks, he helped bring Krishna Das, Karsh Kale, and others to their campus. His new multimedia project, Mirror of Desire, consists of a fantasy novel, a planned immersive show in a 360-degree projection dome, and an album with a fusion of contemporary world-beat, ambient, and electronic music with Eastern and Western instruments. Ananta composed all the songs and weaved in the talents of other artists. We spoke about his remarkable spiritual path, his multicultural background, and mostly Mirror of Desire. Learn more about Ananta Govinda here: https://anantagovinda.com/
Justine Willis Toms has been exploring personal, social, and spiritual transformation since 1973 as an electronic journalist, editor, and writer. She is the co-founder (with her late husband, Michael Toms), host, and creative producer of New Dimensions Radio/Media, a listener-supported service that has been conducting and disseminating leading-edge conversations for nearly half a century. With Michael Toms, she coauthored the book, True Work: Doing What You Love and Loving What You Do, and is the sole author of Small Pleasures: Finding Grace in a Chaotic World, a collection of 49 meditative essays to help readers “turn aside from their chaotic lives for a while to experience grace and possibility in the small, critically important things in life.” Through hundreds of interviews, New Dimensions has harvested the experience and wisdom of some of the world’s most innovative, enlightened, and trustworthy thinkers and teachers, changing thousands of lives for the better in the process. We spoke about her observations about the changing spiritual landscape, the lessons she’s learned, the inspiring people she’s encountered, and advice for navigating today’s world. Learn more about Justine Toms and New Dimensions here: https://newdimensions.org/.
Robert Thurman served as the Jey Tsong Khapa Professor of Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Studies in the Department of Religion at Columbia University for 30 years, until 2020. A talented popularizer of the Buddha’s teachings, he is a popular speaker and the author of many books on Tibet, Buddhism, art, politics and culture. In 2020 he was awarded the prestigious Padma Shri Award for his help in recovering India’s ancient Buddhist heritage. The New York Times called Bob the leading American expert on Tibetan Buddhism, and Time Magazine named him one of the 25 most influential Americans in 1997, describing him as a “larger than life scholar-activist destined to convey the Dharma, the precious teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha, from Asia to America.” He is also the founder and president of two non-profit organizations: Tibet House US, which is dedicated to the preservation and promotion of Tibetan culture; and the American Institute of Buddhist Studies, at Columbia U., dedicated to the publication of translations of important artistic and scientific Tibetan treatises. His own spiritual quest began in his student years when, after an accident in which he lost the use of an eye, he left Harvard and found his way to India, where he first saw the Dalai Lama in 1962. He learned Tibetan, studied Buddhism, and became the first Westerner the Dalai Lama ordained as a monk in his tradition. He eventually offered up his robes and returned to academia and the householder life. We spoke about Buddhism, his remarkable spiritual path, and his good friend the Dalai Lama. Learn more about Robert Thurman here: https://bobthurman.com/about/
Kalyan Viswanathan is currently serving as the President of Hindu University of America (HUA) and is guiding its renewal and revitalization. For more than 20 years, he was a student of Pujya Swami Dayananda Saraswati of Arsha Vidya Gurukulam, which was established in the Advaita Vedanta lineage and has a branch in Pennsylvania. Prior to his involvement with HUA, Kalyan was a Global Practice Head for one of India’s largest IT Services Company, with a 20-plus year track record. He holds a Master’s Degree in Computer Science and a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering. He is also enrolled in HUA’s MA/PhD Program in Hindu Studies, and serves as the President of Dharma Civilization Foundation in Los Angeles and the Sanatana Dharma Foundation in Dallas, Texas, where he resides. We spoke mainly about the history, mission, and purpose of Hindu University of America. Learn more about Kalyan Viswanathan here, https://www.hua.edu/people/mr-kalyan-viswanathan/, and about HUA here: https://www.hua.edu/
Karen Brailsford is an author, a spiritual guide, and a licensed spiritual practitioner with the Agape International Spiritual Center in Los Angeles, where she now lives. An experienced journalist, she has worked on staff at Newsweek, Elle, People, In Touch and E! Entertainment, covering arts and culture, Hollywood, fashion, beauty, and human interest. Her writing has also appeared in The New York Times Book Review, Black Enterprise, Interview, and other publications. Her paintings have been exhibited at Santa Monica’s Bergamot Station and other venues. She grew up in New York and graduated from The Brearley School and Yale University. She recently published her first book, Sacred Landscapes of the Soul: Aligning with the Divine Wherever You Are. We spoke about her path, her work as a spiritual guide, and her inspirational, beautifully illustrated book. Learn more about Karen Brailsford here: https://www.karenbrailsford.com
Vikram Zutshi and Debashish Banerji return to Spirit Matters, this time together, to discuss their film “Darshan: The Living Art of India,” a documentary about India’s folk art traditions. Vikram Zutshi is a filmmaker, journalist and independent scholar who divides his time between the US, Mexico and South East Asia. After graduating from UCLA, he worked initially as development executive at various studios, then in film and TV production before transitioning into directing. His debut feature was “Max Kennedy and the American Dream” and his most recent is “Darshan.” A prolific writer on art, religion, cinema, popular culture, and politics he has been featured in numerous publications and is currently working on a nonfiction book and his first novel. Debashish Banerji is the Haridas Chaudhuri Professor of Indian Philosophies and Cultures and the Doshi Professor of Asian Art at the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS), San Francisco. He is the co-founder and Executive Director of Nalanda International and founder/President of the Center for Promotion of Indian Sacred Culture. He has authored and edited books and art catalogs on major figures such as Rabindranath Tagore and Sri Aurobindo. His most recent books are Meditations on the Isha Upanishad and Integral Yoga Psychology. He wrote and produced Darshan. We spoke about the content of the film, the making of the film, and the larger topic of devotional arts in India. Learn more about Vikram Zutshi here, https://thedailyeye.info/post.php?id=a47e99ec1186fbbe&title=Of-Borders-and-Boundaries, and about Debashish Banerji here: https://debashishbanerji.com/
Kim Harris is the Assistant Professor of African American Thought and Practice in the Department of Theological Studies at Loyola Marymount University. In addition to teaching courses on Black liberation and Womanist theologies, Dr. Harris leads music in a variety of liturgical and academic settings. Harris earned a PhD in worship and the arts from Union Theological Seminary in New York City. In fulfillment of her degree, she composed Welcome Table: A Mass of Spirituals. She lectures on the music of the Black Catholic experience, the spirituals of the Underground Railroad and the freedom songs of the Civil Rights Movement. Harris is a member of the Black Catholic Theological Symposium and the North American Academy of Liturgy. She is an academic member of the African American Catholic Center for Evangelization in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, as well as a liturgical consultant for the Archdiocese of New York Office of Black Ministry. We spoke about the role of music in spirituality historically and in the current moment, and we were treated to some glorious a capella singing. Learn more about Kim Harris here: http://www.drkimharris.com/bio_000.htm
This is the second interview with Spirit Matters cohost Philip Goldberg about his new book, Spiritual Practice for Crazy Times; Powerful Tools to Cultivate Calm, Clarity and Courage, which was just released as a paperback and audiobook. Phil has been studying the world’s spiritual traditions for 50 years, as a practitioner, teacher, and writer. He is the author or coauthor of numerous books, including Roadsigns on the Spiritual Path, the award-winning American Veda: From Emerson and the Beatles to Yoga and Meditation, How Indian Spirituality Changed the West, and the only full-scale biography of Paramahansa Yogananda, The Life of Yogananda: The Story of the Yogi who Became the First Modern Guru. An Interfaith Minister and spiritual counselor, he was trained as a teacher of Transcendental Meditation by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and has lectured in a wide range of venues throughout the U.S. and India. He blogs on Elephant Journal and Spirituality & Health magazine, cohosts this podcast, and conducts American Veda Tours. Learn more about Phil here: www.PhilipGoldberg.com
Jeffery Martin is the founder of the Center for the Study of Non-Symbolic Consciousness and co-founder of the Transformative Technology lab in Silicon Valley. A serial entrepreneur and a social scientist who researches personal transformation and the highest forms of human wellbeing, for the last 15 years he has conducted a scientific study on Fundamental Wellbeing, which includes states commonly called enlightenment, nonduality, and other terms. This resulted in the first cross-cultural, pan-tradition classification system for these types of experience. More recently, Jeffery has used this research to help people obtain profound benefits in a rapid, secular, reliable, and safe way. His programs included the Finders Course experiments (a 4-month protocol) and more recently the 45 Days to Awakening Challenge and Experiment, (a 6-week protocol). His research is dedicated to helping people integrate Fundamental Wellbeing into their lives so they can maximally thrive. Jeffery's also researches the use of direct brain and nervous system stimulation to help people reliably reach Fundamental Wellbeing. A bestselling author and award-winning educator, he has authored, co-authored, or co-edited more than 20 books. He is currently affiliated with Stanford University. We spoke about his groundbreaking research and related projects. Learn more about Jeffery Martin here: http://DrJefferyMartin.com
Jac O’Keeffe is a spiritual teacher whose teachings cultivate wisdom, honesty and integrity. She exposes taboos that are usually avoided in spiritual circles and encourages conversations around issues fundamental to human experience, such as money, sex, and power. She emphasizes the need to make spirituality relevant and applicable to regular life, and empowers students in their own inner exploration, helping them to cultivate inner autonomy and responsibility for their spiritual and human evolution. Jac is also a founder of the Association for Spiritual Integrity (ASI), a charitable organization that encourages and supports spiritual leaders of all traditions to engage in their own ongoing personal and professional growth. ASI strives to promote ethical standards and transparency among spiritual teachers. Her books include Born to Be Free and How to Be a Spiritual Rebel. We spoke about her own remarkable path, her work with students, and the Association for Spiritual Integrity. Learn more about Jac O’Keeffe here: www.jac-okeeffe.com
Rita D. Sherma is founding Director and Associate Professor at the Mira & Ajay Shingal Center for Dharma Studies; Core Doctoral Faculty; and Co-Chair of the Sustainability 360 Initiative at Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, CA. Formerly, she was the Swami Vivekananda Visiting Professor in Hindu Studies at USC. She holds an MA in Women’s Studies in Religion, and a PhD in Theology & Ethics from Claremont Graduate University. She also co-founded the American Academy of Religion’s Hinduism Program Unit and is the founding Vice President of DANAM (Dharma Academy of North America)—a scholarly society for research on Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain religious & interreligious studies. Dr. Sherma has authored, edited or co-edited several books and is the founding Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Dharma Studies. We spoke about the unique Hindu Chaplaincy program she recently started at GTU, as well as other subjects related to Hinduism, India and academia. Learn more about Rita Sherma here: www.gtu.edu/academics/rita-sherma
Jai Uttal is a singer, multi-instrumentalist and producer. Hailed as a world music pioneer, his powerful voice and panoramic musical vision have been at the core of the yoga community’s embrace of kirtan—India’s traditional call-and-response devotional chanting. Having studied for years with the sarod master Ali Akbar Khan, Jai’s music is deeply rooted in the Indian classical tradition, but is also imbued with other influences, including reggae, rock, folk, Brazilian music and Bollywood. His latest release, Gauri’s Lullaby: Music for Healing and Other Joys, is his first instrumental album. Jai has also held Kirtan Camps in Northern California and international locations for almost 20 years, and this year he’s offering the camp online. We spoke mainly about his newest album, kirtan, bhakti yoga, and life in the pandemic. Learn more about Jai Uttal here. http://jaiuttal.com/
Rick Hanson, PhD, is a psychologist and senior fellow of the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley. A New York Times bestselling author, his books have sold more than 900,000 copies in English and have been published in 28 languages. They include Resilient; Hardwiring Happiness; Just One Thing; Buddha’s Brain; Mother Nurture; and his latest work Neurodharma. Dr. Hanson is the founder of the Wellspring Institute for Neuroscience and Contemplative Wisdom. He has been an invited speaker at Google, NASA, Oxford, and Harvard, and has taught in meditation centers worldwide. He has several online offerings, including the Neurodharma experiential program, and his free weekly newsletter is read by more than 150,000 people. We spoke about the evolving intersection of science and spirituality and the key insights to be gleaned from his latest book, Neurodharma. Learn more about Rick Hanson here: https://www.rickhanson.net/.
Christopher Stevenson has a bachelor’s degree in applied physics and masters degrees in teaching physics and agricultural engineering. He taught high school math and physics and was a systems engineer and scientist for the Navy and the Department of Homeland Security. Since 2004, he has helped build an R&D and Data Science consulting company into an industry leader with more than seventy employees and $20M in annual sales. His overriding interest is buttressing civil society, founding the non-profit Community Levee Association, which championed the indispensability of virtue to the American experiment in self-government, and writing Letters from an American Husband and Father: Championing Virtue as the Most Durable Empire. Christopher was also the founder of America’s Quilt of Faith, which championed religious freedom as essential to American democracy. He currently serves as president of the National Museum of American Religion project. We spoke about his vision for that proposed museum in Washington, D.C. and the importance of religion in American history. Learn more about Christopher Stevenson and the National Museum of American Religion here, http://storyofamericanreligion.org/, and in these videos: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfmJ2comwdYcOEAilUrKUrw
Mark Nepo is the author of 18 books, including the #1 New York Times bestseller The Book of Awakening. He has been called "one of the finest spiritual guides of our time," "a consummate storyteller," and "an eloquent spiritual teacher." Mark has appeared several times on Oprah Winfrey’s Super Soul Sunday program on OWN TV. He also offers readings, lectures, and retreats. His books, which have been translated into more than 20 languages, include The One Life We're Given; Inside the Miracle, named by Spirituality & Health Magazine as one of the top ten books of 2015; Things That Join the Sea and the Sky, and his latest, The Book of Soul: 52 Paths to Living What Matters. On this, his second visit to Spirit Matters, we spoke about his new book, life during the pandemic, and his new webinar series, The One Life We’re Given. Learn more about Mark Nepo here: http://www.marknepo.com
Miranda Macpherson is a spiritual teacher, modern mystic and author. Originally from Australia and now living in Northern California, she is internationally recognized as a guide into direct experience of the Sacred. Miranda’s holistic approach to spiritual surrender and non-dual realization is based on the practice of Ego Relaxation. She invites others to become more graceful human beings, deepening through inquiry, meditation, devotion and psychological integration. Grounded in extensive study of the world’s wisdom traditions, Miranda is inspired by Ramana Maharshi, A Course in Miracles, and more recently, the Diamond Approach. In her twenties, she founded the OneSpirit Interfaith Foundation in London, where she trained and ordained over 600 ministers. Today she leads the Living Grace sanghas in Northern California, teaches retreats across the USA and Europe, and global online courses through The Shift Network. Her latest book is The Way of Grace: The Transforming Power of Ego Relaxation. We spoke about her personal path, her new book, and her approach to spiritual awakening. Learn more about Miranda Macpherson here: https://www.mirandamacpherson.com/bio/
Dr. Barbara De Angelis is a best-selling author, popular TV personality and sought-after motivational speaker who has inspired tens of millions of people over more than 35 years. The author of 16 books that have sold more than ten million copies in 25 languages, her expertise in personal transformation and spiritual development is recognized worldwide. One of only five women to win the Toastmasters International Golden Gavel Award, she hosted a daily TV show for CBS and a popular radio talk show in Los Angeles. She has been a frequent guest on Oprah, The Today Show, Good Morning America, The View, and other popular shows. This is Barbara's second visit to Spirit Matters. On the first occasion, we spoke about her latest book, The Choice for Love: Entering into a New, Enlightened Relationship with Yourself, Others and the World. This interview was recorded during the covid-19 pandemic, and we focused on her observations and advice about the crisis, and her new webinar, Walking the Illuminated Path. Learn more about Barbara De Angelis here: http://barbaradeangelis.com.
Swami B.V. Tripurari is a lifelong monk and practitioner of Gaudiya Vaishnavism, a Hindu tradition that advocates the path of devotion to God (bhakti yoga). Since the 1970s, Swami has traveled the world as a simple renunciate, learning deeply from elders on the path, and inspiring others to cultivate nonviolence and devotion. He is the author of nine scholarly books on the theology and philosophy of Gaudiya Vaishnavism, including Joy of Self and Aesthetic Vedanta: The Sacred Path of Passionate Love. Through his books, three ecologically sustainable intentional communities, international retreats, hours of poetic discourse, and his own personal example, Swami addresses the anxieties of postmodern life with practical mystic insight in ways that provide meaning and impetus to engage in selfless giving. Learn more about Swami Tripurari here: www.swami.org
This is a special interview with Spirit Matters cohost Philip Goldberg, about his new book, Spiritual Practice for Crazy Times; Powerful Tools to Cultivate Calm, Clarity and Courage. Phil has been studying the world’s spiritual traditions for 50 years, as a practitioner, teacher, and writer. He is the author or coauthor of numerous books, including Roadsigns on the Spiritual Path, the award-winning American Veda: From Emerson and the Beatles to Yoga and Meditation, How Indian Spirituality Changed the West, and the only full-scale biography of Paramahansa Yogananda, The Life of Yogananda: The Story of the Yogi who Became the First Modern Guru. An Interfaith Minister and spiritual counselor, he was trained as a teacher of Transcendental Meditation by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and has lectured in a wide range of venues throughout the U.S. and India. He blogs on Elephant Journal and Spirituality & Health magazine, cohosts this podcast, and conducts tours of India with American Veda Tours. Learn more about Phil here: www.PhilipGoldberg.com.
Isha Das (Craig Bullock) is an accomplished teacher, writer, lecturer, and practicing psychotherapist. The co-founder and spiritual director of The Assisi Institute in Rochester, New York, he holds graduate degrees in Religious Studies from the University of Notre Dame and Clinical Psychology from the University of Duquesne. His education includes extensive study in psychology, spirituality, mysticism, world religions, and yoga, and his mentors include Father Richard Rohr and Roy Eugene Davis, a direct disciple of Paramahansa Yogananda who ordained Isha Das as a minister and Kriya Yoga teacher. He is the author of Open Wider the Door: The Integration of Kriya Yoga and Mystical Christianity and other books. His stated mission is “to present the teachings of Jesus in a fresh spirit and to show the underlying unity between Jesus Christ and Paramahansa Yogananda.” We spoke about that aspect of his work and the spiritual teachings of St. Francis of Assisi. Learn more about Isha Das here: https://assisi-institute.org/isha-das/.
John Prendergast is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with a psychotherapy practice in San Rafael, CA. A Bay Area native, he received his M.A. and Ph.D. from the California Institute of Integral Studies, where he served as adjunct professor of psychology. His long-time commitment to spiritual growth as both a practitioner and teacher began in 1971. His path has touched upon Transcendental Meditation, Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj, Jean Klein (a European medical doctor and master of Advaita Vedanta and Kashmiri Shaivism), Sri Ramana Maharshi, Byron Katie and Mata Amritanandamayi (Ammachi). Most recently, he has studied with Adyashanti. This is our second visit with John. In our first interview we discussed his book In Touch: How to Tune in to the Inner Guidance of Your Body and Trust Yourself. This time we focused on his new book, The Deep Heart: Our Portal to Presence, and what John calls “the convergence of psychological healing and spiritual awakening.” Learn more about John Prendergast here: www.listeningfromsilence.com
Mirabai Starr writes creative non-fiction and contemporary translations of sacred literature, especially the Spanish mystics. She taught Philosophy and World Religions at the University of New Mexico-Taos for 20 years and now teaches and speaks internationally on contemplative practice and inter-spiritual dialog. A certified bereavement counselor, Mirabai helps mourners harness the transformational power of loss. Her books include Dark Night of the Soul (about John of the Cross), The Interior Castle (about Teresa of Avila), God of Love: A Guide to the Heart of Judaism, Christianity & Islam, and Caravan of No Despair: A Memoir of Loss and Transformation. Her most recent book, Wild Mercy: Living the Fierce & Tender Wisdom of the Women Mystics, was the subject of our last interview with her. This is the fourth time she’s been on the show. We spoke on March 23, 2020, in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic when much of the world was in lockdown. We reached out to Mirabai to speak about the wisdom and comfort that the female mystics can offer in such a crisis, and about her upcoming Shift Network course on the Divine Feminine. Learn more about Mirabai Starr here: http://mirabaistarr.com/about/
Raghu Markus has been involved in music and transformational media since the early 1970s when he was program director of CKGM-FM in Montreal. He spent two years in India with Neem Karoli Baba and Ram Dass, and in 1974 collaborated with Ram Dass on the box set Love Serve Remember. (This interview is mainly an homage to Ram Dass, with whom Raghu remained closely associated until Ram Dass passed in December 2019.) In 1990 he launched Triloka Records and Karuna Music. Triloka became a critical leader in the development of world music and was home to such artists as Krishna Das, Hugh Masekela, Walela, and Jai Uttal, as well as transformational media projects. Raghu was also associate producer for on-line and television events for Ram Dass, Oprah Winfrey, and Eckhart Tolle. He currently serves as Executive Director of the Love Serve Remember Foundation and hosts the Mindrolling Podcast (on the Be Here Now Network), which is about “the intersection of culture, consciousness and realization.” We spoke mainly about Ram Dass. Learn more about Raghu Markus here: https://beherenownetwork.com/category/raghu-markus/
Stephan Bodian offers webinars, retreats, videos, books, and spiritual counseling that make profound spiritual teachings and practices accessible to a global audience. His ground-breaking guidebook Meditation for Dummies helped bring mindfulness to the mainstream, and Wake Up Now offered a road map of the journey to spiritual awakening. His other books include Timeless Visions, Healing Voices and Everyday Mindfulness. He was editor-in-chief of Yoga Journal for 10 years, and his articles on meditation, spirituality, and health have appeared in various magazines. A licensed psychotherapist, Stephan has been a pioneer in the integration of Eastern wisdom and Western psychology. He blends compassionate self-inquiry, nondual insight, and transformational techniques, offering a “direct approach” to self-realization that bypasses deliberate practices and points directly to our very own awakened awareness. We spoke about all of that and more. Learn more about Stephan Bodian here: stephanbodian.org
Micah Mortali holds a master’s degree from Goddard College and is the author of the book Rewilding: Meditations, Practices and Skills for Awakening in Nature, published by Sounds True. Micah’s life’s work is about reconnecting modern people with the restorative powers of the living earth through mindfulness, yoga and rewilding practices. His writing and teaching is inspired by the Haudenosaunee concept of the seventh generation, and he believes that we are collectively called to consider the ramifications of our actions today to those living in 2229. A 500-hour Kripalu Yoga Teacher and a Level 2 Mindful Outdoor Guide, he is the founder of the Kripalu School of Mindful Outdoor Leadership and the Director of the Kripalu Schools. He leads trainings, retreats and seminars on rewilding and mindful outdoor leadership at Kripalu and across New England. We spoke about his new book, being in nature as a spiritual practice, and exercises that focus on being present and attentive in the wild. Learn more about Micah Mortali here: https://micahmortali.com/
udith Teitelman has straddled the worlds of arts, literature and business since she was a teenager, and worked her first job as a salesperson at a B.Dalton/Pickwick Bookstore. Life’s journeys took her from bookstores to commercial fine art galleries to the nonprofit arts and cultural sector, in which she has worked as staff, consultant and educator for more than three decades.Throughout this time, Teitelman continued her pursuit of all things literary. Guesthouse for Ganesha, her debut novel, is described as “a tale of love, loss, and spirit reclaimed” that weaves “Eastern beliefs and perspectives with Western realities and pragmatism.” The journey of the main character, a young Jewish woman, ranges from 1920s Germany to India, and the narrator is Ganesha, the elephant-headed deity known as the destroyer of obstacles. We spoke about the novel and her own spiritual path. Learn more about Judith Teitelman here: https://guesthouseforganesha.com/about-the-author/
Spring Washam is a well-known meditation teacher, author and visionary leader based in California and Peru. Considered a pioneer in bringing mindfulness-based healing practices to diverse communities, she is one of the founders and core teachers at the East Bay Meditation Center in downtown Oakland, CA. She received extensive training by Jack Kornfield, is a member of the teacher’s council at Spirit Rock Meditation Center in northern California, and has practiced and studied Buddhist philosophy in both the Theravada and Tibetan schools of Buddhism for the last 20 years. A shamanic practitioner, she has studied indigenous healing practices for over a decade and founded Lotus Vine Journeys, an organization that blends indigenous healing practices with Buddhist wisdom. She teaches meditation retreats, workshops and classes worldwide. Her writing has appeared in many online journals and publications such as Lions Roar, Tricycle, and Belief.net. Her new book is A Fierce Heart: Finding Strength, Courage, and Wisdom in Any Moment. Learn more about Spring Washam here: http://www.springwasham.com/
Arthur Kleinman MD, is one of the most influential scholars and writers on psychiatry, anthropology, global health, and cultural issues in medicine. Educated at Stanford University and Stanford Medical School, he is currently professor of psychiatry and of medical anthropology at Harvard Medical School as well as Esther and Sidney Rabb Professor of Anthropology in Harvard’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences. Having spent decades doing field research in China and Taiwan, he is also a leading expert on East Asia, and was the Victor and William Fung Director of Harvard’s Asia Center from 2008 to 2016. He is a member of the National Academy of Medicine and of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. His latest book is The Soul of Care: The Moral Education of a Husband and a Doctor, a memoir of his spiritual and moral transformation as caregiver for his wife, who was stricken with Alzheimers. We spoke about the subject of that book, his profound experience, the undervalued importance of care in medicine, and his prescriptions for medical education. Learn more about Dr. Arthur Kleinman here
Arthur Kleinman, MD, is one of the most influential scholars and writers on psychiatry, anthropology, global health, and cultural issues in medicine. Educated at Stanford University and Stanford Medical School, he is currently professor of psychiatry and of medical anthropology at Harvard Medical School as well as Esther and Sidney Rabb Professor of Anthropology in Harvard’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences. Having spent decades doing field research in China and Taiwan, he is also a leading expert on East Asia, and was the Victor and William Fung Director of Harvard’s Asia Center from 2008 to 2016. He is a member of the National Academy of Medicine and of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. His latest book is The Soul of Care: The Moral Education of a Husband and a Doctor, a memoir of his spiritual and moral transformation as caregiver for his wife, who was stricken with Alzheimers. We spoke about the subject of that book, his profound experience, the undervalued importance of care in medicine, and his prescriptions for medical education. Learn more about Dr. Arthur Kleinman here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Kleinman
Peter Booth is a scholar and translator of the 14th Century Persian poet Hafiz. A member of the DC-area Iranian Culture Association (Kanoon Iran), he studied Sanskrit and sacred Indian texts at Georgetown University, received a B.A. in English Literature from Bard College, and attended Harvard Graduate School in Persian Language and Literature. He then studied Persian Literature at Ferdowsi University of Mashhad in Iran. For 32 years he was a resident in Avatar Meher Baba’s home, Meherabad, in rural India, where he helped build water and electrical systems, roads, and other infrastructure. He is currently completing a detailed study of Hafiz’s poetry, titled The Incomparable Hafiz. Peter is also a contributor to the new book, The Illuminated Hafiz: Love Poems for the Journey to Light. We spoke about that book as well as Peter’s own spiritual path and Meher Baba. Learn more about Peter Booth and Meher Baba here: https://www.meherbabatravels.com/films-videos/film-vhs-dvd-makers/peter-booth/
Duncan Ryuken Williams was born in Tokyo to a Japanese mother and British father. After growing up in Japan and England, he moved to the U.S. to attend Reed College and then Harvard, where he earned a Ph.D. in Religion. He is currently Professor of Religion and East Asian Languages & Cultures at the University of Southern California, and the Director of the USC Shinso Ito Center for Japanese Religions and Culture. He was ordained in 1993 as a Buddhist priest in the Soto Zen tradition and served as the Buddhist chaplain at Harvard from 1994-96. The editor or co-editor of many academic publications, he is the author of The Other Side of Zen: A Social History of Soto Zen Buddhism in Tokugawa Japan and most recently, American Sutra: A Story of Faith and Freedom in the Second World War. We spoke about Zen, his unusual background, the history of Buddhism in America, and the internment of Japanese Americans in World War II. Learn more about Duncan Williams here: https://www.duncanryukenwilliams.com/
Duncan Ryuken Williams was born in Tokyo to a Japanese mother and British father. After growing up in Japan and England, he moved to the U.S. to attend Reed College and then Harvard, where he earned a Ph.D. in Religion. He is currently Professor of Religion and East Asian Languages & Cultures at the University of Southern California, and the Director of the USC Shinso Ito Center for Japanese Religions and Culture. He was ordained in 1993 as a Buddhist priest in the Soto Zen tradition and served as the Buddhist chaplain at Harvard from 1994-96. The editor or co-editor of many academic publications, he is the author of The Other Side of Zen: A Social History of Soto Zen Buddhism in Tokugawa Japan and most recently, American Sutra: A Story of Faith and Freedom in the Second World War. We spoke about Zen, his unusual background, the history of Buddhism in America, and the internment of Japanese Americans in World War II. Learn more about Duncan Williams here: https://www.duncanryukenwilliams.com/
Duncan Ryuken Williams was born in Tokyo to a Japanese mother and British father. After growing up in Japan and England, he moved to the U.S. to attend Reed College and then Harvard, where he earned a Ph.D. in Religion. He is currently Professor of Religion and East Asian Languages & Cultures at the University of Southern California, and the Director of the USC Shinso Ito Center for Japanese Religions and Culture. He was ordained in 1993 as a Buddhist priest in the Soto Zen tradition and served as the Buddhist chaplain at Harvard from 1994-96. The editor or co-editor of many academic publications, he is the author of The Other Side of Zen: A Social History of Soto Zen Buddhism in Tokugawa Japan and most recently, American Sutra: A Story of Faith and Freedom in the Second World War. We spoke about Zen, his unusual background, the history of Buddhism in America, and the internment of Japanese Americans in World War II. Learn more about Duncan Williams here: https://www.duncanryukenwilliams.com/
Christian Conte, PhD, is a licensed professional counselor, a certified Domestic Violence Counselor, and a Certified Level V Anger Management Specialist (the highest level possible). The creator of “Yield Theory”—which combines radical compassion with conscious education—for the effective treatment of anger issues, he was the resident therapist on VH1’s Family Therapy, co-host of USA Network’s The Secret Life of Kids, and co-host of Spike TV’s Coaching Bad with football Hall of Famer, Ray Lewis. He currently applies his Yield Theory in maximum security prisons throughout Pennsylvania. The author of Zen Parent, Zen Child and The Anger Management Workbook, his latest book, Walking through Anger: A New Design for Confronting Conflict in an Emotional Charged World, was recently published by Sounds True. We spoke about his Buddhist-oriented spirituality, his work with prisoners, how to deal with our own and others’ anger, and related issues. Learn more about Christian Conte here: www.DrChristianConte.com
Christian Conte, PhD, is a licensed professional counselor, a certified Domestic Violence Counselor, and a Certified Level V Anger Management Specialist (the highest level possible). The creator of “Yield Theory”—which combines radical compassion with conscious education—for the effective treatment of anger issues, he was the resident therapist on VH1’s Family Therapy, co-host of USA Network’s The Secret Life of Kids, and co-host of Spike TV’s Coaching Bad with football Hall of Famer, Ray Lewis. He currently applies his Yield Theory in maximum security prisons throughout Pennsylvania. The author of Zen Parent, Zen Child and The Anger Management Workbook, his latest book, Walking through Anger: A New Design for Confronting Conflict in an Emotional Charged World, was recently published by Sounds True. We spoke about his Buddhist-oriented spirituality, his work with prisoners, how to deal with our own and others’ anger, and related issues. Learn more about Christian Conte here: www.DrChristianConte.com
Sarah Taylor is a stand-up comedian and actor as well as a spiritual/creative mentor and energy healing practitioner based in Los Angeles. She has performed on NBC, CBS, ABC, and at many top comedy clubs, including The Laugh Factory, The Comedy Store, and The Improv. After undergoing a series of profound, radical, and abiding inner shifts, she began serving others as a catalyst to turn inward and realize the radiance of their true nature. When she performs Cosmic Joke at The Hollywood Improv Lab she ends with a short meditation. Her The Divine Mess Show is a one-of-a-kind experience that combines comedy and a longer healing meditation. She is working on a book title Basic Sh*t: What You Need To Know About Healing, Thriving, And Waking Up. We spoke about her spiritual breakthroughs, the link between humor and spirituality, and her work as both an entertainer and a spiritual teacher/healer. Learn more about Sarah Taylor here: www.sarahtaylor.org
Peter Sterios is an internationally recognized yoga teacher and architect based in San Luis Obispo, CA. He is the founder of LEVITYoGA, MANDUKA, and creator of the popular yoga DVD series “Gravity & Grace,” which is one of Yoga Journal’s top 15 yoga DVDs of all time. For three years (2011-2013) Peter taught yoga at the White House for Michelle Obama’s anti-obesity initiatives, and in 2018, he was invited to the Pentagon to share his ideas about yoga’s therapeutic effects for the US Marine Corps. He also co-founded KarmaNICA, a charitable organization for underprivileged children in rural Nicaragua. His first book Gravity & Grace: How to Awaken Your Subtle Body and the Healing Power of Yoga was recently published. We spoke about his new book, what he means by “subtle body,” his work at the White House, and his take on the contemporary yoga scene. Learn more about Peter Sterios here: https://levityoga.com/peter-sterios-welcome-and-biography
Dani Antman is an internationally known energy healer and interfaith minister in Santa Barbara, CA. She has been at the forefront of energy medicine and healing since 1992, when she graduated from the Barbara Brennan School of Healing. Dani was a senior teacher at the School for Nondual Healing and Awakening for more than nine years, has led workshops at the Esalen Institute and other venues, and is trained to work with PTSD and trauma. She has also spent years immersed in the study of Kabbalah and Kundalini Science and employs both system in helping others progress on their spiritual path. She is the author of Wired for God: Adventures of a Jewish Yogi. We spoke about her memoir, her remarkable spiritual journey, and the nuances of Kabbalah and Kundalini. Learn more about Dani Antman here: http://www.wiredforgod.com/
Eiman Al Zaabi is a Muslim spiritual teacher and life coach who integrates the principles of harmony, beauty, and unity in her teachings. Raised in a Muslim Arab family in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, she embarked on a spiritual journey sparked by struggles with anxiety and depression. It led to years of in-depth research into science, energy medicine, and various religions and spiritual traditions, culminating in her book, The Art of Surrender, A Practical Guide to Enlightened Happiness and Well-Being. Eiman holds a degree in business information technology and a master’s in business administration. She works at New York University’s Abu Dhabi campus. We spoke about Islam, life in Abu Dhabi, and mostly about the meaning of surrender and other insights from her book. Learn more about Eiman Al Zaabi here: www.eimanalzaabi.com
Richard Geldard is a writer and lecturer living in New York City and the Hudson Valley. He is married to the artist and writer Astrid Fitzgerald. Before turning to writing he was an administrator and teacher at the secondary, undergraduate, and graduate levels. Prior to his retirement, his graduate appointments were to the faculties of the Holmes Institute for the Study of Consciousness, the Pacifica Graduate Institute, and the University of Philosophical Research. He earned his doctorate from Stanford University in Dramatic Literature and Classics, and also studied at St. John's College, Oxford. Richard’s twelve books include studies of Ralph Waldo Emerson and the American Transcendentalists as well as Greek philosophy and culture. His most recent book is a novella, The Magdalene Gates. We spoke first about Emerson then segued to his research on Mary Magdalen and his decision to render his findings in fiction. Learn more about Richard Geldard here: https://www.rgbooks.com/abouttheauthor.htm
Loch Kelly, M.Div., LCSW, is an educator, contemplative psychotherapist, and recognized leader in the field of consciousness and awakening. He is a graduate of Columbia University and Union Theological Seminary, where he received a fellowship to study Insight Meditation, Advaita, and Tibetan Buddhism. He trained with Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche in Nepal, served on the Teacher’s Council at New York Insight, and is affiliated with Adyashanti. The founder of the non-profit Open-Hearted Awareness Institute, Loch has worked in community mental health, established homeless shelters, and counseled family members after 9/11. He collaborates with neuroscientists to study how awareness training enhances compassion and wellbeing. He is the author of Shift into Freedom, the subject of our previous interview with him, and his latest The Way of Effortless Mindfulness. He teaches direct methods of effortless mindfulness, informed by psychology and social justice. We spoke about his work in general and the methods he highlights in his new book. Learn more about Loch Kelly here: https://lochkelly.org
Michael Benner is well known throughout Southern California for his popular human potential talk radio programs, most recently on KPFK-FM. He left broadcasting in 1987 to start Personal Development Strategies, which has offices in La Quinta near Palm Springs, California. He provides counseling and personal development training to individuals and couples, as well as consulting, training, and coaching for business executives, managers, and teams. His strategies include self-awareness, emotional intelligence, stress management, critical thinking, and relationship management. Michael is the author of Fearless Intelligence — The Extraordinary Wisdom of Awareness, and has written the breakthrough self-awareness training Internal Vigilance, which was commissioned by the Orange County California Sheriff’s Academy. He has also served as the Sports Psychology Consultant for the U.S.C. women’s tennis team and the Burbank Burroughs High School baseball team. We spoke about his work and his insights as a long-time observer of the spiritual scene. Learn more about Michael Benner here: https://www.michaelbenner.com/
Philip Shepherd originated The Embodied Present Process™ (TEPP), a unique set of practices that reunite the intelligence of the head with that of the body. He is the author of New Self, New World: Recovering Our Senses in the Twenty-first Century, and Radical Wholeness: The Embodied Present and the Ordinary Grace of Being. His work draws on a lifetime of research and adventure that includes cycling alone as a teenager through Europe, the Middle East, Iran, India and Japan; studying classical Noh Theater in Japan; designing and building several houses; co-founding an arts magazine; co-founding an interdisciplinary theatre company; writing two internationally produced plays and a television documentary; and playing lead roles on stages in London, New York, Chicago and Toronto. He currently travels the world sharing workshops and Facilitators Trainings, and is also developing an app based on his work. We spoke about embodied spirituality and his work grounding people in physical experience. Learn more about Philip Shepherd here: https://philipshepherd.com/
Jeffery D. Long is Professor of Religion and Asian Studies at Elizabethtown College, in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania, where he has taught since receiving his PhD from the University of Chicago Divinity School in 2000. He is the editor, most recently, of the volume Perspectives on Reincarnation: Hindu, Christian, and Scientific, as well as the co-editor of the Buddhism and Jainism volumes of the Encyclopedia of Indian Religions. He is also the author of numerous scholarly articles and three books, A Vision for Hinduism; Jainism: An Introduction; and the Historical Dictionary of Hinduism (which will soon be published in a second edition). He is in the process of publishing two more books, Hinduism in America: A Convergence of Worlds and Indian Philosophy: An Introduction. Last summer, he received the Hindu American Foundation’s Dharma Seva Award for his efforts to ensure more accurate and culturally sensitive presentations of Hindu traditions in the American education system. In this, our second interview with Jeffery, we spoke almost exclusively about reincarnation. Learn more about Jeffery Long here: https://www.etown.edu/depts/religious-studies/faculty.aspx
Tami Simon founded Sounds True, a multi-media publishing company dedicated to disseminating spiritual wisdom, in 1985, when she was only 22. The company created and distributed audio recordings of important spiritual teachers, and over time evolved into digital and online audios and expanded into book publishing as well. As a pioneer in mindful living and the conscious business movement, Tami focuses on leading with authenticity and heart. She hosts a popular weekly podcast called "Insights at the Edge," where she interviews many of today's leading spiritual teachers, delving deeply into their discoveries and personal experiences on their own journeys. With Sounds True, she has released her own audio program, "Being True: What Matters Most in Work, Life, and Love." We spoke about the origins of her company and her path, the insights she’s gleaned from the many teachers she’s worked with, and other topics. Learn more about Tami Simon here: https://www.soundstrue.com/store/tami-simon-author.html
Gary Gach is a writer, mystic, and teacher in the Plum Village lineage of his root teacher, Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh, with whom he studied for more than 20 years. He is the editor of What Book!? – Buddha Poems from Beat to Hiphop and the author of the bestselling The Complete Idiot's Guide To Buddhism. His latest book is Pause, Breathe, Smile: Awakening Mindfulness When Meditation Is Not Enough, which Spirituality & Practice named one of the best spiritual books of 2018. He calls it “a practical handbook of the mindful life from a spiritual perspective.” We spoke about his spiritual history, the secularization of Buddhism, Thich Nhat Hanh, and Pause, Breathe, Smile. Learn more about Gary Gach here: http://garygach.com
Graham Schweig is a Professor and the Director of Studies in Religion at Christopher Newport University in Virginia. He is also affiliated with The Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley and the Avanti Schools Trust in the UK. He earned his doctorate from Harvard in comparative religion, specializing g in sacred Sanskrit literature. A student of many traditional teachers, he has been to India seven times and has practiced meditational and heart-centered yoga for over 45 years. He has offered numerous seminars and lectures in the US and Europe, and has delivered over three dozen lectures on religion and yoga at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC. His over 100 articles, chapters, and books include a widely-used translation of the Bhagavad Gita (Harper Collins). With his life-partner Catherine, he is co-founder of The Secret Yoga, which presents workshops on the philosophical foundations of yoga, the deeper dimensions of meditation, and other important themes. We spoke about his own spiritual history and his varied work in both academia and the larger culture. Learn more about Graham Schweig here: http://www.grahamschweig.com/
Deva Premal and Miten have been performing sacred music together for more than 20 years. Since the release of their first recording, The Essence, their mantra-based albums have exceeded 1.5 million sales. They have 550,000 monthly Spotify listeners and 400,000 Facebook followers; they have been featured in major media outlets, including The Wall Street Journal, The Los Angeles Times, and The Huffington Post; their original chants are widely used on meditation, yoga, stress management, and massage playlists; and their music has been featured in movie soundtracks and praised by notables from Cher to the Dalai Lama. In their words, they are “modern nomads on a mission to share with humanity the medicine of mantra.” We spoke about the origins of their work at Osho’s ashram in India, the meaning and power of the Gayatri mantra, their upcoming tour, and more. Learn more about Deva Premal & Miten here: https://devapremalmiten.com/
Swami Sarvapriyananda has been Minister and Spiritual Leader of the Vedanta Society of New York since January, 2017. Prior to that, he was Assistant Minister of the Vedanta Society of Southern California for 13 months. He joined the Ramakrishna Math and Mission in 1994 and received Sannyas in 2004. Before coming to America, he served as an acharya (teacher) of the monastic probationers’ training center at Belur Math (the order’s headquarters in India); Vice Principal of the Deoghar Vidyapith Higher Secondary School; Principal of the Shikshana Mandira Teacher Education College; and first Registrar of the Vivekananda University. His presentations have become quite popular on YouTube. We spoke about Vedanta philosophy and his work as a representative of the Ramakrishna-Vivekananda lineage. Learn more about Swami Sarvapriyananda here: http://www.vedantany.org/resident-swamis/
Raymond Rigoglioso is the founder and executive director of Gay Men of Wisdom. Prior to starting the organization in 2012, he had an extensive career in the nonprofit sector, working with Gay Men's Health Crisis, The Picker Institute (a health care think tank), the United Hospital Fund, and other charitable and philanthropic groups. A certified life coach as well, he has taught at New York University's George H. Heyman, Jr. Center for Philanthropy and Fundraising and at the Support Center for Nonprofit Management in New York City. We spoke about Gay Men of Wisdom and what he means by promoting “awareness and understanding of the value of gay men’s differences” and “the power of gay men’s gifts for personal and social good. Learn more about Ray Rigoglioso here: https://www.gaymenofwisdom.org/About.html
Ann Gleig is associate professor of Religious Studies at the University of Central Florida, where she specializes in Asian religions, Asian religions in America, and Religion and Psychoanalysis. She is co-editor (with Lola Williamson) of the book Homegrown Gurus: From Hinduism in America to American Hinduism, has published numerous scholarly articles, and contributed chapters to several books. She is also Co-Chair for the Mysticism Group, and a Steering Committee Member for the Buddhism in the West Group, at the American Academy of Religion. Her latest book is American Dharma: Buddhism Beyond Modernity. We spoke about that book and various issues around contemporary Buddhism in America. Learn more about Ann Gleig here: https://philosophy.cah.ucf.edu/faculty-staff/?id=569
Kamla K. Kapur was born and raised in India and studied in the United States. Her writing has included plays, novels, poetry, essays and reimagined spiritual writings. Her critically acclaimed books include The Singing Guru, on the legends of Guru Nanak, and Ganesha Goes to Lunch: Classics from Mystic India. Her latest book, Rumi: Tales of the Spirit, contains reinterpretations of stories by the great Sufi mystic poet along with insightful commentaries. An accomplished public speaker, she was also on the faculty of Grossmont College, San Diego, for 15 years teaching composition, literature, creative writing, mythology, and Shakespeare. We spoke mainly about Rumi, his enduring popularity, and lessons to be derived from the stories in her latest book. Learn more about Kamla Kapur here: https://www.kamlakkapur.com/bio.
Maurizio and Zaya Benazzo are the founders and organizers of the Science and Nonduality (SAND) conferences, which are held annually in California and Italy, attracting a large number of participants and prominent speakers. Part of SAND’s purpose statement reads: “the time is right for the fragmentation of knowledge that has occurred over the last four hundred years to give way to a new integrative paradigm in which science and spirituality reenter into meaningful dialogue.” SAND also maintains a lively website featuring videos, workshops, and other resources. Maurizio, originally from Italy, and Zaya, from Bulgaria, are also filmmakers. Maurizio’s documentary, “Short Cut to Nirvana,” is about the 2001 Maha Kumbha Mela in India. Together they made the recent movie, "The Art of Life" (available on Amazon Prime) and are working on other film projects. We spoke mainly about the origin and purpose of SAND and the spiritual lessons they have learned from the successful series of conferences. Learn more about Zaya, Maurizio, and SAND here: https://www.scienceandnonduality.com/
Gina Salá has been chanting since her childhood, which was spent in the Canadian ashram of Swami Sivananda Radha (a disciple of Swami Sivananda of Rishikesh). Her repertoire spans 23 languages, and her performance credits include Cirque du Soleil, the United Nations, and numerous international festivals. In her retreats, India tours, and workshops, Gina shares call-and-response devotional chanting (kirtan), Indian raga singing, sanskrit mantra, cross-cultural healing songs, and voice empowerment. She also founded the Awakening Voice (Power of Love) Sound School, where she trains students in raga, mantra, cross-cultural healing songs, and other techniques. We spoke about her work with music and sound, her year with HWL Poonja (Papaji), her recent retreat with Ram Dass, and more. Learn more about Gina Sala here: www.ginasala.com
Philip Clayton holds the Ingraham Chair at Claremont School of Theology and directs the Comparative Theologies PhD program. He has taught at Williams College and the California State University, and held guest professorships at the University of Munich, the University of Cambridge, and Harvard University. As a leader in interreligious education and dialogue for more than two decades, Dr. Clayton has: helped launch a global, seven-year collaboration of Jewish, Muslim, and Christian scientists; organized conferences at Harvard on Judaism, Buddhism, and science; participated in programs on Islam and science and on Abrahamic partnerships in the Philippines, Indonesia, France, Turkey, Qatar, and the UAE; helped plan and implement the Justice Assembly at the 2018 Parliament of the World’s Religions. He is the author or editor of some 25 books and 300 articles, and currently serves as the President of the Institute for Ecological Civilization. We spoke about his unusual path in Christianity and interfaith work, some of his books, and his engagement at the intersection of spirituality and ecology. Learn more about Philip Clayton here: http://philipclayton.net/
Rabbi Rami Shapiro is an award–winning author of over thirty-six books on religion and spirituality, including Holy Rascals – Advice for Spiritual Revolutionaries, Recovery—the Sacred Art, and his latest, The Tao of Solomon: Unlocking the Perennial Wisdom of Ecclesiastes. A “Jewish practitioner of Perennial Wisdom,” he received rabbinical ordination from the Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion and holds a Ph.D. in religion from Union Graduate School. A rabbinic chaplain with the USAF for three years, a congregational rabbi for twenty, and a professor of religious studies for ten, Rabbi Rami currently co-directs the One River Foundation, writes the Roadside Assistance for the Spiritual Traveler column for Spirituality and Health magazine, and hosts the magazine’s weekly radio show, Essential Conversations with Rabbi Rami. We spoke mainly about The Tao of Solomon and Rami’s unconventional take on Ecclesiastes. Learn more about Rabbi Rami here: http://www.rabbirami.com/.
Jeffrey Cox moved to Ithaca in 1971 from Columbus, Ohio, where he was guided to the teachings of Paul Brunton. He was one of the first individuals to live as a resident "monk" at Wisdom's Goldenrod, where he studied with Anthony Damiani, a close student of Brunton’s. A longtime devotee of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Jeff became was instrumental in establishing Snow Lion Publications as the major publisher of Tibetan Buddhism. He retired as the co-owner in 2012. As a board member of the Paul Brunton Philosophic Foundation, he is a principle guardian of Brunton’s legacy, including the editing and publication Brunton’s writing. We spoke about Brunton’s important role in introducing Indian philosophy and Ramana Maharshi to the West, and especially about the recent Brunton book, The Short Path to Enlightenment. Learn more about Paul Brunton here: http://paulbrunton.org/bio-illustrated.php
Yogacharya Ellen Grace O’Brian is the director of the Center for Spiritual Enlightenment in San Jose, CA. Ordained by Roy Eugene Davis, a direct disciple of Paramahansa Yogananda, she has been teaching Kriya Yoga philosophy and practice nationally and internationally for over three decades. She is also the host of The Yoga Hour on Unity Online Radio; an award-winning poet who weaves poetry into her spiritual teachings; and the author of several books including her latest, The Jewel of Abundance: Finding Prosperity Through the Ancient Wisdom of Yoga. In this, our second interview with her, we spoke mainly about yogic teachings on the purusharthas, (four aims of life) and especially artha (prosperity), the focus of her new book. Learn more about Yogacharya O’Brian here: http://www.ellengraceobrian.com/
Christina Rasmussen is an internationally recognized grief educator whose mission is to change the way we grieve, the way we live, and how we define our potential in this life and the hereafter. She is the founder of The Life Reentry Institute, and the author of Second Firsts and her new book, Where Did You Go? She has been featured as a “Woman Working to Do Good” in the White House Blog, and her work has been featured on NPR, ABC News, and MariaShriver.com. We spoke about her approach to grief and her work helping people connect to departed loved ones. Learn more about Christina Rasmussen here: https://christinarasmussen.com/#about
Dr. Sulekh C. Jain currently serves as the Chairman and member of the Governing Council for the International School for Jain Studies, North America. He previously served as President of the Federation of Jain Associations in North America (JAINA) and is the author of the book An Ahimsa Crisis: You Decide, which can be accessed as a free eBook. A retired mechanical engineer, he devotes all his energies to the promotion of Jain and Ahimsa (non-violence) related causes and projects. He has been instrumental in the establishment of Jain centers, institutions, and programs in North America, Europe and India. We spoke about the history and central tenets of Jainism. Learn more about Sulekh Jain here: https://sulekhcjain.wordpress.com/about/
Marj Britt was the visionary leader of Unity of Tustin, in California, for 19 years. Widely known as a Campus of Consciousness, Unity of Tustin hosted during her tenure some of today’s foremost spiritual teachers. In 2011, Marj founded Called By Love Institute, a non-profit whose mission is to “harness the power of love as a revolutionary and evolutionary force in healing lives, building dreams, realizing purpose, destiny, and legacy, connecting ordinary and extra-ordinary people to their fullest potential, bringing Awareness and Light into the world.” Having earned a doctorate in education prior to her ministerial ordination, Marj has guided many in finding purpose, passion and destiny. A mystic in the world, with love as the center of her life, she is the author of Your Soul’s Invisible Codes, which invites you to see your life through the lens of your soul and the eyes of love. We spoke about her five decades of service, her tenure at Unity of Tustin, her current work, and her new book. Learn more about Marj Britt here: www.marjbritt.com
Thomas Moore is the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Care of the Soul. He has written 24 other books about bringing soul to personal life and culture, deepening spirituality, humanizing medicine, finding meaningful work, imagining sexuality with soul and doing religion in a fresh way. Among his books are A Religion of One’s Own, Ageless Soul, and translations from the Greek of the four New Testament Gospels. In his youth he was a Catholic monk and studied music composition. He has a Ph.D. in Religious Studies from Syracuse University and was a university professor for a number of years. Also a psychotherapist influenced mainly by C. G. Jung and James Hillman, he brings together spirituality, mythology, depth psychology and the arts, emphasizing the importance of images and imagination. We spoke about his journey into and out of monkhood, his current work, and his upcoming e-course, A Universal Christmas for SpiritualityandPractice,com. Learn more about Thomas Moore here: thomasmooresoul.com
Mirabai Bush teaches contemplative practices and develops organizational programs based on contemplative principles and values. Among other contributions, she was a co-founder and Executive Director of the Center for Contemplative Mind in Society; a founding board member of the Seva Foundation, an international public health organization; and a co-developer of the curriculum for Google’s Search Inside Yourself program in mindfulness-based emotional intelligence. She has also served on the boards of Shambhala Sun, Omega Institute, Military Fitness Institute, the Dalai Lama Fellows, and Love Serve Remember. A friend and associate of Ram Dass for nearly 50 years, she co-authored with him Compassion in Action: Setting Out on the Path of Service. Their current collaboration is Walking Each Other Home: Conversations on Loving and Dying. We spoke about her rich spiritual history, about Ram Dass, and mainly about dealing with death—both of others and ourselves. Learn more about Mirabai Bush here: http://www.mirabaibush.com/#about
Dean Sluyter has taught natural meditation throughout the U.S. and beyond for over 40 years, from the Guatemalan rainforest to New Jersey prisons. He is the author of five books, including Natural Meditation: A Guide to Effortless Meditative Practice, which won the 2015 Nautilus Gold Prize for best book on mind, body, and spirit practices, and was an Amazon #1 stress-management bestseller. His latest book is Fear Less: Living Beyond Fear, Anxiety, Anger, and Addiction. Dean has studied and practiced deeply in several traditions, including Vajrayana Buddhism, Bhakti Yoga, and Advaita Vedanta, and gives talks, workshops, and retreats throughout the United States and beyond, from Ivy League colleges to maximum-security prisons. We spoke about the subject of his latest book: how to fear less and the spiritual dimension of dealing with fear. Learn more about Dean Sluyter here: https://www.deansluyter.com.
Rev. Tiffany Barsotti is a spiritual and medical intuition counselor, a master clinical past lives therapist and researcher at Heal and Thrive in Encinitas, California. Her clinical work focuses on subtle energy, biofield therapies, and energy psychologies. With her spiritual and intuitive guidance, she serves as an integrative practitioner, working alongside medical doctors, naturopaths, osteopaths, chiropractors, psychiatrists, psychologists, and other allied health professionals. Tiffany received her Masters of Theology in Energy Medicine with special emphasis in Medical Intuition and Spiritual Counseling from Holos University Graduate Seminary, and was personally mentored by the school’s founders, Drs. Norman Shealy, Caroline Myss, and Christine Page. We spoke about her clinical work, her research on subtle energies, and the intersection of healing and spirituality. Learn more about Tiffany Barsotti here: www.healandthrive.com
Rev. Diane Berke is the Founder and Spiritual Director of One Spirit Learning Alliance and One Spirit Interfaith Seminary in New York City. Ordained as an interfaith minister in 1988, she is a widely respected pioneer in interfaith and interspiritual ministry education. Diane is on the faculty of Andrew Harvey’s Institute for Sacred Activism, a founding member of The Contemplative Alliance of the Global Peace Initiative of Women, and a certified facilitator for the Circle of Trust® work of the Center for Courage and Renewal. She is the author of numerous books and educational manuals. A psychotherapist and spiritual counselor for over thirty years, Diane is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in the State of New York, and has led workshops and retreats on spiritual development throughout the United States and internationally. We spoke about her own path, her work as a spiritual educator and trainer of interfaith ministers. Learn more about Diane Berke herehttp://www.theinterfaithobserver.org/contributors/2016/7/27/rev-diane-berke and One Spirit here www.onespiritinterfaith.org
Rev. Micah Bucey is an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ, currently serving at Judson Memorial Church of New York City, a congregation committed to curiously seeking the intersections of spirituality, justice, and creativity. A graduate of Fordham University and Union Theological Seminary, Micah founded and continues to spearhead Judson Arts Wednesdays (JAW), a weekly art and food gathering that provides free meals for guests in need and developmental space for artists in need. Over the course of its nine seasons, JAW has fed thousands and nurtured the creative output of hundreds. Micah is a member of InterFilm, the International Interchurch Film Organization, and reviews films with an eye toward their spiritual message and meaning for Spirituality & Practice. In addition to his passion for nurturing the creativity in everyone, he is deeply committed to social justice. We spoke about his own history as a gay Christian, serving in ministry to the artistic and LGBTQ communities, and the link between art and spirituality. Learn more about Micah Bucey here: https://www.judson.org/staff
Diana Butler Bass is an author, speaker, and independent scholar specializing in American religion and culture. She holds a Ph.D. in religious studies from Duke University and is the award-winning author of ten books, including Grounded: Finding God in the World—A Spiritual Revolution, Christianity After Religion: The End of Church and the Birth of a New Spiritual Awakening, and her latest work, Grateful: The Transformative Power of Giving Thanks. She speaks regularly at conferences, consults with religious organizations, leads educational events, and teaches and preaches in a variety of venues internationally. She has taught in colleges and seminaries and has commented on religion, politics, and culture in various media. The recipient of numerous grants and awards, she holds an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from The General Theological Seminary in New York, serves on the board of Public Religion Research, and is an advisor on the project for a National Museum of American Religion in Washington, D.C. We spoke about various issues around modern Christianity and the substance of her new book on gratitude. Learn more about Diana Butler Bass here: https://dianabutlerbass.com/.
Martin Rutte is a management consultant and president of Livelihood, in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He has worked with clients such as SONY Pictures, Virgin Music, and Southern California Edison, helping them developing their vision for the future of their businesses. Martin has also spoken at Harvard Business School four times. He was the co-founder and Chair of the Board of the Centre for Spirituality and the Workplace at the Sobey School of Business at Saint Mary’s University in Halifax, Canada. This was the first center of its kind in Canada and was a global leader in the field. He is co-author of the New York Times Business Bestseller Chicken Soup for the Soul at Work with sales of over 1.1 million copies and translations into 24 languages. His new book is Project Heaven on Earth: The 3 Simple Questions That Will Help You Change the World … Easily. We spoke about his work on spirituality in the workplace and his Project Heaven on Earth.
Arielle Ford has been a leading personality in the personal growth and contemporary spirituality movement for the past 30 years. A celebrated love and relationship expert and the co-creator and co-host of Evolving Wisdom’s Art of Love series, she has been promoting consciousness through all forms of media. Arielle is the author of eleven books, including the international bestseller, The Soulmate Secret: Manifest The Love of Your Life With The Law of Attraction. She regularly presents workshops at leading venues around the world and has appeared on many national TV and radio shows. But we spoke less about her work than that of her late sister, bestselling author and spiritual teacher Debbie Ford, whose posthumous book, Your Holiness: Discover the Light Within, Arielle recently to publication. We spoke about the book’s discovery and content: the practical power of prayer. Learn more about Arielle Ford here: www.arielleford.com
Mariana Caplan is a psychotherapist, yoga teacher, and the author of numerous magazine articles and books in the fields of psychology and spirituality, including Eyes Wide Open: Cultivating Discernment on the Spiritual Path; Halfway Up the Mountain: the Error of Premature Claims to Enlightenment; and The Guru Question: The Perils and Rewards of Choosing a Spiritual Teacher. Her latest book is Yoga & Psyche. Mariana teaches workshops and trainings at major retreat centers, yoga studios, and universities throughout the world and has been an adjunct professor at The California Institute of Integral Studies since 2001. In her psychotherapy, she incorporates traditional and alternative approaches including: psychodynamic, gestalt, cognitive behavioral therapy, somatic, and dialectical behavioral therapy. We spoke about her new book and the implications of integrating classical yoga and modern psychology. Learn more about Mariana Caplan here: http://www.realspirituality.com/
Lama Surya Das is one of the foremost Western Buddhist meditation teachers and scholars. An authorized lama in the Tibetan Buddhist order (the Dalai Lama affectionately calls him “the American Lama”), he is a leading spokesperson for contemporary spirituality as well as a translator, poet, meditation master, chant master, and spiritual activist. He is the author numerous books, including the Awakening trilogy—Awakening the Buddha Within; Awakening to the Sacred; and Awakening the Buddhist Heart—and his latest, Make Me One with Everything: Buddhist Meditations To Awaken From The Illusion Of Separation. In the 1990s, he established the Dzogchen Foundation and Dzogchen Retreats. He maintains a busy schedule of retreats and workshops around the world and blogs at Ask The Lama. We spoke on a wide range of topics related to Buddhism and today’s spiritual landscape. Learn more about Lama Surya Das here: surya.org
Chris Grosso is a youth mental health and healing group facilitator with Newport Academy. A public speaker, writer, and author, his books include Indie Spiritualist: A No Bullshit Exploration of Spirituality; Everything Mind: What I’ve Learned About Hard Knocks, Spiritual Awakening; and most recently Dead Set On Living: Making the Difficult but Beautiful Journey from F#*cking Up to Waking Up. He has spoken and performed at Wanderlust Festival, Celebrate Your Life, Yoga Journal Conference, Sedona World Wisdom Days, Kripalu, Sun Valley Wellness Festival, and other venues. Chris works with people who are in the process of healing or are struggling with addictions of all kinds. He is a member of the advisory board for Drugs over Dinner, hosts The Indie Spiritualist Podcast on Ram Dass’s Be Here Now Network, and is a member of The Evolutionary Leaders (a project of The Source of Synergy Foundation). We spoke about his journey from addiction to spiritual teacher and about his latest book. Learn more about Chris Grosso here: http://theindiespiritualist.com/about/
Ian Johnson is a Pulitzer-Prize winning writer focusing on society, religion, and history. He has spent nearly twenty years in the Greater China region, as a student and a newspaper correspondent. He works out of Beijing, where he writes features and essays for The New York Times, The New York Review of Books, The New Yorker, and National Geographic. He also teaches undergraduates at The Beijing Center for Chinese Studies and advises a variety of academic journals and think tanks on China. He also worked in Germany twice, from 1988 to 1992, when he covered the fall of the Berlin Wall and German unification, and from 2001 to 2009 as The Wall Street Journal's bureau chief and senior writer. Johnson has earned several prizes for journalism, including the 2001 Pulitzer for his coverage of China. The latest of his three books, The Souls of China: The Return of Religion After Mao. We spoke about that book, which chronicles China's religious revival and its implications for politics and society. Learn more about Ian Johnson here: http://www.ian-johnson.com/bio
oy Eugene Davis is the founder and Director of the Center for Spiritual Awareness. One of the few remaining direct disciples of Paramahansa Yogananda, he grew up in a farming community in Ohio and, at age 18, read Yogananda’s iconic Autobiography of a Yogi in a public library. Sensing a spiritual connection with Yogananda and the Kriya Yoga tradition, he soon traveled to Los Angeles, met his guru, and was accepted for monastic discipleship training. He was ordained by Yogananda in 1951 and was appointed minister of the Phoenix, Arizona, Self-Realization Fellowship Center in 1952. After two years in the U.S. Army Medical Corps, he began his mission as an independent teacher. Since then, he has taught in more than 100 cities in North America as well as in Japan, Brazil, Europe, West Africa, and India. His books, including Paramahansa Yogananda as I Knew Him, have been published in ten languages. He is also the publisher of Truth Journal magazine and writes monthly lessons for students around the world. Learn more about Roy Eugene Davis here: http://csa-davis.org/sites/roydavis and Center for Spiritual Awareness here: http://csa-davis.org/sites/
This is the third in our series of shows about Paramahansa Yogananda. Nayaswamis Jyotish and Devi are the Spiritual Directors of Ananda Worldwide, which traces its lineage to Yogananda and his line of gurus and has spiritual communities, centers, and meditation groups in several countries. They travel the world sharing Yogananda’s teachings and instructing students in the path of Kriya Yoga. Jyotish is the author of How to Meditate: A Step-by-Step Guide to the Art and Science of Meditation, and the couple has coauthored two books about spiritualizing daily life: Touch of Light and Touch of Joy. Married for many years, Jyotish and Devi were honored with the Global Peace Ambassador Peace Award in November 2017 at the United Nations Church Center. Learn more about Nayaswamis Jyotish and Devi here, http://www.jyotishanddevi.org/, and about Ananda Worldwide here, http://www.jyotishanddevi.org/about-us/ananda/
Brother Prafullananda has been a monk of the Self-Realization Fellowship (SRF) monastic community since 1983. Born in North Carolina and raised in Gainesville, Florida, he earned undergraduate and Masters degrees in music education and performance from Lawrence University in Wisconsin and Florida State University, respectively. Brother Prafullananda—whose name means “Bliss through cheerfulness”—is the minister in charge of the SRF San Diego Temple. He has served in SRF’s Publications and Editorial Departments and currently speaks on Paramahansa Yogananda’s teachings throughout the world. Brother Tyagananda ("Bliss through Inner Renunciation") has been an SRF monk since 1987. Born in a small city north of Rome, Italy, he began practicing yoga in his early teens and was a student of the SRF Lessons by the time he was seventeen. He studied at the Catholic University of Milan before becoming an SRF monk. Brother Tyagananda is co-supervisor of SRF’s Center Department, which oversees the operations of over 600 meditation centers and groups around the world. He also serves as Assistant Minister-in-Charge at the SRF Fullerton Temple, leads guided meditation for beginners at Los Angeles-area temples, and lectures on Yogananda’s teachings in North America and Europe.
This is the first in a series of interviews about Paramahansa Yogananda in advance of Philip Goldberg’s new biography, The Life of Yogananda: The Story of the Yogi Who Became the First Modern Guru. The cohost of Spirit Matters, Phil has been studying India’s spiritual traditions for almost 50 years, as a practitioner, teacher, and writer. He is the author or coauthor of more than 20 books, including Roadsigns on the Spiritual Path and the award-winning American Veda: From Emerson and the Beatles to Yoga and Meditation, How Indian Spirituality Changed the West, which was named one of the top ten religion books of the year by both Huffington Post and American Library Association’s Booklist. His latest book is the first full-scale biography of Yogananda. An Interfaith Minister and spiritual counselor, he was trained as a teacher of Transcendental Meditation by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and has lectured in a wide range of venues throughout the U.S. and India. He blogs on Elephant Journal and Spirituality & Health magazine and conducts tours of India with American Veda Tours. Learn more about Phil here: www.PhilipGoldberg.com.
Valerie Gangas is the author of Enlightenment Is Sexy: Every Woman’s Guide to a Magical Life. A popular motivational speaking whose core message is “Living life from the inside out is the only way to roll,” she has gone from being a self-proclaimed “wild child” and a suicidal depressive to a person of whom Oprah Winfrey said, “I want what that girl has.” We spoke about her personal journey, her unusual spiritual experiences, her book, and her message to women about “how to have a kick-ass spiritual life.” Learn more about Valerie Gangas here: https://www.valeriegangas.com/.
Joseph Bharat Cornell is an internationally renowned author and founder of the widely respected nature awareness program Sharing Nature Worldwide. His first book, Sharing Nature with Children, has been published in twenty languages and sold half a million copies. That book led to his Sharing Nature Book Series, which is used by millions of parents, educators, naturalists, and youth and religious leaders all over the world. His other books, Listening to Nature and The Sky and Earth Touched Me, have inspired thousands of adults to deepen their relationship with nature. His outdoor learning strategy, Flow Learning, was featured by the U.S. National Park Service as one of five recommended learning theories. We spoke about the spiritual dimensions of spending time in nature and his most recent book, Deep Nature Play: A Guide to Wholeness, Aliveness, Creativity, and Inspired Learning. Learn more about Joseph Bharat Cornell here: http://www.jcornell.org/about.html.
Ira Israel is the author of the 2017 book How to Survive Your Childhood Now That You’re an Adult: A Path to Authenticity and Awakening. Previously, he was the creator of these video series: A Beginner's Guide to Happiness; A Beginner’s Guide to Mindfulness Meditation; Mindfulness for Anxiety; and Mindfulness for Depression. A Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, and Mindful Relationship Coach, he graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and has graduate degrees in Psychology, Philosophy, and Religious Studies. We spoke about his new book, the meaning of authenticity and awakening and the spiritual dimension and the intersection of spirituality and psychology. Learn more about Ira Israel here: www.IraIsrael.com.
Ken Wilber has been hailed as one of the most important thinkers of this era. His more than two dozen highly influential books—including The Spectrum of Consciousness; A Brief History of Everything; No Boundary; Sex, Ecology, Spirituality—have been translated into some 30 foreign languages. His latest publication is The Religion of Tomorrow. The originator of Integral Theory and founder of the Integral Institute, his insights draw from a broad spectrum of disciplines and have been applied to fields as diverse as ecology, sustainability, psychotherapy, psychiatry, education, business, medicine, politics, sports and art. Since the 1970s, his work has had a major influence on contemporary spirituality. Learn more about Ken Wilber here: kenwilber.com
Betty and Noel Stookey, who have been married for over 50 years, together founded "One Light, Many Candles." They produce and perform multifaith presentations combining spoken word and music—both Noel’s compositions and indigenous music from various cultures. Betty is an ordained United Church of Christ minister who served as chaplain at Northfield Mount Hermon School (1997-2005), where she became aware of the need for greater spiritual inclusivity among the culturally diverse student body. Noel was the Paul in the iconic folk music trio Peter, Paul and Mary, whose engagement was central to the antiwar and civil rights movements of the 60s and 70s. We spoke about their spiritual histories, the genesis of “One Light, Many Candles,” the difference between interfaith and multifaith and more. Learn more about Betty and Noel Stookey here: http://onelightmanycandles.org/
Matthew Fox is an internationally acclaimed theologian and spiritual maverick who has spent the last 40 years advocating for a creation-centered spirituality of compassion and justice and re-sacralizing of the earth. He has written more than 30 books, including Original Blessing, The Coming of the Cosmic Christ, and The Pope’s War. His books have been translated into 49 languages and have been known for pioneering a unique approach to spirituality as a powerful force to transform religion, education, and culture. Originally a Catholic priest, Fox was silenced for a year and then expelled from the Dominican order by Cardinal Ratzinger for teaching liberation theology and creation spirituality. He currently serves as an Episcopal priest. Among many other projects, he has worked with young people to create the Cosmic Mass (www.thecosmicmass.org) and has worked extensively to reinvent education. We spoke about Creation Spirituality, his efforts to transform religion and his new Order of the Sacred Earth. Learn more about Matthew Fox here: http://www.matthewfox.org/
Reza Aslan is an internationally renowned writer, commentator, professor, producer, and scholar of religions. His books include: the international bestseller No god but God: The Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam; Beyond Fundamentalism: Confronting Religious Extremism in a Globalized Age; and the #1 New York Times bestseller, Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth. They have been translated into dozens of languages and won numerous awards. Aslan’s degrees include a Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies from Santa Clara University, a Master of Theological Studies from Harvard University, a PhD in the Sociology of Religions from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Iowa. Born in Iran and a resident of Los Angeles, he is an Adjunct Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and serves on the board of directors of several organizations, including the Ploughshares Fund, which gives grants for peace and security issues. We spoke about his latest bestseller, God: A Human History. Learn more about Reza Aslan here: http://rezaaslan.com/
Isabella Price, MA, is an international speaker and author of the book series “One Truth, Many Paths.” That series, on the world’s wisdom traditions, includes her most recent book Goddess Power: Awakening the Wisdom of the Divine Feminine in Your Life. Isabella teaches World Spirituality courses at JFK University and has also been teaching classes and workshops at the California College of the Arts and other educational institutions and religious venues. She holds an MA in the humanities (global history and comparative religion) from the University of Zurich in her native Switzerland. She is also a certified SQ21 Spiritual Intelligence coach and teaches meditation to veterans suffering from PTSD. We spoke mainly about the universality and nuances of goddess worship and its relevance in today’s world. Learn more about Isabella Price here: www.onetruth-manypaths.com
Francis (Fran) Bennett was a Trappist monk for a number of years, served as a pastoral care provider in hospitals and hospices, and is now a leading teacher of nonduality under the auspices of Finding Grace at the Center. This is our second interview with Francis. In the first we used masculine pronouns. We now shift to "she" and "her," as Francis has come out as transgender and lives openly in the female gender identity she always felt inside. This made for an especially interesting conversation about personal identity and nondual philosophy. In Francis's words, since leaving the monastery, "she has continued to emphasize the importance of returning to our personal bodies, minds and whole self while embracing the transformative power of the divine." We spoke of other issues around contemporary spirituality as well. Learn more about Francis (Fran) Bennett here: http://findinggraceatthecenter.com/abou
Gabrielle Earnshaw is the founding archivist of the Henri J M. Nouwen Archives and Research Collection in Toronto, Canada. She has been the adviser to the Henri Nouwen Legacy Trust for sixteen years and is consulted throughout the world on Nouwen and his literary legacy. The coeditor of Turning the Wheel: Henri Nouwen and Our Search for God and editor of Love, Henri: Letters on the Spiritual Life, she compiled and edited the recently published book, You are the Beloved: Daily Meditations for Spiritual Living, a collection of 365 insights by Henri Nouwen, the Catholic priest, professor and pastor who gained international renown as the author of thirty-nine books on the spiritual life, including such classics as The Wounded Healer, The Inner Voice of Love, and The Return of the Prodigal Son. Nouwen’s books have sold upward of seven million copies worldwide, resonating with people across the religious, spiritual, cultural, and political spectrum. We spoke about Henri Nouwen and her work as his archivist and editor of his writings. Learn more about Henri Nouwen here: http://henrinouwen.org/
Elizabeth Dabney Hochman is the Founding Editor and Executive Director of KidSpirit, a non-profit magazine and online community by and for youth around the world. KidSpirit enables 11-17 year-olds to explore life’s big questions in an open and inclusive context. It provides an outlet for diverse teenagers to discover the essential humanity transcending divergent points of view. Elizabeth has published a number of articles on spiritual development in youth and has presented at venues such as Yale Divinity School, Princeton University, the Religion Communicators Council, Columbia University, and the Parliament of the World’s Religions. Now in its tenth year of publication, KidSpirit is the only youth publication to win a first-place Religion News Association Award for Magazine Overall Excellence (2016). We spoke about KidSpirit and the spirituality of young people today. Learn more about KidSpirit and Elizabeth Dabney Hochman here: https://kidspiritonline.com
Dr. Anna Yusim is an award-winning, nationally recognized psychiatrist, speaker, and author with a private practice in New York City. A sought-after public speaker, Dr. Yusim has published over 60 academic articles, book chapters, scientific abstracts and book reviews, and has received numerous professional awards. After working as a neurobiology researcher with Dr. Robert Sapolsky and completing her studies at Stanford University, Yale Medical School, and the NYU Residency Training Program in Psychiatry, Dr. Yusim felt that something was missing from her life. In her quest to find it, she traveled, lived and worked in over 50 countries while studying Kabbalah, learning Buddhist meditation, and working with South American shamans and Indian gurus. Her new book, Fulfilled: How the Science of Spirituality Can Help You Live a Happier More Meaningful Life, integrates the universal spiritual principles she learned in that journey with traditional psychiatry. Learn more about Anna Yusim here: https://www.annayusim.com
Danny Goldberg is the author of books Dispatches from the Culture War, Bumping Into Geniuses, and his latest, In Search of the Lost Chord: 1967 and the Hippie Idea. He also co-edited and wrote the introduction to the anthology It’s A Free Country: Civil Liberties After 9/11. A longtime music business executive, he ran Gold Mountain Entertainment, which managed the careers of Bonnie Raitt, Nirvana and others, was President of three major record companies—Atlantic, Warner Bros., and Mercury—as well as his own label, Artemis Records. He is currently President of the management company, Gold Village Entertainment. In 2015, Danny began hosting a podcast called Rock And Roles, whose theme is the connectivity between a spiritual and worldly viewpoints. We spoke about the significant spiritual developments that occurred throughout the culture in the pivotal year, 1967, which is the subject of his new book. Learn more about Danny Goldberg here: http://goldve.com/danny-goldberg/.
Mark Nepo is the author of 18 books, including the #1 New York Times bestseller The Book of Awakening. Beloved as a poet, teacher, and storyteller, Mark has been called "one of the finest spiritual guides of our time," "a consummate storyteller," and "an eloquent spiritual teacher." His books have been translated into more than 20 languages, and he has also recorded 13 audio projects. Recent work includesThe One Life We're Given; Inside the Miracle, named by Spirituality & Health Magazine as one of the top ten books of 2015; The Endless Practice, cited by Spirituality & Practice as one of the Best Spiritual Books of 2014; and the forthcoming (November, 2017) Things That Join the Sea and the Sky. Mark has appeared several times on Oprah Winfrey’s Super Soul Sunday program on OWN TV. He also offers readings, lectures, and retreats. Learn more about Mark Nepo at http://www.marknepo.com
David Robert Loy is a professor, writer, and Zen teacher in the Sanbo Kyodan tradition of Japanese Zen Buddhism. A prolific author, his essays and books have been translated into many languages and his articles appear regularly in Tikkun, scholarly journals and Buddhist magazines such as Tricycle, Turning Wheel, Shambhala Sun and Buddhadharma. David lectures internationally, focusing primarily on the encounter between Buddhism and modernity: what each can learn from the other. He is especially concerned about social and ecological issues, and offers a Buddhist perspective on our urgent “eco-crisis.” He has taught at many academic institutions and currently leads meditation retreats and workshops such as “Transforming Self, Transforming Society.” We spoke about the adaptation of Buddhism to the modern West and the relevance of Buddhist teachings to social issues, especially the environment. Learn more about David Loy here: http://www.davidloy.org/
Mark Arey spent more than thirty years as an ordained Greek Orthodox priest, until he resigned from ministry in 2013 and married the love of his life. Most of his life has been spent “engaging with the poetic depths of things divine.” This has led him on a journey filled with liturgical service to others, rich narratives, and an intense seeking after “meaning that quickens.” During his years of ministry, Mark also worked as a hospital chaplain, a psychotherapist in a state prison, and an HIV patient counsellor. His pursuit of wisdom through the study of philosophy, biblical Greek, the art of translation and story-telling has led to four books, the most recent of which is The Gospel of Love: A Meta-Translation. We spoke about his transition from the ministry, the many lessons he learned in the course of his spiritual journey and his current work. He lives in Taos, New Mexico. Learn more about Mark Arey here: www.markarey.com
Seane Corn is an internationally celebrated yoga teacher known for her impassioned activism and teaching style that incorporates both the physical and mystical aspects of yoga. Since the beginning of her teaching career in 1994, she has been featured in over 30 magazines and appeared on more than 20 covers. She was a featured contributor on Oprah.com’s ‘Spirit’ section and was seen on The Today Show with Matt Lauer. A long time social and political activist, Seane created the created the yoga program at the "Children of the Night" shelter for adolescent prostitutes, became a champion for YouthAIDS and founded “Off the Mat, Into the World,” which trains leaders to integrate yoga philosophy and practice with areas of social change. We spoke about her background, her teaching methods and her engaged social activism. Learn more about Seane Corn here: http://www.seanecorn.com/about.php
Jorge Ferrer, Ph.D., teaches transpersonal studies, East-West psychology, comparative mysticism, integral development, and other subjects at the California Institute of Integral Studies. Originally from Barcelona, Spain, he also offers workshops, seminars, and presentations internationally. His articles have appeared in numerous professional journals, and he serves on the editorial board of The Journal of Transpersonal Psychology, and other publications. His latest book, Participation and the Mystery: Transpersonal Essays in Psychology, Education, and Religion, examines topics such as relationship between science and transpersonal psychology, the nature of a fully embodied spirituality, and the future of religion. We spoke about a range of subjects related to modern spirituality, in particular his perspective on participatory spirituality, which holds that human beings are active co-creators of spiritual phenomena and worlds. Learn more about Jorge Ferrer here: https://www.ciis.edu/faculty-and-staff-directory/jorge-n-ferrer
Mike "Zappy" Zapolin is an American entrepreneur who is considered a pioneer in the domain name industry, having created Internet brands such as Music.com, Computer.com, Creditcards.com and Diamond.com. A public speaker, he is also the creator of the eBusiness elective at Harvard Business School and the CEO of Zappy Incorporated, a cannabis development company. Zappy is also a filmmaker, and recently produced The Reality of Truth, a documentary about spirituality narrated by Michelle Rodriquez and featuring Deepak Chopra, Ram Dass, Marianne Williamson, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, and other noted spiritual teachers. The provocative movie explores the relationship between spirituality, religion, and plant medicine. We spoke about what led him from business to spirituality, his advocacy of plant medicine and his new film. Learn more about Mike Zappy Zapolin here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_%22Zappy%22_Zapolin
Neelam has been leading satsang (sitting in truth) internationally since 1996. A native of Poland, now living in New Mexico, she is a direct disciple of H.W.L. Poonja (“Papaji”), who was, in turn, a devotee of the legendary Sri Ramana Maharshi. Neelam first sat with Papaji in the early 1990’s in Lucknow, India, where she herself awakened to the Truth of Presence as her own true nature, through Papaji’s process of Spiritual Inquiry. A skilled group facilitator with a degree in Theater Arts and fluent in four languages, she invites students into the same recognition of truth that her Papaji transmitted to her. She has taught in North America, Europe and India, currently leads satsangs, weekend retreats, intensives and long-term programs for those who wish to dive into “the fire of truth.” We spoke about her path, her awakening and her ongoing work. Learn more about Neelam here: http://neelam.org/
Sridhar (Steven) Silberfein began his spiritual path in the early 1960s with the New York-based teacher Albert Rudolph, aka “Rudi,” a disciple of Bhagavan Nityananada, the guru of Swami Muktananda. Sridhar studied hatha yoga with Swami Satchidananda and had the idea to have the swami open the Woodstock festival in 1969 with a benediction and chant. That event gave Sridhar the idea to bring large amounts of people together to chant kirtan. 40 years later, after many spiritual and entrepreneurial adventures, he created Bhakti Fest in Joshua Tree, California, which has brought together renowned kirtan wallahs, yoga teachers, workshop leaders, and spiritual sages for the last nine years. Known as “The Spiritual Woodstock,” Bhakti Fest has grown to three festivals annually. Sridhar’s annual interviews with the iconic Ram Dass have been transcribed and published as a book, Conversations with Ram Dass. We spoke about Bhakti Fest, the upcoming festival in September 2017 and what Sridhar has learned on his adventurous path. Learn more about Sridhar Silberstein and Bhakti Fest here.
Gurvinder Singh is the Finance Director and International Director of United Sikhs Aid, the humanitarian aid wing of United Sikhs. In his long association with United Sikhs, he has responded to many disasters worldwide, including tsunamis, hurricanes, floods, typhoons and earthquakes. He has also led many humanitarian aid projects, including the Guru Nanak food pantry in Kenya, food banks in the United States and vocational training schools in South Asia. He is also is a board member of the Dallas-Ft. Worth Civil Rights Committee. He has done interfaith and cultural sensitivity training for federal, state and local law enforcement, Fortune 500 companies, the TSA, and educational facilities. We spoke about the origins and beliefs of Sikhism and the challenges faced by the American Sikh community post-9/11. Learn more about Sikhism and Gurvinder Singh here: http://www.unitedsikhs.org/about.php
Kimberly Braun is a Minister and spiritual teacher who spent more than ten years as a Carmelite monastic nun. A meditation coach, she has been devoted to meditation from the age of five. She earned a Masters degree in theology in 2001 with a concentration on the adult spiritual journey, and is a keynote speaker and a retreat a workshop facilitator. Her new book about her years as a monastic is Love Calls, Insights of a former Carmelite nun. Her non-profit, TheikoSoma (Divine Body) aims to provide spiritual experiences through ritual gatherings, a mystic school and a video forum. Learn more about Kimberly Braun here: www.kimberlybraun.com and here www.EssenceMeditation.net
Rachel Harris, PhD is the author of Listening to Ayahuasca. She was in private practice as a psychotherapist for thirty-five years and worked as a research scientist for a decade. A recipient of a National Institutes of Health New Investigator’s Award, Dr. Harris has published more than forty scientific studies in peer-reviewed journals, and has worked as a psychological consultant to Fortune 500 companies and the United Nations. She lives on an island off the coast of Maine. We spoke about her groundbreaking research on Ayahuasca and the people who use it for spiritual purposes. Learn more about Rachel Harris here: http://www.listeningtoayahuasca.com.
Lynne Twist has been a recognized global visionary committed to alleviating poverty, ending world hunger and supporting social justice and environmental sustainability for more than 40 years. From working with Mother Teresa to the refugee camps in Ethiopia and the threatened rainforests of the Amazon, as well as guiding the philanthropy of some of the world’s wealthiest families, Lynne’s work has brought her a deep understanding of people’s relationship with money. Her compelling life experiences inspired Lynne to write her best-selling book, The Soul of Money: Transforming Your Relationship with Money and Life. She has also written numerous articles and contributed chapters to more than ten books. A popular keynote speaker, she is the founder of the Soul of Money Institute and has worked with over 100,000 people in 50 countries in the arenas of fundraising with integrity, conscious philanthropy, strategic visioning and creating a healthy relationship with money. We spoke about issues at the intersection of spirituality and money. Learn more about Lynne Twist here: http://soulofmoney.org/about/lynne-twist
Menas C. Kafatos, Ph.D., is the Fletcher Jones Endowed Professor of Computational Physics, and Director of the Center of Excellence of Earth Systems Modeling and Observations at Chapman University. He is also associated with Korea University, the National Observatory of Athens, Hellas, and the Nalanda Institute for Consciousness Studies and Research. A quantum physicist, cosmologist, natural hazards and climate change researcher, he works on quantum physics and the nature of the mind, cosmic Awareness and topics bridging science to metaphysics and philosophy. He holds lectures and seminars on the natural laws that apply everywhere, for well-being and success. He is the author or editor of 17 books, including The Conscious Universe; Looking In, Seeing Out; and the New York Times bestseller You Are the Universe (coauthored with Deepak Chopra). We spoke about various issues around the intersection of science and spirituality. Learn more about Menas Kafatos here: http://www.menaskafatos.com/about-menas
Paul Muller-Ortega, Ph.D., is one of the world’s most highly respected scholars in the field of Indian Religion and Hindu Tantra. He is the founder of Blue Throat Yoga, which teaches the Svatantra philosophy of Kashmir Shaivism, along with the practice of Neelakantha Meditation. For nearly fifty years, Paul has been a pioneer in the technology of Consciousness, lecturing and teaching about meditation and Indian philosophy to hundreds of thousands in North and South America, Europe, and India. Through his books, articles, essays, commentaries, and translations, he has earned a reputation for a remarkable capacity to convey esoteric truths and teachings in an accessible and relevant way. Paul is the author of The Triadic Heart of Shiva: Kaula Tantricism of Abhinavagupta on the Non-Dual Shaivism of Kashmir, as well as numerous scholarly articles. Now retired from twenty-five years teaching at Michigan State and the University of Rochester, Paul teaches how to abide in the heart of Consciousness, a journey that is inspiring, life changing and enlightening. Learn more about Paul Muller-Ortega here. http://www.bluethroatyoga.com/about/about-paul/
Dr. Larry Brilliant is a pioneering physician, visionary technologist and global philanthropist who was named one of Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people. His memoir, Sometimes Brilliant, is a remarkable story that illuminates some of the most significant moments in the generation of Baby Boomer activists and spiritual seekers. Currently the Chair of the Skoll Global Threats Fund, which focuses on ending pandemics and the threats posed by climate change and other challenges, Dr. Brilliant’s life of public service began in the Himalayan ashram of the great spiritual teacher Neem Karoli Baba, who told him to work for the World Health Organization and help eradicate smallpox. Later, he co-founded, with Ram Dass and others, the Seva Foundation, whose programs have given sight to more than 4 million blind people in dozens of countries. We talked about his time with Neem Karoli and how the guru’s legacy continued to inspire and inform Larry’s work in public health. Learn more about Larry Brilliant here. http://www.larrybrilliant.com/
Yogi Amrit Desai has been a leading figure in the world of yoga since 1960, when he began teaching in Philadelphia. He founded some of the largest yoga and health centers in North America, including the Yoga Society of Pennsylvania, Kripalu Yoga Center, and the Amrit Yoga Institute in Salt Springs, Florida, where he currently teaches and resides. Amritji has reached millions through his international trainings, workshops, seminars, and conferences, and he has trained more than 8,000 yoga and yoga nidra teachers around the world to teach the inner dimension of yoga that he developed. His many publications include Kripalu Yoga: Meditation in Motion; Amrit Yoga: Explore, Expand, and Experience the Spiritual Depth of Yoga; and Amrit Yoga and the Yoga Sutras. We spoke about the origins of his work in yoga, his innovative methods, his ongoing projects and his observations about the past half century of yoga in the West. Learn more about Yogi Amrit Desai here: https://www.amrityoga.org/gurudev-amritji-desai/
Jai Uttal is a singer, multi-instrumentalist and producer. Hailed as a world music pioneer, he was among the first to hear the universal heartbeat in the variegated rhythms of the globe. His powerful voice and panoramic musical vision have also been at the core of the yoga community’s embrace of the traditional call-and-response devotional chanting known as Kirtan. Having studied for years with the Indian sarod master Ali Akbar Khan, Jai’s music is deeply rooted in the Indian classical tradition, but it is also plentifully imbued with other influences, including reggae, rock, folk, Brazilian music and Bollywood. We spoke about how he came to his unique devotional music, his guru Neem Karoli Baba, and his latest CD, “Roots, Rock, Rama!” Learn more about Jai Uttal here. http://jaiuttal.com/
Shinzen Young is an American mindfulness teacher and neuroscience research consultant with an extensive background in Buddhism and other traditions. As he puts it, “I’m a Jewish-American Buddhist teacher who got turned on to comparative mysticism by an Irish-Catholic priest and who has developed a Burmese-Japanese fusion practice inspired by the spirit of quantified science.” The author of The Science of Enlightenment: How Meditation Works, he has collaborated with Harvard Medical School, Carnegie-Mellon University and the University of Vermont. He leads residential retreats throughout North America and phone-based mini-retreats. We spoke about his personal background, his decades of teaching, the various forms of Buddhism and the adaptation of traditional practices to modern secular life. Learn more about Shinzen Young here: http://www.shinzen.org/about/
Dr. Barbara De Angelis is a best-selling author, popular TV personality and sought-after motivational speaker who has inspired tens of millions of people over the past 35 years. The author of 16 books that have sold over ten million copies in 25 languages, her expertise in personal transformation and spiritual development is recognized worldwide. She has hosted a daily television show for CBS and a popular radio talk show in Los Angeles, and has been a frequent guest on Oprah, The Today Show, Good Morning America, The View and other popular shows. In 1994 TV infomercial, Making Love Work, won top honors in the industry and was seen by hundreds of millions of viewers. She is one of only five women to win the Toastmasters International Golden Gavel Award. We spoke about spirituality and love, as expressed in her latest book, The Choice for Love: Entering into a New, Enlightened Relationship with Yourself, Others and the World (click here for a free chapter and an audio). Learn more about Barbara De Angelis here: http://barbaradeangelis.com
Mirabai Starr writes creative non-fiction and contemporary translations of sacred literature, especially the Spanish mystics. Her books include Dark Night of the Soul (about John of the Cross), The Interior Castle (about Teresa of Avila), God of Love: A Guide to the Heart of Judaism, Christianity & Islam, and Caravan of No Despair: A Memoir of Loss and Transformation. She taught Philosophy and World Religions at the University of New Mexico-Taos for 20 years and now teaches and speaks internationally on contemplative practice and inter-spiritual dialog. We spoke about the contemporary spiritual environment, her work with Ram Dass, whom she met when she was 14, Neem Karoli Baba and other topics. Learn more about Mirabai Starr here: http://mirabaistarr.com/about/
Jim Burklo is an ordained United Church of Christ pastor who has ministered with congregations, university students, and homeless people. Now serving as Associate Dean of Religious Life at the University of Southern California, he has been a mindfulness practitioner and teacher for nearly 40 years. He is the author of several books, including: Open Christianity: Home by Another Road, a primer on theologically and socially progressive Christianity, Birdlike And Barnless: Meditations, Prayers, and Songs for Progressive Christians and his latest, Mindful Christianity. He is an activist and board member with Progressive Christians Uniting. His blog, Musings, is read by lay people and faith leaders around the world. We spoke about his new book, mindfulness practice, Progressive Christianity and his observations about the current generation of college students. Learn more about Jim Burklo here: http://mindfulchristianity.org/jim-burklo.html
Emmanuel Vaughan-Lee is an award-winning filmmaker whose work has been featured on in prestigious publications, television networks, museums and festivals worldwide. The many projects produced by his Go Project Films include Marie’s Dictionary, Isle de Jean Charles, Path of Freedom and Elemental. He is the founder and executive director of the Global Oneness Project, an award-winning online multimedia platform that brings the values of global citizenry into mainstream education. He also directs the Spiritual Ecology Fellowship, an innovative leadership and incubation program that works with emerging leaders to bring spiritual values into environmental work. The son of Sufi lineage holder Llewelynn Vaughan-Lee, he is a Naqshbandhi Sufi and lives in Northern California with his wife and two children. We spoke about the influence of spirituality on his mission as a filmmaker, educator and social activist. Learn more about Emmanuel Vaughan-Lee here: https://www.globalonenessproject.org/people/emmanuel-vaughan-lee
Roger Nelson is the founder of the Global Consciousness Project (GCP), a long-running international collaboration of 100 researchers studying interactions of consciousness and the environment. He is an experimental psychologist with a PhD from New York University whose background also includes physics and engineering. Formerly the Research Coordinator for the Princeton Engineering Anomalies Research (PEAR) laboratory, he has directed the Global Consciousness Project since its inception in 1997. His recent work integrates consciousness research and parapsychology, and looks to quantum physics to help explain anomalous effects of consciousness as documented in experiments. We spoke about his interest in consciousness and the implications of the Global Consciousness Project findings. Learn more about Roger Nelson here: http://noosphere.princeton.edu
Robert Atkinson, Ph.D., is a pioneer in the development of the life story interview methodology and among the first to apply Joseph Campbell’s classic work on the hero’s journey to personal mythmaking. He is professor of human development and religious studies at the University of Southern Maine. The author, coauthor or editor of eight books, including Songs of the Open Road: The Poetry of Folk Rock and the Journey of the Hero and Remembering 1969: Searching for the Eternal in Changing Times, his latest publication is The Story of Our Time: From Duality to Interconnectedness to Oneness. We spoke about the content of that book, its relevance to our current social climate and the lessons he learned from friendships with Pete Seeger and Joseph Campbell as a young man. Learn more about Robert Atkinson here: https://www.robertatkinson.net/
Mas Vidal is a teacher of Yoga and a practitioner of both Ayurveda and Vedic Astrology. He offers lectures, workshops and certification training programs throughout the USA, Asia, and India. His work is primarily influenced by the lineage-based traditions of India, particularly those of Paramahansa Yogananda and Swami Sivananda. The founder/director of Dancing Shiva Yoga Ayurveda, an international non-profit educational organization with a center in Southern California, he is the author of Sun, Moon and Earth: The Sacred Relationship of Yoga and Ayurveda. We spoke of the integration of Yoga and Ayurveda, the importance of lineage and the purpose and content of his new book. Learn more about Mas Vidal here: https://dancingshiva.com/dancingshiva/site2/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=178&Itemid=108
Imam Jamal Rahman is a popular speaker on Islam, Sufi spirituality, and interfaith relations. Jamal is co-founder and Muslim Sufi minister at Seattle's Interfaith Community Sanctuary and adjunct faculty at Seattle University. He is a former co-host of Interfaith Talk Radio and travels nationally and internationally, presenting at retreats and workshops. Along with his Interfaith Amigos (Rabbi Ted Falcon and Pastor Don Mackenzie), he has been featured in numerous media outlets. Jamal is the author and co-author of several books, the latest of which is Finding Peace through Spiritual Practice: The Interfaith Amigos Guide to Personal, Social and Environmental Healing. We spoke mainly about Islam in today’s world and his interfaith work. Learn more about Imam Jamal Rahman here: www.jamalrahman.com
Purusha Hickson is the Founder and Director of Stretch for Success Seminars. He has been teaching hatha yoga for over 40 years and has studied in depth the Sivananda, Iyengar and Ashtanga yoga systems. His views on yoga and health have been solicited by numerous publications, including Yoga Journal, Yoga International and the L.A. Times. He conducts workshops and retreats worldwide, and has developed a Teacher Training Program for aspiring yoga teachers in the Los Angeles area. Purusha’s spiritual teacher was the late Swamini Turiyasangitananda, better known as Alice Coltrane. We spoke about Swamini’s teachings and her music, and touched upon her husband, John Coltrane, before discussing Purusha’s philosophy and work. Learn more about Purusha Hickson here: www.purushahickson.com Note to subscribers: this is a replacement for the previously posted interview, which had technical problems.
Ben Pink Dandelion has worked at Woodbrooke Quaker Study Centre in Birmingham, England, for over twenty years and currently directs their postgraduate program. He is Professor of Quaker Studies at the University of Birmingham, and also works with Lancaster University. A committed Quaker, he has written numerous academic and devotional books on the Quaker way, and in 2014 presented the Swarthmore Lecture, which is the annual public lecture given to British Quakers. We spoke about the little-known history and theology of Quakerism, as well as the surprising diversity within the religion and what goes on at Quaker meetings. Learn more about Ben Dandelion here: http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/ppr/about-us/people/ben-dandelion
Marianne Williamson is an internationally renowned spiritual teacher, an electrifying speaker and a prolific author whose books include six N.Y. Times bestsellers—four of which, notably A Return to Love, reached the #1 spot. Her other books include Everyday Grace, Healing the Soul of America, and most recently, Tears to Triumph: The Spiritual Journey from Suffering to Enlightenment. An impassioned activist and former candidate for the U.S. Congress, she is an eloquent voice for the interaction of spirituality and social responsibility. As she has been interviewed by Oprah, Charlie Rose and other media luminaries, we are honored that this is her third appearance on Spirit Matters. This conversation focused on her observations about the post-election environment and the major event she has organized in response to it, Sister Giant, in Washington DC, February, 2017. Learn more about Marianne Williamson here: www.marianne.com.
ather Richard Rohr is a globally recognized ecumenical teacher bearing witness to the universal awakening within Christian mysticism and the Perennial Tradition. A Franciscan priest and founder of the Center for Action and Contemplation (CAC) in Albuquerque, NM, his work is grounded in practices of contemplation and self-emptying, expressing itself in radical compassion, particularly for the socially marginalized. He is the author of numerous books, including Everything Belongs, Breathing Under Water, and Eager to Love: The Alternative Way of Francis of Assisi. His latest book is The Divine Dance: The Trinity and Your Transformation (with Mike Morrell). Fr. Richard is also academic Dean of the Living School for Action and Contemplation, which trains individuals to work for positive change based on awareness of our common union with God and all beings. We spoke about the growing interest in contemplative Christianity, aspects of Franciscan theology and the purpose that drives his work. Learn more about Fr. Richard Rohr here: https://cac.org/richard-rohr/richard-rohr-ofm/
Larry Payne, PhD, is an internationally respected yoga teacher and author. A founding father of Yoga Therapy in the U.S., he is coauthor of Yoga Rx and the bestselling Yoga for Dummies. He is based in Los Angeles, where he founded the Samata Yoga Center, Prime of Life Yoga® and the Yoga Therapy Rx program at Loyola Marymount University. Over a career of 30 years, he has accomplished many firsts, including serving as founding president of the International Association of Yoga Therapists, cofounding the yoga program at the UCLA School of Medicine, teaching yoga at the World Economic Forum, and doing a headstand at the North Pole. We spoke about designing yoga for people in midlife, Indra Devi and other yoga luminaries he’s known, and the development of Yoga Therapy as a discipline. Learn more about Larry Payne here: http://www.samata.com/?page_id=21
Naveed Hameed is a documentary filmmaker, an interfaith activist and a facilitator in the media and development sector. Growing up in an impoverished Christian family in predominately Muslim Pakistan, he became a peace activist as a student and now uses media as a tool of expression and a bridge between community and development. His documentaries have won awards and acknowledgments in film and peace festivals. Naveed conducts capacity building workshops for organizations working for peace, harmony and minority rights, and is the founder of SOCH, an organization dedicated to raising the voices of unvoiced and neglected communities. We took advantage of his presence in the U.S., on a prestigious State Department program, to talk about his inspiring work and his aspirations. Learn more about Naveed here: https://naveedhameed.wordpress.com/about-naveed-hameed/
Mariana Caplan is a psychotherapist, yoga teacher, and the author of numerous magazine articles and six books in the fields of psychology and spirituality, including Eyes Wide Open: Cultivating Discernment on the Spiritual Path, Halfway Up the Mountain: the Error of Premature Claims to Enlightenment and The Guru Question: The Perils and Rewards of Choosing a Spiritual Teacher. The founder of The Yoga & Psyche Method and The Yoga & Psyche Conference, she teaches workshops and trainings at major retreat centers, yoga studios, and universities throughout the world and has been an adjunct professor at The California Institute of Integral Studies since 2001. She has also taught at Naropa, JFK, and Sophia Universities. In her psychotherapy, Dr. Caplan incorporates traditional and alternative approaches including: psychodynamic, gestalt, cognitive behavioral therapy, somatic, and dialectical behavioral therapy. Learn more about Mariana Caplan here: http://www.realspirituality.com/
Steve Bhaerman is an internationally known author, humorist, and workshop leader. For nearly 30 years, he has written and performed as Swami Beyondananda, the "Cosmic Comic." Swami's comedy has been described both as "comedy disguised as wisdom" and "wisdom disguised as comedy." Marianne Williamson has called him "The Mark Twain of our generation." Since 2005, Steve has written a political blog with a spiritual perspective, Notes From the Trail. His latest book, written with cellular biologist Bruce H. Lipton, PhD is Spontaneous Evolution: Our Positive Future and a Way to Get There From Here (Hay House, 2009). We spoke about the intersection of spirituality and humor, the reception of Swami Beyondananda by different groups and the need for a daily laughsative. Learn more about Steve Bhaerman here: www.wakeuplaughing.com
Dr. Igor Iwanek is a composer and performer whose music has been awarded at festivals in Europe, Japan and the USA. His compositions are rooted in the tradition of Bach and Scriabin, and draws inspiration from a range of influences, from Hindustani Ragas to Afro-Cuban dance music. As an active multidisciplinary educator, Igor teaches the importance of sound and vibration for human well-being. He has appeared live on NPR and television, and is the founder of a charitable initiative called Music and Mysticism. He works with the effects of sound and vibration, drawing from a variety of spiritual traditions, especially Nada Yoga and Sufism. We spoke about the healing and spiritual impact of sound, the uses of music and his own work as a composer, performer and educator. Learn more about Igor Iwanek here: http://thinkartmusic.com/biography.html
NaRon D. Tillman is Pastor and Musical Director of St. Phillips Christian Church (DOC) in Brooklyn, New York. He is a faith, leadership and wellness coach, and a serial entrepreneur since age 19. His community work takes him from boardrooms and investor meetings to at-risk schools, shelters, senior centers and more. A graduate of Drake Business School, where he received a diploma in Business Systems, Pastor Tillman helps churches develop financial independence, self-sustaining revenue and advocate for change. He is also the New York Leader of Urban Yogis, a Health and Wellness Training Program with yoga as the cornerstone. We spoke about the path that brought him to ministry, his pastoral philosophy and his work bringing yoga to underserved youth. Learn more about Rev. Tillman here: http://www.spccbrooklyn.org/our-pastor
Sandra McLanahan, MD, is a holistic physician with a private practice in rural Buckingham, Virginia. She was Director of Stress Management for the pioneering research team led by Dr. Dean Ornish, which proved that heart disease can be reversed by natural methods including a very low-fat diet, yoga, meditation/relaxation and social support. A graduate of Swarthmore College and Wayne State University Medical School, she has been associated with the late Swami Satchidananda and his Integral Yoga Institute since the early 1970s. She is the author or co-author of several books, including Surgery and Its Alternatives, Dr. Yoga: Yoga for Health, and The Healthy Vegetarian. We spoke about Swami Satchidananda, her own research and the studies she conducted with Dean Ornish and the evolution of modern yoga. Learn more about Dr. McLanahan here: http://www.healthinsightstoday.com/articles/v4i5/mclanahan_p1.html
Zach Leary is the host of the "It's All Happening" podcast. He calls himself "a blogger/writer, a futurist, spiritualist, digital branding specialist and self-proclaimed social theorist." He is a practitioner of bhakti yoga as taught through many of the Vedantic systems of Northern India, which "unlock doorways that allow the soul to experience its true nature of being eternal, full of knowledge and full of bliss." Zach has also been influenced by other methods and traditions of consciousness exploration, ranging from trans-humanism to Buddhism and clinical psychology. At the core of his work is the belief that we have been fused together by the use of technology, spirituality and mysticism to define the very nature of who we are. We spoke about bhakti, chanting, his podcast and growing up with a unique and controversial father, Timothy Leary. Learn more about Zach here: http://zachleary.com/about/
Joan Shivarpita Harrigan, Ph.D. is the director of Patanjali Kundalini Yoga Care—USA, and the author of Kundalini Vidya: The Science of Spiritual Transformation and the forthcoming Stories of Spiritual Transformation: The Fulfillment of Kundalini Process. She has practiced, studied, and taught Raja Yoga and Advaita Vedanta for over thirty years. Upon being initiated as a monastic in the Shankaracharya tradition in 1987, she was tutored in Traditional Kundalini Science by Swami Chandrasekharanand Saraswati of Rishikesh, holder of the lineage. In 2004, she was authorized to provide the services and teachings of the lineage in North America and the UK. Learn more about Joan Shivarpati Harrigan here: http://kundalinicare.com/pkyc-directors/
Dr. Bob Rosenthal is the Co-President of the Foundation for Inner Peace, which publishes A Course in Miracles. Previously, he served on the Foundation’s Board of Directors for almost 25 years and studied and taught the Course’s metaphysics for over 40 years. He was a practicing, board-certified psychiatrist and psychotherapist until retiring to assume his new position. Dr. Rosenthal is also the author of From Plagues to Miracles: The Transformational Journey of Exodus, From the Slavery of Ego to the Promised Land of Spirit, which reinterprets the biblical story of Moses and Pharaoh as a parable of the spiritual journey. We spoke primarily about the origin and content of A Course in Miracles. Learn more about Bob Rosenthal here: http://www.fromplaguestomiracles.com
Dr. Wallace conducted pioneering research on the Transcendental Meditation technique. His seminal papers published in Science, the American Journal of Physiology, and Scientific American supported a new paradigm of mind-body medicine and brain development. Dr. Wallace is the founding President of Maharishi University of Management and was, in the 1980s, the founding President of Maharishi Ayurveda Corporation of America, which imported Ayurvedic products and established several panchakarma clinics throughout the U. S. He is the author of Dharma Parenting: Understand Your Child's Brilliant Brain for Greater Happiness, Health, Success and Fulfillment co-author with Dr. Fred Travis, Neurophysiology of Enlightenment, Transcendental Meditation, and Maharishi Ayurveda and Vedic Technology. Dr. Wallace has traveled around the world giving lectures at major universities and institutes on consciousness-based health programs. Dr. Wallace is currently a Trustee of Maharishi University of Management, Dean of the College of Perfect Health, Director of Research, Professor and Chairman of the Department of Physiology and Health, and Deputy Minister of Health of the Global Country of World Peace.
Veena R. Howard, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Philosophy at California State University, Fresno. She teaches and researches Asian religious traditions, Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy, animal ethics, interfaith interactions among Hindus and Muslims, and gender issues in Indian philosophy. The author of Gandhi’s Ascetic Activism: Renunciation and Social Change, she has also translated several books and published articles in professional journals. She is currently editing a book on religions of India. Dr. Howard is committed to reviving indigenous spiritual and ethical approaches to connect personal transformation and social change. We spoke mainly about her research on Gandhi’s spirituality and social activism. Learn more about Veena Howard here: http://csufresno.academia.edu/veenahoward.
Rabbi Sharon Brous is the founder and Senior Rabbi at IKAR, which she calls “a laboratory for bold, imaginative Jewish practice.” Based in Los Angeles, it became one of the fastest growing Jewish communities in the country, and Rabbi Brous has been recognized as one of the nation’s most influential American Jews. She has been credited with “reanimating Jewish community and re-energizing prayer at a time of growing disaffection and declining affiliation.” In 2013 she blessed President Obama and Vice President Biden at the Inaugural National Prayer Service. Among other positions, she is a Senior Fellow at Auburn Theological Seminary and serves on the rabbinic advisory council to American Jewish World Service. We spoke about her innovative approach to Jewish spirituality and her unique congregation. Learn more about Rabbi Sharon Brous here: http://www.ikar-la.org/about/leadership/ikar-team/
Vikram Zutshi is a writer-producer-director based in Los Angeles. After several years in indie film and network TV production, then an executive at 20th Century Fox and Rogue Entertainment, he went solo, producing and directing feature films and documentaries. A passionate Yogi, he is the founding editor of Sutra Journal and writes frequently on Buddhism, Shaivism, Sacred Art, Culture and Cinema. He is currently prepping “Urban Sutra,” a TV series about the transformative effects of Yoga in strife-torn communities, and “Darshana: The Aesthetic Experience in Indian Art,” a feature documentary on Hindu, Jain and Buddhist Art. We spoke mainly about his recent film shoots in India for “Darshana,” and the mission of Sutra Journal. Learn more about Vikram Zutshi here: http://www.sutrajournal.com/who-we-are
Stephen Dinan is the founder and CEO of The Shift Network and a member of the Transformational Leadership Council and Evolutionary Leaders. He helped create and direct the Esalen Institute’s Center for Theory & Research, was the director of membership and marketing at the Institute of Noetic Sciences. A social entrepreneur and leading voice in the transpartisan movement, Stephen has been a featured speaker at numerous conferences, events, radio programs, and online summits. His new book, Sacred America, Sacred World: Fulfilling Our Mission in Service to All and Radical Spirit, calls for a pragmatic approach to social reform that goes beyond left and right. We spoke about Shift Network and the vision that informs his new book. Learn more about Stephen Dinan here: www.StephenDinan.com.
Elias Amidon is the spiritual director (Pir) of the Sufi Way. He has been an initiate of the Sufi Way for 44 years and was appointed as the Pir of the order in 2004. His root teacher was Pir Fazal Inayat-Khan, and he has also studied with Qadiri Sufis in Morocco, Theravaden Buddhist teachers in Thailand, Native American teachers of the Assemblies of the Morning Star, Christian monks in Syria, Zen teachers of the White Plum Sangha, and contemporary Dzogchen teachers. Author of The Open Path: Recognizing Nondual Awareness, and co-editor of Earth Prayers, Life Prayers, and Prayers for a Thousand Years, he continues to travel widely teaching Open Path and other Sufi Way programs. We spoke about Sufism, his lineage and his modern approach to the tradition. Learn more about Elias Amidon here: http://sufiway.org/about-us/pir-elias
Marc Barasch is the author of the bestseller The Compassionate Life, which helped inspire the Compassionate Cities movement and the film “I Am." Marc later founded the Green World Campaign on an ethos of “green compassion,” which integrates ecological health, social wellbeing, and universal spiritual values. The GWC has planted millions of trees and practiced eco-agriculture on three continents, restoring degraded landscapes, alleviating poverty, and increasing food security in communities struggling on the front lines of climate change. A persistent catalyst for social change, Marc has edited culture-shifting magazines like Psychology Today, Natural Health, and New Age Journal; created TV specials; and written seminal books on holistic health and human potential. We spoke about his current work regenerating an environment threatened by climate change and the need to “ReGreen the World in One Generation!” Learn more about Marc Barasch here: www.greenworldcharter.org
Ed Sarath is Professor of music in the Department of Jazz and Contemporary Improvisation at the University of Michigan. He is also director of the U-M Program in Creativity and Consciousness Studies and designed the BFA in Jazz and Contemplative Studies. His book, Improvisation, Creativity, and Consciousness: Jazz as Integral Template for Music, Education, and Society applies a consciousness-based worldview to music. He is also coauthor of Creativity, Diversity, and Integration and co-editor of Contemplative Approaches to Learning and Inquiry. A frequent speaker at conferences and symposia around the world, his compositions span diverse musical horizons and have been performed across the US, Europe, and South America. We spoke about improvisation and jazz in a spiritual context, for both artists and listeners, and were treated to a few riffs on Ed’s horn. Learn more about Ed Sarath here: http://edsarath.com/wordpress/
Amanda J. Lucia is an Associate Professor of Religious Studies at the University of California, Riverside, where she is a Co-Director of the Institute for the Study of Immigration and Religion. Her research focuses on religious encounters between North Americans and South Asians since the early-19th century. Her first book, Reflections of Amma: Devotees in a Global Embrace (2014) investigates a contemporary guru movement (that of Mata Amritanandamayi) through the ethnographic accounts of devotees. Dr. Lucia’s research interests include guru authority and sexuality, and the politics of cultural representation. Her current book project, Spiritual Nomads: Creating Yogic Selves and Spirituality in Festival Spaces is a study of American spirituality through yoga festivals. We spoke mainly about her research on Amma, the so-called “Hugging Saint,” and what it reveals about contemporary spirituality, guru-disciple relationships and other phenomena. Learn more about Amanda Lucia here: http://religiousstudies.ucr.edu/full-time-faculty/amanda-lucia/
Dean Sluyter has taught natural meditation throughout the U.S. and beyond for over 40 years, from the Guatemalan rainforest to New Jersey prisons. His latest book, Natural Meditation: A Guide to Effortless Meditative Practice, won the 2015 Nautilus Gold Prize for best book on mind, body, and spirit practices, and was an Amazon #1 stress-management bestseller. Known for the clarity, warmth, and humor of his presentations, he has appeared frequently in national media including The New York Times, National Public Radio, The Dr. Oz Show, and O, The Oprah Magazine. Dean has studied and practiced deeply in several traditions, including Vajrayana Buddhism, Bhakti Yoga, and Advaita Vedanta, and has completed numerous retreats and pilgrimages in India, Tibet, and the West. More information is at DeanWords.com
Edward F. Kelly is a Research Professor in the Division of Perceptual Studies (DOPS) at the University of Virginia. He received his Ph.D. in psycholinguistics/cognitive science from Harvard in 1971 and spent the next 15-plus years working mainly in experimental parapsychology. Later, at the University of North Carolina, he studied human cortical adaptation to tactile stimuli. He returned to psychical research in 2002, serving as lead author of Irreducible Mind (2007) and Beyond Physicalism (2014) under the auspices of the Esalen Center for Theory and Research. He is now president of the Cedar Creek Institute, where he researches altered states in exceptional subjects. We spoke about his and others’ research on psychic phenomena and how it relates to spiritual development. Learn more about Edward F. Kelly here: http://cedarcreekinst.org
Claire Hoffman writes for national magazines and holds a master’s degree in religion from the University of Chicago and a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University. She was a staff reporter for the Los Angeles Times and Rolling Stone. The author of Greetings from Utopia Park Surviving a Transcendent Childhood, she serves on the board of her family foundation, the Goldhirsh Foundation, as well as ProPublica and the Columbia School of Journalism. We spoke about her memoir about growing up in the Transcendental Meditation community in Fairfield, Iowa. Learn more about Claire Hoffman here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claire_Hoffman
MC Yogi has become known as a modern day ambassador of yoga to the West and a leading voice in the emerging genre of conscious music. From headlining international music festivals and teaching some of the largest yoga classes in North America, he blends his knowledge of yoga with hip hop, reggae and electronic music. With three #1 World albums and hundreds of appearances each year, MC's music is moving yoga to large, young, mainstream audiences. iTunes calls his latest album, Only Love is Real, "true mantra music - transformative and genre-defining." In 2001, MC YOGI and his wife Amanda Giacomini were named health ambassadors by Michelle Obama for her Let's Move initiative; theyt have taught yoga at the White House four times since. We spoke about his delinquent youth, his transformative emergence as MC Yogi, his driving purpose and his experience merging yogic themes with modern musical genres. Learn more about MC Yogi here: http://www.mcyogi.com/about.
Andrew Harvey is an internationally known translator, scholar of mysticism, and spiritual teacher. He has written and edited more than 30 books, including best-sellers such as The Hope, and The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying. He has won the Christmas Humphries Prize (for A Journey in Ladakh) and the Nautilus Prize twice. Andrew has taught at Oxford University, Cornell University, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, The California Institute of Integral Studies, and the University of Creation Spirituality as well as at various spiritual centers throughout the United States. He is the founder and director of the Chicago-based Institute of Sacred Activism. We spoke about his multifaceted career as an interpreter and teacher of the world’s mystical traditions and about his passion for combining mystical experience and social activism. Learn more about Andrew Harvey here: http://www.andrewharvey.net/
Arun Deva is an Ayurvedic practitioner, an Ayur*yoga Therapist and a Vinyasa Krama certified yoga teacher. Arun teaches internationally, lectures at conferences, writes articles for various publications and offers consultations and treatments, including panchakarma and yoga therapy, at his Los Angeles clinic, Arunachala Yoga & Ayurveda. He teaches the Ayurveda and Yoga modules for Teacher Training Programs around the world and currently heads the National Ayurvedic Medical Association's committee on creating standards for Ayurvedic Yoga Therapists. He also leads retreats in India, where he was born and began his studies as a child. We spoke about Ayurvedic medicine, its relationship to Yoga and many related topics. Learn more about Arun Deva here: https://yogarasayana.com/about.
Deepak Chopra, M.D is the author of more than 80 books translated in over 43 languages, including 22 New York Times bestsellers. His latest book, coauthored with Dr. Rudolph E. Tanzi, is Super Genes. Trained in internal medicine and endocrinology, he is the founder of the Chopra Center for Wellbeing outside San Diego, an adjunct professor of Executive Programs at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and a Distinguished Executive Scholar at Columbia University Business School. He is known worldwide as an eloquent interpreter of the philosophies and spiritual practices birthed in his native India. We spoke about his new book, the gap between spirituality and science, and the work of the Chopra Foundation. Learn more about Deepak Chopra here: http://www.chopra.com/bios/deepak-chopra%2C-m.d
Francis Bennett is a former Trappist monk and hospice chaplain. His beliefs evolved to a more inclusive mystical, non-dogmatic approach when, in 2010, while in the middle of mass, he experienced “a radical perceptual shift in consciousness,” illuminating the awareness that the presence of God is at the heart of everything. His vision is informed by his love of the Christian mystics and is deepened by what he has learned from intensive work with Buddhist teachers. Francis now devotes shares his message with those interested in integrating spirituality into everyday life, offering events and retreats in the US and Europe. We spoke about his transformative awakening, his unique path and his current work. Learn more about Francis Bennett here:www.findinggraceatthecenter.com
Marianne Williamson is an internationally renowned spiritual teacher, an electrifying speaker and a prolific author whose books include six N.Y. Times bestsellers-four of which, notably A Return to Love, reached the #1 spot. Her other books include The Law of Divine Compensation, Everyday Grace, Healing the Soul of America, and A Year of Miracles. An impassioned activist and former candidate for the U.S. Congress, she is an eloquent voice for the interaction of spirituality and social responsibility. As she has been interviewed by Oprah, Charlie Rose and other media luminaries, we are honored that she is our first repeat guest on Spirit Matters. This conversation focused on her new book, Tears to Triumph: The Spiritual Journey from Suffering to Enlightenment. Learn more about Marianne Williamson here: www.marianne.com
John Andrews is a physician, trained in the US and UK, who specialized in internal medicine before studying meeting the spiritual teacher Osho (formerly Bhagvan Shree Rajneesh) and exploring meditation as a basis for holistic approaches to well-being. He was Osho's personal physician, taking care of his body for many years including his final days. He currently gives courses on meditation at the OSHO International Meditation Resort in Pune, India, one of the world's largest personal growth and meditation centers. We spoke about his unique background; Osho's teaching methods and personality, and the growing acceptance of meditation by the scientific community and the general public. Learn more about Osho here: http://www.osho.com/
Larry Dossey, M.D., is a former physician of internal medicine and former Chief of Staff of Medical City Dallas Hospital. Dr. Dossey is the author of 12 books dealing with consciousness, spirituality, and healing, including the New York Times bestseller Healing Words: The Power of Prayer and the Practice of Medicine, and most recently One Mind: How Our Mind is Part of a Greater Consciousness and Why it Matters. His books have been translated into 30 languages. He lectures at medical schools, hospitals and other venues throughout the United States and abroad, served as co-chairman of the Panel on Mind/Body Interventions at the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, National Institutes of Health, and is the executive editor of the peer-reviewed journal Explore: The Journal of Science and Healing. We spoke about his fascinating journey from mainstream medicine to spirituality, the compelling research on nonlocal consciousness and many other topics. Learn more about Larry Dossey here: http://larrydosseymd.com/about/
Jane Wolf Waterman is a licensed psychotherapist in private practice in Los Angeles. She is the author of Oh My God! We’re Parenting Our Parents: How to Transform this Remarkable Challenge into a Journey of Love. Drawing on her personal experience with her own parents, her expertise as a psychotherapist and her previous background as a lawyer and social activist, she has created a specialized coaching program with certified POP Family Coaches nationwide to help families. We spoke about the spiritual underpinnings of her approach to families facing the final stage of a loved one’s life and practical advice for those in that position. Learn more about Jane Wolf Waterman here: http://www.parentingourparents.org/about-jane/
Debashish Banerji is the Haridas Chaudhuri Professor of South Asian Philosophy and Culture and the Doshi Professor of Asian Art at the California Institute of Integral Studies. Prior to this, he taught at the University of Philosophical Research, Pasadena City College, UCLA and the University of California, Irvine. An expert on Sri Aurobindo and art history, he has curated a number of exhibitions of Indian and Japanese art and is also Executive Director of Nalanda International. He has edited a book on the Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore and is the author of two books: The Alternate Nation of Abanindranath Tagore and Seven Quartets of Becoming: A Transformational Yoga Psychology Based on the Diaries of Sri Aurobindo. We spoke about the life and work of Sri Aurobindo, the uses of Indian sacred art and other matters. Learn more about Debashish Banerji here: http://debashishbanerji.com/
Radhanath Swami is a Vaishnava sanyassin (a monk in a Krishna-bhakti lineage) and a teacher of the devotional path of Bhakti-yoga. His popular memoir, The Journey Home, traces his search for spiritual truth from teenage alienation in Chicago to Europe, the Middle East and finally India, where he discovered his path and met his guru, Srila Prabhupada, the founder of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. Today, he resides mainly at his spiritual community in Mumbai and teaches throughout India, Europe and North America. He also directs acclaimed social action projects, including Midday Meals, which daily serves more than 260,000 needy children, as well as hospitals, eco-friendly farms, schools and ashrams, and other projects. We spoke of his remarkable journey, his service work, his new book, The Journey Within, and the nuances of the bhakti path. Learn more about Radhanath Swami here: http://www.radhanathswami.com/.
Paul John Roach is a native of Wales, UK. He has BA and MA degrees in English from Oxford University and a postgraduate degree in Education from the University of Wales. He has been the minister at Unity of Fort Worth since his 1988 ordination from Unity Ministerial School in Kansas City, Missouri. The host of a weekly radio show, World Spirituality, on the Unity.fm internet radio network, Paul has written booklets on practical spirituality and articles for Unity Magazine, and he is currently writing a book on the unity in world religions. He also serves on the board of Unity World Headquarters. We spoke about Paul’s spiritual path, the basic principles of the Unity churches, and what he’s learned as a minister and radio host.
Robert A. Jonas, M.T.S., Ed.D., is the founder and director of The Empty Bell, a contemplative sanctuary in Northampton, MA, with a special emphasis on the Buddhist-Christian dialogue and the arts. An author, musician and retreat leader, Dr. Jonas is a Carmelite Christian who has also received spiritual formation with Buddhist teachers. He is a member of the Society for Buddhist-Christian Studies, on the Board of the Henri Nouwen Society, and co-founder of Project Noah, which connects people of faith to wilderness protection. He is the author of many books and articles and plays the Japanese bamboo flute (shakuhachi) in sacred contexts. We spoke about how Buddhism has informed his Christianity, his work at The Empty Bell and how tragedy can contribute to spiritual growth. Learn more about Robert Jonas here: http://www.emptybell.org/bio.html
Bob Roth is the Executive Director of the David Lynch Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charity which has brought meditation to over 500,000 inner-city youth in underserved schools in 35 countries, to veterans and their families who suffer from post-traumatic stress, and women and children who are survivors of domestic violence. A teacher of Transcendental Meditation for over 40 years, he also directs the Center for Leadership Performance, a nonprofit that brings meditation to Fortune 100 companies, government organizations, and charities. Bob is the host of the SiriusXM radio show "Success Without Stress," and has spoken to industry leaders at Google Zeitgeist, Aspen Ideas Festival and Wisdom2.0. We spoke about his long history of teaching meditation, the work of the Lynch Foundation and the satisfaction of teaching at-risk populations. Learn more about Bob Roth here: https://www.davidlynchfoundation.org/staff.html
Dr. G. William Barnard, is a Professor of Religious Studies and a University Distinguished Teaching Professor at Southern Methodist University. His primary teaching and research interests are the comparative philosophy of mysticism, religion and the social sciences; contemporary spirituality, religion and healing; and consciousness studies. He is currently researching the Santo Daime tradition, a syncretistic, entheogenically-based new religious movement in Brazil. He is the author of Living Consciousness: The Metaphysical Vision of Henri Bergson, Exploring Unseen Worlds: William James and the Philosophy of Mysticism, and the co-editor of Crossing Boundaries: Essays on the Ethical Status of Mysticism. He has one several awards for teaching excellence. We spoke about his personal spiritual path, which began with Swami Muktananda in the 1970s, his research on entheogens and Santo Daime and what it is like to teach religion at SMU. Learn more about William Barnard here: http://www.smu.edu/Dedman/Academics/Departments/ReligiousStudies/FacultyStaff/Barnard
Dr. Jeffery D. Long is Professor of Religion and Asian Studies at Elizabethtown College in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania, where he has taught since earning his doctorate from the University of Chicago Divinity School in 2000. He is the author of A Vision for Hinduism; Jainism: An Introduction; the Historical Dictionary of Hinduism; and the forthcoming Indian Philosophy: An Introduction. He has also published numerous articles and has served as chair of the Dharma Academy of North America and co-chair of the North American Hinduism unit at the American Academy of Religion. He is also a contributing editor for the Sutra Journal. We spoke about his personal spiritual path to self-identified Hinduism, his research interest in Indic traditions and much more. Learn more about Jeffery Long here: http://www.etown.edu/depts/religious-studies/faculty.aspx
Dr. Joseph Prabhu is Professor of Philosophy and Religion at California State University, Los Angeles (CSULA) and occasional Visiting Professor at the University of Chicago. An interfaith and peace activist, he is editor or author of numerous scholarly books, most recently Raimon Panikkar as a Modern Spiritual Master and the forthcoming Liberating Gandhi: Community, Empire and a Culture of Peace. A renowned scholar, Dr. Prabhu has lectured and taught at more than seventy universities; was Senior Fellow at Harvard’s Center for the Study of World Religions and the Martin Marty Center at the University of Chicago; President of the international Society for Asian and Comparative Philosophy and Program Chair for the Melbourne Parliament of the World’s Religions. He currently serves on a panel of experts advising the UN High Commission for Human Rights and the International Security Forum. We spoke about a wide range of topics, from Raimon Panikkar to the current interfaith movement. Learn more about Joseph Prabhu here: http://web.calstatela.edu/faculty/jprabhu/
Glen Fullmer is the director of the Office of Communications at the Bahá'í National Center. Prior to his current position, he served Bahá'í institutions in the communications arena since 1999, at the Bahá'í World Centre, the Bahá'í World News Service and the Bahá'í Office of External Affairs. Born in Costa Rica, he holds a Master’s degree in journalism from the University of Maryland. We spoke about the origins and core tenets of Bahá'í, one of the world’s newest and least understood religious traditions. Learn more about Bahá'í here: http://www.bahai.org/
Anthony P. Bossis, Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist and Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at New York University School of Medicine, where he and colleagues are conducting government approved clinical research with the hallucinogenic compound psilocybin. He is director of palliative care research, co-principal investigator, and a session guide for a study of the effects of a psilocybin-facilitated mystical experience on cancer patients. He is also Project Director and session guide for the Religious Leader Psilocybin Study, which evaluates the effects of a psilocybin-facilitated mystical experience on religious leaders. We spoke about his groundbreaking experiments and his interest in comparative religion, consciousness research, and the interface of psychology and spirituality. Learn more about Dr. Anthony Bossis here: https://www.nyu.edu/about/news-publications/news/2013/01/30/the-potential-of-psilocybin-to-alleviate-psychological-and-spiritual-distress-in-cancer-patients-is-revealed.html
Anthony P. Bossis, Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist and Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at New York University School of Medicine, where he and colleagues are conducting government approved clinical research with the hallucinogenic compound psilocybin. He is director of palliative care research, co-principal investigator, and a session guide for a study of the effects of a psilocybin-facilitated mystical experience on cancer patients. He is also Project Director and session guide for the Religious Leader Psilocybin Study, which evaluates the effects of a psilocybin-facilitated mystical experience on religious leaders. We spoke about his groundbreaking experiments and his interest in comparative religion, consciousness research, and the interface of psychology and spirituality. Learn more about Dr. Anthony Bossis here: https://www.nyu.edu/about/news-publications/news/2013/01/30/the-potential-of-psilocybin-to-alleviate-psychological-and-spiritual-distress-in-cancer-patients-is-revealed.html
His Holiness Swami Vidyadhishananda is a traditional Vedic monk of the Giri monastic order. He hails from Himalayan lineages known for their combination of sagely scholarship and Nath yogic practices. A yogi, mystic and a scholar, he was chosen as the Head of Mission in the West on behalf of his Monastic Council and was awarded the degree of Mahā-maho-pādhyāy (Great Ordained Teacher) by the university system in India for his scholarly and meditative interpretation of Sanskrit literature. As the founding monk of the Hansavedas Sangha and the US-based Self Enquiry Life Fellowship, he seamlessly integrates Vedanta, Samkhya and Yoga, and he initiates sincere seekers into Himalayan meditation techniques. We spoke about his lineage and the work in India and the West to which he has dedicated his life. Learn more about Swami Vidyadhishananda and his work here: www.hansavedas.org
Carin Gorrell has been Editor in Chief of Yoga Journal since December, 2013. Prior to that she was the features director of Self magazine, the health editor at Redbook and a senior editor at First for Women and Psychology Today. She has directed a cover-to-cover redesign of Yoga Journal, creating new departments and columns to cover the yoga world in all its depth and breadth and addressing controversial topics trending in the yoga community. The new design earned the magazine a Maggie Award for Best Health & Fitness Consumer Magazine and a Nichee Award for Best Niche Consumer Magazine in 2015. We spoke of her ideas and plans for American yoga’s signature publication. Learn more about Carin Gorrell and Yoga Journal here: http://www.yogajournal.com/about_us/g
Adam Bucko is a spiritual activist and co-author of Occupy Spirituality: A Radical Vision for a New Generation and The New Monasticism: An Interspiritual Manifesto for Contemplative Living. He grew up in Poland during the totalitarian regime and emigrated to America at age 17. His search for a meaningful life led him to monasteries in the US and India, where he had a life-defining experience that led directly to his current work as spiritual director to homeless youth in New York City at his Reciprocity Foundation, an award-winning nonprofit organization. Adam also established HAB, a fellowship for young people that offers formation in radical spirituality and sacred activism. We spoke about the remarkable path to his service-driven life, his inspiring work with homeless youth and his vision of a “new monasticism.” Learn more about Adam Bucko here: http://adambucko.com/about.html
Nahid Angha, Ph. D., is the co-director and co-founder of the International Association of Sufism (IAS), founder of the International Sufi Women Organization and the executive editor of Sufism: An Inquiry. An internationally published scholar with over fifteen books, she has lectured at the UN, the Smithsonian Institution, the Compassion Conference, UNESCO and many other organizations. She was among the distinguished Muslim leaders and scholars invited to the first annual Shakir World Encounters in Marrakech, Morocco, and is the first Muslim woman inducted to the Marin Women’s Hall of Fame. Huffington Post named her one of the 50 Powerful Women Religious Leaders To Celebrate On International Women's Day, 2014. We spoke about the history of Sufism, its basic tenets and practices and its relationship to the rest of Islam. Learn more about Nahid Angha here: http://ias.org/about/founders/.
Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati was raised in Hollywood, California, graduated from Stanford University, and was completing her PhD in 1996 when she went to live permanently at Parmarth Niketan Ashram in Rishikesh, India. She was ordained into the order of Sanyas (monastic renunciation) in 2000 by His Holiness Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji. As President of the Divine Shakti Foundation and Secretary-General of the Global Interfaith WASH Alliance, she is engaged in service projects around the world. A renowned speaker, Sadhvi gives keynote addresses on a variety of topics ranging from conscious business to science and spirituality to sustainable development to the keys to happiness and peace. She has a PhD in Psychology and was the Managing Editor for the 11-volume Encyclopedia of Hinduism. We spoke about her remarkable life as an American in India and her work as a spiritual leader and activist. Learn more about Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati here: www.Sadhviji.org.
Dr. David Frawley (Pandit Vamadeva Shastri), D.Litt is a Vedic teacher and translator, trained in the fields of Yoga, Vedanta, Ayurveda and Vedic astrology. He is the author of more than forty books published in twenty languages worldwide and serves as director of the American Institute of Vedic Studies (www.vedanet.com). In 2015 he was the first western Yoga/Ayurveda teacher to receive the prestigious Padma Bhushan award from the president of India, for “service to the nation of a high order.” He was recently granted a special National Eminence Award by the South Indian Education Society (SIES) of the Kanchi Sankaracharya Math. Learn more about David Frawley (Vamadeva) here: https://vedanet.com/about-2/about-acharya-david-frawley-pandit-vamadeva-shastri/
Jennifer Hollis is a music-thanatologist and the author of Music at the End of Life: Easing the Pain and Preparing the Passage. The former president of the Music-Thanatology Association International, she has a masters degree from Harvard Divinity School and works with the palliative care service at Lahey Hospital and Medical Center. Her article “Songs of Transition,” appeared on the New York Times Opinionator blog on December 30, 2015 and in the Sunday Review on January 3, 2016. We spoke of her inspiring calling and what it’s like to play music for the dying and their families Learn more about Jennifer Hollis here: http://jenniferhollis.com/
Richard Miller, Ph.D., is the Founder, Executive Director and President of the Board of Directors of the Integrative Restoration Institute. A clinical psychologist, researcher, scholar and spiritual teacher, he is devoted to integrating the nondual teachings of Yoga, Tantra, Advaita, Taoism and Buddhism with Western psychology. Richard the co-founder of The International Association of Yoga Therapy, founding editor of the professional Journal of IAYT, and past president of the Institute for Spirituality and Psychology. Research on his iRest protocol, based on traditional Yoga Nidra, is being conducted with active-duty soldiers, veterans, college students, children, seniors, the homeless, and other populations. He is the author of Yoga Nidra: The Meditative Heart of Yoga and a Consulting Editor at Sutra Journal. We spoke of his varied life and work, the research he’s supervised, the state of modern yoga and much more. Learn more about Richard Miller here: https://www.irest.us/about/board.
Saniel Bonder is the founder of the Waking Down in MutualityR teachings and recently launched Human Sun Institute and The White-Hot Yoga of the HeartT with his wife and teaching partner Linda Groves-Bonder. He has helped hundreds achieve unshakable spiritual awakeness amid the stresses of everyday living. His books include Healing the Spirit/Matter Split and Waking Down. He and Linda teach internationally and are also founding members of Ken Wilber's Integral Institute. We spoke about his spiritual history, his years with the controversial teacher Adi Da, his Waking Down teachings and more, even golf.
Dr. Joe Dispenza is a scientist, teacher and lecturer who draws on findings from neuroscience and quantum physics to help people heal illness and enjoy more fulfilled and happy lives. He has been invited to speak in more than 27 countries on six continents, educating thousands of people on how to re-wire their brains and re-condition their bodies to make lasting changes. He offers a variety of online courses and tele-classes, and he teaches workshops in the U.S. and abroad. As a researcher, Dr. Joe explores the science behind spontaneous remissions and self-healing, and has recently partnered with other scientists to perform extensive research on the effects of meditation. His bestselling books include Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself: How to Lose Your Mind and Create a New One and You Are the Placebo: Making Your Mind Matter. We spoke about his path from tragic disability to healing to his intriguing research and teaching, as well as the results and implications of his findings.
Russell Simmons co-founded Def Jam Recordings in 1984, creating the foundation for the musical and cultural revolution known as hip hop. He went on to form the Rush Communications empire, which included a clothing company, film and television production, a management company, a magazine and an advertising agency. Not satisfied by being an entertainment legend and a business mogul, he took up yoga and meditation, studied spiritual literature, and became a public advocate for practical spirituality. A tireless philanthropist and social activist, he became a dedicated vegan and recently added The Happy Vegan to his stable of bestsellers, which includes Do You! (2008), Super Rich: Inside and Out (2011) and "Success Through Stillness" (2014). Outspoken, honest, passionate and unrestrained, he was unique among our guests, as we spoke about his spiritual influences, the ideas and practices that guide his path, the rationale for veganism and much, much more. Learn more about Russell Simmons here: http://rushcommunications.com/.
Wah! has been making music for the yoga world for 25 years and has published books on yoga and healing. She teaches women's leadership training, sound healing workshops, yoga teacher training, and her popular Healing Concerts have been performed in planetariums, theaters and other venues. An innovator in her field, she brings a deep understanding of music and healing to her transformative events at churches, cancer clinics, yoga centers, women's groups and veterans populations. We spoke about the use of both traditional and modern musical forms in healing and spiritual development.
Loch is an educator, a licensed psychotherapist and a nondual meditation teacher based in New York. The author of Shift into Freedom: The Science and Practice of Open-Hearted Awareness, which was chosen one of the 10 Best Books of 2015 by Spirituality and Health Magazine, he founded the non-profit Open-Hearted Awareness Institute and is collaborating with neuroscientists to study how awareness training can enhance compassion and wellbeing. We spoke about his work as a therapist and nondual spiritual teacher, as well as his new book and accompanying CD.
Pamela is an international Reiki master and integrative health consultant. Many years of meditation and yoga study informs her understanding of Reiki as a nondual spiritual practice that gives an easy entry into inner spaciousness. The author of the award-winning book REIKI: A Comprehensive Guide, she has pioneered the integration of Reiki practice in conventional medicine, creating hospital programs; presenting and teaching in academic medical centers; collaborating on research; and publishing in peer-reviewed medical journals.
Paul is publisher and editor of The Interfaith Observer (TIO), a monthly internet magazine promoting healthy interfaith culture. Prior to that he was the founding executive director of the Interfaith Center at the Presidio; sat on United Religions Initiative's original Board of Directors; was a trustee of the North American Interfaith Network (NAIN) and served as a Parliament Ambassador for the Parliament of the World's Religions. His publications include Accountable Leadership and Remembered Light. He was ordained in the United Church of Christ. We spoke about the interfaith movement and all he's learned in the course of his long career.
John is the founder of the pioneering transformational marketing and PR firm, The Visioneering Group, whose mission is "Linking spirit, vision and progressive values with compassionate communication to promote a positive and sustainable future." He has represented foremost spiritual teachers, authors, thought leaders and performers. With Eckhart Tolle and Jim Carrey, John established the Global Alliance for Transformational Entertainment (GATE) and is Chair of the organization's board. We spoke about his vision for transformative cinema, his thoughts about today's evolving spirituality and some of his illustrious clients and colleagues.
Dr. Sovatsky is a long-time psychotherapist and expert on kundalini yogi, who codirected the Ram Dass Prison Ashram Project in 1977 and received the first federal grants to use yoga with incarcerated youth and the homeless mentally ill in 1978. The former president of the US Association for Transpersonal Psychology and a faculty member at the California Institute of Integral Studies, he is the author of Eros, Consciousness & Kundalini, Words from the Soul and Advanced Spiritual Intimacy. We spoke about his varied work at the intersection of tantra, yoga and psychology, about kundalini, and about spiritual development in the context of family life.
Eddie has been teaching yoga in New York City since 1989, and since 1993 has run the NYC branch of Sri K. Pattabhi Jois's Ashtanga Yoga Institute. Now located in Brooklyn, the school also functions as a consecrated Hindu temple. He is also involved in bringing health and wellness programs to under-served and in-need communities based on yoga, stress reduction, mindfulness and relaxation, and has designed protocols for scientific studies on yoga. We spoke about his personal path, his guru, his work and his perspective on the current yoga scene.
Kurt has been a Christian monastic; a highly regarded scientist with a Ph.D. in evolution, ecology and comparative biology; and now an eco-spiritual activist and leader of the interspiritual movement. The coauthor of The Coming Interspiritual Age, he teaches at the One Spirit Interfaith Seminary in New York City. We spoke about his diverse influences (including the late Wayne Teasdale), the growth of interspirituality; the future of religion; and the role of deep spirituality in the challenges facing humanity.
Marci is a bestselling author and internationally respected public speaker. Her runaway bestsellers, Happy for No Reason and Love for No Reason, established her as a leading expert on happiness, success, and unconditional love. She is also the woman's face of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series, with six bestselling titles, including Chicken Soup for the Woman’s Soul. We spoke about the relationship of spirituality and recent research on happiness; the integration in inner and outer; her observations of the self-help industry; and her own personal path.
Sally was a well-known journalist in the early 1970s when she met Swami Muktananda and began working closely with him. She was initiated into the Saraswati order of monks and taught in the Siddha Yoga lineage as Swami Durgananda for 20 years. After leaving the monastic life in 2002, she became a highly popular teacher, workshop leader and author whose books include Meditation for the Love of It, Awakening Shakti and Doorways to the Infinite. We spoke about her fascinating life and work, and she shed light on Vedic concepts such as shaki, kundalini and goddess imagery.
Mallika is the founder of Intent.com, a website and app focused on personal, social and global wellness. A media entrepreneur, public speaker and published author, her most recent book is Living With Intent: My Somewhat Messy Journey to Purpose, Peace and Joy. We spoke about the power of intent, her spiritual history, her intent to harness social media to connect people around the world to improve the world, and her background as a first generation Indian American and daughter of Deepak.
Dr. Mills is a clinical researcher with a focus on integrative medicine and spiritual practice. A former president of the American Psychosomatic Medicine Society and editor of several professional journals, he has published more than 300 manuscripts and book chapters. He is a professor at the University of California, San Diego, where he heads several research programs, and is Director of Research at the Chopra Center for Wellbeing. We spoke about his research and his perspective on the growing body of studies on the link between spirituality and measures of physical and mental health.
Dr. Sawyer is professor of religion and philosophy at the Maine College of Art and a popular lecturer at such venues as the Esalen Institute and Kripalu. The author of critically acclaimed biographies of Aldous Huxley and Huston Smith, he is an expert in theories related to the “perennial philosophy,” the view that there is a spiritual core at the heart of all religion and spirituality. We spoke about perennialism, mysticism, his research among the swamis of India, and the two influential men whose biographies he’s written.
Reverend Dr. Guibord is the founder and president of The Guibord Center – Religion Inside Out, whose purpose is “to explore and uphold the experience and presence of the Holy that transforms the world.” She previously served as Officer of Ecumenical and Interreligious Concerns for The Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles. We spoke of the purpose of the Guibord Center and what she has learned from her decades of work with people of all spiritual traditions.
Dr. Chapple is a professor of Indic and Comparative Theology at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. The author of numerous academic articles and books, he has taught Sanskrit, Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism, and in 2013 established the Master of Arts in Yoga Studies program. We spoke about his own spiritual history, his distinguished academic career and his experience creating the first ever masters degree program in Yoga Studies.
Rick was trained as a Transcendental Meditation teacher by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in 1970, and served in that capacity for 25 years, teaching TM to hundreds of people, lecturing around the world, helping to train teachers, and serving in other capacities. He created Buddha at the Gas Pump in 2009 and has since interviewed over 300 “spiritually awakening” people, from a variety of backgrounds and traditions. We spoke mainly about what he’s learned in the five years he’s been conducting those fascinating and highly popular interviews.
Yogacharya is the Spiritual Director of the Center for Spiritual Enlightenment in San Jose CA. Ordained to teach by Roy Eugene Davis, a direct disciple of Paramahansa Yogananda, she is the author of several books, a frequent speaker at conferences worldwide, a leader of service projects and host of The Yoga Hour on the Unity FM network. We spoke about her work, her unique background and her observations of the contemporary spiritual scene.
Dr. Finley lived as a monk at the cloistered Trappist monastery of the Abbey of Gethsemani in Kentucky, where the world-renowned monk and author, Thomas Merton, was his spiritual director. Jim leads retreats and workshops throughout the United States and Canada, attracting men and women from all religious traditions who seek to live a contemplative way of life in the midst of today’s busy world. A clinical psychologist in private practice with his wife in Santa Monica, California, he is the author of: Merton’s Palace of Nowhere, The Contemplative Heart and Christian Meditation: Experiencing the Presence of God.
Sadhguru is a mystic, philanthropist, author and spiritual teacher. His non-profit Isha Foundation has large centers in India and the US and offers yoga teachings and various social and community development programs throughout the world. We spoke about the spiritual experience that led to his work, the nature and content of his Inner Engineering programs and other fascinating philosophical and practical subjects.
Dr. Walsh is a professor of psychiatry, philosophy, and anthropology at the University of California at Irvine. Since the 1970s, his research and writings have spanned a myriad of subjects related to psychological wellbeing, religion and spirituality. He is deeply immersed in contemplative practices as a student, researcher, and teacher. We spoke of his work, the status of research on meditation and other facets of the contemporary spiritual scene.
Mirabai Starr writes, speaks and leads retreats on the inter-spiritual teachings of the mystics. She is known for her revolutionary translations of John of the Cross, Teresa of Avila, and Julian of Norwich,
Marianne is an internationally renowned spiritual teacher, electrifying speaker and author, whose eleven books include six N.Y. Times bestsellers, most famously A Return to Love. As she has been interviewed by Oprah, Charlie Rose and other media luminaries, we are honored that she would join us for a conversation about the intersection of spirituality and social responsibility, her run for Congress in 2014 and her passionate commitment to political action and social justice.
Prudence, the inspiration for the Beatles’ “Dear Prudence,” was raised Catholic and privileged, with parents and a sister (Mia) who were Hollywood royalty. Like many in the generation that came of age in the uproarious Sixties, she transitioned from drugs to spirituality, spending time with yoga master Swami Satchidananda then learning Transcendental Meditation and studying with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. It was at Maharishi’s ashram in Rishikesh, India, that John Lennon immortalized her in the song whose title is the same as Prudence’s new memoir. We discussed her book and her fascinating life, which includes teaching meditation to hundreds and earning a Ph.D. in Sanskrit from Berkeley.