Be Where How? Show

Sitaram Dass spent several years serving his beloved teacher Ram Dass on Maui, where he was shown the path of Bhakti, the yoga of service and devotion to God. He is a writer, musician, counselor, and community volunteer working to strengthen our sense of the Timeless Sacred in today's modern world. His new collection of prose and poetry, From and For God, is available now at all online retailers. “Love Serve Remember .. are instructions from our own heart.” Sitaram shares with us tales from Ram Dass' final years, alongside lucid soulful discussions around service, vulnerability, perfectionism, and how the continual re-examination of faith is rooted in freedom. His book recommendations are: “Be Love Now” by Ram Dass The books of Mirabai Starr The Bhagavad Gita “Paths To God” by Ram Dass 100% of the profits from From and For God (www.fromandforgod.com) go to Hanuman Maui, a 501(c)3 nonprofit continuing Ram Dass's presence on Maui. The author donates 100% of his profits to Hanuman Maui, a 501(c)3 nonprofit continuing Ram Dass's presence on Maui. Hanuman Maui upholds his teachings of love, service and devotion through the Hanuman Temple and Loving Awareness Sanctuary. https://www.hanumanmaui.org/ Half of those proceeds are specifically designated for Kripa's service projects through the Sacred Community Project, a program under the direct fiscal sponsorship of Hanuman Maui. Kripa works to lower the barriers of access to contemplative and devotional practices through affordable, free, and donation-based offerings, spiritual support, and prison outreach. Learn more about Kripa and listen to their music at: https://kripa.guru Learn more about Sitaram Dass and contact him at: https://sitaramdass.com Subscribe to our Be Where How? Show channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKRhNdi_EuVOUKJhZoHQ3uw/ Bringing the mountaintop to the here and now. More Be Where How? goodness — our Spotify / Apple Podcasts, Medium.com writing, Instagram, & higher consciousness apparel are here: https://linktr.ee/bewherehow​

Esther Ladipo is a social impact inspiration. A proud Nigerian-American born in Columbus, Ohio, currently living in Austin Texas, Esther works at DoorDash on their Social Impact team, alongside being the cofounder and CEO of Ranowo.org, a donation platform supporting black and Latin-x nonprofits through donations of physical goods. We talk about her early motivations for service. We untangle ‘social impact' being a trendy term—how to keep it all sincere, transcend the critics, and make a legitimate impact where it matters. And we close out about her own conscious intention to get where she is today. Check out Esther's platform out and donate to a worthy local nonprofit: www.Ranowo.org Her book recs are: “The Midnight Library” by Matt Hague “Homegoing” by Yaa Gyasi

Now in our 13th month live, we share creative project updates and introduce a new regular member of our pod panel: Maggie Burke, a former Big Tech strategist who's now at NewStoryCharity.org ending global homelessness. We also talk about our favorite episodes from the past year—from Bob's endless demystifying of mysticism to Marcelo's deconstruction of “COVID”, practical breathing tips from Marie to Ram Dass stories told by Jeremy… we've had no shortage of fascinating conversations… grateful for our new friends and for many more to come. Heavy book recommendations list from the entire panel in this episode too: “Clarity and Connection” by Yung Pueblo “The Life of Yogananda” by Philip Goldberg “The Surrender Experiment” by Michael A. Singer “Return to Love” by Marianne Williamson “No Mud No Lotus” by Thich Nhat Hanh “Disappearance of the Universe” by Gary Renard “The World Religions” by Huston Smith The “Shadow and Bone” Trilogy by Leigh Bardugo “Braving the Wilderness” by Brene Brown “The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda” “Radical Acceptance” by Tara Brach “The Places That Scare You” by Pema Chodron “The Little Book of Philosophy” by DK Publishing "Love Poems from God: Twelve Sacred Voices from the East and West" by Daniel Ladinsky “A Mind at Home with Itself” by Byron Katie & Stephen Mitchell

Aaron Jackson is the founder of PlantingPeace.org, a nonprofit he started fifteen years ago when he was 24 years old. His projects focus on a range of humanitarian and environmental initiatives, including a multi-national deworming campaign (they have successfully dewormed over 22 million starving children around the world); a network of orphanages and safe havens in developing countries (two orphanages in Haiti and two in India); LGBTQ rights advocacy, the Equality House and Transgender House; and rainforest conservation efforts in the Amazon. The team listens to Aaron's riveting stories detailing the extremely DIY-nature of his nonprofit's humble beginnings. He started with one rental property in Haiti to house a few orphans, which led to smuggling deworming medication in backpacks, and eventually international recognition as a CNN Hero. Donate to Aaron Jackson's charity, Planting Peace, at https://www.plantingpeace.org Follow more from Aaron at https://www.facebook.com/plantingpeace

Elizabeth Nelson aka @lzbth.ai is a psych major turned graphic designer from Austin, Texas. When she's not designing, she enjoys learning about maritime disasters, digging through thrift shops, and talking herself out of buying more houseplants. She's currently freelancing in New York City, beating off the quarantine insanity by going on lots of long walks. “Existential crisis meets textbook diagram”, is Elizabeth's bio, summarizing a lot about where she is right now after the pandemic completely upended her entire life plan. She transmuted this ‘floating consciousness' into her design work, reaching new success in a new territory. We talk about using the creative process to help unravel our insecurities & vulnerabilities, and how crucial self-love is throughout it all. Follow this woman on instagram right now: https://www.instagram.com/lzbth.ai Subscribe to our Be Where How? Show channel: http://bit.ly/bewherehowshow​ More Be Where How? goodness — our Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Medium.com writing, Instagram, & higher consciousness apparel are here: https://linktr.ee/bewherehow​

From the people who brought you “Too Poor for Canopy”, they're here to start a revolution. Unknown Collective is an artist collective in Austin, Texas on a mission to connect the community to emerging art. Marcella Colavecchio & Jair Piñeros are two of the collective's co-founders, who talk to Bob & Ryan about emerging art in Austin—how they started painting, how they're supporting local artists, and how to help them elevate extremely talented grassroots creatives. Marcella's advice to aspiring artists hits any writers' block reluctance powerfully: do the art that you love everyday. We also happened to mention: The horror films of Dario Argento The sculptures & installations of Yayoi Kusama That Basquiat documentary “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” “The Dresden Files” The novels of Gabriel Garcia Marquez Follow Unknown Collective on IG: @_unknowncollective @marcellaispainting @inkcolor Subscribe to our Be Where How? Show channel: http://bit.ly/bewherehowshow​ More Be Where How? goodness — our Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Medium.com writing, Instagram, & higher consciousness apparel are here: https://linktr.ee/bewherehow​

Zevi Slavin is a Hasidic Jewish mystic and content creator of the channel “Seekers of Unity”. Zevi grew up in Australia, moved to LA when he was eighteen, then NY, and Cape Town, South Africa. Now living in Israel, Zevi is an ordained rabbi dedicated to teaching about the beauty of Judaism, philosophy, world mysticism, and all of their many benefits. Zevi explains the unique contributions of Jewish mysticism within the world's mystic traditions—as we discuss, they integrate the legalistic with the ecstatic like no other tradition. They encourage the deification of the human being, and they sound a lot like the Upanishads! The mystic is not separate from God—that line is blurred! Outside of God, nothing else exists. Lastly, Zevi walked us through some of his daily practices, and how every aspect of his day is full of intention. His book recs are: “The Perennial Philosophy” & “The Doors of Perception” by Aldous Huxley “The Unity of Mystical Traditions” by Randall Studstill “Nonduality” by David R. Loy Stay looped in with Zevi & Seekers of Unity on his channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCL9A83sJIYNAovCA92uaTRQ Subscribe to our Be Where How? Show channel: http://bit.ly/bewherehowshow

Marie Young is a body-based coach who helps clients reach their goals by connecting with their bodies and souls first. She has been studying yogic practices for over twenty years, and teaching for nearly ten. Marie empowers clients with grounding techniques and coaching tools so they can live their lives with purpose, passion, and focus. We discuss different meditation types, the body, and using physical sensations as a meditative technique. Different spiritual practices: how to find yours, or stick with one, or to listen to when to move on. Toning the vagus nerve (Cranial Nerve 10): the ventral and the dorsal. How scientific research validates a lot of what the 19th and 20th century Hindu swamis talked about. Guru stories. Shakti and Shiva as the Immanent and Transcendent. Chanting as a form of resilience, by amplifying the autonomic response. And then we end on one of Marie's guided meditation sessions. Her book recs are: “Accessing the Healing Power of the Vagus Nerve” by Stanley Rosenberg “Chakra Yoga” by Anadea Judith “Awakening Shakti” by Sally Kempton Sync up with Marie: https://mariebyoung.com Stay connected with us via email: https://bewherehow.com Subscribe to our channel: http://bit.ly/bewherehowshow Shoutout to Meditative Mind behind the sound & visual during our meditation: https://www.youtube.com/user/TheMeditativeMind

Marcelo Villaseñor is a visual artist based in Austin, Texas. He is originally from Monterrey Mexico. Marcelo works primarily with photography and design, with the intention to deconstruct life through creative and meditative processes. His creative brand is Visual Mantra, whose tagline is Mindful Art to Align Awareness. Marcelo led us through memory, intention and the deconstruction of concepts—in order to approach the essence. He reminded us to question everything. Marcelo deconstructs everything, even COVID. His book recommendations are: “Be Here Now” by Ram Dass “The Fifth Agreement” by don Miguel Ruiz “Altered Traits” by Daniel Goleman and Richard Davidson “Siddhartha” by Herman Hesse “Consciousness: An Introduction” by Susan Blackmore and Emily Troscianko “Conscious” by Annaka Harris ‘A New Earth” by Eckhart Tolle “How to Change Your Mind” by Michael Pollan “The Harvard Psychedelic Club” by Don Lattin “Waking Up” by Sam Harris “The Sophia Code” by Kaia Ra Follow Marcelo's work on Instagram https://instagram.com/visual.mantra.art and his site https://visualmantra.art. Stay connected with us via email: https://bewherehow.com

Dr. Aaron Conrado holds a Ph.D. in molecular biology from the University of Texas at Austin. While dedicating himself in graduate school to scientific progress for the betterment of others, he discovered a passion for communicating science to non-scientists, and decided to leave the halls of academia to pursue a career using this newfound talent to address societal problems by creating evidence-based policy solutions. Shortly after graduating, he left his home of Austin, TX and moved to Washington, DC to work on science policy in the Office of Science and Technology Policy in the Executive Office of the President (The White House). Aaron is an old friend of the boys, and despite his secular-minded academic background and professional career as a scientist, he has a refreshingly open outlook on the transcendental. He hasn't quite “jumped off the cliff”, but science does seem to be moving in closer proximity to spiritual ideals. As a science educator, Aaron's ask is that we stick to the data, and listen to each other more clearly. Dr. Conrado's book recs are: “The Mystic Christ” by Ethan Walker III “The Tao Te Ching” by Lao Tzu “Merchants of Doubt” by Erik M. Conway and Naomi Oreskes “The Collapse of Western Civilization” by Erik M. Conway and Naomi Oreskes “Meditations” by Marcus Aurelius “Ethics” by Baruch Spinoza Stay connected with us via email: https://bewherehow.com

Christian Parrish Takes the Gun, known professionally as Supaman is an Apsáalooke rapper and fancy dancer who was born in Seattle, Washington and grew up in Crow Agency, Montana. He dedicates his life to empowering and spreading a message of hope and faith through a unique fusion of traditional and modern culture. He is the recipient of the 2017 MTV VMA award for Best Fight Against the System. He is also a Nammy - Native American Music Award Winner, North American Indigenous Image Award, and seven Tunney Awards. We talked about Supaman's early years in hip hop, and what led him to incorporate more of his tribal identity into his creativity.. despite initial concerns by both his Christian pastors and tribal chiefs. He informed us about the state of emergency in regards to preserving the Apsáalooke culture, and how Standing Rock and other indigenous rights movements are emerging—creating glimpses of bright optimism out of the darker collective trauma still impacting contemporary reservation life. Supaman's book recommendations are: “Plenty-coups: Chief of the Crows” by Frank Bird Linderman “Two Leggings: The Making of a Crow Warrior” by Peter Nabokov The books of Deepak Chopra “God is Red: A Native View of Religion” by Vine Deloria Jr. “Wrestling with Jesus: A candid dialogue with the Master on what Christians must know about their religion—but will never hear in church” by D. K. Maylor Follow all of Supaman's latest work: https://www.supamanhiphop.net/ Stay connected with us via email: https://bewherehow.com Subscribe to our channel: http://bit.ly/bewherehowshow

Heather Feinberg has a B.A. in Anthropology, and an M.A. in Counseling and Human Services from The University of Colorado. Heather is the founder of Mindful Kids, a nonprofit organization that creates pioneering resources for social and emotional learning. Her work is featured in the children's magazine, “Root and Star” and her debut children's book, “Crying is like the Rain: A Story of Mindfulness and Feelings”, was published this year (Sep 2020) from Tilbury House. We have been inspired by Heather & her work all year as we are separately working to build an outreach curriculum teaching kids mindfulness & meditation. In this episode, Heather covers the importance of creating and facilitating from that same imaginative, intuitive quality possessed by the children she works with. We discuss the usefulness of nature imagery via her book title “Crying is Like the Rain” and how (slowly!) society is starting to shift towards embracing more contemplative qualities. Heather's book recommendations are: “Faith: Trusting Your Deepest Experience” by Sharon Salzberg “Dreaming Me: Black, Baptist, and Buddhist ― One Woman's Spiritual Journey” by Jan Willis “The Wisdom of Listening” Mark Brady The books of Mirabai Starr

There are so many misconceptions around spirituality, but especially “mysticism” or “mystic philosophy”. Many people tend to think “mystic” means “magic”, or that it's far beyond critical grounded scholarship. In this extended episode, Bob, Scott, and Melena go through Bob's new article “Debunking Mystic Philosophy”, providing a useful intro to mysticism: the symbolic string connecting the pearls of the worlds' faith traditions. We talk about how mysticism essentially means internal discovery; that the mystic is guided by the intuitive understanding; and that there is a rich spectrum of inclusive, accepting paths. Mysticism: A Study of the Nature and Development of Man's Spiritual Consciousness by Evelyn Underhill History of Mysticism: The Unchanging Testament by Swami Abhayananda

Jennifer Millar is a spiritual teacher, healer and interfaith minister who travels the globe facilitating a healing method called, “Cellular Transformation”. A native of Northern Ireland, living south of Austin, TX, Jennifer has been immersed in the field of trauma healing for over two decades, working with thousands of people from diverse cultural backgrounds. Her work is a blend of psychological and emotional enquiry combined with spiritual transformation that results in fundamental life shifts. Our co-host Ryan Padgett attributes his work with Jennifer to curing his ulcerative colitis—a brutal digestive disease that he had difficulty controlling on the physical level. Listen to Ryan's own powerful testimony in this episode, alongside our mystically-metaphysical discussion on the mechanics underneath ‘Cellular Transformation'. Jennifer's book recommendations are: “The World's Religions” by Huston Smith The books of Pema Chodron The books of Michael Meade Connect with Jennifer at https://www.jennifermillar.org

Jeremy Hoffeld is a painter, sketch artist, musician, and spiritual contemplative from New York. He studied art history at Columbia University, and wrote a thesis on Paleolithic cave paintings in France. Hoffeld did an apprenticeship in painting and drawing at the Art Students League of New York, having previously spent two years copying old masters at Boston's Fogg Art Museum and the Museum of Fine Arts. Nowadays he spends his time on the island of Maui, painting portraits of saints, activists, and other heroes. We were thrilled to hear his Ram Dass stories, as Jeremy was graced to be able to spend time with that monumental spiritual force in his later years. (Jeremy's brother plays music with Krishna Das.) Tropical birds serenaded our interview, as we covered social media, creativity, social action, and had a few laughs about his experiences with RD. Jeremy's book recommendations are: “Autobiography of a Yogi” by Paramahamsa Yogananda (1946) “The Artist's Way” by Julia Cameron (1992) See Jeremy's work on Instagram: www.instagram.com/jeremyhoffeld www.jeremyhoffeld.com

Jason Ivy is an award-winning singer, songwriter, music producer, film producer, and entrepreneur from the south side of Chicago. He has a bachelor's degree in cognitive neuroscience and linguistics from the University of Pennsylvania, a bachelor's in biology from the University of Chicago and an international relations bachelor's from the University of Cambridge. He's also worked with NASA, and he currently works for a startup teaching social emotional learning skills to kids. The guys took considerable inspiration from Jason's productive energy. Relevant to Be Where How?, his appreciation for Eastern mysticism helped him realize his personal philosophy of limitless-ness and ultimately how all humans can harness our creative potential. Jason's book recommendations are: The ancient “I Ching” “Christianity Before Christ” by John G. Jackson (1938) Keep up with Jason at https://www.instagram.com/thejasonivy/

Miroo Kim is a 15+ year tech professional who has worked at Apple, Microsoft and Facebook. She helped launch early iPhones and now works on Mobile Partnerships at FB, but most relevant to this philosophy show, she heads our Mindfulness club, along with Bob & Melena. We talk about the dynamics of compassion at work and why it's important to not over-hype mindful practices, despite an exhaustive list of benefits. Miroo's book recommendations are: “A Bigger Sky: Awakening a Fierce Feminine Buddhism” by Pamela Weiss “The Order of Time” by Carlo Rovelli "How We Work: Live Your Purpose, Reclaim Your Sanity, and Embrace the Daily Grind" by Leah Weiss PhD

Shane Renfro, the songwriter and frontman behind RF Shannon, joins the Be Where How? Show to chat about his writing process, and his seeming dissonance within the mainstream music business thanks in part to his creative philosophy. We discuss permaculture-ing the land, Jodorowsky's "Psychomagic", and how our ancestral connections can pervade our intuitive understanding. Listen to RF Shannon's three full length albums on Spotify. https://www.rfshannon.com

This week we talked to a real Renaissance Man — Santiago Rodriguez Tarditi has plenty of interests and they're all fascinating. We cover creativity, fake shamans, the legal cannabis industry, and conscious living. Santiago discusses his background in media production as well as what he's up to now: teaching meditation, reading tarot, living with his influencer girlfriend and helping to get trees planted in the Colombian rainforest. His new book "High On Design" comes out on Gestalten in September 2020. Follow him on Instagram at @rodrigueztarditi and get updates on his conscious media work and tree planting efforts at https://projectramarama.com

The Be Where How? Show has its first guest: Sara Bawany! Sara received her Master's in Clinical Social Work at the University of Texas, and she is currently a full-time social worker with FACE, which stands for Facing Abuse in Community Environments. She is also a published author who has released (w)holehearted, a book of poetry on being, brokenness, facades… from the description: “(w)holehearted seeks to encompass as many stories as possible, touching on several topics, namely, spirituality, feminism, colorism, domestic violence, intersectionality, mental health and more. it aims to depict that anyone with the darkest past and pitfalls can still save themselves from drowning in the difficulties that not only plague our world, but also plague our hearts.” How to help FACE and get involved: www.facetogether.org Sara is on Instagram: www.instagram.com/sara.bawany And you can find (w)holehearted at booksellers everywhere: https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/42038239

Diving into Paramahansa Yogananda's spiritual masterpiece, “Autobiography of a Yogi”: we echo his points on spiritual vessel-hood as a deliberate progression, and that contemplative practices are for all, not just sadhus in Himalayan caves. It's a book that touched Steve Jobs, George Harrison, and basically every spiritual person of the last seventy years, including the three of us. This year is the centennial of Yogananda's arrival in America (1920), and so as Americans entranced by Eastern philosophy and his life's work, we are completely indebted.

We cover a fairly comprehensive introduction to Buddhism — from who the Buddha was, how his psychological system plays so well in modern times, more on Zen, and a few basic FAQs on meditation.

The current racial and cultural climate in America is extremely inspiring, and the Be Where How? collective stands in solidarity with black liberation and equality for all communities of color in America. As three white men, we talk about how other white folks can best understand allyship and social action through a spiritual lens: namely through listening, amplification, and conscious evolution. Bob's Medium article, “How Spirituality Helps Allyship”: https://medium.com/@bewherehow/how-spirituality-helps-allyship-33e72e678443

In the "Death" episode, we talk about what we want done with our bodies—tree body urns are the clear winner—as well as reflecting on those we've lost, near-death experiences, and how world cultures deal with death. Do we just become dust, is it heaven vs. hell, or what about reincarnation? Sponsored by O'Hoolahan's Tree Urns (ohoolahans.com) Be Where How? is Bob Peck and pals: Scott Standley & Ryan Padgett bewherehow.com/podcast Music by Sleep Good open.spotify.com/artist/5Fon6tb20oHkqBcePzyJy3 Coffee is happiness ko-fi.com/bewherehow

The last of the three definitions episodes: “nondual” is all about One Only, not two. From Advaita Vedanta to A Course in Miracles to glimmers in other systems, we untangle the headiness of the illusion and how to live in it, despite its unreality. Be Where How? is Bob Peck and pals: Scott Standley & Ryan Padgett bewherehow.com/podcast Music by Sleep Good open.spotify.com/artist/5Fon6tb20oHkqBcePzyJy3 Coffee is happiness ko-fi.com/bewherehow

It was the Monday after Easter and we wanted to talk about Jesus—what we liked about our Christian upbringings, and why we're no longer churchgoers. Includes an intro to Bible scholarship, love for Bart Ehrman and the Gnostics. Be Where How? is Bob Peck and pals: Scott Standley & Ryan Padgett bewherehow.com/podcast Music by Sleep Good open.spotify.com/artist/5Fon6tb20oHkqBcePzyJy3 Coffee is happiness ko-fi.com/bewherehow

Part 2 of the definitions episodes: the “metaphysical” material is focused on concepts, teachers, and systems of thought beyond the physical. We reference Mark Gober's book "An End to Upside Down Thinking" constantly, and promise we're not crazy. Yogananda, Hermeticism and astrology get some shoutouts. Be Where How? is Bob Peck and pals: Scott Standley & Ryan Padgett bewherehow.com/podcast Music by Sleep Good open.spotify.com/artist/5Fon6tb20oHkqBcePzyJy3 Coffee is happiness ko-fi.com/bewherehow

We're three creatives in distinct yet overlapping disciplines, so we talk about our latest projects (including bit.ly/solidarityfilm), philosophies around creativity, and how to make things. Be Where How? is Bob Peck and pals: Scott Standley & Ryan Padgett bewherehow.com/podcast Music by Sleep Good open.spotify.com/artist/5Fon6tb20oHkqBcePzyJy3 Coffee is happiness ko-fi.com/bewherehow

This project works with three categories of content: mindful, metaphysical, and nondual — all of which have value in their own way. The “mindful” material is based on secular mind-training practices and systems derived from Buddhism and Ancient Greek thought, particularly Zen and Stoicism. Modern teachers are Jon Kabat-Zinn, Sharon Salzberg, and of course the legendary Thich Nhat Hanh. Be Where How? is Bob Peck and pals: Scott Standley & Ryan Padgett bewherehow.com/podcast Music by Sleep Good open.spotify.com/artist/5Fon6tb20oHkqBcePzyJy3 Coffee is happiness ko-fi.com/bewherehow