Podcasts about Lama Foundation

In this episode, we have the pleasure of speaking with Mirabai Starr, an acclaimed author, translator of sacred writings, and interspiritual teacher. Her insights blend timeless wisdom with a modern perspective, focusing on contemplative spirituality, the experience of grief, and the profound beauty found in everyday life.With two decades of experience in teaching philosophy and world religions, along with a lifetime of personal practice, Mirabai imparts her insights globally. She explores contemplative living, writing as a spiritual practice, and the profound impact of grief and loss on transformation.From her early years immersed in spirituality at the Lama Foundation, to her recent book, Ordinary Mysticism: Your Life as Sacred Ground, Mirabai shares her journey of finding the divine beyond religious structures.In our conversation, Mirabai invites us to leave the safety of our known spiritual world and encounter Love, the Beloved, the Divine, and Ultimate Reality in a new and less familiar way.To connect with Mirabai Starr:Visit her website: www.mirabaistarr.comCheck out her Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/mirabaistarr/Find her on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mirabai.starr.author/Order her latest book - Ordinary Mysticism: Your Life as Sacred GroundTo connect further with us:Visit our website: www.contemplativeoutreach.orgFind us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/contemplativeoutreachltd/Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/contemplativeoutreachCheck out our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/coutreachTo learn more about Father Thomas Keating's guidelines for service and principles visit www.contemplativeoutreach.org/vision. Stream and Download the Opening Minds, Opening Hearts Podcast NOW for FREE on Apple Podcast, Google, Amazon and Spotify!

Join Loch Kelly the creator of the mindful glimpses app here as he welcomes spiritual teacher and author Mirabai Starr about how grief is a portal to the sacred. They explore the mystics' poetic teachings on embracing both the transcendent and immanent - the ultimate reality and our embodied human experience. Wild Mercy by Mirabai Starr is about “living the fierce and tender wisdom of the women mystics.” Drawing on the feminine wisdom traditions and others, Loch and Mirabai Starr discuss how loss and the heart's longing can reveal our belonging to the "holy hush" where the fragrance of the sacred perfumes suffering with ultimate meaning. Loch also shares his own early awakening through the crisis of his father's death, emphasizing an integration of the absolute and relative, the personal and collective.[TIMECODE] The episode features Loch offering a guided practice called Knowing From HeartMind. These mindful glimpses serve as invaluable tools for experiencing ways to access the awake consciousness.You can now explore all of Loch Kelly's practices and teachings on the new Mindful Glimpses app, found at https://lochkelly.org/mindful-glimpses. This innovative meditation and wellness app offers daily micro-meditations, step-by-step programs, and simple-yet-advanced tools for awakening. Mirabai Starr BioMirabai Starr is an author, speaker and philosopher who lives for beauty, especially the beauty of language found in literary fiction and mystical poetry. Wild Mercy by Mirabai Starr has been called “essential reading for anyone ready to awaken the feminine mystic within.” Born to secular Jewish parents active in the counter-culture, she embraced an ecumenical spiritual path from an early age at communities like the Lama Foundation. Starr taught Philosophy and World Religions for 20 years, making connections between the perennial teachings at the heart of all spiritual traditions. Her work explores the transformational power of grief and loss, illuminated by her own profound experiences of loss. Starr speaks and teaches internationally on the wisdom of the mystics and contemplative practices. https://mirabaistarr.com/  Loch Kelly BioLoch Kelly is the creator of the Mindful Glimpses app, award winning author, psychotherapist, and nondual meditation teacher known for his unique practical methods that support awakening as the next natural stage of human development. Backed by modern neuroscience and psychology, Loch introduces Effortless Mindfulness, an ancient form of nondual meditation that allows immediate access to our embodied awake nature which arises as calm, clarity, and compassion. www.lochkelly.org Connect with Loch:Mobile App: https://lochkelly.org/mindful-glimpsesWebsite: https://lochkelly.org/Podcast: https://lochkelly.org/podcastDonate: https://lochkelly.org/donateThe Effortless Mindfulness Podcast is brought to you by our 501(c)(3) non-profit public charity. Our mission is to make learning how to tap into your inner resources simple, teachable, and accessible to everyone.

Notes: “I feel inside of myself something expanding when I sing," says Te. They've used song to metabolize experience for as long as they can remember... and as Te shares this song, we get to feel into their experience of trust. Alchemy could be a way of building gold out of fear; something beautiful is uncovered as Te sings and shares about learning to carry the complexity of song sharing loosely, relationship to each other and the earth, liberation... and the magic of a sigh. Songwriter Info: Te Martin is a song-keeper and ritual artist. They were born on Ramaytush Ohlone land in San Francisco and have been shaped by Ocean, Redwoods, circus arts, and theater games. They facilitate oral tradition singing classes and workshops that focus on song as a tool for collective liberation, somatic regulation, and ancestral connection. Te served as co-organizer of Thrive Street Choir in the San Francisco bay area for six years, is a student of Gaelic song, and released their first professional music video and EP of original songs, "Water & Bones," in 2021. ​Sharing Info: Yes -- The song is free to share in oral tradition groups, but please contact Te for recording and/or performing permission Links from the conversation:  The Lama Foundation: https://www.lamafoundation.org/ Pueblo Tiwa People Northern New Mexico: https://accessgenealogy.com/new-mexico/tiwa-pueblo-indians.htm Southern Pomo Coast Miwok:  https://alamedanativeart.com/post/alameda-native-history-project/coast-miwok-and-southern-pomo-map/ Songs of Mother Europe: https://weavingremembrance.org/songs-of-mother-europe-fall/ The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18144590-the-alchemist The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron: https://juliacameronlive.com/books-by-julia/ Alchemy process: https://aras.org/concordance/content/alchemical-process-and-its-stages Village Fire Singing Iowa: http://www.villagefiresinging.org/ Liz Rog: https://realsmalltowns.com/liz-rog-singing-as-breath-and-food/ Singing Alive Oregon: https://singingalive.org/ Melanie DeMore: https://melaniedemore.com/bio/ Lisa G. Littlebird: https://thebirdsings.com/ Finding Our Voice on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/findingourvoiceproject -- while Josh and Te's "Finding Our Voice" project didn't end up with lots of accessible recorded interviews, it built more community among songleaders and nurtured both Josh and Te. Laurence Cole: https://www.laurencecole.com/ Thrive Street Choir in San Francisco bay area: http://www.thriveeastbay.org/thrivestreetchoir Lyndsey Scott: https://www.lyndseyscott.earth Joanna Laws Landis: https://soundcloud.com/nextgenna/healing-through-grief-joanna-laws-landis Ysaye Barnwell: https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/a-serendipitous-life-ysaye-barnwell-and-the-healing-power-of-music/2015/05/01/718db920-e52e-11e4-905f-cc896d379a32_story.html "I'm Yours" by Tracy Chapman: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LdCazk77D4 "The Long Way Around" by The Chicks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5HKLteH9Mc Molly Hartwell & Laura Boswell - Wellspring album: https://wellspring.bandcamp.com/album/wellspring Put Your Roots Down: https://riseupandsing.org/songs/put-your-roots-down Put Your Roots Down on A Breath of Song: https://www.abreathofsong.com/episodes--show-notes/2-put-your-roots-down ​ Te's Links: ​EP, "Water & Bones": https://temartin.bandcamp.com/album/water-bones "May This Body Be a Bridge" Music Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3Mn_2BSNAg Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/temartin Mailing List: https://mailchi.mp/1debadd3ebb3/sos  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/te.martin/ Song Learning Time Stamps: Start time of teaching: 00:04:52 Start time of reprise: 01:00:19 ​​ Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, major, 3 layer ​Join the A Breath of Song mailing list to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me. Exchange energy with A Breath of Song with dollars at the Gratitude Jar (whoo-hoo!!!!), or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters!​

Notes: Kate wrote "Can I Stand Here For You" after watching an Oprah show about two injured women Iraq veterans. Juanita Wilson (who had lost her hand) saw Tammy Duckworth come in (she had lost one hand and both feet). Juanita had committed herself to “standing for” any injured female veteran. She asked Tammy "Can I stand here for you?" Then she washed Tammy's hair which still contained dust from Iraq. She used her one hand and asked an orderly to help her with his two hands. Tammy was comatose, in terrible pain and Juanita stood beside her bed for 5 days. Now Tammy is a tri-athlete and was Undersecretary of Veterans Affairs for President Barack Obama, the U.S. Representative for Illinois's 8th congressional district. And was then elected to the Senate from the State of Illinois. Knowing the backstory behind some songs makes the songs even richer. As I'm thinking about how we can work toward easing loneliness, this example of two women connecting, then Kate allowing herself to be touched by the story, gives an example... and gives me a way to remember how to make the offering of standing by someone. Don't miss the chance to sing with Melanie DeMore once you've learned the song -- she sings lower, which may give you a chance to experiment with the high harmony if you found it too high in this podcast -- or maybe the melody will feel super comfortable in Melanie's range? Keep finding what feels good in your voice! Songwriter Info: From Inverness CA, Kate Munger has devoted herself for over 40 years to creating non-hierarchical, collaborative models for spirited group singing, joyful community building, and deep fellowship through rounds and parts singing. Kate has written hundreds of singable, swinging, deep songs that remind us of our best inclinations and intentions, and are sung accompaniment to and medicine for our lives. She has loved returning home to Inverness after 9 singing trips to Bali, 6 to Thailand (and the Elephant Sanctuary where singing to and with Elephants was the highlight), and one each to Russia and Spain in the past three decades. Just as the Pandemic arrived, Kate returned from a month in New Zealand with 13 singers where they offered their sung prayers to the community of Christchurch as they remembered the devastating earthquake of 2011 and healed from the horrific shooting at the Muslim Mosque in March 2019. She deeply believes that singers are the best ambassadors of peace on our planet; we show our neighbors our best selves when we travel in their land and appreciate their people, their culture, and their tragedies and show that appreciation through our singing. In 2000 she founded the first of now 220 Threshold Choirs worldwide for choral singers who are called to sing at the bedsides of people who are dying, in a coma, newborns, children in hospital, and with folks who are grieving and who are incarcerated. In honoring its innovative mission, the Threshold Choir has re-imagined what true service can look like; healing the giver as it offers comfort, presence, and ease for the receiver. Now retired from running the business of the Threshold Choir, Kate lives, swims, works, and sings along the shores of Tomales Bay, for 16 years at the Lama Foundation in New Mexico and wherever she can. ​ Sharing Info: Please sing this with loved ones freely -- when sharing in a money-making venture, like a workshop, class, or performance, please contact Kate for permission and rates. Links: A beautiful recording by Melanie DeMore, highly recommended by Kate: https://youtu.be/iDMFt9d5NaM Threshold Choir: https://thresholdchoir.org/ Song Learning Time Stamps: Start time of teaching: 00:03:28 Start time of reprise: 00:15:52 ​ Nuts & Bolts: 4:4 major 3-part harmony ​Join the A Breath of Song mailing list to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me. Exchange energy with A Breath of Song with dollars at the Gratitude Jar (whoo-hoo!!!!), or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters!​

Author, musician, and astrologist, Ahad Cobb dissects his new memoir, Riding the Spirit Bus, with Raghu Markus.“The very fact of living in cooperative community on the earth together is itself a gift to many people in our culture.” – Ahad CobbThis time on mindrolling, Raghu Markus and Ahad Cobb discuss:Ahad Cobb's background with Ram DassMaharaj-ji's graceWriting Riding the Spirit BusThe Lama Foundation and becoming groundedCommunal livingWalking in the forest as meditationAbout Ahad Cobb: Ahad is the author, editor, and publisher of six books, including Image Nation and Early Lama Foundation. A musician and leader of Dances of Universal Peace, he has also served as a continuing member, officer, and trustee of the Lama Foundation. He studies and teaches Jyotish (Vedic astrology). He lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico.Check out Ahad's new memoir about spiritual awakening and Ram Dass, Riding the Spirit Bus, HERESee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Parvez and Omar are joined by Mona Haydar and Sebastian Robins to discuss their upcoming PBS Documentary, "The Great Muslim American Road Trip". About "The Great Muslim American Road Trip" Follow a millennial Muslim American couple on a cross-country journey along historic Route 66. As they meet new friends and explore more than a dozen stops, Mona and Sebastian weave a colorful story about what it means to be Muslim in America today. About Mona Haydar and Sebastian Robins Mona Haydar is a Syrian American Muslim born in Flint, Michigan. Her husband Sebastian Robins is an educator and convert to Islam. Both are passionate advocates for civil rights and inclusivity. In 2015, in the wake of extremist attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, the couple gained international attention for their "Talk to a Muslim" project — an impromptu stand they set up in Cambridge, Massachusetts to "replace trauma with love" by offering coffee, free donuts and flowers in exchange for questions and dialogue. An English major and a poet, Mona Haydar holds an M.A. in Christian Ethics from the Union Theological Seminary in New York. In 2016 she turned her talents to rap music. When her debut song "Wrap my Hijab" went viral, Billboard Magazine placed it among "The 20 Best Protest Songs of 2017" and named it one of the "Top 25 Feminist Anthems." Sebastian Robins has served as both coordinator and CEO of the Lama Foundation. He has also worked as an elementary school teacher, vice principal, and assistant professor. As an advocate for sustainable agriculture, he has helped establish and maintain farms across the country. Sebastian is Mona Haydar's music manager. Together, the couple have been featured on NPR, CNN, CBS, BBC, The New York Times, The Washington Post, People Magazine, BuzzFeed, HuffPost, Mic, Marie Claire, Glamour, Refinery 29 and other publications. Their work was showcased in a 2017 episode of the Peabody and Emmy-nominated short documentary series "The Secret Life of Muslims".    

My guest today is Don Hale. He was a West-Texas boy who headed to college on a music scholarship, majored in theatre, and later studied for his masters in inter-disciplinary technology.  After graduation, Don worked as a movie actor and launched several theatre companies in Los Angeles. He eventually moved back to Texas where he wrote, produced, and directed children's musicals and created a touring theater company.  He taught language arts, history, and theatre to middle-school and high school students for over 25 years – during which he took hundreds of students on pilgrimages to Assisi, Italy. He is currently a certified Academic Coach - his mission to help students co-create and reach their academic goals. He serves and has for over for over 20 years as the youth director for a church in Austin, Texas, where he guides the youth program, leads youth pilgrimages to the Lama Foundation in New Mexico, and oversees the Youth Rite of Passage program. He just returned from his own 500-mile Camino Santiago pilgrimage walk in Spain. Today, we'll be visiting with Don on topics he's very passionate about, including rites of passage, pilgrimages, and the hero/shero journey. Hang tight, y'all - this will be cool – I promise.Show Notes:Contact: Message Don: If you are a parent, teacher or young person, and would like to explore academic coaching, feel free to contact Don at donhale@academicalchemy.org or visit his website, Academic Alchemy.Visit Us at littlebigvoices.comMessage Mark at mark@littlebigvoices.comFollow Little Big Voices on Facebook and Instagram - thank you! Support the Little Big Voices Community!References:Rites of PassageCamino de Santiago Pilgrimage WalkThe Hero's JourneyAdult Rites of Passage:Woman WithinThe Mankind Project ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Cindy Vuu is the CEO of an 8000 employees company Biti's, it's a national heritage footwear brand in Vietnam. The brand is so well-known there that nearly all Vietnamese have likely worn Biti's shoes at some point in their lives. Cindy also is known for driving the successful comeback of the company amidst the fierce foreign brand competition. Much of this comeback is attributed to the marketing campaign of the Biti's Hunter line in 2017. By collaborating with massive Vietnamese musical artist and promoting a message seeped in mindfulness and connection, the initiative transformed the brand back up to its current top spot as Vietnam's #1 footwear company. Cindy is passionate about shoes. She also loves to contribute & create a happy, loving, compassionate, and green community. In this episode, Cindy talks about meeting the basic necessities in life to build the foundation of happiness, her interaction with His Holiness the Dalai Lama, travel tips to Vietnam, her grieving process after the death of her husband, Sitting on Emptiness, and much much more. Please enjoy! Please visit https://nishantgarg.me/podcasts for more info. Follow Nishant: Friday Newsletter: https://garnishant-91f4a.gr8.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nishant-garg-b7a20339/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Nishant82638150 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NishantMindfulnessMatters/

In this episode, Laura tells the story of RICHARD ALPERT aka RAM DASS,  a spiritual teacher, author, and psychologist whose work and teachings continue to inspire people to study and adopt the practices of Eastern Philosophy into their lives, as it relates to self-awareness, meditation, and mindfulness.  Born: April 6, 1931, Boston, MA; Died: Dec. 22, 2019, Maui, HI.  Selected Resources: The Acid Test by Tom Shroder Ram Dass Bibliography / Book TimeLine Love, Serve, Remember Foundation Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) Center for Psychedelic & Consciousness Research - John Hopkins University Ram Dass, Going Home, Netflix 2018 Transcendental Meditation Episode Sources: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ram_Dass (2020.08.18)  Alpert, Dr. Richard. Be Here Now. San Cristobal, New Mexico, Lama Foundation, 1971.  Ram Dass, aka Richard Alpert, Psychedelic Pioneer and Spiritual Teacher, Author of "Be Here Now" Dies at Age 88 by Roger Friedman - 2019.12.23 2:25 am Ram Dass, Beloved Spiritual Teacher, Has Died by Joan Duncan Oliver -2019.12.22 Baba Ram Dass, Proponent of LSD Turned New Age Guru, Dies at 88  by Douglas Marin - 2020.12.23 The Strange Case of the Harvard Drug Scandal by Andrew T. Weil  - 1963.11.05 The Harvard Psychedelic Club: How Timothy Leary, Ram Dass, Huston Smith, and Andrew Weil Killed the Fifties and Ushered in a New Age for America by Dan Lattin - 2010.05.01  

Tseten Samdup Chhoekyapa, Vice President of the Gaden Phodrang Foundation of the Dalai Lama, joins Charity Talks. The Dalai Lama created his foundation to promote his Tibetan Buddhism-based views on human values, mutual understanding among religions, peace, and the protection of the environment, as well as helping to preserve the unique Tibetan culture. As you will hear, Tseten, as the former personal representative of His Holiness, and the first in his family to be born in exile from Tibet, has a great perspective on the Foundation's work, as well as more generally on kindness, giving and how to live a meaningful life. (0:28). Website:  https://www.dalailamafoundation.org                 https://www.dalailama.com                 https://www.mindandlife.org                 https://compassion.emory.edu/see-learning/index.html

Show Notes In 1982 Pat Johnson and family moved to the Lama Foundation in New Mexico and there two months later she met Fr. Thomas Keating. She served then as the Lama liaison for two 16-day centering prayer (CP) retreats that he led at Lama in 1983 and again in 1984. These were the first intensive contemplative practice retreats in the Christian tradition using CP and inspired by Zen shessins he'd experienced.In 1984 she served an experimental 9-week retreat Fr. Keating led at St. Benedict’s Monastery in Snowmass, CO where he was a monk. This began the Snowmass CP retreats at the monastery. From 1984 until 2018, Pat served and oversaw these retreats. She has also served as a Board member of Contemplative Outreach Ltd. and was its overall interim administrator for several years. Pat Discussed- Contemplation as stillness – “the still point”- Impetus for starting retreats – Lama Foundation history- Two guiding principles: need determines function, we are not separate- Importance of deep listening - First 10 years at St. Benedict’s Snowmass – the “earthy” years, farmhouse living- Construction of a modern retreat center with hermitages - Ongoing monthly 10-day silent intensive retreats (with and without teaching)- Role of silence on retreat- Minimizing ideation on retreat - the story of Bob her husband- The value of doing nothing- Expression of authentic fruits – “amazing magic happens”- Developing intimacy with others and lifetime bonds- Who was Thomas Keating? Pat’s recollections and personal testimony- Generosity, vulnerability, self-protection, and The Good- Message for difficult times “we are not separate”References Mentioned Contemplative Outreach of Colorado Open Mind, Open Heart, Thomas Keating, the practice of centering prayerContemplative Outreach Ltd.St. Benedict’s Monastery Retreat House St. Benedict’s Snowmass SlideshowLama FoundationAll Things Contemplative Blog

Fr. Bill dives deep into the practice of Centering Prayer right from the first question in this episode. Jim McElroy, my guest on episode 19, mentioned Fr. Bill Sheehan as a frequent retreat leader in the 12-Step Contemplative Outreach community, and he suggested inviting Bill to be a guest. This was sage advice! Fr. Bill is a priest and a member of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate (O.M.I.), and has a Masters Degree in Formative Spirituality from Duquesne University. He has ministered to clergy as Director of Ministry to Priests, and he has broad experience in pastoral ministry as a pastor and in marriage counseling. Fr. Sheehan was present at the very first Centering Prayer retreat offered by Thomas Keating at the Lama Foundation in 1983. Since that time he has led many Centering Prayer workshops and retreats in different parts of the country.

Fr. Bill dives deep into the practice of Centering Prayer right from the first question in this episode. Jim McElroy, my guest on episode 19, mentioned Fr. Bill Sheehan as a frequent retreat leader in the 12-Step Contemplative Outreach community, and he suggested inviting Bill to be a guest. This was sage advice! Fr. Bill is a priest and a member of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate (O.M.I.), and has a Masters Degree in Formative Spirituality from Duquesne University. He has ministered to clergy as Director of Ministry to Priests, and he has broad experience in pastoral ministry as a pastor and in marriage counseling. Fr. Sheehan was present at the very first Centering Prayer retreat offered by Thomas Keating at the Lama Foundation in 1983. Since that time he has led many Centering Prayer workshops and retreats in different parts of the country.

Mollie Curry is a ‘true Earth’ person. In addition to being a wilderness ranger, communitarian, permaculturist, home herbalist, and gardener, she is a natural builder who aims to help the planet and its people come to greater balance. Through her work, Mollie fosters more profound connections with herself, society, the Earth, and spirit. She was first involved in the art of natural building in the mid-90s when she moved to the Earthhaven Ecovillage in North Carolina.   After years of honing her skills and working as a ranger for the Forest Service, Mollie met her husband, Steve Kemble, at the Lama Foundation, a spiritual community in New Mexico. They eventually moved to Asheville, NC. where she combined her business, Earth Circle Natural Building, with her husband’s to create MudStrawLove, an organization dedicated to training people in natural building techniques.   In today’s episode, Mollie and I discuss how health and diet can affect relationships. We discuss what caused her addiction to sugar and what made her decide to choose a healthier diet. We discuss the cycle of shame that came with her sugar addiction and how that shame affected her relationship with her husband. We also discuss the psychological aspects of eating habits and why distressed couples eat unhealthy food. “There are so many ways of being fed. If you feel an emotional eating impulse, you can go outside and take ten deep breaths. That’s a way of being fed as well.” - Mollie Curry   This week on Relationships! Let’s Talk About It:   The factors that caused Mollie’s addiction to sugar How physical health affects psychological health The shame cycle of sugar addiction How self-deprecation impacts relationships Mollie’s turning point towards a healthier lifestyle How emotional and social factors influence eating habits Why couples in distressed relationships eat unhealthily How emotional distress can impact the immune system The power of appreciation in relationships How our environment affects the way we eat How cooking can be a chance for emotional connection and bonding   Connect with Mollie Curry:   MudStrawLove Mollie Curry on Instagram Email:molliehat@hotmail.com   Let’s Talk About It!   Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Relationships! Let’s Talk About It - the show to help you forge deeper, more meaningful connections and relationships with those around you. If you enjoyed this week’s episode, please head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show, and leave us a rating and review.    If you have a relationship question you’d love to have answered, visit our podcast page to leave us a voice message. Your question may be featured on a future episode!   Don’t forget to visit our website, like us on Facebook at HeartShare Counseling, join our Relationships! Let’s Talk About It Facebook group, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram. Share your favorite episodes on social media to help others build better, more meaningful relationships.   And if our content has helped you forge deeper connections and more meaningful relationships, be sure to help support the show by visiting our Support the Podcast page!   Theme music “These Streets” provided by Adi the Monk   Relationships! Let’s Talk About It is produced by Auxbus. You can create your own great podcast - faster and easier - at Auxbus.com  

Mirabai Starr is a Professor of Philosophy and World Religions at the University of New Mexico-Taos and a best-selling spiritual author known particularly for contemporary translations of sacred literature. As a teenager, she lived at the Lama Foundation, an intentional spiritual community in New Mexico, USA. It was at Lama that Mirabai encountered many of the leading teachers and timeless wisdom of diverse spiritual paths: Hindu; Buddhist; Sufi; Jewish; Christian, and Native American and was especially influenced by Ram Dass, Reb Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, and the teachings of Murshid Samuel Lewis. Mirabai lives in the mountains of Northern New Mexico with her husband, Jeff Little. Between them, Mirabai and Jeff have four grown daughters and many grandchildren. Mirabai’s youngest daughter, Jenny, was killed in a car accident in 2001 at the age of fourteen. On that same day, Mirabai’s first book, a translation of Dark Night of the Soul, was released. She considers this experience, and the connection between profound loss and longing for God to be the ground of her own spiritual life. Now a certified bereavement counselor, Mirabai helps other mourners harness the transformational power of loss. Her latest book, Wild Mercy, explores the wisdom of well-known and less-known feminine mystics from the past millennia, exploring what wisdom they have for us today in this time of spiritual and ecological upheaval. 

Mirabai Starr – Wild MercyAired Thursday, 11 July 2019, 9:00 AM EST / 6:00 AM PSTDo you dare wild mercy? Journey with voice master Kara Johnstad and author Mirabai Starr through the wild landscapes of the fierce and tender wisdom of the women mystics to glean insights of compassion. Discover connections between the perennial teachings found at the heart of all the world’s spiritual paths and their application in justice and peace work.About Mirabai Starr:Mirabai speaks and teaches nationally and internationally on the teachings of the mystics and contemplative practice, and the transformational power of grief and loss. Mirabai’s youngest daughter, Jenny, was killed in a car accident in 2001 at the age of fourteen. On that same day, Mirabai’s first book, a translation of Dark Night of the Soul, was released. She considers this experience, and the connection between profound loss and longing for God, the ground of her own spiritual life.Testimonial:“Ever since I met her when she was a teenager at the Lama Foundation, Mirabai Starr has been absorbed in the teachings of the great mystic saints, especially the women. Like her namesake, the poet-saint Mirabai, she brings to her work an intense love of God and a passion for the Beloved. My Guru said, ‘Love is the best medicine.’ Mirabai will help open up your heart to love.” – Ram Dass

Lama has a long-standing connection with Chado, or the Way of Tea. In this podcast we dive in to this rich relationship. Thanks to Siddiq and Sakina von Briesen, Asha Greer, Lesley McLean, Joe Cates, Habib Chisti, and all the residents of Lama Foundation for contributing to and supporting this podcast.

This shorter podcast is a must listen for anyone who is wondering what in the world a Lama Foundation is. And for those who already know, check out this sweet conversation with Roberta Sharples, current resident and Treasurer for the foundation. Plus a special guest appearance by our now-five-year-old, Keira. Note: since we recorded this podcast, our new total for donations is $26,290, given by 77 generous people around the world. Consider being one of the 33 to bring us to 100, or beyond!https://chuffed.org/project/lamaconnect

To hear more of this album and to purchase: https://lamafoundation.bandcamp.com/releases The Mountains Hint at Our Beauty was created and given to Lama Foundation. Released May 21, 2018 Produced by Jenny Bird: www.jennybird.com Recorded, mixed, & mastered by Omar Rane: www.tonepalace.com 
Contributing artists: Daniel Ladinsky, Mirabai Starr, Jenny Bird (guitar, tanpura & vocals), William Allaudin Mathieu (piano), Habib (sitar, vocals), Mona Haydar, Christine Carter Kahane, Joseph McPherson (flute) Cover design by Dan F. Kuehn: frankdan.com and Duirwaigh Studios: duirwaigh.com Booklet design and layout: Tracy Cates 
Moved forward with the great heart of Nancy Owen Barton: nancyowenbartonlit.com

Asha Greer, one of the founders of Lama Foundation, tells us about community, the start of Lama, and the importance of living with others.

Welcome to Voices from the Mountain, a new podcast from Lama Foundation, featuring readings, poetry, teachings, stories, and music from people inspired by the magic of the mountain.

On this new moon in Cancer, my Soul Crush is spiritual teacher and author Mirabai Starr. We explore shame, the voice, being "too much" and "not enough", the marriage of contemplative work and social activism as well as how to keep showing up, even amidst our own pain and suffering. It was an honor and a joy to connect with Mirabai and I have a feeling you will LOVE her deep wisdom and years of devotion to the path of transformation through loss, writing and honoring the Divine Feminine. Find her on her website and Facebook and join her for a retreat or online course, you will receive so much Grace, I'm sure.    Mirabai Starr is the author of the long-anticipated memoir, CARAVAN OF NO DESPAIR: A Memoir of Loss and Transformation. In her critically acclaimed new translations of the mystics and reflections on the unifying teachings at the heart of all spiritual paths, Mirabai uses fresh, lyrical language to help make timeless wisdom accessible to a contemporary circle of seekers. In 1972, Mirabai’s mother, father, and her younger brother and sister uprooted from their suburban life and embarked on an extended road trip that led them through the jungles of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, where they lived for many months on an isolated Caribbean beach, and ended in the mountains of Taos, New Mexico.  There, the family embraced an alternative, “back-to-the-land” lifestyle, in a communal effort to live simply and sustainably, values that remain important to Mirabai to this day. As a teenager, Mirabai lived at the Lama Foundation, an intentional spiritual community that has honored all the world’s faith traditions since its inception in 1967.  This ecumenical experience became formative in the universal quality that has infused Mirabai’s work ever since. Mirabai was an adjunct professor of Philosophy and World Religions at the University of New Mexico-Taos for 20 years.  Her emphasis has always been on making connections between the perennial teachings found at the heart of all the world’s spiritual paths, in an effort to promote peace and justice. Mirabai speaks and teaches nationally and internationally on the teachings of the mystics and contemplative practice, and the transformational power of grief and loss. She is available for interviews, speaking engagements, workshops and contemplative retreats. She lives in the mountains of Northern New Mexico with her husband, Jeff Little (Ganga Das). Between them, Mirabai and Jeff have four grown daughters and six grandchildren. Mirabai’s youngest daughter, Jenny, was killed in a car accident in 2001 at the age of fourteen. On that same day, Mirabai’s first book, a translation of Dark Night of the Soul, was released. She considers this experience, and the connection between profound loss and longing for God, the ground of her own spiritual life.

"I'm rather obsessed with the mystics of all traditions," enthuses Mirabai Starr, as she muses on the profound relationship between silence and stillness and passionate/ecstatic mystical love. In a rich conversation that touches on the beauty of the high desert of the American Southwest, the earthy/embodied passion of the spirituality of wilderness, and the uniquely subversive wisdom of the feminine mystics, Mirabai deepens and expands our ongoing conversation on silence by inviting us into a place where the spirituality of stillness meets, and embraces, the erotic spirituality of ecstasy, joy, and love. Most of the mystics, even though they're these extravagant love poets, who are overflowing with passion, they all also are grounded in this sense of stillness. And they cultivate that stillness. — Mirabai Starr Mirabai Starr is an author, translator, retreat leader, and leader in the contemplative interspiritual community. Born into a secular Jewish family, Mirabai describes herself as a "daughter of the counter-culture," having spent part of her childhood at the Lama Foundation (an intentional spiritual community, famous as the home of Ram Dass). As an adult, she translated several of the Christian mystics, including John of the Cross, Teresa of Ávila, and Julian of Norwich, into accessible and acclaimed contemporary English. So all the mystics of all traditions, that I know and love anyway, speak to the transformational power of not knowing. I think that's intimately connected with silence. There's a higher truth that is only present, it seems, when we let all of the concepts go, and allow ourselves to know nothing. It's a vulnerable state, it's a state of spiritual nakedness, it's not for the faint of heart. — Mirabai Starr More recently she has written books that celebrate her spirituality (God of Love) and that recount her own challenging and at times heartbreaking life story (Caravan of No Despair).  A popular teacher both in person and online, Mirabai's wisdom is anchored in her own deeply embodied spirituality, drawing on the insight of all the great spiritual traditions and particular on her intuitive celebration of the Divine Feminine. The devotional impulse leads me into the presence of the Sacred, and then I am left with this kind of hush, that I drop into, and then that feeds back in again to that devotional impulse, because following those periods of deep stillness that just wash over my soul, I have that joyous urge to praise. So it's this ever-flowing dance between devotion and nonduality, or between celebration and stillness. — Mirabai Starr Some of the resources and authors we mention in this episode: Mirabai Starr, Caravan of No Despair: A Memoir of Loss and Transformation Mirabai Starr, God of Love: A Guide to the Heart of Christianity, Judaism and Islam Mirabai Starr, Saint Teresa of Ávila: Passionate Mystic John of the Cross, Dark Night of the Soul, translated by Mirabai Starr Teresa of Ávila, Interior Castle, translated by Mirabai Starr Teresa of Ávila, The Book of My Life, translated by Mirabai Starr Julian of Norwich, The Showings, translated by Mirabai Starr John of the Cross, The Poems of St. John of the Cross, translated by Willis Barnstone Mirabai, Ecstatic Poems, translated by Robert Bly and Jane Hirshfield Ram Dass, Be Here Now John of the Cross, Living Flame of Love Geoffrey Chaucer, Canterbury Tales Daniel Ladinsky, The Gift: Poems by Hafiz Daniel Ladinsky, The Purity of Desire: 100 Poems of Rumi Thomas Keating, Invitation to Love Pablo Neruda, Extravagaria, translated by Alistair Reed Marie Howe, The Kingdom of Ordinary Time Thomas Merton, Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander Plotinus, The Enneads Denise Levertov,

"I'm rather obsessed with the mystics of all traditions," enthuses Mirabai Starr, as she muses on the profound relationship between silence and stillness and passionate/ecstatic mystical love. In a rich conversation that touches on the beauty of the high desert of the American Southwest, the earthy/embodied passion of the spirituality of wilderness, and the uniquely subversive wisdom of the feminine mystics, Mirabai deepens and expands our ongoing conversation on silence by inviting us into a place where the spirituality of stillness meets, and embraces, the erotic spirituality of ecstasy, joy, and love. Most of the mystics, even though they're these extravagant love poets, who are overflowing with passion, they all also are grounded in this sense of stillness. And they cultivate that stillness. — Mirabai Starr Mirabai Starr is an author, translator, retreat leader, and leader in the contemplative interspiritual community. Born into a secular Jewish family, Mirabai describes herself as a "daughter of the counter-culture," having spent part of her childhood at the Lama Foundation (an intentional spiritual community, famous as the home of Ram Dass). As an adult, she translated several of the Christian mystics, including John of the Cross, Teresa of Ávila, and Julian of Norwich, into accessible and acclaimed contemporary English. So all the mystics of all traditions, that I know and love anyway, speak to the transformational power of not knowing. I think that's intimately connected with silence. There's a higher truth that is only present, it seems, when we let all of the concepts go, and allow ourselves to know nothing. It's a vulnerable state, it's a state of spiritual nakedness, it's not for the faint of heart. — Mirabai Starr More recently she has written books that celebrate her spirituality (God of Love) and that recount her own challenging and at times heartbreaking life story (Caravan of No Despair).  A popular teacher both in person and online, Mirabai's wisdom is anchored in her own deeply embodied spirituality, drawing on the insight of all the great spiritual traditions and particular on her intuitive celebration of the Divine Feminine. The devotional impulse leads me into the presence of the Sacred, and then I am left with this kind of hush, that I drop into, and then that feeds back in again to that devotional impulse, because following those periods of deep stillness that just wash over my soul, I have that joyous urge to praise. So it's this ever-flowing dance between devotion and nonduality, or between celebration and stillness. — Mirabai Starr Some of the resources and authors we mention in this episode: Mirabai Starr, Caravan of No Despair: A Memoir of Loss and Transformation Mirabai Starr, God of Love: A Guide to the Heart of Christianity, Judaism and Islam Mirabai Starr, Saint Teresa of Ávila: Passionate Mystic John of the Cross, Dark Night of the Soul, translated by Mirabai Starr Teresa of Ávila, Interior Castle, translated by Mirabai Starr Teresa of Ávila, The Book of My Life, translated by Mirabai Starr Julian of Norwich, The Showings, translated by Mirabai Starr John of the Cross, The Poems of St. John of the Cross, translated by Willis Barnstone Mirabai, Ecstatic Poems, translated by Robert Bly and Jane Hirshfield Ram Dass, Be Here Now John of the Cross, Living Flame of Love Geoffrey Chaucer, Canterbury Tales Daniel Ladinsky, The Gift: Poems by Hafiz Daniel Ladinsky, The Purity of Desire: 100 Poems of Rumi Thomas Keating, Invitation to Love Pablo Neruda, Extravagaria, translated by Alistair Reed Marie Howe, The Kingdom of Ordinary Time Thomas Merton, Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander Plotinus, The Enneads Denise Levertov, The Collected Poems How, how can we step up and offer ourselves in service, to help in some way to alleviate some suffering in this world, unless we have taken that suffering into the cells of our own b...

SUBSCRIBE: WWW.EARTHREPAIRRADIO.COM In this episode we talk with the renowned itinerant Permaculturist Rico Zook. Rico has spent most of the last 14 year traveling in India teaching farmers about Permaculture, as well as designing and installing ecological systems. Rico has a unique perspective on India as an outsider who has worn a path through nearly every corner of the vast nation, and deeply observed the ways of life from the Permaculture perspective. Rico is gearing up for his substantial role in the upcoming International Permaculture Conference and Convergence that is happening in late November 2017, which he discusses in the interview. If you've ever wondered about India and how a foreigner works responsibly in a different culture to bring about positive social and ecological change, then listen to the wise words here of Rico Zook. Rico's links: International Permaculture Conference: ipcindia2017.org Itinerant Permaculture:http://i-permaculture.org/ Permaculture Design International: www.permacultureintl.com Darjeeling Prerna Permaculture Design Course: http://www.darjeelingprerna.org/programmes_Permaculture_Design_Certification_Course.php Rico Zook in Cambodia Video: https://vimeo.com/3760052 Rico Zook in India Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=miraywnpgjI Rico Zook Full Biography: With over 19 years of permaculture work in different climates and cultures, Rico has established himself as one of the new leaders and innovators in Permaculture worldwide. This is further supported by his work with global Permaculture organizations organizing the International Permaculture Convergence. Rico Zook is a Permaculture designer, consultant and educator. He works with private individuals, farmers, villagers and local organizations to create environmentally and culturally appropriate life systems in India, Cambodia, northern New Mexico, and places in between. Rico also works to assist local and indigenous cultures to preserve traditional knowledge and technologies while adapting to and becoming active members of our rapidly globalizing world. In addition to academic and professional credentials, Rico has spent more than 35 years living in nature, including long-term residencies in California’s Yosemite National Park, the demanding Sangria de Cristo Mountains of Northern New Mexico, and as a homesteader in Northern California wilderness. For more than a decade as Land Manager for the Lama Foundation, a spiritual community and retreat center North of Taos, NM, Mr. Zook designed and transformed the rugged, cold, semiarid high-altitude site that had been decimated by wildfire into one of beauty and productivity. Using Permaculture practices and a lifetime of observation and interpretation of the natural world and how to create human harmony with it, he has built a visible and successful Permaculture demonstration and teaching site. It is a model of design integrating the needs, resources and yields of community and nature in proactive and abundant ways with respectful and restorative impacts on the environment. Rico is a founding member of Permaculture Design International (PDI), a design and build collaborative working with high-end, large scale global clients and projects. Besides holding degrees in Environmental Studies, Biology and Philosophy, Rico is a founding member of Permaculture Design International (PDI), an international design and implementation collaborative working with high-end, large scale global clients and projects.

Mona Haydar is a poet, activist practitioner of Permaculture, meditator, composting devotee, mountain girl, solar power lover and a tireless God-enthusiast. She practices a life of sacred activism, poetry, contemplation and advocacy for living gently upon the Earth. She teaches classes and retreats on mindfulness and Islamic spirituality, leads workshops on creative writing and performs her poetry. Her words have found homes in the hearts of seekers, wanderers, poets, artists, lovers and stewards of the Earth. She grew up in Flint, Michigan, graduated from the University of Michigan and has since lived in Damascus where she studied Arabic and Islamic spirituality then went on to live in the mountains of Northern New Mexico at Lama Foundation and in the Redwood forest of Northern California with her husband and son. Mona and her husband, Sebastian set up a stand in Cambridge, Massachusetts with signs that read 'Talk to a Muslim' 'free coffee and donuts' 'free conversation' and 'Ask a Muslim' encouraging open and loving dialogue which garnered the attention of NPR, Al Jazeera, The Boston Globe among other media outlets. Currently she is working on her second collection of poems and her first work of nonfiction on Islamic Spirituality through the lens of other spiritual traditions. She is working towards her Masters in Divinity. Mona helps to grow a more universal love with her activism, writing, performing and teaching. www.monahaydar.com     Episode Outline:   Experiences and Expression – Mona and I discuss her relationship to spirituality and religion as a child, experiencing God in nature and the depth, stillness and interconnectedness that flourished as a result, poetry as an expression of God, pulling ourselves back from the world of form and the God of “busy-ness” and more.   Islam – Mona elaborates on my very nursery school understanding of what the word Islam means, discussing the peace and surrender aspects of it and how the universe has no problem intervening in our lives in order to make us surrender.   The “G” Word – Mona and I discuss who “the one God” is according to the Muslim faith?   Peace Be Upon Him – Mona explains the role of the prophet Muhammad in the Muslim faith.   Donuts Anyone? – Mona shares about the “Ask a Muslim” stand she and her husband Sebastian set up in Cambridge, MA, which offers free donuts and coffee to people, as well as a conversation about being Muslim.   A Tiny Bit More – Mona shares about the power of reaching out to ones neighbor, regardless of their religion or lack thereof and sharing more love in the world.

If you've ever gone through dark times of despair, a lack of hope, or even incredible desperation, then do we have the illuminating show for you. Today we'll be talking with Mirabai Starr, best-selling author, poet, teacher, translator of many mystic greats, including Saint John of the Cross's Dark night of the soul, and the author of one of the most touching memoirs I have ever read, Caravan of No Despair. Today we'll be talking about transformation, making it through the dark times, and what a Dark Night of the Soul really means. That plus celebrate the life of Jenny, Mirabai's daughter who left her too young, but who's spirit more than carries on, plus talk about Ram Dass, Dog Angels, the cloud game, monkeyshines, and why you want to be careful of what they put in the fruit punch! Questions and Topics Include: What happened to her brother Mattey at age 7. How her family set out on a Caravan on No Despair – written about by the poet Rumi. How six months living on Mexico coast (Yucatan Peninsula) and how it changed her life. How travel opens the doors to your imagination What growing up in Taos was like during the peak of the counter-culture What in the world was put in the fruit punch, and how did it affect Mirabai's life. How her first love Phillip passed away as her life was in turmoil. How Mirabai was drawn to the Lama Foundation, an intentional spiritual community up in the mountains where Ram Dass wrote Be Here Now. How she was given her name Mirabai (former name Paula Starr) How heartbreak is one of the most direct paths to “suchness” or a place of spiritual nakedness How she adopted two very difficult children, two mixed-race children who had been abused What happened to her daughter Jenny In dark moments how do we keep from ‘torturing' ourselves? Who are Mirabai's ‘dog angels' How the first copy of her book, a translation of ‘Dark Night of the Soul' arrived just before news of her daughter's death. How Caravan of No Despair came out exactly to the day 14 years after Jenny's passing away. How writing saved Mirabai's life and how writing can help you through your darkest nights. What's the key message of transformation from The Caravan of No Despair What she was told after visiting India nine years after Jenny's passing. Last words of wisdom to help anyone through their own darkest moments. Guided Meditation Led by Mirabai Starr Mirabai Starr Shows You How You Can Overcome Life's Toughest Moments as She Shares Her Own Journey Through Multiple Tragedies and Then To Brighter Times. You'll Feel Inspired, Uplifted, And Motivated! Inspiration | Spirituality | Health | Self-Help For More Info Visit: www.InspireNationShow.com  

Theme: The Call to the Practice of Prayer As a teenager, Mirabai Starr lived at the Lama Foundation, a spiritual community that has honored all the world's faith traditions since 1967. There, she encountered Hindu, Buddhist, Sufi, Native American, and many other prayer traditions. This ecumenical grounding blossomed into teaching world religions, translating mystics like Teresa of Avila and John of the Cross, and her latest book God of Love: A Guide to the Heart of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. We have a juicy conversation about her experiences with prayer, what she learned from praying in so many traditions, why Shabbat is essential, and how the SBNR (spiritual but not religious) can pray and pray with joy.

Fr. Thomas Keating was a founding member and the spiritual guide of Contemplative Outreach, LTD. He served on Contemplative Outreach's Board of Trustees since the organization's beginning. Fr. Keating was one of the principal architects and teachers of the Christian contemplative prayer movement and, in many ways, Contemplative Outreach is a manifestation of his longtime desire to contribute to the recovery of the contemplative dimension of Christianity. Fr. Keating's interest in contemplative prayer began during his freshman year at Yale University in 1940 when he became aware of the Church's history and of the writings of Christian mystics. Prompted by these studies and time spent in prayer and meditation, he experienced a profound realization that, on a spiritual level, the Scriptures call people to a personal relationship with God. Fr. Keating took this call to heart. He transferred to Fordham University in New York and, while waiting to be drafted for service in World War II, he received a deferment to enter seminary. Shortly after graduating from an accelerated program at Fordham, Fr. Keating entered an austere monastic community of the Trappist Order in Valley Falls, Rhode Island in January of 1944, at the age of 20. He was ordained a priest in June of 1949. In March of 1950 the monastery in Valley Falls burned down and, as a result, the community moved to Spencer, Massachusetts. Shortly after the move, Fr. Keating became ill with a lung condition and was put into isolation in the city hospital of Worcester, Massachusetts for nine weeks. After returning to the monastery, he stayed in the infirmary for two years. Fr. Keating was sent to Snowmass, Colorado in April of 1958 to help start a new monastic community called St. Benedict's. He remained in Snowmass until 1961, when he was elected abbot of St. Joseph's in Spencer, prompting his move back to Massachusetts. He served as abbot of St. Joseph's for twenty years until he retired in 1981 and returned to Snowmass, where he resided until his death on October 25, 2018. During Fr. Keating's term as abbot at St. Joseph's and in response to the reforms of Vatican II, he invited teachers from the East to the monastery. As a result of this exposure to Eastern spiritual traditions, Fr. Keating and several of the monks at St. Joseph's were led to develop the modern form of Christian contemplative prayer called Centering Prayer. Fr. Keating was a central figure in the initiation of the Centering Prayer movement. He offered Centering Prayer workshops and retreats to clergy and laypeople and authored articles and books on the method and fruits of Centering Prayer. In 1983, he presented a two-week intensive Centering Prayer retreat at the Lama Foundation in San Cristabol, New Mexico, which proved to be a watershed event. Many of the people prominent in the Centering Prayer movement today attended this retreat. Contemplative Outreach was created in 1984 to support the growing spiritual network of Centering Prayer practitioners. Fr. Keating became the community's president in 1985, a position he held until 1999. Fr. Keating was an internationally renowned theologian and an accomplished author. He traveled the world to speak with laypeople and communities about contemplative Christian practices and the psychology of the spiritual journey, which is the subject of his Spiritual Journey video and DVD series. Since the reforms of Vatican II, Fr. Keating was a core participant in and supporter of interreligious dialogue. He helped found the Snowmass Interreligious Conference, which had its first meeting in the fall of 1983 and continues to meet each spring. Fr. Keating also was a president of the Temple of Understanding and of the Monastic Interreligious Dialogue. Perhaps the biggest testament to Fr. Keating's dedication to reviving Christian contemplative practices was his choice to live a busy, public life instead of the quiet,