Sacred Stream Radio: Recent Episodes
Laura Chandler
Laura Chandler hosts this monthly series that features interviews with thought leaders, artists, healers, and other interesting humans.
On this episode, Laura Chandler talks with Suzanne Ross – inspirational speaker, intuitive guide, and the founder of both the Sedona Ascension Retreat and the San Diego Transcendence Retreat. Suzanne is also the author of the Up! book series—featuring Wake Up! and Rise Up! She has dedicated her life to exploring consciousness, spirituality, and the evolution of human awareness, bringing together some of today's leading spiritual teachers with seekers from around the world.
In their talk, Suzanne and Laura discuss Suzanne's path, the evolution of consciousness, and the importance of creating spaces where people can come together to learn, grow, and transform. They also discuss the upcoming San Diego Transcendence Retreat, taking place September 19th and 20th, with an incredible lineup of presenters for a weekend of inspiring talks, workshops, and community.
Whether you're curious about consciousness, looking to deepen your spiritual practice, or simply seeking inspiration for your own journey, I think you'll really enjoy this conversation. For more information about Suzanne, visit suzannerosstranscendence.com. Learn more about the San Diego Transcendence Retreat at sandiegotranscendenceretreat.com.
In the first episode of the Remembering Robert Thurman series, Laura Chandler reflects on the recent passing of Robert A.F. Thurman—renowned Buddhist scholar, bestselling author, educator, and one of the world's foremost interpreters of Tibetan Buddhism. A close friend, mentor, and longtime supporter of the Sacred Stream, Bob devoted his life to making the profound wisdom of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition accessible to modern audiences. He was the Jey Tsong Khapa Professor Emeritus of Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Studies at Columbia University, co-founder of Tibet House US, and a lifelong advocate for the preservation of Tibetan culture and the teachings of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama.
Recorded during Bob's West Coast book tour for Man of Peace: The Illustrated Life Story of the Dalai Lama of Tibet, this candid conversation took place in the car on the way to a talk at Google. Filled with his trademark humor, brilliant storytelling, and unwavering devotion to His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the interview offers a rare glimpse into the warmth, brilliance, and infectious joy that made Bob such an extraordinary teacher and cherished friend.
This episode also honors the contributions of composer Dan Walters and legendary recording engineer Jesse Osborne, whose artistry helped bring this conversation to life. Join us as we celebrate the life, legacy, laughter, and enduring wisdom of Robert A.F. Thurman.
To learn more about Robert Thurman and his work, visit bobthurman.com, Tibet House US (thus.org), and Menla Retreat (menla.org).
On this episode of Sacred Stream Radio Podcast, Laura Chandler welcomes renowned neurosurgeon and consciousness researcher Dr. Eben Alexander. After a profound near-death experience during a week-long coma, Dr. Alexander's understanding of the mind, brain, and the nature of reality was forever transformed. His bestselling memoir, Proof of Heaven, which chronicles that extraordinary journey beyond ordinary consciousness, spent 41 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list.
In this conversation, Laura and Dr. Alexander explore consciousness beyond the brain, the use of binaural tones and sound technologies to access altered states of awareness, and key insights from his book Living in a Mindful Universe. They also discuss the evolving relationship between science, spirituality, and human potential.
Dr. Alexander will be appearing at the San Diego Transcendence Retreat, September 18–20, alongside an inspiring lineup of speakers and workshop presenters. Learn more about Dr. Alexander at ebenalexander.com.
On this episode, Laura speaks with author and activist Deborah Santana about her new memoir, Loving the Fire: Choosing Me, Finding Freedom—a story of awakening, courage, and the transformative power of finding one's voice.
Deborah shares the arc of her life from growing up as the daughter of pioneering interracial parents to her years alongside legendary musician Carlos Santana. While she embraced many roles—partner, mother, and supporter—this conversation centers on the pivotal moment when she chose to step forward fully as herself, reclaiming her voice and redefining her purpose.
At the heart of this episode is Deborah's commitment to uplifting others, particularly women and BIPOC communities. She speaks about how her personal awakening led her into meaningful, impact-driven work—from co-founding Do A Little to supporting education initiatives like Daraja Academy and contributing to cultural preservation through the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. Her journey illustrates how finding one's voice is not only a personal liberation, but a pathway to collective empowerment.
Grounded in stories of resilience, heritage, and spiritual growth, Deborah's story is a call to anyone ready to move beyond old roles, speak their truth, and engage in work that uplifts and transforms lives—starting with their own.
To learn more about Deborah, visit deborahsantana.com.
Welcome to the Sacred Stream Radio Podcast, brought to you by the Foundation of the Sacred Stream and Red Cow Productions. Hosted by Laura Chandler, this episode features a conversation with licensed clinical psychologist, Depth Hypnosis Practitioner, and executive coach, Joanna Adler.
Together, they explore the wisdom of the body—how it stores information, including trauma, and how learning to listen more deeply to its signals can support profound healing across physical, emotional, and spiritual dimensions.
Joanna Adler brings a unique integration of clinical expertise and depth-oriented healing practices. She teaches classes in Depth Hypnosis and Coming to Peace at the Sacred Stream and is co-author of the pilot study "Using Depth Hypnosis to Treat Mood Disorders and Raise Well-Being," published in the International Journal of Regression Therapy.
She will also be offering a new livestream class through the Sacred Stream, Somatic Wisdom as a Path of Inner Awakening. To learn more about Joanna and her work, visit her website, joannaadler.net.
On this episode, Laura speaks with author, yoga instructor, and meditation teacher Oneika Mays. They are talking about her new book, Sit with Me: A No-BS Journey to Mindfulness and Meditation.
Oneika spent nearly 15 years teaching meditation in yoga studios, hospitals, and correctional facilities, including at Rikers Island. As a queer Black teacher, she emphasizes that meditation isn't just for those who have it all figured out—it's for all of us: the anxious, the heartbroken, the angry, the lost, and those who have been marginalized or overlooked.
Pull up a cushion and settle in for this candid conversation on meditation, identity, and showing up as you are. Learn more about Oneika at oneikamays.com.
Welcome to the Sacred Stream Radio Podcast. In this episode, Laura Chandler talks with Zero Balancing Practitioner and teacher, Linda Wobeskya. Zero Balancing is a hands-on bodywork system conceptually related to acupuncture and grounded in the Eastern understanding of energy and its relationship to physical structure. Unlike acupuncture, however, Zero Balancing uses skilled touch rather than needles and works directly with the energy held within the bones rather than along meridian lines. Within this paradigm, imbalance between structure and energy contributes to pain, stress, reduced function, and diminished well-being.
Linda brings together a strong foundation in Western medical training with deep expertise in Zero Balancing, creating a uniquely integrative approach that supports healing across the entire body–mind spectrum. Join us for an illuminating conversation on how touch, energy, and structure intersect to restore balance and well-being. Learn more about Linda at lindawobeskya.com.
On this episode, Laura speaks with best-selling author and visionary success coach, Tama Kieves. Tama is an honors graduate of Harvard Law School who left a prestigious corporate career in law to follow her passion and now she helps others do the same. Tama has been featured on Oprah Media, Forbes, and ABC News. She has written five books and her latest, Learning to Trust Yourself, is a masterclass in modern intuition.
Whether she's teaching at the Omega Institute or on the TEDx stage, she is known for her electrifying presence and her belief that we are all meant to live from inspiration instead of fear. Today she and Laura talk about how to remove the blocks to trusting yourself, following your bliss, and how to wildly succeed in your life's work. To learn more about Tama, visit tamakieves.com.
In this episode, Laura sits down with Isa Gucciardi, Ph.D. for a timely and deeply reflective conversation about hope—not as a passive wish, but as an active state and a conscious choice. Together, they explore what it means to live hope as an action in times of collective uncertainty and social fracture. Drawing inspiration from the Bhutanese government's radical commitment to policies that prioritize the happiness and well-being of its people, the conversation opens into a broader inquiry: What if healing and consciousness were central measures of progress?
Laura and Isa examine how the deep fractures within our society mirror unresolved splits within the individual psyche—and how healing personal wounding becomes a powerful act of social and spiritual transformation. Rather than bypassing pain, they speak to the necessity of meeting it directly, integrating disowned parts of the self, and allowing this inner work to catalyze a revolution of consciousness. This episode invites listeners to consider spiritual evolution not as an abstract ideal, but as a lived, embodied process—one that begins with healing, deepens awareness, and restores our capacity to imagine and enact a more whole, compassionate world.
For more information about Isa, Laura, and the classes they teach at the Sacred Stream, visit isagucciardi.org, laurachandler.net, and sacredstream.org.
On this episode, Laura speaks with Cynthia James—author, musician, Emotional Integration Leadership Coach, and a compelling voice for personal transformation. Cynthia is an inspiring teacher and speaker whose podcast Women Awakening shines a light on the powerful stories of women she believes are catalyzing a collective shift in consciousness on the planet. The author of five books, including What Will Set You Free, I Choose Me, and her latest release, The Kingdom of Magic and Mystery, Cynthia brings deep wisdom and compassion to all she does. Her work is rooted in her own courageous journey of rising above childhood violence and PTSD. In this episode, we explore how Cynthia transformed pain into purpose—and how she now guides others to do the same. She also shares the non-negotiables that keep her grounded and healthy, along with her powerful perspective on how women are reshaping the world through everyday acts of courage and strength. Learn more about Cynthia at cynthiajames.net.
On this episode, Laura welcomes dream expert and author of The Secret Mind, Bonnie Buckner. For more than twenty years, Bonnie has taught dreamwork and imagery to people and organizations around the world. She's a Senior Fellow at George Washington University's Center for Excellence in Public Leadership and leads the One Humanity Leadership Coaching program, where she integrates dreamwork into innovative leadership development. She also co-hosts the One Humanity Lab podcast.
Together, they explore how to awaken to the wisdom of your dreams—whether you remember them or not—and how dreamwork can help you solve problems and better understand your waking life. Learn more about Bonnie at bonniebuckner.com.
In this episode of the Sacred Stream Radio Podcast, host Laura Chandler welcomes Robert Thurman — best-selling author, renowned Buddhist scholar, professor emeritus at Columbia University, and co-founder of Tibet House US and Menla Mountain Retreat. A close friend of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Bob is an eloquent and engaging voice bringing the wisdom of the East into our modern world. Through his lifelong commitment to the preservation and renewal of Tibetan culture, he has helped make Tibet House a vibrant center—offering a museum and programs in all aspects of Tibetan arts and sciences.
On this episode, Bob and Laura talk about his latest book, Wisdom is Bliss, the contentiousness of these times, and how happiness is an antidote to fear that can create pathways to a more peaceful and compassionate world. He also talks about the concepts of mis-knowing and enlightenment, as well as his chance meeting with Albert Einstein. This lively and illuminating dialogue is filled with humor, wisdom, and the radiant joy that comes from a life devoted to awakening.
In this episode, host Laura Chandler speaks with astrologer and author Madi Murphy. Together, they explore the world of astrology and Madi’s new book, In the Cosmic Zone, where she introduces the 12 Universal Keys—archetypes rooted in astrology that unlock deeper understanding of our life path. Whether you’re new to astrology or a seasoned practitioner, there is plenty to discover in this fun and illuminating conversation. They cover everything from the upcoming eclipses, and the influence of the mystical north and south nodes, to the wisdom each zodiac sign offers us about ourselves. Learn more about Madi at cosmicrx.com.
In this episode, host Laura Chandler speaks with therapist, filmmaker, and Igniting the Spark podcast host, Stephanie James. Together, they dive into Stephanie’s new book, Your Big Fat Juicy Life (and Everything After)—a deeply personal and inspiring exploration of death and how facing our fears about it can open the door to a more meaningful and joyful life.
Their conversation moves through many fascinating territories—past lives, encounters with the unseen, and the simple daily practices that help us live with greater presence and awareness. Along the way, Stephanie shares powerful personal stories, wisdom from thought leaders, and insights gained from her decades of therapeutic work, offering listeners an invitation to go beyond the ordinary and embrace new ways of being.
On this episode, host Laura Chandler is joined by therapist, teacher, and author John Tsilimparis for a powerful conversation about his latest book, The Magic in the Tragic: Rewriting the Script on Grief and Discovering Happiness in Our Darkest Days. Together, we explore the complexities of grief and how it can become a transformative path to healing and resilience.
John shares insights on emotional vulnerability as a strength, how anxiety can be harnessed as a tool for growth, and the role of creativity and inspiration in navigating difficult emotions. He offers practical tools for developing emotional resilience and reframing painful experiences to uncover meaning and joy, even in the midst of loss.
John is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist specializing in grief, anxiety, depression, addiction, and recovery. He’s been featured on The View, Larry King Live, and the A&E series Obsessed. He is also the host of the podcast Mindfulness for the Soul.
Learn more at johntsilimparis.com.
Welcome to the Sacred Stream Radio Podcast. I’m your host, Laura Chandler, and on today’s episode, I speak with Tibetan Buddhist nun, Venerable Ani Choyang. Ani is part of a distinguished group of Tibetan nuns on the path to earning the highest degree in Buddhist Philosophy—an honor that, until recently, was reserved exclusively for men. Her academic achievements extend beyond traditional studies into the realm of Western science.
In this conversation, Ani shares the powerful story of her escape from Chinese-occupied Tibet, where she spent her early years working in a factory with limited access to education. She speaks about the challenges and triumphs of learning the Tibetan language and discovering Tibetan culture for the first time at age 18. We also explore her inspiring academic journey and her unwavering commitment to expanding educational opportunities for nuns and women alike.
Ani Choyang was the first nun from Tibet to be awarded the prestigious Tenzin Gyatso Science Scholarship from Emory University in Atlanta. She has also completed an internship in neuroscience at Northwestern University and is currently involved in a groundbreaking research project on lucid dreaming and dream yoga. Ani is a resident nun and science teacher at Jangchub Choeling Nunnery in Mundgod, India. She also serves as the Coordinator of the Library and Learning Center, a new facility under development at the nunnery that will offer nuns a comprehensive education in both Buddhist studies and Western subjects.
On this episode, Laura is joined by author, counselor, and renowned teacher, Isa Gucciardi, Ph.D., to discuss her new book, Depth Hypnosis: A Path to Healing, Power, and Transformation. Isa is the creator of Depth Hypnosis, a pioneering psycho-spiritual healing modality that has empowered thousands to lead happier, healthier, and more fulfilling lives.
Depth Hypnosis is a unique, integrative approach that weaves together ancient wisdom and contemporary psychological insight. Drawing from traditions such as Buddhism, shamanism, energy medicine, and transpersonal psychology, it effectively addresses a wide range of issues, including addiction, anxiety, depression, and spiritual crises.
With advanced degrees in cultural and linguistic anthropology, comparative religion, and transpersonal psychology, Isa has spent over 30 years studying spiritual, therapeutic, and meditative techniques from around the world. She is an early pioneer in bringing shamanic and Buddhist perspectives into the clinical setting. Isa is also the founding director of the Sacred Stream and teaches and lectures internationally
In this edition, we welcome renowned Buddhist scholar and teacher, Thupten Jinpa, Ph.D., as he answers audience questions following a recent talk at the Sacred Stream. An excerpt from this compelling conversation can be heard in Episode 125: Thupten Jinpa: Part 1: Making Friends with our Minds.
In this thoughtful Q&A session, Jinpa shares deep insights on parenting, cultivating compassion amidst adversity, navigating difficult emotions, and facing death with clarity and courage. Drawing on decades of experience, he also recounts a powerful and personal story of his childhood escape from Tibet and the hardships he faced growing up in exile in India.
Since 1985, Jinpa has served as the principal English translator for His Holiness the Dalai Lama, translating and editing more than ten of the Dalai Lama’s books, along with several acclaimed works of his own. He is the Board Chair of the Mind & Life Institute, founder and president of the Compassion Institute, and a visiting research scholar at the Stanford Institute for Neuro-Innovation and Translational Neurosciences.
On this episode, we are sharing an excerpt from a recent talk at the Sacred Stream by esteemed author, former Tibetan Buddhist monk, and renowned Buddhist teacher, Thupten Jinpa, Ph.D. Jinpa has been the principal English translator for the Dalai Lama since 1985 and has translated and edited more than ten of his books, along with writing several of his own. He serves as the Board Chair of the Mind & Life Institute, is the founder and president of the Compassion Institute, and is a visiting research scholar at the Stanford Institute for Neuro-Innovation and Translational Neurosciences. In this insightful talk, Jinpa explores the importance of befriending our minds—an essential practice for navigating challenges and fostering a more joyful, fulfilling life. He has written and lectured extensively on Lojong, the Tibetan practice of Mind Training, and offers wisdom that is both practical and deeply transformative.
On this episode of the Sacred Stream Radio podcast, Laura speaks with couples therapist and author of Fire It Up: Four Secrets to Reigniting Intimacy and Joy in Your Relationship, Carolyn Sharp. Carolyn leads relationships retreats throughout the country and has over twenty-five years of experience helping people build vital, vibrant, and secure functioning relationships. Early in her career she was a social worker in the foster care system and later became the Clinical Director of the YMCA’s Mental Health programs before going into private practice. Today, Carolyn combines her passion for helping people with her widespread experience to assist people in creating the healthiest and happiest relationships possible.
On this episode of the Sacred Stream Radio podcast, Laura speaks with Dr. Simon Ruffell. Simon is a psychiatrist and the founder and CEO of Onaya Science, an organization that conducts research into the effects of psychedelic plant medicine ceremonies on body, mind, and spirit. Onaya also offers a Psychedelic Mentorship Training program. Simon follows a collaborative approach to research that combines tradition with science, emphasizing the importance of listening to indigenous healers and including them in every step of the research process. Currently, Onaya is engaged in an ongoing five-year study of plant medicines for military veterans suffering from trauma. Onaya continues to develop research-backed programs and resources that combine traditional and modern models of care, with a commitment to holistic healing and interethnic collaboration for the benefit of individuals, communities, and the more-than-human world.
You can learn more about Simon and Onaya at onaya.io.
On this episode, Laura reflects on some of the highlights from interviews over the past year. Featured guests include Maria Guidice, best-selling author and founder/former CEO of Hot Studio; Fritz Clay, founder of Fostering Connections; Lauren Markham, journalist and best-selling author of A Map of Future Ruins; and Henry Shukman, Zen master and author of Original Love. Thank you for listening, liking, reviewing, and subscribing!
For more information about these guests, you can visit their websites: hotstudio.com, hairplay.com, laurenmarkham.info, and henryshukman.com.
On this episode of the Sacred Stream Radio podcast, Laura is joined by poet, author, and Zen master, Henry Shukman. Henry is the author of two recent books, Original Love: The Four Inns on the Path of Awakening, and the memoir, One Blade of Grass. He is also co-founder of the single-path meditation app The Way, founder of the Original Love meditation program, and spiritual director emeritus at Mountain Cloud Zen Center. Original Love is a new approach to the ancient path of meditation. It is a broad meditation training based primarily on traditional teachings of Zen and Early Buddhism. Through finding the intrinsic lovingness, energy, peace and joy that are already within us, even if they sometimes feel hidden, we can grow as more clear-sighted and open-hearted beings. On this episode, Henry and Laura talk about the practical benefits of meditation, his idea behind original love, and his fascinating path towards awakening.
Learn more about Henry at henryshukman.com. And get The Way app at thewayapp.com.
This episode is taken from a recent live stream event with Isa and Laura. Isa is an author and the Founding Director of the Sacred Stream. Today they are talking about finding your spiritual path. We are all spiritual beings, but in our everyday lives, it’s easy to forget that we have a spirit that needs to be recognized, listened to, and nourished. Laura and Isa discuss the importance of prioritizing our spirits and finding a spiritual path that supports us. Whether it’s a religious practice, spending time in nature, quiet contemplation, music, or the simple practice of being kind, we each have our own path to tending to our spirit. In this discussion, they explore how to know what path to take, recognizing what is true for us, and how to care for our spirits in a time fraught with division, distraction, and disinformation.
Isa and Laura are the co-founders of the Foundation of the Sacred Stream. They have co-written several books including Coming to Peace and the soon to be released, Depth Hypnosis: A Path to Healing, Power, and Transformation.
Lauren Markham, journalist and author of A Map of Future Ruins: On Borders and Belonging, is the guest on this episode. Lauren’s latest book draws on her career reporting on migration and the issues asylum seekers face in the US and abroad. It centers around the story of the fire that burned down the largest refugee camp in Europe on the island of Lesvos, Greece, and the six young Afghan refugees accused of arson in spite of scant evidence. It takes us deep into causes of migration and offers thoughtful ideas for more humane approaches to dealing with the issues. Lauren’s book turns the journalist lens on herself as she questions the effectiveness of her vocation in making change, and explores her own Greek identity and the journey of her grandmother who immigrated to the US as a young woman. Lauren and Laura’s conversation is at once informative, insightful, and compassionate, with a little bit of the mystical thrown in.
On this episode, Laura talks with Sacred Stream founding director, Isa Gucciardi, about the power of optimism. They cover topics that include staying positive in the face of difficulty and how to embody healthy optimism while avoiding false positivity, magical thinking, and spiritual by-pass. They dive deep on how you can change your life by changing your perspective! Isa and Laura are teachers, counselors, and have co-written several books including Coming to Peace and the soon to be released, Depth Hypnosis: A Path to Healing, Power, and Transformation. This talk was part of a live stream event that first aired on YouTube and Facebook. If you would like to join future live events you can subscribe to our YouTube channel, follow us on Facebook, or sign up for our newsletter at sacredstream.org/subscribe.
On this episode of the Sacred Stream Radio Podcast, Laura is joined by Neo-Vedic Astrologer and author of The Candid Guide to Neo-Vedic Astrology, Hogarth Brown. Hogarth is also the host of the popular YouTube channel, Hogarth’s Global Astrology. Hogarth is back on the show to talk about his new book, offer his astrological perspective on the upcoming U.S. election, what the stars reveal about the players involved and what twists and turns we should expect. Hogarth also talks about the spiritual significance of the Ketu Dasha, the impact of the planet Saturn in our charts, and the importance for women of embracing the power of their Saturn return. To stay up to date on his predictions and planetary trends, visit his YouTube channel Hogarth’s Global Astrology. And pick up a copy of his book, The Candid Guide to Neo-Vedic Astrology, on Amazon or at your local bookstore.
On today’s episode, Laura Chandler and Isa Gucciardi, co-founders of the Sacred Stream, talk about Keeping Cool in Heated Times. Many of us are seeking balance in a world that seems to have lost its cool. Whether it’s political rhetoric, emotional volatility, or hotter than ever planet temperatures, remaining calm and cultivating peace can be challenging. On this episode, Laura and Isa take questions from the chat and offer their thoughts on ways to navigate the current climate. If you would like to join them for a live event in the future, check out the Sacred Stream calendar or register for the newsletter at sacredstream.org/subscribe.
On this episode, Laura Chandler talks with Rick Korn, director of the new documentary, A Father’s Promise, about musician and gun violence prevention advocate, Mark Barden. Mark lost his son, Daniel, in the Sandy Hook School Shooting. Rick is a film and TV producer, writer, and director that works with entertainment companies on creating socially conscious documentaries. He has worked on many award-winning productions, including the Peabody Award winning documentary, Hank Aaron: Chasing the Dream. He has produced benefit concerts with Bruce Springsteen, Bon Jovi, Eric Clapton, and Joan Jett to name a few. Rick, along with his business partner S.A. Baron, formed the production company, In Plain View Entertainment, and in 2020 they released a film about activist and musician Harry Chapin, Harry Chapin: When in Doubt, Do Something. A Father’s Promise is a moving portrayal of Mark Barden’s healing journey through music and activism. Learn more about Rick Korn and his film at afatherspromisefilm.com.
On this episode, Laura Chandler talks with the co-founders of Empowered Endings, Bob and Elizabeth Uslander. Bob is a medical doctor who worked in emergency medicine for over twenty years and Elizabeth is a social worker and spiritual counselor who spent many years working in hospice. Recognizing the limitations in the current healthcare model for people dealing with end of life, Empowered Endings provides an eco-system of support from medical assistance to counseling and other resources for people and their families navigating end of life. Their approach meets people where they are and offers assistance physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Empowered Endings is part of a movement to create a more informed and compassionate approach to ageing and death. You can learn more about Bob and Elizabeth Uslander and Empowered Endings at empoweredendings.com.
On this episode, Laura continues her interview with stylist and co-founder of the non-profit Fostering Connections, Fritz Clay. Fritz is a world-renowned stylist, owner of Hair Play Salon, and creator of the hair care product, “SET.” He grew up in foster care in the SF Bay Area, which he attributes to giving him a profound experience of love and family and he created Fostering Connections to give back to the foster care community. On the last episode, Fritz described how he was abandoned as a newborn outside of a hospital. In this conversation Fritz tells his remarkable story of finding his birth parents and the twists and turns that have come with that. His is an inspiring story of love, loss, abandonment, and belonging. It is a poignant and deeply healing tale that he shares to help others as they embark on their own journey to know themselves. You can learn more about Fritz and Fostering Connections at hairplay.com.
On this episode, Laura is joined by the co-founder of the non-profit Fostering Connections, Fritz Clay. Fritz is a world-renowned stylist, owner of Hair Play Salon, and creator of the hair care product, “SET.” Growing up as a foster child inspired Fritz to create Fostering Connections to support the foster care community with hair-care education and workshops. Recognizing that hair is an important part of a person’s identity, he hopes to help bridge the often overlooked gap of understanding about hair care that can exist between foster parents and kids from different ethnic backgrounds. Fritz has contributed to the fashion and entertainment industries for over thirty years and in 2023, the San Francisco African American Chamber of Commerce awarded him for his accomplishment in business. In this episode, Laura and Fritz talk about Fritz’s multi-cultural approach to hair, the connection between loving our hair and self-esteem, and his remarkable journey in the foster care system and eventual discovery of his birth parents. You can learn more about Fritz and Fostering Connections at hairplay.com.
On this episode of the podcast, Laura Chandler sits down with Executive Leadership Coach, Depth Hypnosis Practitioner, and the founder of Hot Studio, Maria Giudice. Maria is the co-author of Changemakers: How Leaders Can Design Change in an Insanely Complex World and Rise of the DEO: Leadership by Design. Maria talks with Laura about Maria’s rise from budding art student to running one of the most successful design firms of its time. She shares her vision of future leaders and the necessary qualities they must possess to succeed in the ever-changing business environment. They talk about the necessary qualities of leaders that include, among other things, creative thinking, risk-taking, self-care, and optimism. They even venture into a discussion about the intersection of creativity, spirituality, and leadership.
Maria coaches and leads workshops to train executives and their teams in business and design leadership. Maria is the founder and former CEO of the experience design firm Hot Studio, which was acquired by Facebook in 2013. At Facebook and later at Autodesk, she led global design teams that created human-centered experiences for millions of people around the world. Today she is helping shape future leaders to manage the complexities of ever-changing business and social environments with skill and compassion. Learn more about Maria, her workshops and coaching at hotstudio.com.
On this episode, Laura talks with Joanna Adler, Psy.D and Isa Gucciardi, Ph.D. Joanna is a Depth Hypnosis Practitioner and licensed Clinical Psychologist. Isa is the Founding Director of the Foundation of the Sacred Stream, creator of the groundbreaking therapeutic model Depth Hypnosis, and author of several books, including Coming to Peace: Resolving Conflict within Ourselves and Others. This book reached number one in religion and spirituality on Amazon.
Coming to Peace is a highly effective integrative conflict resolution method developed by Isa to help people navigate and resolve conflict. It draws from indigenous practices of conflict resolution like Ubuntu and Ho’oponopono and also incorporates aspects of Buddhist philosophy and Depth Hypnosis. Joanna and Isa discuss how Coming to Peace works and what makes it so effective.
They also offer their perspectives on working with groups from corporate and academic settings to couples counseling and how they use Coming to Peace processes to create a safe space where people are able to bridge gaps in understanding and bring resolution to even the most difficult conflicts.
To learn more about Joanna and Isa, visit their websites: joannaadler.net and isagucciardi.org. Learn more about Coming to Peace at sacredstream.org.
Our first Sacred Stream Radio Podcast episode of the year is a look back at some of the highlights from interviews over the past year. Laura talks with guests about a range of topics that include sexism and homophobia, body image and spiritual practice, making our schools and communities safer, the climate crisis, and a Vedic view of the future of the United States. Today’s episode features Grammy nominee and author of Saved by a Song, Mary Gauthier; author of From Bonham to Buddha and Back, Clementine Moss; musician and co-founder of Sandy Hook Promise, Mark Barden; author of A Future We Can Love, Susan Bauer-Wu; and Vedic Astrologer, Hogarth Brown. Thanks for listening, liking, commenting, and subscribing!
For more information about these guests, you can visit their websites: marygauthier.com clemthegreat.com sandyhookpromise.org mindandlife.org hogarthglobalastrology.com
On this episode, Laura is joined by Mary Gauthier, award-winning singer-songwriter and author of the book, Saved by a Song: The Art and Healing Power of Songwriting. Described as a “must read book” by Rolling Stone, fellow songwriter Brandi Carlisle says, “Mary’s songwriting speaks to the tender aspects of our humanness. We need her voice in times like these more than we ever have.”
Mary has won numerous awards and her songs have been recorded by dozens of artists, including Jimmy Buffett, Dolly Parton, Boy George, Kathy Mattea, and Tim McGraw to name a few. She has released eleven albums, including her latest masterful work, Dark Enough to See the Stars and the Grammy-nominated Rifles and Rosary Beads, a collection of songs Mary co-wrote with soldiers healing from their experience of war. This poignant collaboration echoes a theme in her book – that songwriting is a healing tool. Filled with wisdom, Mary shines as a storyteller in the book, sharing the stories of her own healing journey and call to music as she reflects on aspects of her life including her adoption, addiction and recovery, and her experience of being a gay woman in the music industry.
In this conversation, Mary and Laura explore this theme of healing through song and discuss the role of the songwriter, the strength found in vulnerability, and the importance of being willing to dig deeply into our human experience. Mary’s intelligence, sensitivity, and humor shine throughout the book and this interview.
For more information about Mary, her records, and Saved by a Song, visit marygauthier.com.
On this episode, Julie Lewis returns to talk with Laura more about her book, Still Positive: A Memoir, and her experience as a 39-yr HIV survivor. Julie is a mom, advocate, and co-founder of the 30/30 project, which she created with the encouragement of her son, multi-grammy winner Ryan Lewis, of Macklemore & Ryan Lewis. Julie was infected with HIV in 1984 but not diagnosed until the early 1990s when she was given three to five years to live. After years of silence about her disease, she found an unlikely community of friends to fight alongside and began using her story to make a difference. Her experiences as a woman living with AIDS offers insights about grief and loss, caregiving, spirituality, and the importance of community in the midst of tragedy. On today’s episode, we dive deeply into the work she did with the HIV Speakers Bureau and the community that she helped create to support her and the many people and their friends and families struggling with the effects of HIV and Aids.
You can learn more about Julie, her book, and her non-profit at stillpositive.com and 3030project.org.
On this episode, Laura talks with Julie Lewis, author of the new book, Still Positive: A Memoir. Julie is a 30-year HIV survivor, and the book tells her fascinating and inspiring story. She is also the mother of multi-grammy winner, Ryan Lewis, of Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, and with his encouragement, she founded the 30/30 Project, a non-profit whose mission is to bring access to quality, affordable healthcare to those who need it most.
Laura and Julie talk about her diagnosis of HIV early in the AIDS epidemic, which she received from a blood transfusion. The impact of it on her and her family’s lives, her concerns as a mother raising three young children, and the prejudice she faced early on because of the lack of understanding and fear surrounding the disease. Julie became an early advocate and educator about AIDS, bringing awareness to communities and helping many people. We also talk about her impressive accomplishment with the 30/30 Project, which she founded to celebrate having survived HIV for 30 years. The goal of building 30 medical facilities in areas throughout the world where the need was greatest was impressively accomplished in just five years with the help of many organizations including Construction for Change. Julie’s remarkable story is at its heart a mom’s story of love, hope, courage, and defying the odds, and I’m very happy to share it with you here.
You can learn more about Julie, her book, and her non-profit at stillpositive.com and 3030project.org.
On this episode, Laura Chandler speaks with Mark Barden, co-founder and CEO of Sandy Hook Promise, an organization formed by several families who lost loved ones in the Sandy Hook school shooting in 2012. Since the death of his son, Daniel, in this tragedy, Mark has dedicated himself to creating a platform that advances gun safety, youth mental health, and violence prevention. Sandy Hook Promise has been key in helping pass nonpartisan legislation at the state and federal level through inclusive partnerships, diverse grassroots education, and community mobilization.
In addition to his work with Sandy Hook Promise, Mark is an accomplished musician, and on this episode, he talks with Laura about his family and his latest project, a series of concerts with his all-star band featuring Jimmy Vivino of the Conan O’Brien show. The show will tour the country raising funds for grass-roots non-profit organizations fighting gun violence in their communities. Laura and Mark also discuss the upcoming documentary film about Mark’s journey, A Father’s Promise, by filmmaker Rick Korn and executive producer Sheryl Crow.
Learn more about Mark and Sandy Hook Promise at sandyhookpromise.org. And learn more about the film and Artist for Action at artistforaction.org.
This episode is taken from a live event with Isa Gucciardi, Ph.D. and Laura Chandler discussing the concepts of soul mates, past lives, and reincarnation. Have you ever wondered if you have lived before? Have you ever met someone that you felt an instant connection with and wondered if that connection might have originated in a past life? Or are you skeptical about the idea of past lives and reincarnation?
Isa has been a Buddhist practitioner and teacher for many decades and Laura has extensive experience with meditation and mindfulness practice. Also, they both have extensive experience working with past life regression therapy within the practice of Depth Hypnosis. Together they bring insight and wisdom to this fascinating topic.
On this episode, Laura Chandler speaks with the President of the Mind and Life Institute, Susan Bauer-Wu, about her new book, A Future We Can Love: How We Can Reverse the Climate Crisis with the Power of Our Hearts and Minds. This book was inspired by a conversation on the climate crisis between Greta Thunberg and H.H. Dalai Lama presented by the Mind and Life Institute in 2021. A Future We Can Love is an informative, highly readable, and important contribution to the conversation on the climate crisis. It helps us understand where we are, where we need to go, and how we can get there. With insightful words from both Greta and His Holiness throughout the book, it also weaves thoughts and information from climate scientists, activists, spiritual leaders, and indigenous wisdom-holders on the subject. If you want to have a better understanding of the climate crisis and learn more about what you can do, join Laura and Susan for this inspiring and hopeful conversation.
Susan Bauer-Wu is an organizational leader, clinical scientist, and mindfulness teacher whose lifework has been dedicated to alleviating suffering and fostering well-being through contemplative wisdom. She is the president of the Mind and Life Institute and previously was the Kluge professor of contemplative end-of-life care at the University of Virginia. She is an avid gardener and hiker who is nourished by trees and animals and awed by our reciprocal connection with nature. She is deeply committed to the care of our planet and to policies and personal actions that will ensure a future we can love for our children and grandchildren. Learn more about Susan at mindandlife.org.
On this episode, Laura Chandler talks with Dr. Charryse Johnson, clinical psychologist, mindfulness practitioner, and author of the book, Expired Mindsets: Releasing Patterns That No Longer Serve You Well. Charryse has a special ability to break down complex concepts into understandable actionable items. In this conversation, Laura and Charryse explore those mindsets that keep us stuck in ways of being that no longer serve us and how to change them. Her message is one of hope, based in the science of the brain, neuroplasticity, and mindfulness practices which help to create the spaciousness needed to make those changes that bring us greater peace and fulfillment.
Charryse holds a B.A. in Human Development and Family Studies, an M.A. in Professional Counseling, and a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology with a concentration in crisis and trauma. Some of her most recent work has supported corporate professionals at Microsoft Corporation in Charlotte, NC and conducting international research geared toward reducing the stigma around mental health. She is a strong community advocate, a registered yoga teacher, and Level 1 Embodied Practitioner, often integrating mindfulness and somatic work to help clients work through what they’re experiencing, not just in their minds but in their bodies.
To learn more about Charryse, visit jadeintegrativewellness.com.
On this episode, Laura Chandler talks with Joseph Selbie, author of Break Through the Limits of the Brain. In this fascinating conversation, they explore the intersection of the Divine and Neuroscience. Specifically, they look at how we are wired to perceive through our five senses and how we can rewire the brain to better perceive and engage with subtle states of being. Joseph helps explain the pitfalls of scientific materialism’s limited perspective on reality and explains the reasoning behind the belief of many leading scientists in a pervading intelligent consciousness informing everything in the universe.
A dedicated Kriya yoga meditator for nearly fifty years, Joseph has taught yoga, meditation, and universal experiential spirituality throughout the US and Europe. He is a founding member of Ananda, a spiritual community and movement inspired by the teachings of the spiritual master, Yogananda, and was a founder and the CEO of Tristream, an early pioneer in experience design for the web. Joseph is the author of several books and is known for creating bridges of understanding between the modern evidenced-based discoveries of science and the ancient experience-based discoveries of the mystics.
To learn more about Joseph, visit josephselbie.com.
Welcome to the 100th episode of the Sacred Stream Radio Podcast! On this episode, Laura Chandler is joined by Sacred Stream Founding Director, Isa Gucciardi, Ph.D., to talk about the Sacred Stream and its 20th Anniversary. In 2003, Laura and Isa founded the Foundation of the Sacred Stream, a school for consciousness studies, to provide space for their workshops, and to provide a place for other teachers, artists, and thought leaders to share their vision and experience. In 2009, they opened the Sacred Stream Center in Berkeley, CA, which continues to be an important space for the community and where diversity, tolerance, inquiry, and inclusion thrive.
To date, the Sacred Stream has hosted many luminaries in the fields of spirituality, activism, and academia, including Robert Thurman, Thupten Jinpa, and Lynne Twist. In this episode, Laura and Isa talk about the beginning of the Sacred Stream, where it is today, and where it is headed in the future. They also discuss some of the events that will be happening throughout the year to celebrate the anniversary, including the 20th Anniversary Celebration on June 17, 2023. This event is open to everyone and can be joined online or in-person.
To learn more about the Sacred Stream, Isa, and Laura, visit their websites: sacredstream.org, isagucciardi.org, and laurachandler.org.
On this episode, Laura Chandler talks with poet Kim Rosen and composer and electric cellist Jami Sieber about their beautiful new collaboration of music and poetry, Feast of Losses. Kim is the author of Saved by a Poem: The Transformative Power of Words and is an advocate for the power of poetry to heal and transform individuals and communities. Jami is a multi-talented composer, singer, and electric cellist. Jami tours nationally and internationally and her compositions have appeared in film and television.
It was a delight to talk with Jami and Kim about their powerful new recording and the importance of exploring the necessary themes of aging, death, and consciousness. The beauty found in this exploration, the power of creativity, and so much more. It was an inspiring and insightful conversation, and I am excited to share it with you here. Music from Feast of Losses is featured throughout this episode. To learn more about Kim and Jami you can visit their websites, kimrosen.net and jamisieber.com.
On this episode, Laura Chandler welcomes back author, archetypal consultant, and Neo-Vedic Astrologer, Hogarth Brown. Hogarth is host of a popular YouTube channel, Hogarth’s Global Astrology, where he offers astrological insights into global happenings, historical and contemporary figures. Today he is talking about the upcoming eclipses and their implications for this year and beyond. He also discusses the banking and financial crisis, the latest with China, Ukraine, and other global issues. Hogarth also explains the implications of the Pluto return that is happening for the US at this time and what we can expect in the coming years. Hogarth is always insightful and a lot of fun. So, join me for this riveting episode.
Hogarth is the author of The Hermeporta Series, a collection of historical adventure fiction, currently available on Amazon. He is also the creator of The Archetypal Blueprint, which combines the insight and power of Jungian Archetypes with the added insights of Sidereal and Western Astrology bringing tremendous breakthroughs for people in their personal and professional lives. To learn more or to schedule a reading with Hogarth, visit his website, hogarthglobalastrology.com.
On this edition of the podcast, Laura Chandler sits down for a chat with author, songwriter, and musician, Clementine Moss. Clementine is the founding member of the popular all women’s Led Zeppelin cover band, Zepperela, and has just released her book, From Bonham to Buddha and Back.
She is also a Depth Hypnosis Practitioner and Spiritual Counselor as well as a student of Buddhism for many years. In this candid conversation, Clementine talks about her call to the drum, love of John Bonham, spirituality, and her recent trip to India. She also addresses what it’s like for women in the music industry and her struggle with body image issues and the insights she has gained over the years.
To learn more about Clementine and to purchase her book, visit clementinemoss.com.
On this edition of the podcast, we are excited to welcome back the prolific recording artist, Barbara Higbie. Barbara is a Grammy-nominated, Bammy award-winning composer, singer-songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist who has just released her latest album, Presence, the third in a trilogy of recordings alongside Resonance and Murmuration. In this inspiring conversation, Barbara talks about the creative process, the distinctly nurturing feminine quality of her work, and her thoughts on music and healing.
Barbara has 17 recordings to her credit as well as contributions to 10 compilations that have sold in the millions. She has performed on more than 100 albums, including Carlos Santana’s 2007 release. She was the first woman signed to Windham Hill records, and was part of the chart-topping band, Montreux. Barbara has also released recordings with Olivia Records and her own Slow Baby Records.
Barbara was the first ever Artist in Residence at the prestigious west coast Jazz Club, Yoshi’s, where she created two new bands. Roots music’s Hills to Hollers with icons Linda Tillery and Laurie Lewis, and the exotic Cello Heaven with cellists Joan Jeanreneau of Kronos Quartet fame and new age star Jami Sieber. She also put together the popular annual Windham Hill Solstice tour, which features a variety of Windham Hill artists including Dave Ackerman, Liz Story, and Lisa Lynne to name a few. She tours nationally and internationally with her own work and many other popular artists. To learn more about Barbara, purchase her music, or find out about upcoming concerts, visit barbarahigbie.com.
On this episode, Isa Gucciardi, Ph.D. is our guest host, and she continues the conversation from our last episode with Geshe Pema Dorjee, picking up where Laura and Geshe-la left off. They discuss his life in India after escaping from Tibet. He recounts his adaptation to a new way of life – the difficulties as well as the joys. He describes his early encounter with the street children of Nepal who helped him when he needed it most and who inspire his humanitarian efforts to this day. His fascinating story includes his time as the head of the Children’s Village in Dharamsala and his work to preserve the Bodong tradition of Tibet. He also discusses the many projects he has ongoing to help the poor and disenfranchised people of Nepal and northwestern India. His humor, sincerity, and kind spirit shine through in this at-times playful and engaging conversation with his longtime friend, Isa.
Geshe Pema Dorjee has advanced degrees in Buddhist Philosophy and has played several important roles in helping establish and maintain the Tibetan community in exile, including his position as the Principal of the Tibetan Teachers Training Center. He was also the head of the Children’s Village in Dharamsala, which is a school for displaced Tibetan children where he oversaw the care and education of over 16 thousand children.
At the request of HH Dalai Lama, he now runs a monastery in India and is in charge of translating thousands of texts to help preserve the ancient Bodong tradition of Tibet. Additionally, he continues his tireless work in Nepal and northeast India of establishing schools, arranging medical care for the sick and injured, providing care for the elderly, creating orphanages, combating human trafficking, creating a safe house for street girls, introducing new agricultural techniques, and providing safe water, toilets, and smokeless cook-stoves to remote villages.
To learn more about Geshe Pema Dorjee and his projects, visit buddhistcharity.org.
On this episode, Laura Chandler speaks with internationally recognized scholar, humanitarian, and teacher of Tibetan Buddhism, Geshe Pema Dorjee, about his time in Tibet, before the Chinese invasion, when Tibetans were a Nomadic culture still living close to the earth. His stories are heartwarming as well as heartbreaking as he recounts his trek as a young boy across the Himalayans with his family and the shock of the new life he found in India.
Geshe Pema Dorjee has advanced degrees in Buddhist Philosophy and has played several important roles in helping establish and maintain the Tibetan community in exile, including his position as the Principal of the Tibetan Teachers Training Center. He was also the head of the Children’s Village in Dharamsala, which is a school for displaced Tibetan children where he oversaw the care and education of over 16 thousand children.
At the request of HH Dalai Lama, he now runs a monastery in India and is in charge of translating thousands of texts to help preserve the ancient Bodong tradition of Tibet. Additionally, he continues his tireless work in Nepal and northeast India of establishing schools, arranging medical care for the sick and injured, providing care for the elderly, creating orphanages, combating human trafficking, creating a safe house for street girls, introducing new agricultural techniques, and providing safe water, toilets, and smokeless cook-stoves to remote villages.
To learn more about Geshe Pema Dorjee and his projects, visit buddhistcharity.org.
On this episode, Laura Chandler talks with international bestselling author, activist, and consultant, Lynne Twist. Her new book is Living a Committed Life: Finding Freedom and Fulfillment in a Purpose Larger Than Yourself.
For more than 40 years, Lynne has been doing just that. A recognized global visionary committed to alleviating poverty, ending world hunger, and supporting social justice and environmental sustainability, she is the Founder of the Soul of Money Institute and co-founder of the Pachamama Alliance.
Lynne began her work as the chief fundraising officer for The Hunger Project, where she helped raise hundreds of millions of dollars to end hunger on the planet. And in 1996, Lynne, along with her husband, Bill, and John Perkins co-founded The Pachamama Alliance whose mission is to empower indigenous people of the Amazon rainforest and help them preserve their lands and culture.
Lynne has worked with Mother Teresa and Van Jones, to name a few, and has shared the stage with many of today’s most influential thought-leaders, including H.H. Dalai Lama, Oprah Winfrey, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and Jane Goodall. Through The Soul of Money Institute, Lynne has worked with over 100,000 people in 50 countries in board retreats, workshops, keynote presentations and one-on-one coaching in the arenas of fundraising with integrity, conscious philanthropy, and strategic visioning.
In this inspiring conversation, Lynne talks to Laura about her life, her hope for the future, how we are evolving as a species, her vision for a sustainable and equitable world and the ways we can all live lives of purpose and meaning.
To learn more about Lynne, visit soulofmoney.org.
On this episode, Laura Chandler talks with international bestselling author, activist, and spiritual teacher, Lorna Byrne. Lorna is the author of seven bestselling books, including Angels in My Hair: The True Story of a Modern-Day Mystic. She has been published in more than 50 countries and in 2019 she was named one of the 100 Most Spiritually Influential Living People in the World. Lorna is considered by many to be a modern-day mystic. She has been seeing angels and receiving their messages, many of them prophetic in nature, since she was a young child. Growing up she suffered from severe dyslexia and received only a primary school education. She had been told by the angels that she would write a book about them one day, but did not believe them. Then, in 2008, she published Angels in My Hair, which went on to sell millions of copies world-wide. It was the first time she had shared her experience of the angels and now she offers hope and inspiration to many people around the world. In this conversation, Laura and Lorna talk about her remarkable life, messages from the angels, and her thoughts on the future of humanity. To learn more about Lorna, visit lornabyrne.com.
On this episode, Laura Chandler talks with Ayurveda Practitioner, Yoga Teacher, and the creator of Yoga of Recovery, Durga Leela. In her new book, Yoga of Recovery: Integrating Yoga and Ayurveda with Modern Recovery Tools for Addiction, Durga offers an innovative and comprehensive exploration of the issues of recovery and how to address them in a holistic way. She takes contemporary tools and theory and introduces important supportive elements that include maintaining health of the mind, body, and spirit. She provides detailed practices, recipes, and easy to understand applications of Ayurvedic medicine to the process of maintaining recovery. Ayurveda is perhaps the oldest holistic medicine system. It was developed in India over 3,000 years ago and has helped millions of people lead healthier, more balanced lives. We talk about all of this and more on today’s episode. To learn more about Durga, her classes, and the Yoga of Recovery, visit yogaofrecovery.com.
On this edition of the Sacred Stream Radio Podcast, Laura Chandler speaks with Machiel Klerk, author of Dream Guidance: Connecting to the Soul Through Dream Incubation. Machiel is a licensed therapist, dream expert, and founder of the Jung Platform. He has traveled the world, studying various cultures, their healing traditions, and dream practices. In his book, Machiel teaches how to work with dreams in a practical and profound way.
In their conversation, Laura and Machiel delve into the world of dreams and dream incubation, an ancient practice that has been used by cultures throughout history and provides practical and valuable information on how dreams can help us in all areas of our daily lives. To learn more about Machiel and his work, visit machielklerk.com and jungplatform.com.
On this edition of the Sacred Stream Radio Podcast, Laura Chandler speaks with Machiel Klerk, author of Dream Guidance: Connecting to the Soul Through Dream Incubation. Machiel is a licensed therapist, dream expert, and founder of the Jung Platform. He has traveled the world, studying various cultures, their healing traditions, and dream practices. In his book, Machiel teaches how to work with dreams in a practical and profound way.
In their conversation, Laura and Machiel delve into the world of dreams and dream incubation, an ancient practice that has been used by cultures throughout history and provides practical and valuable information on how dreams can help us in all areas of our daily lives. To learn more about Machiel and his work, visit machielklerk.com and jungplatform.com.
On this episode, Laura Chandler talks with author, archetypal consultant, and Neo-Vedic Astrologer, Hogarth Brown. Hogarth is host of a popular YouTube channel, Hogarth’s Global Astrology, where he offers astrological insights into global happenings, historical and contemporary figures, and also collaborates with other readers and astrologers for lively discussions, predictions, and perspectives on the news of the day. Laura and Hogarth cover a variety of topics, including how Neo-Vedic astrology works, some of his mind-blowing predictions, including the January 6th insurrection in the US, and what he sees in the charts of Vladimir Putin, the Ukraine, the upcoming mid-term elections, and more.
Hogarth is the author of The Hermeporta Series, a collection of historical adventure fiction, currently available on Amazon. He is also the creator of The Archetypal Blueprint, which combines the insight and power of Jungian Archetypes with the added insights of Sidereal and Western Astrology bringing tremendous breakthroughs in for people in their personal and professional lives. To learn more or to schedule a reading with Hogarth, visit his website, thearchetypalblueprint.com.
On this episode, Laura Chandler talks with author, archetypal consultant, and Neo-Vedic Astrologer, Hogarth Brown. Hogarth is host of a popular YouTube channel, Hogarth’s Global Astrology, where he offers astrological insights into global happenings, historical and contemporary figures, and also collaborates with other readers and astrologers for lively discussions, predictions, and perspectives on the news of the day. Laura and Hogarth cover a variety of topics, including how Neo-Vedic astrology works, some of his mind-blowing predictions, including the January 6th insurrection in the US, and what he sees in the charts of Vladimir Putin, the Ukraine, the upcoming mid-term elections, and more.
Hogarth is the author of The Hermeporta Series, a collection of historical adventure fiction, currently available on Amazon. He is also the creator of The Archetypal Blueprint, which combines the insight and power of Jungian Archetypes with the added insights of Sidereal and Western Astrology bringing tremendous breakthroughs in for people in their personal and professional lives. To learn more or to schedule a reading with Hogarth, visit his website, thearchetypalblueprint.com.
On this episode, Laura Chandler talks with world-renowned psychic and channel, Paul Selig, about his 11th channeled book, Resurrection: A Channeled Text: (Book One of the Manifestation Trilogy). Paul channels the Guides, a group of beings, directly and unedited. In the book, he shares the new manifestation of humanity, a vision of alteration and elevation that will shift how we think and move through the world. Building on the success of his Beyond the Known series, this new trilogy gives readers a glimpse into the spiritual underpinnings that govern the world we live in. Resurrection is an astonishing invitation to rethink, reconstruct, and rebirth our world view in a transcendent way.
Paul received his master’s degree from Yale University and served on the faculty of NYU for over 25 years. In 1987, a spiritual experience left him clairvoyant. He currently serves on the faculty of the Omega Institute, Kripalu Center, and the Esalen Institute. Deepak Chopra describes his work as, “authentic, straightforward truth straight from the source field.” To learn more about Paul, visit paulselig.com.
On this episode, Laura Chandler talks with author and CEO of Unity World Headquarters, Jim Blake, about his book, The Zen Executive: Gems of Wisdom for Enlightened Leadership. Jim has held numerous executive positions in the corporate world, including as Director of Customer Operations for Landis+Gyr, a global leader in the utility industry, and as Vice President of Products and Technology for Rhythm Engineering. He currently serves as the CEO of Unity World Headquarters, a spiritual nonprofit that helps people of all faiths and cultures apply positive spiritual principles in their daily lives.
Jim and Laura discuss the experiences he had in the corporate world that led him to write the The Zen Executive. He explains the importance in leadership of self-care, developing and trusting your intuition, and adopting the attitude of being of service to your employees rather than the other way around. He also shares his experience of meditation and how it changed his perspective both personally and as a business leader. And he explains how creating a more diversified, open-minded, and compassionate experience across corporate cultures leads to happier and more productive employees.
For more information about Jim, visit iamjimblake.com and unity.org.
On this episode, Laura interviews Rev. Cameron Trimble – author, pilot, CEO, and Co-founder of Convergence, an international church consultancy. Cameron is part of a progressive movement in Christianity and spiritual leadership and on this episode she talks with Laura about her activism and the importance of diversity in spiritual movements. In her over 25 years as an out queer woman minister, she reflects on the changes she’s seen in the Christian church and offers her view of the future.
Cameron is particularly focused on human transformation and leadership. As a coach, her clients are primarily executive leaders going through dynamic cultural transformations. Diversity, she believes, is the source of lasting innovation and the driver of fair profit.
As a pilot, Cameron learns many of her leadership lessons through the adventures of the cockpit of her airplane. She has also enjoyed a career as an ordained pastor in the United Church of Christ, serving as the pastor of four congregations in the Atlanta area. Her most recent book is Searching for the Sacred: Sixty Meditations on Faith, Hope, and Love.
On this episode, we reach back into the archives for this talk by esteemed author and Buddhist scholar, Thupten Jinpa, Ph.D., given at the Sacred Stream Center in Berkeley, CA, in 2018. Jinpa is a longtime friend and advisor to the Sacred Stream and he is the author of several books, including A Fearless Heart: How the Courage to Be Compassionate Can Transform Our Lives and Tsongkhapa: A Buddha in the Land of Snows. In this talk, Jinpa discusses the universality of spiritual traditions, his relationship with the Dalai Lama, and the modern mindfulness movement. Jinpa has been the principal English translator to HH the Dalai Lama since 1985. He is a Tibetan Buddhist scholar, former monk, and has received the Geshe Lharam degree, as well as a Ph.D. in religious studies from Cambridge University. He is a professor at McGill University, has translated and edited more than ten books by the Dalai Lama. He established the Institute of Tibetan Classics, is an active board member of the Mind and Life Institute, the Founder and Chairman of the Compassion Institute, and is a visiting research scholar at the Stanford Institute for Neuro-Innovation and Translational Neurosciences at Stanford University.
On this episode, Laura Chandler interviews Geshe Dangsong Namgyal, the founder of Kungsong Dar Meditation Center in Santa Cruz, and author of the book, Holy Women of Great Perfection: Thirty Signs and Meanings of Ultimate Nature in the Ancient Tibetan Tradition. And she is joined by a special guest co-host, Isa Gucciardi, Ph.D., author of The New Return to the Great Mother and Founding Director of the Foundation of the Sacred Stream. In this conversation, we talk with Geshe Namgyal about his book, teachings, and the practice of Pure Dzogen. He explains why he chose to highlight the wisdom and teaching of female deities in his book, particularly in light of the changing, but still strongly patriarchal tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. He also talks about the pan-Buddhist practice of Rime, a movement in Tibetan Buddhism that is non-sectarian, as well as the practice of Pure Dzogchen. He offers that no matter what one’s background—country, gender, age, race, beliefs or history of painful experiences and emotions, the study and practice of the Pure Dzogchen teachings can help people discover true peace, strength, and fearlessness in life; and confidence in an eventual, positive death and rebirth experience.
To learn more about Geshe Namgyal and Kungsong Dar Meditation Center, visit kunsanggarcenter.org.
On this episode, Laura interviews Depth Hypnosis Practitioner and Zoo Labs Co-founder, Vinitha Watson. The success of Zoo Labs is in no small part to Vinitha and her husband, David Watson, whose vision to build startup entrepreneurship infrastructure for BIPOC artists began in 2013. To date, the Zoo has run 26 residencies, and created a strong and vibrant community of over 250 artists and 350 mentors. Recently, they have moved to directly funding artists with grants and providing high-quality video education and mentorship. Vinitha has had an impressive and varied career with a common theme of helping others. In this conversation, Vinitha shares about her early years studying Indian classical dance and carnatic music, her interest in the arts and helping empower BIPOC communities, as well as her interest in wellness from Ayurveda to Depth Hypnosis. In addition to being a certified Depth Hypnosis Practitioner and the Co-founder of Zoo Labs, Vinitha opened Google’s first satellite office in India. She went on to start her own textile design company, then joined the experimental first class of the Design Strategy MBA at California College of the Arts in 2008. Vinitha also consults on innovation strategy and growth planning for nonprofits, pioneered a wellness initiative at Johns Hopkins Medical Residency, which introduced wellness tools to medical doctors, and has since influenced other medical residency programs nationwide. She sat on the boards of Nexleaf Analytics and California College of the Arts. To learn more about Vinitha and Zoo Labs, visit zoolabs.org.
Our featured music on this episode is a project straight from Zoo Labs. The Futurelics are Afro-Indiginous musical mystics who honor funk, blues, house, jazz, Afro-Cuban music and Afro-Dominican Palo. Learn more at planetfuturelic.com.
On this episode, Laura Chandler talks with Isa Gucciardi, Ph.D. about Spiritual Emergency, a type of healing crisis that can occur when a person has an encounter with psychological, emotional, or spiritual states that lie outside their usual ways of organizing experience. There is a spectrum of response that people have with Spiritual Emergency - from a state of collapse to a state of acceleration and everything in between. Based on her years of clinical practice, Isa offers her perspective on Spiritual Emergency, examining its causes, and offering helpful suggestions on how to navigate it. Isa is the author of two books, and the creator of the spiritual counseling model Depth Hypnosis. She is also the Founding Director of the Foundation of the Sacred Stream.
On this episode of the Sacred Stream Radio Podcast, Laura Chandler talks with author, yoga instructor, and the creator of Grief Yoga, Paul Denniston. In his new book, Healing Through Yoga: Transform Loss into Empowerment, Paul teaches the groundbreaking process of Grief Yoga in an accessible way. In their talk, Paul explains the concepts behind Grief Yoga, a process that uses yoga, movement, breath, and sound to help people move through and release pain and reconnect to life and love.
As serious as the subject of grief is, Paul’s very presence demonstrates the joy that comes from the processes he teaches. He has trained thousands of therapists, counselors, and health care professionals in these unique methods. Genuine, sincere, and full of heart, it’s easy to see how his work helps soften the edges of uncomfortable emotions to help people access their own deeper healing.
You can learn more about Paul and Grief Yoga at griefyoga.com. The featured musical artist on this episode is the talented Danielle Durack. Hear more at danielledurack.com.
On this episode, Laura Chandler highlights an excerpt of a talk given by Isa Gucciardi, Ph.D. called Shamanic Paths to Inner Experience. Traditional shamanic cultures have long held an understanding of nature, spirit, and non-ordinary realms of being that contemporary cultures have lost touch with in the larger mainstream of experience. In this fascinating talk, Isa Gucciardi explores some of the ways healers from indigenous traditions have accessed larger aspects of consciousness and the realm of the unseen, for guidance, healing, and insight and speaks about their relevance for us today.
The three topics she covers in this talk are Dreams, Visionary Experience, and the Vision Quest. Isa Gucciardi is the author of three books, creator of the therapeutic model Depth Hypnosis, and the Founding Director of the Foundation of the Sacred Stream. She has studied with indigenous healers and lineage holders from many traditions, including the Huichal and Pueblo, First Peoples of Central and North America. Isa’s goal is to protect and preserve the sacred teachings of traditional cultures while helping bring forward what can be respectfully shared in order to create greater harmony, understanding, and healing to the earth.
On this episode, Laura Chandler takes a look back at a collection of interviews from 2021. She explores the idea of how we create a more inclusive experience of dharma with Spring Washam, the difficulty of growing up as an interracial adoptee and the healing power of music with cellist and clinical psychologist Mia Pixley, and reflects on Michael Schauch’s experience of karma in the mountains of Nepal and his uneasy relationship with yak butter tea. She also revisits her talk with renowned empath and channel, Paul Selig, their discussion of his bestselling book, Alchemy, and how his guides describe the nature of these times and the function of the current pandemic from the perspective of spiritual evolution.
Our featured musical artists are Christopher Tait, Home Learning, Mia Pixley, and Sapphron Obois.
On this episode of the Sacred Stream Radio Podcast, Laura Chandler speaks with author, senior executive, and founder of the non-profit Police 2 Peace, Lisa Broderick. Lisa is an accomplished senior executive whose career has been defined by understanding how technology impacts society and changes behavior. She teaches that life is about constant change, in which energy and matter are the basis of transformation. Her passion lies in helping others with little or no scientific or spiritual training master their innate abilities with practices designed to improve their lives, their relationships, and the world.
Laura talks with Lisa about her groundbreaking new book, All the Time in the World, and how new scientific literature is revolutionizing our understanding of what time is and, more importantly, how we can affect it. You can learn more about Lisa at lisabroderick.com, and learn more about her program, Police 2 Peace, at police2peace.com.
The featured music in this episode is from singing bowl artist Agu’s beautiful album, Reach In, which also features Jami Sieber on cello. Learn more about Agu at jamisieber.com.
On this episode, Laura Chandler is joined by composer, musician, and clinical psychologist, Mia Pixley, who has just released a new album, Margaret in the Wild. Mia has a degree in cello performance from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and a Ph.D. in clinical psychology. She has performed in award-winning off-Broadway musicals, on GRAMMY award-winning records, and she has collaborated with HERE Arts in NYC, Pixar Studios, and The de Young Museum. Most recently, she performed on Barbara Higbie’s latest album, with whom she tours regularly on the annual Windham Hill Winter Solstice Tour.
Mia and Laura talk about music, parenting, nature, and the human psyche. They also have a moment of collaboration, putting words to music in the form of a poem of Laura’s, “Sound Healing,” and Mia’s song, “Core.” We feature Mia’s music in full and in part throughout the episode. You can learn more about Mia at miapixley.com and you can find her music on Bandcamp.
On this episode, Laura talks with Christopher Tait of Passenger Recovery and Detroit rock bands Electric Six, Belle Ghoul, and Palace Pier. Chris has been with Electric Six since 2002 and has earned a gold record among other accolades. Sober since 2011, he formed Passenger Recovery in 2016, a small non-profit based in Detroit, to help sober artists and crew that are on the road connect with resources for traveling in recovery, including transportation to meetings locally. Since its inception, it has grown into an international organization helping artists worldwide.
Chris and Laura cover a lot of topics in their conversation, including dealing with COVID-19, touring, and the unique struggles artists face maintaining sobriety in life and on the road. Chris has also provided our featured music for this episode, including a song about a 189 year old tortoise called “Jonathan Turtle.” To learn more about Chris, Passenger, and Electric Six, visit passengerrecovery.com and electricsix.com.
On this episode, Laura Chandler talks with writer, mountain climber, and entrepreneur, Michael Schauch, about his new book, A Story of Karma: Finding Love and Truth in the Lost Valley of the Himalaya. Part travel memoir, part spiritual quest, it begins with his love of mountain climbing and his pull to climb a mysterious mountain in the Himalayan region of Nepal. On that quest he encounters many adventures until one day he finds himself in a remote Nepali village where he meets a young Tibetan girl named Karma and his life is changed forever. The story of Karma is his own karma and that of his relationship to this young girl. The book reveals the hardships of so many Nepali mountain people, lack of access to education, running water, roads, healthcare, and also the joys and indomitable spirit of these remarkable people.
In this interview, Mike and Laura talk about Mike’s experiences in Nepal, his ongoing relationship with Karma and her family, the difficulties faced by the Nepali people, and his work with Thrangu Rinpoche’s School for Himalayan Children. To learn more about Mike, you can visit his website at michaelschauch.com. To learn more about the Himalayan Children’s School, visit their website at himalayanchildren.org. Mike was joined on his journey by his wife, Chantal, and several artists, including musician Michael Averil, who is our featured artist on today’s program. To hear more of Michael’s music, visit michaelaverillproductions.com.
On this episode, Laura Chandler is joined by writer, teacher, and co-founder of the Foundation of the Sacred Stream, Isa Gucciardi Ph.D., and they are talking about her latest book, The New Return to the Great Mother: Birth, Initiation, and the Sacred Feminine. The book is an updated and expanded version of Isa’s acclaimed book, Return to the Great Mother. In this new edition, Isa offers a fresh perspective on birthing as a sacred initiatory process. She takes the reader on a journey to rediscover the transformative feminine power at the heart of childbirth and teaches methods of tapping into this ancient wellspring of power to create a birthing experience that is deeply intuitive and empowering. The book is filled with inspiring true stories, and helpful tools and exercises for connecting with the wisdom and power of the Great Mother.
Isa holds degrees and certificates in transpersonal psychology, cultural and linguistic anthropology, comparative religion, hypnotherapy, and transformational healing. She has spent over 30 years studying spiritual, therapeutic, and meditative techniques from around the world and has worked with master teachers of Buddhism, Christianity, Judaism, and Sufism, as well as expert shamanic practitioners from the traditions of Hawaii, indigenous North and South America, Siberia, and Nepal. Isa speaks 5 languages, lectures nationally and internationally, and is the author of two additional books, Coming to Peace and the forthcoming Depth Hypnosis: a Path to Inner Transformation.
On this episode, Laura Chandler is joined by writer, activist, and Founder of the Global Peace Initiative of Women, Dena Merriam, to talk about her latest book, When the Bright Moon Rises: The Awakening of Ancient Memories. The book spans several periods from Vedic India to the Han and Tang Dynasties of China. It is an eloquent testimony to the evolution of a soul and the lessons learned over lifetimes. Dena and Laura discuss the remarkable awakening that was the impetus for writing the book, as well as the significance of the times we are living in and the part past lives play in understanding our current life.
Dena is the author of two other books, The Untold Story of Sita: An Empowering Tale for Our Time and My Journey Through Time. In addition to being the Founder of the Global Peace Initiative of Women (GPIW), Dena was the Vice Chair of the Millennium World Peace Summit of Religious and Spiritual Leaders held at the United Nations in New York in the year 2000. She is a long time practitioner of Kriya Yoga meditation and a devotee of the spiritual master Yogananda for over 40 years. She received her master’s degree from Columbia University in sacred literature, and has served on the boards of many prestigious organizations, including the Harvard Center for the Study of World Religions and the Interfaith Center of New York.
Our featured music is from Rajeev Taranath, one of India’s foremost classical musicians, and a master of the sarod. His career spans over four decades and he was a distinguished disciple of the late legendary maestro Ustad Ali Akbar Khan. Rajeev has received many honors including India’s highest government award in the arts, the esteemed Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2000.
On this episode, Laura Chandler is joined by activist and writer Martin A. Lee, co-founder and director of Project CBD, to talk about his latest book, Reader’s Digest: The Essential Guide to CBD: Everything You Need to Know About What It Helps, Where to Buy It, and How to Take It. Martin explains the history of cannabis, the different ways cannabis works to assist in our own body’s ability to heal, current medical studies, and the myriad of ailments it can help with – everything from cancer, to brain injuries, Alzheimer’s, epilepsy, anxiety, addiction, and so much more. There is a lot to understand about CBD and Martin provides a clear map for understanding and navigating its history and usage.
Martin is the author of several books, including Smoke Signals: A Social History of Marijuana – Medical, Recreational and Scientific, which received the American Botanical Council’s James A. Duke Award for Excellence in Botanical Literature. Named by High Times as one of the 100 most influential people in cannabis, he is the 2016 winner of the Emerald Cup’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Lee is also co-founder of the media watch group FAIR (Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting) and the author of Acid Dreams: The Complete Social History of LSD – The CIA, the Sixties and Beyond. For more information about Martin and Project CBD, visit projectcbd.org.
Our featured music today is from Baba Israel and his band Soul Inscribed. We are spotlighting music from the theatrical concert inspired by Martin Lee’s book, Smoke Signals: A Social History of Marijuana – Medical, Recreational, and Scientific. In this musical presentation, Israel uses music and spoken word to explore the history of cannabis adapting stories of countercultural icons, grassroots activists, and the plant itself, to weave a time-traveling tale of jubilation, injustice, and transformation. To learn more, visit babaisrael.com.
On this episode, Laura Chandler is joined by one of the foremost spiritual channels of our time, Paul Selig. Paul is a writer and empath and has just published his 7th book, Alchemy: A Channeled Text. In Alchemy, Paul directly channels The Guides, a source of intelligence that offers humankind a way to engage the transformational process of moving beyond a limited interpretation of the self and into a place of true manifestation. Laura and Paul discuss the effect of the pandemic personally and collectively, the larger shift occurring on the planet, and Paul channels The Guides directly.
Paul received his Master’s Degree from Yale University and served on the faculty of NYU for over 25 years. In 1987, a spiritual experience left him clairvoyant. He currently serves on the faculty of the Omega Institute, Kripalu Center, and the Esalen Institute. Deepak Chopra describes his work as, “authentic, straightforward truth straight from the source field.” To learn more about Paul, visit paulselig.com.
Our featured music is from visual artist and musician Dorias Brannon. Hear more from Dorias on his website, doriasbrannon.com.
On this episode, Spring Washam joins Laura Chandler to talk about her book, A Fierce Heart: Finding Strength, Courage, and Wisdom in Any Moment. Spring is the founder of the East Bay Meditation Center in Oakland, CA, and Lotus Vine Journeys, in Costa Rica.
Spring is focused on bringing mindfulness-based healing practices to diverse communities and she is a member of the teacher’s council at Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Northern California. Spring has practiced and studied Buddhist philosophy in both the Theravada and Tibetan schools of Buddhism for the last 20 years. In addition to being a teacher, she is also a shamanic practitioner and has studied indigenous healing practices for over a decade. To learn more about Spring, visit springwasham.com.
The featured music on this episode is from Home Learning’s latest album, Linn, available for download exclusively via the Sacred Stream Store. To learn and hear more, visit homelearning.bandcamp.com.
2020 was a year filled with unprecedented events, from political and social unrest, to a pandemic that has changed how we live our lives for the foreseeable future. On this episode, podcast host Laura Chandler takes a look back at the year, re-visiting highlights from past interviews. We’ll hear from bestselling authors Carol Kline, Gay Hendricks, John Perkins, Dena Merriam, and Rachel Harris. Our featured music is also from these past episodes and includes Lisa Lynne, Aryeh Frankfurther, Mia Pixley, Jaya Vidyasagar, and the Kitka Women’s Vocal Ensemble.
The Sacred Stream Radio Podcast is brought to you by the Foundation of the Sacred Stream and Red Cow Productions. You can download or subscribe to this podcast anywhere you get your podcasts or stream it at sacredstream.org/podcast. This program would not exist without the help of some very special people. I want to thank my staff, Cody Humston, Sherri Serino, Katie Healey, and Clementine Moss. If you would like to support this podcast, please consider writing a review and sharing with friends. You can also make a donation to help cover our production costs and help us continue to make free programs like this one widely available.
On this episode, Laura is joined by chart-topping traditional folk artists Aryeh Frankfurter and Lisa Lynne to discuss their new album, Harmony House. Lisa and Aryeh are veterans of the music industry with thousands of concerts played and millions of albums sold. They speak with Laura about the inspiration for Harmony House and their secret to longevity in the music industry. Also, Aryeh gives a demonstration of the nyckelharpa – a traditional Swedish instrument that dates back to the 14th Century.
Formerly with Windham Hill Records, Lisa Lynne has sold over one million albums and all of her records have reached the top 20 on the Billboard music charts. Well-known for his own independent releases, Aryeh began playing the violin at age three years old. He has toured with and recorded with artists from a variety of genres, and played concert halls throughout the world. Both Lisa and Aryeh play a wide array of instruments including the celtic harp, nyckelharpa, cittern, bazouki, bandura, mandolin, violin, viola, and cello, just to name a few.
To learn more about Lisa and Aryeh, check out lisalynne.com and lionharp.com. The music featured on this episode is from their latest release, Harmony House.
On this episode, Laura Chandler is joined by activist and New York Times bestselling author John Perkins, to speak about his latest book, Touching the Jaguar: Transforming Fear into Action to Change Your Life and the World. They discuss John’s work as an economic consultant and what that taught him about the global economy. Laura and John also talk about his extensive study with shamans from around the world, in particular the Shuar people of Ecuador, and what he learned from them about facing our fears and transforming Death Economies into Life Economies.
John is best known for his book Confessions of an Economic Hit Man, which spent 73 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list and has been translated into 32 languages. He is also a founder and board member of the non-profit organizations Dream Change and The Pachamama Alliance. John has lectured at Harvard, Oxford, and more than 50 other universities around the world, and is the author of books on indigenous cultures and transformation, including Shapeshifting, The World Is As You Dream It, Psychonavigation, Spirit Of The Shuar, and The Stress-Free Habit. He has been featured on ABC, NBC, CNN, The History Channel, Time, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and many other publications, as well as in numerous documentaries. He was awarded the Lennon Ono Grant for Peace in 2012, and the Rainforest Action Network Challenging-Business-As-Usual Award in 2006.
Our featured musical guest is international recording artist and saxophonist, Sapphron Obois. To learn more about Sapphron, visit sapphronobois.bandcamp.com.
On this episode, Laura Chandler is in conversation with producer and director, Paul Howard, talking about his latest documentary, Infinite Potential: The Life & Ideas of David Bohm. Bohm was a visionary physicist and explorer of consciousness, who Einstein called his “spiritual son” and the Dalai Lama called his “science guru.” Bohm’s explorations led him to intuit a hidden order to reality — the Quantum Potential — that underlies both the microscopic world of subatomic particles and also the macro world of stars and galaxies. In this episode, Paul and Laura discuss Baum’s early work, his initial rejection by the scientific community, his relationship with spiritual leaders the Dalai Lama and Krishnamurti, and the intersection of science and spirituality demonstrated in Bohm’s life and his work, the hidden-variable theory.
Paul Howard has directed many critically acclaimed documentaries including Waiting for Houlihan, The Irish in Hollywood, Bloomsday, and Triumph of the Nomads — a history of Australia prior to the arrival of European white settlement. You can learn more about Paul and his lastest film at infinitepotential.com.
Our featured musical artist is composer and multi-instrumentalist, Aryeh Frankfurter. In addition to his outstanding solo releases, he has played on numerous records with a variety of artists, and regularly collaborates with his partner and colleague, Windham Hill artist and Billboard chart-topping harpist and composer, Lisa Lynne. Learn more about Aryeh at lionharp.com.
On this episode, Laura Chandler talks to New York Times bestselling authors Gay Hendricks and Carol Kline about their latest book, Conscious Luck: Eight Secrets to Intentionally Change Your Fortune. Gay and Carol offer a lot with their book—they remind us of things we may have known, and teach us some new things as well. They share their own experiences with creating luck in their lives, and explore what makes luck more than just random chance.
Carol Kline has devoted her career to teaching, writing, and speaking about consciousness and personal growth. She is a #1 New York Times bestselling author and her books include Happy for No Reason, Love for No Reason, and five books in the Chicken Soup for the Soul series. Visit carolkline.com for more information.
Gay Hendricks, Ph.D. has served for more than forty years as one of the major contributors to the fields of relationship transformation and body-mind therapies. He is a New York Times bestselling author and his books include Conscious Loving and The Big Leap. Additionally, he and his wife are the co-founders of the Hendricks Institute, an international learning center that teaches core skills for conscious living and conscious loving. Learn more about Gay and the Hendricks Institute at hendricks.com.
Our featured musical artist on this episode is award-winning songwriter Angela Predhomme. Her latest album, So Good to be Free, is available now. To hear more, visit angelapredhomme.com.
On this episode, Laura Chandler is joined by author and past-life researcher, Joanne DiMaggio. Today they talk about her latest book, I Did It to Myself…Again! They discuss her research on past lives, which she presents in the book, and the conclusions she’s drawn about life, death, and what happens when we die. Joanne is the founder of the Unity Holistic Healing Center, a service of Unity of Charlottesville and the Coordinator for Edgar Cayce’s Association for Research and Enlightenment (A.R.E.) in Charlottesville, Virginia. She is the author of four books and has a counseling practice where she conducts past-life regressions, life-between-lives sessions, and soul writing sessions. For more information about Joanne, visit joannedimaggio.com.
Our featured musical artist is acclaimed composer Brian Baumbusch. In 2013, Baumbusch founded The Lightbulb Ensemble, a neo-gamelan performing on instruments built and designed by Baumbusch. The New York Times describes his music as “harmonically vivid… intense… simmering.” To learn more about Brian, visit brianbaumbusch.com.
On this episode, Laura interviews author, therapist, and researcher, Rachel Harris. Rachel is the author of the book Listening to Ayahuasca: New Hope for Depression, Addiction, PTSD and Anxiety. This book offers a comprehensive look at the psychotropic tea used for thousands of years by indigenous peoples of the Amazon. Rachel draws upon her own personal experiences with ayahuasca, the experience of others, as well as her research on the use of ayahuasca in North America, which is the largest study of its kind.
Rachel has written several books and was in private practice for thirty five years working with people interested in psychospiritual development. During a decade working in research, Rachel received a National Institutes of Health New Investigator’s Award and published more than forty scientific studies in peer-reviewed journals. She has also consulted to Fortune 500 companies and the United Nations. To learn more about Rachel, visit listeningtoayahuasca.com.
Our featured musical artist today is the very talented cellist and singer-songwriter, Mia Pixley. We are featuring music from her album, Inside Out. Visit miapixley.com to hear more.
On this episode, Laura Chandler is joined by alternative health care specialist Jill Sweringen to talk about how to stay healthy during the coronavirus outbreak and generally. Jill is the owner of Purple Iris Healing Center in San Francisco and has a doctorate in physical therapy, degrees in traditional Chinese medicine, and is a licensed acupuncturist. She has studied many alternative healing methods and uses a mixture of Western and Eastern medical approaches, including myofascial release, craniosacral therapy, microcurrent therapy, acupuncture, and Chinese herbal medicine to treat a variety of medical conditions. For more information about Jill, visit purpleiris.net.
The featured musical artist on this episode is Kitka Women’s Vocal Ensemble. Kitka is an award-winning, critically acclaimed American women’s vocal arts ensemble inspired by traditional songs and vocal techniques from Eastern Europe and Eurasia. To learn more about Kitka, visit kitka.org.
On this episode, we reach back into the archives for part three of this historic talk between Buddhist scholar Robert Thurman and Christian theologian Rev. Matthew Fox. In this final installment, Bob and Matthew discuss the men and women who inspire them, including the Dalai Lama, Gandhi, Meister Eckhart, and Hildegard of Bingen. They offer insight into creating more compassion in our lives and hope for cultivating a more compassionate world. Isa Gucciardi moderates this talk that took place at the Sacred Stream Center in 2017.
Robert Thurman is the co-founder of Tibet House U.S., a bestselling author, and is recognized worldwide as an authority on religion, spirituality, Asian history, Tibetan Buddhism, and the Dalai Lama. Matthew Fox is an expert on Christian mysticism and Creation Spirituality, and an author of over 35 books, including the New York Times bestseller, The Coming of the Cosmic Christ.
On this episode, we return to the archives to bring you part two of this historic conversation between Christian theologian Rev. Matthew Fox and Buddhist scholar Robert Thurman. In this talk, moderated by Isa Gucciardi, Bob and Matt offer thoughtful and sometimes humorous ideas about how we can cultivate peace individually and collectively. They talk about what led them to their respective spiritual paths and how they have navigated obstacles along the way.
Robert Thurman is the co-founder of Tibet House U.S., a bestselling author, and is recognized worldwide as an authority on religion, spirituality, Asian history, Tibetan Buddhism, and the Dalai Lama. Matthew Fox is an expert on Christian mysticism and Creation Spirituality, and an author of over 35 books, including the New York Times bestseller, The Coming of the Cosmic Christ.
On this episode, we dive into the archives to bring you a historic conversation between Christian theologian Rev. Matthew Fox and Buddhist scholar Robert Thurman. This talk on Cultivating Peace in Difficult Times took place at the Sacred Stream Center in 2017 and was moderated by Isa Gucciardi. We will be releasing this talk in three parts over the next few weeks. In part one, Bob and Matt offer thoughtful and sometimes humorous ideas about how we can cultivate peace individually and collectively. They talk about what led them to their respective spiritual paths and how they have navigated obstacles along the way.
Robert Thurman is the co-founder of Tibet House U.S., a bestselling author, and is recognized worldwide as an authority on religion, spirituality, Asian history, Tibetan Buddhism, and the Dalai Lama. Matthew Fox is an expert on Christian mysticism and Creation Spirituality, and an author of over 35 books, including the New York Times bestseller, The Coming of the Cosmic Christ.
On this episode, Dena Merriam, Founder of the Global Peace Initiative for Women (GPIW), joins Laura Chandler for an engaging conversation on diverse topics such as climate crisis, the Me Too movement, past lives, and the significance of the sacred feminine in the world today. Dena is the author of two books, including her latest, The Untold Story of Sita: An Empowering Tale for Our Time, a retelling of the Ramayana texts of Classic Indian Literature from the perspective of the primary female character, Sita. The book delivers an important message for our times, offering a new understanding of feminine wisdom and the intelligence of the natural world.
In addition to her work with the GPIW, Dena served as Vice Chair of the Millennium World Peace Summit of Religious and Spiritual Leaders held at the United Nations in New York in the year 2000. She has been a devotee of the spiritual master Yogananda for over 40 years, and is a long time practitioner of Kriya Yoga meditation. Dena received her master’s degree from Columbia University in sacred literature, and has served on the boards of many prestigious organizations, including the Harvard Center for the Study of World Religions and the Interfaith Center of New York. For more information on Dena and the GPIW, visit gpiw.org.
Our featured musical artist is Hindustani classical vocalist Jaya Vidyasagar. Jaya has studied with many accomplished teachers and is a beloved performer. She has appeared in several videos and musical collaborations. To learn more or to purchase her music, visit jayavidyasagar.com.
This episode is a retrospective of some of the highlights of the past year. You’ll hear excerpts from Laura Chandler’s interviews with bestselling authors Dawson Church and Christina Rasmussen, Grammy nominee Barbara Higbie, and renowned channel and author Paul Selig. Our featured music includes songs from Barbara Higbie, Dan Walters, and master sarod player Rajeev Taranath, as well as Sacred Stream’s very own Katie Rudman and her duo, Heddwen.
The episode begins with Dawson Church, the bestselling author of The Genie in Your Genes: Epigenetic Medicine and the New Biology of Intention and Mind to Matter: The Astonishing Science of How Your Brain Creates Material Reality. Dawson and Laura discuss Quantum physics, the science behind manifestation, and Dawson’s contagious enthusiasm for meditation.
Celebrated grief educator and founder of The Life Reentry Institute, Christina Rasmussen, met with Laura in April to discuss her second book, Where Did You Go?: A Life-Changing Journey to Connect with Those We’ve Lost. In this segment, she explains what drew her to work in the field of grief and the personal tragedy that was the catalyst for her book. They also have an unexpected visitor.
Acclaimed author and channel Paul Selig returned to the podcast this year to talk about his latest book, Beyond the Known: Realization. Paul received his Master’s Degree from Yale and served on the faculty of NYU for over 25 years. A spiritual experience in 1987 left him clairvoyant and he has channeled seven books by a group he calls The Guides. He and Laura talk about the changes that are to come on the planet and what The Guides are offering to help us prepare.
This final segment is from Laura’s interview with Grammy-nominated, Bammy award-winning composer, pianist, singer-songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, Barbara Higbie. She is both a successful solo artist and popular session player with fourteen albums to her credit, and has performed on more than 100 albums, including Carlos Santana’s 2007 release. In this excerpt, Barbara’s cheerful demeanor is on full display as they talk about her early success, the difficulties she faced as a woman in the industry, and how things have changed today.
This episode features a talk by Isa Gucciardi on the Oracle Traditions found in Buddhism and Shamanism. In this talk, originally given at the Science and Nonduality Conference in San Jose, CA, Isa gives an overview of some of the remarkable lineages found in Buddhism and Shamanism and the methods of accessing wisdom through channeling as described in these traditions.
Isa Gucciardi is the Founding Director and Primary Teacher at the Foundation of the Sacred Stream, and the author of Coming to Peace and Return to the Great Mother. She holds degrees in cultural and linguistic anthropology, comparative religion, and transpersonal psychology, and is the creator of the highly-effective therapeutic model, Depth Hypnosis. Isa teaches and speaks nationally and internationally. She maintains a private practice with institutions and individuals in Depth Hypnosis and Coming to Peace processes. Isa speaks five languages and has lived in eleven countries. She is the mother of two children and lives with her partner in San Francisco.
On this episode, Laura Chandler interviews Rajeev Taranath, one of India’s foremost classical musicians and a master of the sarod. At 87 years old, his career has spanned over four decades and drawn accolades from critics and audiences throughout the world. Rajeev is a distinguished disciple of the late legendary maestro Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, and was part of Khan’s musical family that included the great sitarists Ravi Shankar and Shrimati Annapurna Devi. Laura and Rajeev talk about Rajeev’s expansive career, perspectives on music and creativity, and his call to Indian Classical Music.
Rajeev has received many honors, including India’s highest government award in the arts, the esteemed Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2000. He has written music for several films and received critical acclaim for his deep introspective style. Edward Rothstein of The New York Times states, “Rajeev Taranath’s sarod improvisations mixed the spiritual and the spirited…and proceeded into an exuberant rhythmic celebration.” A noted linguist, Rajeev speaks eight languages fluently. Currently living in Mysore, India, Rajeev travels worldwide teaching and performing. To learn more about Rajeev, visit rajeevtaranath.com.
On this episode, Laura Chandler is joined by researcher and author, Dawson Church. Dawson is the author of the bestselling book and breakthrough in epigenetics, The Genie in Your Genes. His latest release, Mind to Matter: The Astonishing Science of How Your Brain Creates Material Reality, explores the cultivation of peak brain states in daily life.
In this lively interview, Laura and Dawson discuss the astonishing science behind how our minds create matter. Dawson points to numerous examples of studies demonstrating this, and offers ways of harnessing the power of our minds through meditation, EFT, and cultivating positive thoughts. He also shares some inspiring stories of people profoundly changing their lives by adopting the simple practices in his book.
Dawson founded the National Institute for Integrative Healthcare to study promising evidence-based psychological and medical techniques. He is the editor of Energy Psychology: Theory, Research, and Treatment, and a blogger for HuffPost.
For more information on Dawson, visit dawsonchurch.com, or join his growing group of fans on Facebook.
Our featured music today is from songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Christopher Tait. Chris has written and performed for Electric Six since 2002, and is the founder of Passenger — a Detroit-based non-profit dedicated to helping musicians who are struggling with addiction issues. Chris was a curator for Beats/Apple Music in Culver City, CA, and has composed for film, commercials, and video games.
On today's episode, Laura Chandler is joined by writer, empath, and one of the foremost spiritual channels of our time, Paul Selig. Paul has just released his latest channeled book, Beyond the Known: Realization, which is the 6th in a series described as a "program for personal and planetary evolution as humankind awakens to its own divine nature." In this episode, Paul explains his relationship to the guides, the process of channeling, and shares insights from the guides about the new book.
Paul received his Master's Degree from Yale and served on the faculty of NYU for over 25 years. A spiritual experience in 1987 left him clairvoyant. Deepak Chopra describes his work as, "authentic, straightforward truth straight from the source field." His breakthrough works of channeled literature – including I Am the Word, The Book of Mastery, and The Book of Truth – have quickly become the most important and celebrated expression of channeling since A Course in Miracles rose to prominence in the 1970s.
For more information about Paul, visit his website, paulselig.com.
Today's guest is Grammy-nominated, Bammy award-winning musician, Barbara Higbie. A composer, pianist, singer-songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, Barbara has performed on more than 100 albums, including Carlos Santana's 2007 release. She has 14 solo recordings to her credit as well as contributions to 10 compilations that have sold in the millions. A master collaborator and successful solo recording artist, Barbara was the first woman signed to Windham Hill Records, and had major commercial success with her chart-topping band, Montreux. She has also released music with Olivia Records and her own Slow Baby Records, and after nearly 40 years in the industry, she shows no signs of slowing down.
In this episode, we take a look back over her career, and talk about what it was like being a woman in the music industry then and now. We also discuss her time growing up in Indiana and West Africa, and what inspires her. Selections from her latest album, Resonance, are featured throughout this episode.
To learn more about Barbara and to purchase her music, visit barbarahigbie.com.
In this episode, guest host Isa Gucciardi, interviews the venerable Tibetan Buddhist monk and teacher, Geshe Pema Dorjee. Geshe Pema Dorjee is a tireless advocate of the poor and disenfranchised in Nepal and India, especially children. He has dedicated his life to helping stop human trafficking and travels the world to raise funds for his many altruistic projects and often brings those funds to remote villages, which sometimes requires days of walking to the final destination.
Geshe Pema Dorje was the Director of the Tibetan Children’s Village School in Dharamsala for many years and has helped thousands of displaced children gain an education and find their way. In 1995, he became the first Principal of the College for Higher Tibetan Studies and in 2001, His Holiness the Dalai Lama asked him to revive and promote the Bodong tradition of Tibet, and he became the founder and Director of the Bodong Research and Publication Center.
In the first segment Isa talks to Geshe Pema Dorjee about his work with the children of Tibet and his latest projects. And in the second segment, taken from a previously recorded talk, Geshela describes what it was like being a young child escaping from Tibet with his family in the 1950s, and arriving in Nepal with nothing.
To learn more about Geshela and his many worthy projects, visit buddhistcharity.org. To learn more about author and teacher Isa Gucciardi, visit isagucciardi.org.
On this episode, Laura speaks with Christina Rasmussen, acclaimed grief educator, and the author of Second Firsts and Where Did You Go? She is the founder of The Life Reentry Institute and has helped countless people break out of what she has coined the “waiting room” of grief to rebuild their lives through her Life Reentry Model. She describes grief as a catalyst for redefining identity and introduces a new model of grief based on the science of neuroplasticity. Her institute’s mission is to bring forth a new way of speaking about and embracing loss within the medical, corporate, and social environments. Her work has been featured on ABC News, Washington Post, Maria Shriver, and the White House Blog.
Christina describes to Laura the processes she has discovered for connecting with loved ones that have passed and the science that supports these experiences. They also discuss the personal tragedy that was the catalyst for Christina’s latest book, Where Did You Go?, and the joy that comes from this ability to change your relationship to grief. A skeptic of conventional mystical and religious descriptions, Christina instead draws on basic principles of brain science and quantum physics to explore other dimensions. You can find out more about Christina on her website, christinarasmussen.com.
This episode’s featured musical artist is internationally acclaimed Sarod master, Rajeev Taranath, who is considered one of the world’s leading exponents of the Sarod. He is the recipient of many awards, including the Indian government’s highest accolade in the arts, the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, as well as the prestigious Chowdiah Award for excellence in the field of instrumental music. For more information about Rajeev and his music, visit rajeevtaranath.com.
On this episode, hear the conclusion of Laura Chandler’s interview with scholar and bestselling author, Robert Thurman, who talks about the importance of the Sacred Feminine, the ways he sees humankind progressing, and why there is reason for hope. And in the second half, Laura is joined by author and teacher, Isa Gucciardi, who regularly co-teaches workshops with Bob on the subjects of Buddhism, shamanism, and the Divine Feminine. Isa discusses her workshops with Bob and the importance of bringing the masculine and feminine aspects in each of us into balance in order to create a more peaceful, productive, and harmonious world.
To learn more about Bob or to listen to his podcast, visit bobthurman.com. For more on his classes and retreats, visit his retreat center website, menla.us, or Tibet House’s website, tibethouse.us. To learn more about Isa Gucciardi, visit her websites, isagucciardi.com and depthhypnosis.com.
Our featured music is from Lisa Lynne and the Elfin Love Tribe, Instrumental Songs of Good Cheer, featuring Sony and Windham Hill recording artist, Lisa Lynne (lisalynne.com) and acclaimed composer and multi-instrumentalist, Aryeh Frankfurter (lionharp.com).
On this episode, Laura Chandler speaks with bestselling author and scholar, Robert Thurman, who was in town for the Science and Non-Duality Conference in San Jose (SAND). Bob is a recognized worldwide authority on religion and spirituality, Asian history, and Indo-Tibetan Buddhism. He is the co-founder of Tibet House and the author of many books, including Infinite Life and Why the Dalai Lama Matters. In this interview, Bob and Laura talk about the conference, his latest book – a graphic novel about the Dalai Lama, Man of Peace: The Illustrated Life History of the Dalai Lama of Tibet – and some of Bob’s favorite subjects, like the dogma of materialism, the absurd belief that nothing exists, and how Buddha actually discovered relativity.
To learn more about Bob or to listen to his podcast, visit bobthurman.com. For more on his classes and retreats, visit his retreat center website, menla.us, or Tibet House’s website, tibethouse.us. Our featured music in this episode is from Dan Walters’ latest release, Imaginary TV. To learn more about Dan, visit danwaltersmusic.net.
In this episode, Laura Chandler takes a look back over the past year of interviews, revisiting key moments with inspiring guests that include renowned channel Paul Selig, activist and former nun Margarita Melville, and the exquisite electric cellist Jami Sieber. And you’ll also hear some new conversations with Robert Thurman and Lama Tsultrim Allione.
It features music from some of the great musicians that have been on the show, including Grammy nominee and future guest Barbara Higbie, world music vocalist Lisa Kelman, the monks of Gaden Shartse Dokhang, Jami Sieber (featuring the elephants of the Thai Elephant Orchestra), and NuJazz artists The Allure (with guest vocalist Isa Gucciardi).
This episode begins with eighty-eight-year-old activist and former nun Margarita Melville, who in the 1960s, left the Maryknoll sisters to join the Guatemalan resistance, and was dubbed “The Guerrilla Nun.” After barely escaping with her life, she and her husband, former Maryknoll priest Tom Melville, joined a group of activists in the US and became part of a famous civil action known as the Catonsville Nine. Here she talks about her escape from Guatemala and the action that sent her to prison.
Lama Tsultrim Allione talks to Laura about her experience of the death of one of her teachers, the great Tibetan Dzogchen master Chögyal Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche. He died on September 27, 2018 and is said to have entered a state known as tugdum.
Best-selling author and channel Paul Selig had a spiritual experience 25 years ago that left him clairvoyant. Nine years ago, he began channeling a group he refers to as “The Guides.” In this segment, he talks about his role as a channel and the awareness of the Divine.
Jami Sieber talks about her time in Thailand and her first mystical encounter meeting and playing music with the Thai Elephant Orchestra, which became the inspiration for her album, Hidden Sky.
And in the final segment, Laura catches up with Robert Thurman at the Science and Non-Duality Conference in San Jose. They talk about one of his favorite subjects, nothing.
On this episode, Laura Chandler is joined by author and Tibetan Buddhist teacher, Lama Tsultrim Allione. Lama Tsultrim is currently on a European book tour to support her latest book, Wisdom Rising: Journey into the Mandala of the Empowered Feminine. In this conversation, Lama Tsultrim talks about the mandala practices in her book and her focus on making certain practices of Tibetan Buddhism relevant and impactful for contemporary practitioners. She also addresses many current political and spiritual topics, including sexual misconduct by spiritual teachers, the #metoo movement, and the role of women spiritual teachers in Tibetan Buddhism.
Lama Tsultrim is one of the preeminent American teachers of Tibetan Buddhism. Her interest in Buddhism began as a teenager, and in the early 1970s, she visited Nepal and backpacked across India, befriending Ram Dass and eventually becoming Allen Ginsburg’s meditation teacher for a time. At age 22, she became the first American ordained by H.H. the 16th Karmapa, and has studied with and received transmissions from many of the great masters of Tibetan Buddhism. Lama Tsultrim is recognized as an emanation of the 11th Century yogini, Machig Labdron, who developed several Tibetan lineages of the Vajrajana practice of Chod.
Lama Tsultrim resides at her retreat center, Tara Mandala, in Pagosa Springs, Colorado, which she founded to help preserve and pass on the teachings that she has spent over fifty years studying. For more information about Lama Tsultrim and Tara Mandala, visit taramandala.org.
Our featured musical artist is the prolific, Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Barbara Higbie.
In the conclusion of this two-part interview, Laura Chandler continues her conversation with Buddhist teacher and the founder of Nangten Menlang Buddhist Medical Center, Tulku Lobsang Rinpoche. Tulku Lobsang is the recognized reincarnation of the great Tibetan Buddhist master Tulku Nyentse. At age 17, he escaped Tibet, was caught, and after spending time in a Chinese prison, successfully escaped to Nepal.
In this episode, Tulku Lobsang explains how discovering true happiness within yourself is the wisdom of Buddhism, and offers an important teaching from Machig Labdrön, Tibetan Buddhism’s great female yogini. He also shares his thoughts on the future of Buddhism and his upcoming teachings in Europe and the U.S.
To learn more about Tulku Lobsang you can visit his website, tulkulobsang.org. This episode of the Sacred Stream Radio Podcast features music from the Monks of Gaden Shartse Dokhang and their Sacred Chants of Tibet album, released on Red Cow Records.
On this episode, Laura Chandler speaks with Tibetan Buddhist teacher and founder of Nangten Menlang Buddhist Medical Center, Tulku Lobsang Rinpoche. Tulku Lobsang Rinpoche was born to a farming family in Tibet in 1976. He entered the Sowa Monastery at age six, and at age eleven, he went to the Nangzi Bön Monastery, where he studied Dzogchen. Tulku Lobsang was identified by the oracle of Tibet as the incarnation of the master teacher, Tulku Nyentse, and at age thirteen he was enthroned as the eighth incarnation of this master teacher. Tulku Lobsang has received teachings in all of the Tibetan Buddhist traditions, and teaches and lectures throughout the world on the subjects of Tibetan Medicine, Buddhism, and Astrology.
In part one of this two-part episode, Tulku Lobsang discusses his childhood, his imprisonment by the Chinese, and his daring escape from Tibet. He explains what it means to be a Tulku, or reincarnated master, and how he was enthroned at the age of thirteen. Also discussed are the benefits of Tibetan medicine and a form of Tibetan exercise known as Lu Jong, which helps to release blockages in the body.
To learn more about Tulku Lobsang you can visit his website, tulkulobsang.org. This episode of the Sacred Stream Radio Podcast features music from the Monks of Gaden Shartse Dokhang and their Mantras for Meditation album, released on Red Cow Records.
Tulku Lobsang is part of the Wisdom in Exile Conference, a free conference where renowned Tibetan Buddhist practitioners come together with esteemed scholars to explore the profound insights and perennial teachings of one of the world’s great wisdom traditions. Other guest teachers include, Robert Thurman, Isa Gucciardi, Thupten Jinpa, Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, and Lama Tsultrim Allione. For more information or to join, visit embodiedphilosophy.org.
This episode features a talk by Isa Gucciardi, Finding Meaning in Loss, which she gave at the Reimagine End of Life Conference in Berkeley, CA. In this thoughtful and uplifting talk, Isa encourages us to create the spaciousness required to truly be with the experience of loss, grief, and even death. She examines ways of navigating loss, and explores Buddhist perspectives on theme, while also offering practices that will help us approach death, our own and those we love, with awareness and grace.
Reimagine is an organization dedicated to expanding the conversation on death to include new ways of thinking about dying and preparing for death. This is an annual conference that takes place each spring throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. It brings more than 100 different presenters to over 50 locations offering thoughtful discussions on topics ranging from existential questions, practical estate planning options, and ways of offering tribute to those who have gone before us. The Reimagine Conference takes place in New York City each fall and in the San Francisco Bay Area each spring.
Isa Gucciardi holds degrees in cultural and linguistic anthropology, comparative religion, and transpersonal psychology. She is the Founding Director of the Foundation of the Sacred Stream and the creator of the highly-effective therapeutic model, Depth Hypnosis. Isa teaches and speaks nationally and internationally, and she has published numerous articles, blog entries, and videos, and the books Coming to Peace and Return to the Great Mother. She maintains a private practice with institutions and individuals in Depth Hypnosis and Coming to Peace processes. Isa speaks five languages and has lived in eleven countries. She is the mother of two children and lives with her partner in San Francisco.
In part two of this two-part interview, Laura Chandler is joined by the multi-talented composer, singer, and electric cellist, Jami Sieber. Jami creates lush soundscapes using her voice and the cello through a process called “looping.” She tours national and internationally, and her compositions have appeared in film, television and the critically acclaimed video game, Braid.
On this episode, Jami discusses her spiritual path, working with sound healing, and the tours she leads to elephant sanctuaries in Thailand. We feature music from Jami’s album, Hidden Sky, inspired by her work with The Thai Elephant Orchestra.
On this episode, Laura Chandler is joined by the multi-talented composer, singer, and electric cellist, Jami Sieber. Jami creates lush soundscapes using her voice and the cello through a process called “looping” that turns her solo instrument into an orchestra of heart-opening sound. Since launching her solo career in 1994, she has performed throughout the Europe, Asia, and North America to rave reviews. Her compositions have appeared in film and television and the critically acclaimed video game, Braid. In part one of this two-part interview with Jami, we discuss her early work in the award-winning pop-rock band, Rumors of the Big Wave, a socially conscious band that came of age during the aids epidemic in the 1980s. She also talks about her solo career, as well as her dedication to social activism, the environment, and her relationship to music, spirit, and the creative process.
We are featuring music from Jami’s album, Hidden Sky, inspired by her invitation to meet and play music with The Thai Elephant Orchestra in Thailand. She describes the experience as a mystical collaboration that awakened her to the inherent connection underlying all that appears separate. For in the midst of the sheer joy that permeates life with the elephants, you must also live with the constant grief of their captivity and possible extinction. Hidden Sky is a devotional portrait that embodies both.
To really experience Jami’s music, you have to immerse yourself in it, and in this episode you’ll have the opportunity to do just that.
This episode features international bestselling author and pioneer of the Enneagram, Helen Palmer, in conversation with Isa Gucciardi, Ph.D., creator of Depth Hypnosis and the author of Coming to Peace. Moderated by The Net and the Butterfly author Judah Pollack, this discussion takes place in front of a live audience at the Sacred Stream Center in Berkeley, CA. Topics covered in this talk include intuition, somatic processes, the early origins of the Enneagram, Buddhism, and how Helen came to be one of the early pioneers of this fascinating model.
The Enneagram is a model of the human psyche that describes nine interconnected personality types. The Enneagram of Personality has been widely promoted in business management as a way to gain insights into workplace dynamics and spirituality as a path to higher states of being, essence, and enlightenment. In 1988, Helen co-founded the Narrative Enneagram School with David Daniels, MD, of Stanford University, Helen’s book, The Enneagram: Understanding Yourself and the Others in Your Life, is known as one of the pinnacle works on the subject.
The featured musical artist in this episode is Brenda Schuman-Post and her enticing ensemble, Sonic Forest. Brenda teaches the oboe and regularly offers free performances at The Arc in San Francisco. For upcoming performances and more information about Brenda Schuman-Post and Sonic Forest, visit brendaschumanpost.com.
This bonus episode of the Sacred Stream Radio Podcast contains a preview of the newest podcast from Wondery called American Innovations.
American Innovations isn’t your typical science podcast – because you’ll not only hear about the science behind some of the greatest innovations of the last century, you’ll also be immersed in the dramatic moments behind the people, places, and time that lead to those “ah ha” moments.
You can hear the first 3 episodes right now by searching for American Innovations on Apple Podcasts, or by visiting wondery.fm/sacred.
In this episode, Laura Chandler concludes her extensive interview with Margarita Melville–activist, educator, and member of the Catonsville Nine. Laura met with Margarita in her hotel room in Chula Vista, CA, where they discussed Margarita’s dedication to the Guatemalan people, her time in prison as a result of the Catonsville Nine action, her marriage to former Maryknoll priest Thomas Melville, and how marriage was part of their revolutionary plans.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Catonsville Nine, when nine Catholic activists burned draft files using homemade napalm to protest the Vietnam War on May 17, 1968. They were tried and convicted in federal court and sentenced to a total of 18 years in prison. At age 88, Margarita still exhibits the passion and energy that has been the signature of her life. She tells the story of the murders of student activists that she worked with and her own narrow escape from Guatemala after being betrayed to authorities for her participation in the resistance. Margarita also discusses politics today and how her view of spirituality and Christianity has grown over the years. And she has a special message for the young activists today.
Melville was born in Mexico of American parents in 1930 and entered the Maryknoll order in 1949. In 1954, she was assigned to Guatemala where she taught students from elementary to university levels. She worked with university students on labor and literacy issues and was expelled in 1967 for involvement in the “internal politics” of the country. She left the Maryknolls and married former priest Thomas Melville in Mexico in 1968. The Melvilles returned to the United States in 1968 to work to change U.S. Latin American policy. She became involved with the Catonsville Nine as a way to bring attention to the plight of the people of Guatemala and sought to draw parallels between U.S. actions in Latin America and Southeast Asia. After serving prison time for her part in the raid, she earned a Ph.D. and became Head of Ethnic Studies at University of California, Berkeley. She is the author of several books and articles, and retired from Berkeley as Associate Dean in 1995.
To find out more about the Catonsville Nine and the 50th anniversary commemoration with Margarita and Amy Goodman of Democracy Now, visit catonsville9.org.
This episode features music from Lisa Kellman’s outstanding album, Nostalgias. Lisa is a San Francisco vocalist, activist, and herbalist. You can learn more about her and her music on our website, sacredstream.org.
Marjorie (Margarita) Melville is an activist, educator, and former Maryknoll nun. Along with her husband Thomas, she is the co-author of Whose Heaven, Whose Earth—written about their time in Guatemala and the circumstances that led to their decision to join the resistance. At age 88, she is still very active, living in Mexico, but making the five-hour drive once a month to San Diego to visit friends and family. Laura caught up with her at the Vagabond Inn in Chula Vista, California. In part one of this two-part episode, Margarita talks about her time as a Maryknoll nun, her activism in Guatemala, and the Catonsville Nine action that resulted in her spending time in prison.
Melville was born in Mexico of American parents in 1930 and entered the Maryknoll order in 1949. In 1954, she was assigned to Guatemala where she taught students from elementary to university levels. She worked with university students on labor and literacy issues and was expelled in 1967 for involvement in the “internal politics” of the country. She left the Maryknolls and married former priest Thomas Melville in Mexico in 1968. The Melvilles returned to the United States in 1968 to work to change U.S. Latin American policy. She became involved with the Catonsville Nine as a way to bring attention to the plight of the people of Guatemala and sought to draw parallels between U.S. actions in Latin America and Southeast Asia. After serving prison time for her part in the raid, she earned a Ph.D. and became Head of Ethnic Studies at University of California, Berkeley. She is the author of several books and articles, and retired from Berkeley as Associate Dean in 1995.
On this episode, host Laura Chandler catches up with acclaimed author and channel Paul Selig in the offices of Smoothjazz Global, in Monterey, CA. Paul was in town for an extended teaching schedule at The Esalen Institute in Big Sur. He was near the end of his five-week stint when he and Laura got together to discuss his latest book, The Book of Truth, his approach to channeling, and how it all started. Paul’s channeling style is unique. He makes it clear that what comes through him is not him, but a group of Guides with their very own agenda. His books are channeled and published verbatim with no editing, except for spelling errors. The rapidity at which the material comes through Paul, and the palpable energy in the room when he channels, has convinced many people of his authenticity. In this interview, the Guides make an unexpected appearance to answer a question Laura asked Paul about the work.
Paul is a writer, empath, and, conscious channel. He received his Master’s Degree from Yale and served on the faculty of NYU for over 25 years. A spiritual experience in 1987 left him clairvoyant. Deepak Chopra describes his work as, “authentic, straightforward truth straight from the source field.” For more information about Paul, visit his website, paulselig.com.
The featured musical guest is award-winning composer, vocalist, and electric cellist, Jami Sieber. Jami creates gorgeous sonic landscapes that have earned her fans across the globe. She tours nationally and internationally, and her work has been featured in films and in the popular video game, Braid. Find out more about Jami on her website, jamisieber.com.
On this episode, Laura Chandler dives into the Sacred Stream archives for a 2015 interview with homeopath Lori Nairne, who died unexpectedly this past August. In this talk, Lori explains how homeopathy works and focuses on the many uses of the popular remedy, Arnica. Also on this episode is an excerpt from a homeopathy class Lori taught at the Sacred Stream in which Lori looks at remedies for anxiety. And Isa Gucciardi stops by the studio to talk a little about Lori and some of what is coming up at the Sacred Stream Center in 2018.
Lori Nairne was a homeopath, emergency room nurse, social justice activist, and adjunct instructor at the Sacred Stream. Lori’s work as a teacher and homeopath helped many people. She empowered them to be active participants in their own healing and not just follow the western medical model without question. She also helped many people with her over 40 years of work as a social justice activist. Among the many projects she helped found or participated in are Legal Action for Women, PROStitutes Collective, the Haiti Action Committee, Wages for Housework Campaign, Queer Strike, and Global Women’s Strike. She was also part of delegations to the 1977 National Women’s Conference in Houston, the UN Decade for Women in Nairobi in 1985, and Beijing in 1995, and the World Social Forum in Caracas in 2006.
This episode’s featured artist is The Allure and their debut album, Kiss. Laura Chandler teamed with producer and composer Walter Liskiewicz (Waldino) to create this chill jazz breakthrough record. It met with rave reviews upon its release and reached the top fifty on Indie SmoothJazz charts.
On this edition of the Sacred Stream Radio Podcast, host Laura Chandler speaks with Buddhist thought leader and author Robert Thurman about his latest work, Man of Peace: The Illustrated Life Story of the Dalai Lama of Tibet. Catching up with the high-energy scholar is always a wild ride. In this candid episode, Laura chats with Bob on a trip down California Hwy 280, en route to his talk at Googleplex in Mountain View. He opens up about many topics including the Tibetan diaspora, Chinese history, contemporary politics, the role of the Dalai Lama in the world today, and his optimism about the future.
Robert Thurman is a recognized worldwide authority on religion and spirituality, Asian history, world philosophy, Buddhist science, Indo-Tibetan Buddhism, and His Holiness the Dalai Lama. He is an eloquent advocate of the relevance of Buddhist ideas to our daily lives. In doing so, he has become a leading voice of the value of reason, peace, and compassion. He is the bestselling author of many books, including Infinite Life and Why the Dalai Lama Matters. His latest release is Man of Peace, a beautiful graphic novel about the life of the Dalai Lama. Bob holds the Je Tsongkhapa Chair at Columbia University and is the co-founder of Tibet House, the Dalai Lama’s cultural center in the US. He was named one of TIME magazine’s 25 most influential Americans and has been profiled by The New York Times and People magazine. Visit bobthurman.com for more information, the Bob Thurman Podcast, upcoming appearances, and more.
The featured music in this episode is from Nigh, the latest record from composer and multi-instrumentalist Dan Walters. Walters displays mastery of his craft and provides the perfect soundscape for a soulful listening experience. Nigh is available for purchase in the Sacred Stream Store. For more information on Dan and his work, visit danwaltersmusic.net.
This month on the Sacred Stream Radio Podcast, host Laura Chandler speaks with internationally acclaimed scholar, activist, educator, and spiritual theologian, Matthew Fox. In this episode, Reverend Fox talks about the importance of Christian mysticism and how the early Christian mystics were focused on creation spirituality and often found themselves at odds with the dominant paradigm of the church. He discusses his own dismissal from the Catholic church by Cardinal Ratzinger for the alleged heresies of being a feminist, referring to God as both masculine and feminine, for working too closely with Native Americans, and his belief in original blessing. Fox also discusses his latest work, books, the opening of his institute, and the painful effects of consumer capitalism on the spirit and how to mitigate them.
Reverend Fox is a best-selling author of over 35 books and has devoted 45 years to developing and teaching the tradition of Creation Spirituality. Rooted in ancient Judeo-Christian teaching, Creation Spirituality embraces today’s science and spiritual traditions as well as eco-justice, social justice, gender justice, and the arts. Fox has significantly contributed to revivifying awareness of great Christian mystics such as Hildegard of Bingen, Meister Eckhart, and Thomas Aquinas. He has instructed at many universities including Stanford and Holy Names. This fall, the new Fox Institute of Creation Spirituality will be opening in Boulder, Colorado, offering masters and doctoral degrees. On Saturday, September 9, Reverend Fox will be joining Buddhist writer and academic, Robert Thurman, for a talk on Cultivating Peace in Difficult Times at the Sacred Stream Center in Berkeley, CA. For more information about Matthew Fox, visit foxinstitute-cs.org.
The featured music is from the women’s vocal ensemble, Vajra Voices (with Director Karen Clark) from the album O Eterne Deus: Music of Hildegard von Bingen. Find out more about Vajra voices at vajravoices.com.
This month Laura reaches back into the Sacred Stream archives for an interview she did with Thupten Jinpa when he was on his book tour for A Fearless Heart. The interview was impromptu and took place at Laura’s kitchen table, where she talked to Jinpa about his work with H.H. Dalai Lama, CCare, the Compassion Studies, and his perspective on generating more compassion in the world. This episode also contains a talk Jinpa gave at the Sacred Stream Center on Language and Reality. The featured music is from the Monks of Gaden Shartse Dokhang, Jinpa’s former monastery, and their album, The Sacred Chants of Tibet.
Thupten Jinpa is the primary English translator to H.H. the Dalai Lama has translated and edited more than 10 books by the Dalai Lama. His own works include numerous contributions to various collections and academic journals and several works in Tibetan language. His latest works are Songs of Spiritual Experience: Tibetan Buddhist Poems of Insight and Awakening (co-edited with Jas Elsner), and Self, Reality and Reason in Tibetan Philosophy: Tsongkhapa’s Quest for the Middle Way.
At present he is the president of the Institute of Tibetan Classics in Montréal, Canada, and the editor-in-chief of the translation project The Library of Tibetan Classics, being developed by the Institute. He is on the advisory board of various educational and cultural organizations such as the Mind and Life Institute (USA), The Orient Foundation (UK & India), The Meridien Trust (UK), Global Ethics and Religion (USA), and Manjushri Buddhist Online Community. He is also a Visiting Research Scholar at the Stanford Institute for Neuro-Innovation and Translational Neurosciences at Stanford University.
Isa Gucciardi (author, educator, creator of the therapeutic model Depth Hypnosis, and founding director of Foundation of the Sacred Stream) responded to the conflict she saw all around her by developing a method of conflict resolution to help families and couples. In her new book Coming to Peace, Isa transforms her years of experience working with people in this way into highly accessible wisdom about the roots of conflict and peace. In today’s episode of the Sacred Stream Radio Podcast, she chats with Laura about Coming to Peace. This episode’s featured musician is Lisa Kellman and her record Nostalgias.
Isa holds degrees and certificates in transpersonal psychology, cultural and linguistic anthropology, comparative religion, hypnotherapy, and transformational healing. She has spent over thirty years studying spiritual, therapeutic, and meditative techniques from around the world. She has worked with master teachers of Buddhism, Christianity, Judaism and Sufism, as well as expert shamanic practitioners from the traditions of Hawaii, indigenous North and South America, Siberia, and Nepal. Dr. Gucciardi speaks five languages, and has lived in eleven countries. In addition to directing the Foundation of the Sacred Stream and teaching many of its courses, she maintains an active Depth Hypnosis and Applied Shamanism healing practice in San Francisco.
Once we have become conscious of our issues, we must then go beyond our conscious understanding to truly transform them. In today’s episode, Isa Gucciardi, Ph.D. discusses how altering consciousness through hypnosis, meditation, and the shamanic journey can lead to deep and long lasting healing. From this perspective, Isa offers a brief introduction to several of the programs offered by Foundation of the Sacred Stream.
Depth Hypnosis Practitioners approach working with clients who are teens with respect for the initiatory process the teen is going through. In today’s episode, Isa Gucciardi, Ph.D. talks about working with teens in this way.
In this excerpt from a talk given to acupuncture students at ACTCM in San Francisco, Isa Gucciardi, Ph.D. discusses the nature of healing, the role of the healer, and the difference between healing and curing.
In today’s episode, Isa Gucciardi, Ph.D. discusses the roles of empathy and compassion in Buddhism, and offers a practice for maintaining balance when faced with the suffering of others.
Ho’oponopono is a mediation technique found in the Huna tradition, which is generally used in community or family groups to bring peace or harmony to a situation. It is a simple, direct and profound way of working with conflict. In today’s episode, Isa Gucciardi, Ph.D. discusses Ho’oponopono and its role in our Coming to Peace: The Inner Self workshop as a process for mediating internal conflict.
In today’s episode, Isa Gucciardi, Ph.D. discusses the influence of Buddhist ideas about suffering and shamanic approaches to healing in the Depth Hypnosis method.
Addictive behavior can often be a strategy for managing power loss. In today’s episode, Isa Gucciardi, Ph.D. describes some indicators of power loss and what can happen when addiction is used to manage power loss.
In the West, most people have lost connection with the earth. In this episode, Isa Gucciardi, Ph.D. describes a way to relate to the earth as sacred.
In this episode, Isa Gucciardi, Ph.D. discusses why at times we can have a hard time distinguishing between mental and emotional states, She also addresses why emotional states can rarely be healed through mental interventions.
In today’s episode, Isa Gucciardi, Ph.D. discusses some common ways people relate to grief and to loss and some of the effects of these ways of relating. She also discusses the relationship between grief and loss.
The Shamanic Journey can be used to develop trust in one’s own voice and guidance that comes through our inner spheres. In today’s episode, Isa Gucciardi, Ph.D. discusses the Shamanic Journey and its uses in traditional tribal settings as well as its relevance to us today.
In today’s episode, Isa Gucciardi, Ph.D. discusses the 2012 era in terms of the evolution of human consciousness.
In today’s episode, Isa Gucciardi, Ph.D. discusses how to manage your personal energy and transform negativity, especially in relationship with others.
In Buddhism, it’s understood that the realm in which we are living as beings is a realm of suffering that is a function of misconceptions of the nature of reality. In today’s episode, Isa Gucciardi, Ph.D. presents the Buddhist view of suffering and methods for alleviating it.
In today’s episode, Isa Gucciardi, Ph.D. discusses the differences between Depth Hypnosis and other hypnosis models –- specifically clinical hypnosis and Ericsonian hypnosis.
In this excerpt from a 2010 talk on birth family dynamics, Isa Gucciardi, Ph.D. gives an overview of perspectives on karma and discusses its application in a modern context – particularly in matters of relationship.
Aligning personal will with the field of universal potential means being open to what is happening, including some things that are difficult, that you might not have wanted to happen, that you would have fought strongly against and resisted. But fighting strongly separates you from the support you would receive from being part of the larger creative potential. In this episode, Isa Gucciardi, Ph.D. discusses the nature of personal will and the power that comes from aligning the will with universal potential.
Aligning personal will with the field of universal potential means being open to what is happening, including some things that are difficult, that you might not have wanted to happen, that you would have fought strongly against and resisted. But fighting strongly separates you from the support you would receive from being part of the larger creative potential. In this episode, Isa Gucciardi, Ph.D. discusses the nature of personal will and the power that comes from aligning the will with universal potential.
Buddhism is essentially an educational system whose goal is the attainment of happiness for all beings. As an educational system, Buddhism provides the student with a series of tools that helps the student come to a place where they can know as much as they can know about their experience. This knowledge is transformative. In this excerpt from a talk on Buddhist Psychology, Isa Gucciardi, Ph.D. discusses Buddhism and the nature of suffering.
Buddhism is essentially an educational system whose goal is the attainment of happiness for all beings. As an educational system, Buddhism provides the student with a series of tools that helps the student come to a place where they can know as much as they can know about their experience. This knowledge is transformative. In this excerpt from a talk on Buddhist Psychology, Isa Gucciardi, Ph.D. discusses Buddhism and the nature of suffering.
In the training programs offered by Sacred Stream, healers are shown how to get their own personal energy system configured so that it can participate as fully as possible in the larger universal flow of experience which is all around us and in which human beings’ experience exists. In these two excerpts from talks given in Rhode Island in July 2010, Isa Gucciardi, Ph.D. discusses the role of healer and the nature of universal flow, how healers can work with it, and what people need to do in order to align with it.
The expression moon lodge refers to the emotional and mental space as well as the physical space that women would retire to in many indigenous cultures at the time of their moon, when they were on their period. Often in many cultures that same place was a birthing place as well. It was a place of women’s mysteries and women’s initiations. In this excerpt from a 2010 Moon Lodge workshop, Isa Gucciardi, Ph.D. discusses the initiatory nature of women’s biology.
Huna, the ancient shamanic tradition of Hawaii, was a very active part of the Hawaiian tradition from the time that the Hawaiians arrived in the Hawaiian Islands, which is thought to be around 800 CE up until the 1800s, when the Christian missionaries made it illegal for the Hawaiians to practice Huna. This philosophical and spiritual belief system is older than Hawaii. In this excerpt from a 2010 talk, Isa Gucciardi, Ph.D., discusses the origins of Huna.
Shamanism is an age-old science/art that has existed in the vast majority of the cultures that have ever been on the planet. What we now call indigenous cultures have had the shaman as the center of the spiritual life, the social life in terms of problem solving, and the healing life of the community. Different shamans have different areas of expertise. The shamanism that Depth Hypnosis draws from is called “core shamanism,” a term coined by Michael Harner. Core Shamanism refers to principles of shamanism that are found in many or most cultures. In this excerpt from a 2006 Applied Shamanism workshop, Isa Gucciardi, Ph.D. discusses shamanism and dogmas that are found within some shamanic practices.
Shamanism in contemporary culture in North America reflects the context: people’s personal evolutionary needs are different than they might be in an indigenous culture. Most indigenous cultures have well-defined role structures, where people are born into a particular lineage and perform particular duties as part of that lineage. Some cultures have had more tolerance for people deviating from their assigned role than others. Today in the modern Western world, historical patterns and social roles are not necessarily respected. This situation is a two edged sword, but it does allow people to evolve in terms of their own internal callings, rather than necessarily having to evolve according to the roles prescribed by the external culture.In this excerpt from a 2007 Depth Hypnosis workshop, Isa Gucciardi, Ph.D. discusses shamanism and its intersection with modern culture—in particular, spiritual or shamanic healing in a culture without a shamanic tradition.
The path of the bodhisattva is, among other things, designed to break down the illusion of separation between self and other. When we talk about the Two Truths in Buddhism, ultimate reality and relative reality, in relative reality there is a separation. Ultimately, there is no separation. By serving others you wind up serving yourself. In this excerpt from a 2008 Applied Buddhist Psychology course, Isa Gucciardi, Ph.D. discusses what one has to attend to within oneself in order to liberate oneself and be of service to others on the path of the bodhisattva.
Regression therapy is designed to help people access parts of themselves that are normally inaccessible to the conscious mind. In this excerpt from a 2009 lecture on alternative healing modalities given at UC Berkeley, Isa Gucciardi, Ph.D. discusses regression therapy in the context of Depth Hypnosis, the therapeutic modality she created.
Depth Hypnosis is a counseling model created by Isa Gucciardi, Ph.D. which combines shamanism, Buddhism, transpersonal psychology, and hypnotherapy. In the DH model, words and suggestions are used to help alter a person’s state of consciousness so that they can begin to look inward to understand their inner experience and how their inner experience is affecting their external experience. In this excerpt from a 2009 lecture on alternative healing modalities given at UC Berkeley, Isa discusses how Depth Hypnosis works therapeutically.
Dreams serve many different functions in an individual’s psychic life, and many theories have been put forward as to what those functions are. They are at the heart of the processes in the Depth Hypnosis model. When a person comes into counseling in Depth Hypnosis, one of the first things that might be asked of them is that they keep track of their dreams, as these will generally give the practitioner information about where the person needs to go or how the person is approaching the work. In this excerpt from a 2009 lecture, Isa Gucciardi, Ph.D. discusses dream interpretation, with a brief overview of the history of how ancient cultures viewed and worked with dreams.
Energy medicine is a description of the anatomy of non-physical structures that underlie manifestation; in this case, the human body. It is also the description of processes of energy flow through those structures. Because we are largely unaware of the dynamics of these structures and processes we allow ourselves to create realities which are unhealthy and which allow energy to run through the structures that is negative and counter to health. As we become more aware of what’s happening at this level we take more and more responsibility for the way in which we are generating our reality. In this excerpt from a 2005 Integrated Energy Medicine workshop, Isa Gucciardi, Ph.D. discusses integrated energy medicine and the manifestation pathways of disease.
Rituals provide pathways between one world and another, often through transitions, access, or a change in the environment. Regular practices that many of us do after waking up–for instance, putting on glasses, drinking water, or putting on a robe–help us transfer our consciousness from sleeping to waking. In this excerpt from a 2009 talk, Isa Gucciardi, Ph.D. gives an overview of the nature of rituals, their significance in contemporary Western culture and how to work with them in your own life.
It is through our relationships that we come to know who we are. One of the principles of Depth Hypnosis is that we are all teachers to one another; all of our interactions with others reflect our relationship to our deeper self. Most of us come into this life with misconceptions about the nature of who we are and disruptions in the relationship with our deeper self and with the universal flow. By engaging in relationship with others we come to see where these disruptions are. In this excerpt from a Relationship and Power workshop, Isa Gucciardi, Ph.D., offers examples of hidden aspects of relationship that lie beneath more obvious relationship dynamics. She also discusses co-dependence.