Podcasts about Naropa University

Send us Fan MailThis week we're sitting down with Bari Tessler, a Financial Therapist and a pioneer in the Financial Therapy field. She has a Masters degree in Somatic Psychology from Naropa University, 1998. She then ran a bookkeeping business for therapists and artists. In 2001, she merged all her training and created a somatic-based Financial Therapy methodology that she has been teaching for 24 years. She is also the founder of The Art of Money, a financial therapy program and a Mentor Program for therapists, coaches and financial professionals.Bari breaks down why 90% of our money decisions are based on emotions, not logic, and what to actually do about it. She shares her signature Body Check-In tool, why couples fight about money even when everything else is great, and how to start having real money conversations with your partner without it turning into World War III at the kitchen table.Bari's reminder is that the way you were raised to think about money shapes every financial decision you make today. Join us for next week's Money Talks, we're digging into money stories, emotional patterns around spending and saving, and how to rewrite the ones that aren't working for you. Click here to register for FREE and bring your questions!  Follow & connect with Bari Tessler:WebsiteInstagram LinkedIn Facebook Want to take this conversation one step further? Join us for our next Money Talks, a free 30 minute live session where we'll dig into a question we hear all the time from women business owners: Budgeting for Businesses to Offer Benefits. Click here to register for FREE and bring your questions! Follow & connect with us!Website Facebook PageFacebook groupInstagramTikTokLinkedInYouTubeReddit ResourcesHave questions? Click this to check out our expert Q&A for tips from industry experts, tailored to help women address their most common financial concerns. Subscribe to our newsletter to receive financial tips delivered weekly here!...

Send us Fan MailFleet Maull inspires Fairfax, Virginia, criminal defense lawyer Jonathan Katz for his extensive experience applying mindfulness with highly challenging situations, making the most of his fourteen years in prison for a drug conviction, and emerging from prison continuing to help inmates and by now helping so many people beyond those in the criminal justice system, with resilience while ready for the dangers that can lurk around the corner. (Check out this month's free online Somatic Healing Summit, where Fleet will be talking.)When Jon Katz first met Fleet over ten years ago at a weekend program that Fleet was leading, Fleet included a great exercise that underlined that we can treat circumstances as neutral, which does not mean the absence of plenty of terrible world events, but that "we, not circumstances, are in charge of our lives and destiny." Radical Responsibliity, by Fleet Maull. Fleet also is great leading guided meditation, which he does early in this podcast episode with a few-minute sit. Fleet was trained in-depth in mindfulness at Naropa Institute (which became Naropa University) before getting convicted for alleged drug trafficking that apparently had taken place a good amount of time before being prosecuted. Fleet spent fourteen years in federal prison. No matter how much of a chunk of his adult life that represented, at least he avoided the even more draconian federal statutory criminal sentencing increases that took hold not long after he got convicted. Fleet does not candycoat his prison experience. He points out the racial disparities in the criminal "justice" system, his coming to terms that the people he was imprisoned with would be his "brothers and sisters" while there, six run-ins that could have taken an awful turn (and many more minor run-ins), the importance of not being passive nor too aggressive in prison, and knowing that people could walk in through an inmate's unlocked cell door and even kill them. Fleet made the best of his prison situation. Helped other inmates along the way, and emerged from prison -- whether immediately or later -- a ball of positive energy and inspiration. This Beat the Prosecution interview with Fleet Maull is riveting. This episode is also available on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fi33kl8qIFQ and Apple Podcasts. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/winning-with-resilience-while-ready-for-danger-fleet-maull/id1721413675?i=1000772153117This podcast with Fairfax, Virginia criminal / DUI lawyer Jon Katz is playable on all devices at podcast.BeatTheProsecution.com. For more information, visit https://KatzJustice.com or contact us at info@KatzJustice.com, 703-383-1100 (calling), or 571-406-7268 (text).  If you like what you hear on our Beat the Prosecution podcast, please take a moment to post a review at our Apple podcasts page (with stars only, or else also with a comment) at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/beat-the-prosecution/id1721413675

WORT 89.9FM Madison · The Line Between Recreation and Medication is Finer than You Think Today Professor Nicholas Powers joins Ali Muldrow in a conversation about his new book, Black Psychedelic Revolution. Psychedelics such as LSD and ketamine are beginning to gain popularity as increasing evidence supports promising treatments of psychological conditions, trauma, and changing one's autobiographical narrative. They also heard from callers who shared transformational personal experiences while using psychedelics. What is the difference between recreation and medication? Powers suggests that the line may be finer than you think. The idea is that recreational activities like art, poetry, or even psychedelic drugs can be healing. Powers also noted that the most safe way to have a psychological experience is in a controlled and safe environment with a guide. If a person is in a state of trauma or depression, the chemicals from these drugs might lead to a further inability to cope once the trip is over, and that is when these drugs can become addictive. However, Powers emphasized that it's the prior state of trauma that creates the addiction rather than the drug itself. Powers said that the way these psychedelic drugs work is by inhibiting the ego, which leads to questioning core beliefs and the stories you were told about your life. This is why after a psychedelic trip, people often change their previously held beliefs. It is also why people tend to change their beliefs the most during college. During the transition period between being reliant on your parents and becoming an independent adult, young people question the stories that they were told. Powers encourages this kind of discussion in his college classrooms and asks his students to try to find the truth in their experiences. Additionally, there is a surge in the glamorization of drugs and removing the stigma associated with them. Drugs such as ritalin or adderall are given to children at younger ages reducing the stigma for using drugs to treat mental health, but there is still a sense that they are necessary. Powers says there is a delicate balance between maintaining a healthy skepticism about the medical industry without denying its benefits entirely. He encourages people to always think about who is profiting, whether from criminalizing marijuana or giving ritalin to four year olds. The discussion ended with the positive experiences that can come from having a controlled psychedelic experience. Some examples included helping alcohol addiction, understanding the core reasons why a marriage ended, finding peace and answers within the counterculture of the 1960s, and becoming a more compassionate person.  Nicholas Powers is an Associate Professor of English at SUNY Old Westbury. Powers has presented talks and reports from the Psychedelic Renaissance since 2017. He has written for numerous psychedelic publications from Lucid News to Double Blind. Alongside published articles, he has given talks at Naropa University and Chacruna. Powers has published three books with Upset Press. The first is a book of poetry, the second a mix of reportage from disaster zones, protests, and Burning Man. The third is a political vampire novel. He regularly attends Wild Seeds Writers Retreat and Cave Canem Black poetry workshops. Powers lives in Brooklyn with his son. Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate hereThe post The Line Between Recreation and Medication is Finer than You Think appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Anantanand Rambachan is an eminent scholar of religion, currently Emeritus Professor of Religion at Saint Olaf College in Minnesota. He has also served as Visiting Professor at the Academy for the Study of World Religions at the University of Hamburg, in Germany, and as the Keating-Schachter World Wisdom Teacher-in-Residence at Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado. His scholarly interests include Advaita Vedānta, Hindu ethics, liberation theology, and interreligious dialogue. He has contributed to broadcasts, conferences, and publications too numerous to mention, and has been engaged in interreligious dialogue for more than 45 years, as a Hindu contributor and analyst (often the only Hindu contributor). Notably, he delivered the invocation address when the White House first celebrated the festival of Diwali in 2003, and he is now Co-President of Religions for Peace, the world's largest global interfaith network. He has also found time to write books. They include: Accomplishing the Accomplished: The Vedas as a Source of Valid Knowledge in Saṅkara; The Limits of Scripture: Vivekananda's Reinterpretation of the Authority of the Vedas; The Advaita Worldview: God, World and Humanity; A Hindu Theology of Liberation: Not-Two is Not One; and his latest, which we talk about in this conversation, The Way of the Sant: Virtues for All Humanity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For decades globally renowned spiritual teacher Elias Amidon has been keenly interested in the possibility of awakening to our most enlightened nature.This fascination has led him to live a deeply engaged life. Serving as Spiritual Director (Pir) of the Sufi Way,Working for many years in peace and environmental activism,Helping to cofound several schools including the Boulder Institute for Nature and the Human Spirit, and the graduate program in Environmental Leadership at Naropa University.And authoring a wide array of books that often invite reflection and inquiry into the very nature of reality. Today we'll explore some of his greatest insights into what it is that connects us all. A subject which he reflects on often,Writing the following in his book, Love's Drum: Sufi Views, Practices: "Whatever we call it, this-that-does-not-perish is what connects us with everything - each other, the trees, the mountains, the sky, the stars, and all beings who have ever appeared. We remain the unique beings we are, but we recognize we're not alone in our beingness, we are with the entirety. I think of this withness as love.” Elias's work invites us all to open to the possibility of awakening and experiencing the beauty all around us,As we make our way home, to Love. A journey of return that he calls our birthright. To learn more about Elias, his retreats, courses, books, and other offerings please visit sufiway.org.Did you find this episode inspiring? Here are other conversations from our mini-series on Love:On the Possibility of Meeting Hate with Love | Dr. Barbara TintOn Awakening, Belonging, and Love | Henry ShukmanOn Love, Storytelling, and Radical Curiosity | Baktash AhadiOn the Power of Love | Stephen G. PostEnjoying the show? Please rate it wherever you listen to your podcasts!Thanks for listening!Support the show

In this episode of the DAV podcast, host Matt Saintsing sits down with Dr. Amelia Hall, a scholar and faculty advisor for the student veterans' group at Naropa University, to explore a transformative, holistic approach to veteran care. Rather than treating veterans from the premise that they are "broken," Dr. Hall highlights how specialized spiritual, therapeutic, and psychedelic-assisted care gives individuals the tools to heal, reclaim agency, and rewrite their own narratives. She discusses how patients—particularly military veterans process complex trauma, PTSD, and moral injury—can weave mystical or expansive experiences into their specific faith backgrounds or secular practices to foster lasting psychological change. Ultimately, the conversation underscores the value of moving away from internalized pain toward a profound shift in self-identity rooted in inherent goodness, offering listeners a clearer perspective on the breakthrough benefits of specialized mind-body medicine.

On the nuances of grief and loss, personal rituals, and our willingness to be transformed.  0:00 — Introduction and Guest Introduction 3:04 — Marissa's Personal Story and Grief Journey 7:38 — Building a Grief Plan 13:24 — Understanding Trauma and Its Impact 17:27 — Boundaries and Self-Care 22:52 — The Role of Prayer and Rituals 28:22 — Memorializing Losses and Rituals 32:18 — Connecting with Nature and Finding Support 37:46 — Conclusion and Final Thoughts Merissa Nathan Gerson is the author of Forget Prayers, Bring Cake: A Single Woman's Guide to Grieving, and her writing appears in Modern Love for the New York Times, The Atlantic, Playboy, Tablet, CNN.com and beyond. Merissa trained in Shambhala Shamatha meditation, graduated with an MFA in Writing and Poetics from Naropa University, is a certified Sivananda yoga teacher, and holds an MA in Jewish Studies with a focus on inherited trauma as well as sex and gender from the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California. She was the Inherited Trauma consultant to Amazon's Transparent and is the daughter and granddaughter of war refugees. She is currently training to be a rabbi. Forget Prayers, Bring Cake: A Single Woman's Guide to Grieving came out in 2021 from Mandala Press for Simon & Schuster. This book is a companion for these times. As McArthur Genius Kiese Laymon describes: "Merissa Gerson has created a neon treatise on the art and necessity of grieving."

Roxi Power continues the conversation with poet Elizabeth Robinson about Vulnerability Index, her 2026 poetry book focusing on her work with the unhoused population of Boulder, Colorado. Robinson's poems illuminate the both the heroism and the casualty cruelty of the social services world. She brings an artful attention, for which she is known, to characters whom she humanizes and brings to life through multiple poetic genres, including an intake form sung by a homeless woman that Robinson sings on our show. Elizabeth Robinson is the author of over 20 books, including Vulnerability Index, published in 2026 by Curbstone Books of Northwestern University Press. Her poetry has earned the National Poetry Series for Pure Descent and the Fence Modern Poets Prize for Apprehend, among other recognitions. Robinson has taught at the University of San Francisco, Naropa University, and the Iowa Writers' Workshop.She is currently a senior pastor at Orinda Community Church in the Bay Area and teaches at Lighthouse Writers' Workshop. Robinson lives with her husband, poet Randy Prunty.https://www.elizabethrobinsonpoetry.com/https://nupress.northwestern.edu/9780810149205/vulnerability-index/

What does it really take to break free from addiction and what if plants held more answers than we've been told? And what if those same plants could also help us face the one thing we fear even more than our addictions — death? In this episode, I sit down with herbalist and natural medicine legend Brigitte Mars to talk about the natural way of healing from addiction, the healing power of plant medicine, and why your lawn might be more of a pharmacy than you think. Brigitte Mars is someone I deeply admire for her decades of lived experience with plants, healing, and service. She has spent over 60 years working with herbal medicine, authored 18 books, and serves as both a psychedelic sitter and end-of-life doula. What You'll Learn in This Episode Why your lawn could be your salad bowl Herbs and oils that support addiction recovery How psychedelic-assisted therapy is changing lives Plant medicine as soul retrieval and heart opening What it means to be an end-of-life doula and how plant medicine fits into that sacred work Memorable Quotes: "We need to stop being a just say no culture and become a just say how culture." "Millions of people using something for thousands of years means a lot more to me than a two-year rat study." "Rather than feeling hopeless, we can all do something — maybe you're growing plants on the balcony, that's a good start." Buy Brigitte's books: Addiction-Free Naturally Natural Remedies for Mental and Emotional Health Dandelion Medicine Nettle Power Other books: https://www.brigittemars.com/books Links & Resources: Never wonder "what plant is that?" again. Brigitte's iPlant app puts plant identification right in your pocket. Whether you're out on a hike or exploring your backyard, you'll have a trusted herbal guide with you wherever you go. Download iPlant on iOS. Want more herbal wisdom from Brigitte? Stay in the loop with the latest news, tips, and updates straight from Brigitte herself. Sign up for her newsletter here. Brigitte's courses will inspire every corner of your life. Join Sacred Self Care, Herbal Kitchen Wizardry, and Hip Homemaker — plus get the HempNut Cookbook eBook when you sign up. Explore the courses here. Want to learn wild herbs at your own pace? Join a growing community of plant lovers discovering the healing world of wild herbs. The Wild Herb Academy Membership gives you the tools, guidance, and inspiration to get started today. Claim your 14-day trial for just $1. About the guest, Brigitte Mars: Brigitte Mars is an Herbalist author of 18 books on Natural medicine and professor at Naropa University. She is a psychedelic sitter and End-Of-Life Doula and has been working with herbal medicine for over 60 years. She has written the book Natural Remedies for Mental and Emotional Health and Addiction Free Naturally. She is currently working on her 19th book. About the host, April Punsalan: April is a botanist, ethnobotanist, herbalist, and the founder of Wild Herb Academy, dedicated to teaching the healing world of plants. Rate, review, and subscribe: Bring the wisdom of wild plants with you. Listen to Wild Herbs with April on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. If you loved this episode, please leave us a review and most importantly, share it with someone who is walking through addiction, loss, or simply searching for a deeper connection to the Earth and to themselves.

Send us Fan MailWendy Woo will be coming back to the Peak to Peak area when she performs at Oskar Blues Grill and Brew on Friday, May 22, 2026. In anticipation of next month's performance, we're bringing back her segment from November 2025!Wendy Woo is a performer rooted sturdily in Colorado. Originally from New York, the acoustic singer-songwriter moved to Boulder with her parents as a kid, going back and forth between Boulder and Nederland.Both of her parents, Bataan and Jane Faigao, served as founding faculty members at Naropa University and co-founded what has since developed into the school's Traditional Eastern Arts program. She's performed seriously in Colorado since the 1990s, and she currently lives in Loveland with her family.  Support the showThank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below.If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact:Barbara Hardt, our editor-in-chief, at info@themountainear.comTyler Hickman, podcast host, at tyler@themountainear.comJamie Lammers, podcast host, at media@themountainear.comGeneral inquiries: frontdesk@themountainear.comHead to our website for all of the latest news. Subscribe online and use the coupon code PODCAST for a 10% discount for all new subscribers. Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website.Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.earListen and watch on YouTube today.Share this podcast by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout.Thank you for listening!

"Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey and special guest Suzzanne PonomarenkoJoin host ,Joanne Carey in a colorful and enagaging conversation with choreographer, Suzzanne Ponomarenko as they explore Suzzanne's dance journey, the creative process for Suzzanne's upcoming performance at Baryshnikov Arts, and the deep connection between music, culture, and movement. Discover how Suzzanne's diverse influences shape her innovative choreography and the significance of cultural storytelling through danceSuzzanne Ponomarenko: Choreographer, Artistic Director, Performer, and Educator based in Queens, NYC.Suzzanne's choreographic practice is grounded in movement invention as a means of generating new physical vocabularies translated into abstract storytelling. They treat the body as both archive and catalyst—capable of recalling lineage while attempting to disrupt and dismantle and aims to challenge normative structures embedded in Concert Dance while reimagining the role of technique as a site for critical inquiry rather than conformity. The pinnacle of Suzzanne's practice is transporting artistic material through a feminist queer lens.Suzzanne completed a BFA in Dance from Marymount Manhattan College and attended Naropa University for Transpersonal Psychology. As a performer, has most notably worked with Richard Move, Yvonne Rainer, Buglisi Dance Theatre, The Stanley Love Performance Group, and served as rehearsal director for touring company, Catapult Entertainment.Suzzanne's choreographic work has been recently commissioned by Pioneer Go East Collective's 2026 OUT-Front! Festival at Judson Memorial Church, Baryshnikov Arts Center Spring 2026 Season, Marymount Manhattan College, and Arts On Site. Currently, I am apart of Pioneer Go East Artistic Collective's Mentorship Cohort (2025-26), was a 2025 Resident Artist at Baryshnikov Arts Center. Suzanne serves on the selection committees of The NY Bessie's Dance and Performance Awards and The Clive Barnes Foundation.More about Suzzannehttps://suzzanneponomarenkodance.org/Tapestries is an evening-length dance theatre piece told through the curious narrative of the Unicorn Tapestries (1495–1505) and a queer reimagining of Ukrainian folklore.Tickets for the Performance April 23 & 24https://ci.ovationtix.com/31295/production/1260395“Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey "Where the Dance World Connects, the Conversations Inspire, and Where We Are Keeping Them Real."⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://dancetalkwithjoannecarey.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Please leave us a Review.Please help support the podcast:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://gofund.me/e561b42ac⁠⁠⁠⁠

We are delighted to host Benjamin Phelan on this episode of the ⁠mangu.tv⁠ podcast series. Benjamin Phelan is state-licensed in psychedelic-assisted therapy and has been in practice for the past twelve years, working with people from all walks of life. In addition to studies in psychology at Oberlin College, the University of Colorado and Naropa University, he has travelled extensively throughout Asia and South America studying non-Western approaches to mental health and spirituality. His approach combines transpersonal and depth psychology with Eastern and indigenous philosophies. He served as a writer for the documentary “Neurons to Nirvana: Understanding Psychedelic Medicines” and created the content for the AyaGuide personal development app.Benjamin speaks about his upbringing in Boulder, Colorado, at a time of the Beat poets, Nixon administration and the growing use of psychedelics for cultural change. He shares his first experience with psychedelics and speaks about how it opened up the language of non-human things. He talks about his rediscovery of psychedelics later in life, and how it led him to leave the corporate world and devote his life fully to the exploration of consciousness. Giancarlo and Ben discuss the ego and the soul. They talk about the value of therapy and guidance with psychedelics. Ben shares the importance of a daily practice to give a ‘leg up' to the richness of the interior world. He speaks about scientists' ability to measure enhanced brain states, found during meditation, prayer and altered states.

Melissa Moore Ph.D. is the steward of North American Karuna training since 2014, and co-founded Karuna Europe in 1996. Melissa has her MA in Contemplative Psychotherapy from Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado, and her Ph.D. in Psychological Anthropology from the California Institute of Integral Studies.Melissa has been a student of Vajrayana Buddhism and Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche since 1979. She was the founding Director of the Felton Institute for Research and Training in San Francisco (2006–2016). She has been involved in community-based research for the most marginalized populations in California, trained front-line providers in mental health in evidence-based practices, and then researched the outcomes.Melissa is the Executive Director of Karuna Training and a lead faculty. She has taught Karuna Training in nine countries and in four states in the U.S. She lives in Denver with her dog and husband.Melissa recently published The Diamonds Within Us: Uncovering Brilliant Sanity Through Contemplative Psychology; find out more about the bookhere: https://thediamondswithinus.orgTo learn more about Melissa and about Karuna Training, visithttps://karunatraining.com

In the first of two interviews, Roxi Power talks with poet Elizabeth Robinson about Vulnerability Index, her 2026 poetry book charting her work with the unhoused population of Boulder, Colorado. Through multiple hybrid forms––confessions, parables, lists, and narratives that refuse resolution––Robinson's collaged fragments rearrange what Joan Retallack has called our “geometries of attention”upon the fractured lives of those members of society who often go unattended. The fascinating and beautiful characters Robinson helps and befriends become our friends too as we journey with her through the “casual cruelty” of the social services world with its impossible intake forms and hurdles to both heroic and tragicoutcomes.Elizabeth Robinson is the author of over 20 books, including, most recently Vulnerability Index, published in 2026by Curbstone Books of Northwestern University Press. Her poetry has earned the National Poetry Series for Pure Descent and the Fence Modern Poets Prize for Apprehend, among other recognitions. Robinson has taught at the University of San Francisco, Naropa University, and the Iowa Writers' Workshop.She is currently a senior pastor at Orinda Community Church in the Bay Area and teaches at Lighthouse Writers' Workshop. Robinson lives with her husband, poet Randy Prunty.https://www.elizabethrobinsonpoetry.com/abouthttps://nupress.northwestern.edu/9780810149205/vulnerability-index/

  Paul Krauss, MA LPC's conversation with Marcia Bonato Warren MA, MA LPC centers on her somatic, cross-cultural approach to understanding identity, belonging, and the body, as developed in her work on Embodied Code-Switching® and her new book on multicultural identity and somatic healing. They explore how culture, ancestry, and trauma live in the nervous system, how the body can become a "cultural home," and how movement, sensation, and body-based awareness help people who navigate multiple cultural worlds reclaim agency and coherence in their sense of self. Throughout the discussion, Marcia weaves her personal story and clinical lens with reflections on social justice, intergenerational trauma, and the role of contemplative, somatic practice in healing within and across communities. Marcia Bonato Warren, MA, MA LPC (she/her) is a trauma-informed Somatic Counselor/Body Psychotherapist, interculturalist, and author with more than 30 years of cross-cultural experience spanning somatic counseling and education, international educational exchange, Native American policy and advocacy, minority business development, and community-based social justice work. She holds a Master of Arts in Somatic Counseling/Body Psychotherapy from Naropa University, where she now serves as adjunct faculty and guest lecturer in the Buddhist-Informed Contemplative Counseling and Somatic Counseling graduate programs, and she maintains a private practice providing counseling, clinical supervision, training, and consultation in culturally responsive, body-based approaches to trauma, identity, and belonging. Her published work includes her foundational chapter on Embodied Code-Switching® and co-authored scholarly writing on the body as cultural home, and her recent book extends this somatic, culture-centered lens to clinicians and communities seeking liberatory, embodied ways to heal across differences. Get involved with the National Violence Prevention Hotline: 501(c)(3) Donate Share with your network Write your congressperson Sign our Petition Preview an Online Video Course for the Parents of Young Adults (Parenting Issues) Unique and low cost learning opportunities through Shion Consulting Paul Krauss MA LPC is a Cofounder of Health for Life Counseling Grand Rapids, home of The Trauma-Informed Counseling Center of Grand Rapids. Paul is also a Private Practice Psychotherapist, an Approved EMDRIA Consultant , host of the Intentional Clinician podcast, Behavioral Health Consultant, Clinical Trainer, Counseling Supervisor, and Meditation Teacher. Paul is now offering consulting for a few individuals and organizations. Paul is the creator of the National Violence Prevention Hotline as well as the Intentional Clinician Training Program for Counselors. Paul has been quoted in the Washington Post, NBC News, Wired Magazine, and Counseling Today. Questions? Call the office at 616-200-4433.  If you are looking for EMDRIA consulting groups, Paul Krauss MA LPC is now hosting a weekly online group.  For details, click here. For general behavioral and mental health consulting for you or your organization. Follow Health for Life Counseling- Grand Rapids: Instagram   |   Facebook     |     Youtube Original Music: ”Alright” from the album Mystic by PAWL (Spotify) ”Champion” from the album Radiate Like This by Warpaint (Spotify)  

Daphne Fatter, PhD, is a licensed psychologist, author, and international speaker known for her work integrating EMDR and Internal Family Systems therapy. She wrote Integrating EMDR and Internal Family Systems Therapy 3and has over 20 years of EMDR experience.Daphne has completed more than 460 hours of IFS training, including work with IFS founder Dr. Richard Schwartz, and also practices ancestral healing.She earned her master's from Naropa University and her doctorate from Penn State, then completed a postdoctoral fellowship at The Trauma Center under Dr. Bessel van der Kolk.Daphne previously served as Military Sexual Trauma Coordinator at the Fort Worth VA, has published on trauma and IFS, and now teaches clinicians worldwide while maintaining a private practice in Dallas.In This EpisodeDaphne's websiteDaphne's trainingsBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-trauma-therapist--5739761/support.You can learn more about what I do here:The Trauma Therapist Newsletter: celebrates the people and voices in the mental health profession. And it's free! Check it out here: https://bit.ly/4jGBeSa———If you'd like to support The Trauma Therapist Podcast and the work I do you can do that here with a monthly donation of $5, $7, or $10: Donate to The Trauma Therapist Podcast.Click here to join my email list and receive podcast updates and other news.Thank you to our Sponsors:Jane App - use code GUY1MO at https://jane.appArizona Trauma Institute at https://aztrauma.org/

In this episode, Dr. Ji Hyang Padma—Associate Professor in Naropa University's Master of Divinity program, Soto Zen teacher, and longtime interfaith chaplain—explores the art and profession of spiritual care .Drawing on more than twenty-five years of Zen training, including fourteen years in monastic practice, she shares what it means to serve as a “spiritual friend,” accompanying people through illness, grief, and life's most vulnerable transitions—and how contemplative practice helps us meet suffering with spaciousness rather than trying to fix it. She shares insights from her work across university chaplaincies and contemplative education, describing how spiritual care supports meaning-making across cultures and beliefs, why presence itself can be healing, and how grounding in one's own practice enables compassionate connection with others. She illustrates how professional spiritual care can be a profound relational practice—one that helps us face impermanence, open the heart, and discover wholeness within the realities of being human.Special Guest: Ji Hyang Padma.

There are conversations that stretch you a little. And then there are conversations that gently but firmly rearrange the furniture in your mind. This week, I sat down with Keith Kurlander and Will Van Derveer—co-founders of the Integrative Psychiatry Institute—to talk about something that's generating a lot of curiosity and, let's be honest, some anxiety: psychedelic-assisted therapy. Before you brace yourself, this isn't a hype session. It's a thoughtful, grounded conversation about trauma, the nervous system, and what happens when traditional therapy isn't enough to reach the deepest layers of pain we carry. We explored how trauma shapes our personalities, how it imprints on the body, and why insight alone often doesn't create lasting change. As someone who cares deeply about the Enneagram and recovery, I found this especially compelling. So much of our personality structure is built around adaptation—strategies that once kept us safe but now quietly run the show. Keith and Will explain how psychedelic-assisted therapy, when done legally and in carefully structured clinical settings, may help people access and heal places that feel otherwise unreachable. We also talk about the risks, the ethics, and the importance of discernment. This isn't about chasing peak experiences. It's about healing what's unfinished. If you've ever felt stuck in patterns that insight alone couldn't untangle… if you've wondered whether deeper healing is possible… this conversation might open a door.           LEARN MORE ABOUT WILL AND KEITH WILL VAN DERVEER, MD, is a leader in the adoption of integrative psychiatry practices to treat mental health issues. He is cofounder of the Integrative Psychiatry Institute and Integrative Psychiatry Centers and cohost of The Higher Practice Podcast for Optimal Mental Health. He has published research on MDMA-assisted psychotherapy. Dr. Van Derveer has published research on MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD [1] and written book chapters in the fields of ketamine-assisted psychotherapy and other clinical applications of psychedelic compounds. His passion is finding effective relief from psychological suffering using a vast array of the most natural approaches possible. In addition to traditional medical training, He is a meditation instructor and has trained in shamanism, EMDR, somatic experiencing, internal family systems, cognitive behavioral therapy, and hypnosis. KEITH KURLANDER, MA, LPC, is cofounder of the Integrative Psychiatry Institute and Integrative Psychiatry Centers and cohost of The Higher Practice Podcast for Optimal Mental Health. He graduated Naropa University in 2005 with a master's degree in Transpersonal Counseling Psychology, and he has practiced integrative psychotherapy and coaching with individuals, couples and groups for over 15 years. Keith's work as a coach focuses on celebrities, influencers, entrepreneurs, and CEOs who want to make huge changes in their lives, overcome long-standing patterns, and achieve greater levels of fulfillment. Keith specializes in helping individuals achieve optimal mental health and peak potential.   Social Links & Website (for promotional use) Website - Keith Kurlander, MA, LPC Instagram (Keith) | Instagram (Will)LinkedIn (Keith) | LinkedIn (Will) Psychedelic Therapy: A Revolutionary Approach to Restoring Your Mental Health and Reclaiming Your Life (Shambhala; March 31, 2026),   

A Strong Heart with Compassion with Michael J. Shea Michael J. Shea, PhD, holds a doctorate in somatic psychology from the Union Institute and a master's degree in Buddhist Psychology from Naropa University. He has taught at the Upledger Institute, the Santa Barbara Graduate Institute, and the International University for Professional Studies. He is a craniosacral therapist, licensed massage therapist, and educator with the Shea Educational Group that is a center for the study of the human heart. He is author of Somatic Psychology and Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy – Volumes 1 through 5; Myofasical Release Therapy: A Visual Guide to Clinical Application; Myofascial Release Therapy and Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy: The Heart of the Practice; The Biodynamics of the Immune System: Balancing the Energies of the Body with the Cosmos; and The Biodynamic Heart: Somatic Compassion Practices for a Clear and Vital Heart. His website is sheaheart.com. Michael details how being in a terrorist bombing resulted in a near-death experience and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) that shaped his understanding of the heart’s role in emotional and physical health. He describes how the heart develops from embryonic tissue and is the center of the universe with an infinite capacity to expand in compassion. 00:00:00 Introduction 00:03:08 Journey to compassion 00:13:03 Removing a gun from the heart 00:18:46 Metabolism and the heart 00:28:12 Craniosacral therapy and the still point 00:34:21 Somatic psychology and spirituality 00:50:52 Infinite capacity to expand 00:57:03 Compassion and Tonglen meditation 01:09:52 Heart as center of the universe 01:15:51 Conclusion New Thinking Allowed CoHost, Emmy Vadnais, OTR/L, is a licensed occupational therapist, intuitive healer and coach, and spiritual guide based in St. Paul, Minnesota. Emmy is the founder of the Intuitive Connections and Holistic OT communities. She is the author of Intuitive Development: How to Trust Your Inner Knowing for Guidance With Relationships, Health, and Spirituality. Her website is https://emmyvadnais.com (Recorded on December 5, 2025) For a short video on How to Get the Most From New Thinking Allowed, go to https://youtu.be/aVbfPFGxv9o Check out our new website for the New Thinking Allowed Foundation at http://www.newthinkingallowed.org. There you will find our incredible, searchable database as well as our new, FREE QUARTERLY MAGAZINE. Also, opportunities to shop and to support our video productions. There, you can also subscribe to our FREE, WEEKLY NEWSLETTER! For a complete, updated list with links to all of our videos, see https://newthinkingallowed.com/Listings.html. Check out New Thinking Allowed’s AI chatbot. You can create a free account at https://ai.servicespace.org When you enter the space, you will see that our chatbot is one of several you can interact with. While it is still a work in progress, it has been trained on 1,600 NTA transcripts. It can provide intelligent answers about the contents of our interviews. It’s almost like having a conversation with Jeffrey Mishlove. To buy a high-quality, printed version of the New Thinking Allowed Magazine, go to nta-magazine.magcloud.com. To join the NTA Psi Experience Community on Facebook, see https://www.facebook.com/groups/1953031791426543/. To download and listen to audio versions of the New Thinking Allowed videos, visit our podcast at https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/new-thinking-allowed-audio-podcast/id1435178031. Download and read Jeffrey Mishlove’s Grand Prize essay in the Bigelow Institute competition, Beyond the Brain: The Survival of Human Consciousness After Permanent Bodily Death. https://www.bigelowinstitute.org/docs/1st.pdf If you would like to join our team of volunteers, helping to promote the New Thinking Allowed YouTube channel on social media, editing and translating videos, creating short video trailers based on our interviews, helping to upgrade our website, or contributing in other ways (we may not even have thought of), please send an email to friends@newthinkingallowed.com. To order Intuitive Development by Emmy Vadnais, click here: https://amzn.to/35sbLIA. To order The Biodynamic Heart by Michael J. Shea, go to: https://amzn.to/4jKdEVr To order New Thinking Allowed Dialogues: Is There Life After Death? click on https://amzn.to/3LzLA7Y To order Russell Targ: Ninety Years of ESP, Remote Viewing, and Timeless Awareness, go to https://amzn.to/4aw2iyr To order UFOs and UAP – Are We Really Alone?, go to https://amzn.to/3Y0VOVh To order a copy of Charles T. Tart: Seventy Years of Exploring Consciousness and Parapsychology, go to https://amzn.to/4oOUJLn

Send us a textIn this week's Music of the Mountains, we feature Emma Sky Quarterman, a Colorado singer-songwriter working on booking more gigs in the Front Range. She's got two performances on Valentine's Day weekend, so be sure to stay tuned to learn more about those shows!Emma Sky Quarterman is, in many ways, a woman of the mountains. Not only is the country, pop, and R&B-inspired artist one of many in the lineup of the 2026 Women of the Mountain Festival, she is also a lifelong Colorado resident—born in Leadville, growing up in Nederland, and moving to Boulder in 2010.She grew up interested in being a musician, ultimately performing in the school choir at Nederland MiddleSenior High and helping to host an open mic at TEENS, Inc. In her college years, she attended Naropa University to study music. Support the showThank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below.If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact: Barbara Hardt, our editor-in-chef, at info@themountainear.com Tyler Hickman, podcast host, at tyler@themountainear.com Jamie Lammers, podcast host, at media@themountainear.com General inquiries: frontdesk@themountainear.com Head to our website for all of the latest news. Subscribe online and use the coupon code PODCAST for a 10% discount for all new subscribers. Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website. Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear Listen and watch on YouTube today. Share this podcast by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout.Thank you for listening!

To watch the video of this podcast, please go to: https://youtu.be/q26VN0EWhbg   How can we reclaim our connection to the Earth to find deep, somatic healing? What if nature therapy is actually a return to our most essential human blueprint? What if the thresholds of our lives—those messy, in-between spaces—are actually sacred ceremonies waiting to be honored?   In this episode of Kaleidoscope of Possibilities, Dr. Adriana Popescu is joined by Katie Asmus, a somatic and nature-based psychotherapist with over 30 years of experience leading individuals back to themselves through the natural world. Together, they explore the intersection of somatic psychology, wilderness therapy, and the ancient art of ceremony. This conversation invites you to step out of the digital noise and back into the grounded wisdom of your own body and the greater web of life.   In this episode: The Power of Somatic Nature Therapy: Discover how combining body-based awareness with the natural world creates a unique "co-therapy" relationship with the Earth. The Science of Connection: Explore how nature acts as a natural regulator for the nervous system, offering a safe container for trauma processing. Healing the "Source of Trauma:” Why nature and animals often feel safer than humans for those recovering from interpersonal trauma. Normalizing the Human Experience: Bringing compassion to the "human-ness" of our struggles through the lens of nature's cycles.   Resources mentioned in this episode: Katie's website: Somatic Nature Therapy Institute: https://www.somaticnaturetherapy.com/ Free Resources: Ceremony Creation Guide and Nature Meditations: https://www.somaticnaturetherapy.com/downloadable-resources   About Katie: Katie Asmus is a Somatic and Nature-Based Psychotherapist. With a Master's degree in Somatic Psychology, over 30 years of leading individuals and group programs out in nature, and a lifetime of apprenticing to ceremony and rites of passage, Katie says the essence of her work is normalizing, celebrating, and bringing compassion to what it means to be human. For the past 20 years, alongside maintaining a private psychotherapy practice, she has taught graduate students at Naropa University and Prescott College in the areas of Somatic and Nature-based Therapies. In addition, through the Somatic Nature Therapy Institute (and in collaboration with other inspiring colleagues), she created and facilitates both online and in-person workshops and trainings in Somatic Trauma work, Ceremony & Rites of Passage facilitation, as well as in a wide variety of wilderness, adventure, and nature-based therapy skills. Having sat with thousands of people from around the world and from all walks of life, Katie is a tender of the thresholds and strongly believes in the necessity of following our deepest longing while simultaneously knowing and feeling our interconnection and belonging to the greater web of life.   “The essence of my work is normalizing, celebrating, and bringing compassion to what it means to be human.” – Katie   Would you like to continue this conversation and connect with other people who are interested in exploring these topics? Please join us on our Facebook group! (https://www.facebook.com/groups/kaleidoscopeofpossibilitiespodcast/)   About your host: Dr. Adriana Popescu is a clinical psychologist, addiction and trauma specialist, author, speaker and empowerment coach who is based in San Francisco, California and practices worldwide. She is the author of the book, What If You're Not As F***ed Up As You Think You Are? For more information on Dr. Adriana, her sessions and classes, please visit: https://adrianapopescu.org/ To find the book please visit: https://whatifyourenot.com/ To learn about her trauma treatment center Firebird Healing, please visit the website: https://www.firebird-healing.com/   You can also follow her on social media:  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrAdrianaPopescu/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dradrianapopescu/?hl=en LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adriana-popescu-ph-d-03793 Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCflL0zScRAZI3mEnzb6viVA TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dradrianapopescu? Medium: https://medium.com/@dradrianapopescu   Disclaimer: This podcast represents the opinions of Dr. Adriana Popescu and her guests. The content expressed therein should not be taken as psychological or medical advice. The content here is for informational or entertainment purposes only. Please consult your healthcare professional for any medical or treatment questions. This website or podcast is not to be used in any legal capacity whatsoever, including but not limited to establishing “standard of care” in any legal sense or as a basis for legal proceedings or expert witness testimony. Listening, reading, emailing, or interacting on social media with our content in no way establishes a client-therapist relationship.  

Send us a textIn 1971, Mirabai Bush traveled to India, and found more than she bargained for. Fairfax criminal lawyer Jonathan Katz would hear about Mirabai over the years, through her being a devotee of the late Neem Karoli Baba / Maharaji, being among the teachers at the annual Maui retreats with Ram Dass, and finally by my meeting her at the 2015 Mindful Leadership conference. In this Beat the Prosecution podcast episode, Jon Katz talks with Mirabai about her decades-long journey with mindfulness, love, service, empowering women, racial justice and much more, including discussing her 2025 book Almost Home: Dharma, Social Change, and the Power of Love.  By the end of this one hour interview, Jon wanted to talk about much more with Mirabai, including such matters covered in her book Almost Home as the Seva Foundation, which was started to reverse blindness among millions of people; her role in developing Google's Search Inside Yourself Leadership Institute (SIYLI); her involvement with Naropa University in its infancy; her connection to the Doors' John Densmore; and her involvement with The Well online community. Many lawyers are involved with mindfulness, and Jon Katz has attended two long weekend mindfulness retreats, the last one being silent except for group discussions and question and answer periods, at the Garrison Institute. Mirabai's work has included bringing mindfulness to lawyers and law students. Mirabai's initial view about how lawyers can help themselves is through genuinely listening, and through compassion. The listening part is a key to Jon's daily taijiquan martial art. The compassion is not only about compassion to opponents -- still necessitating being merciless to the opposition when needed in serving justice -- but also compassion for one's self. This episode is also available on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDSBB8UiPgoThis podcast with Fairfax, Virginia criminal / DUI lawyer Jon Katz is playable on all devices at podcast.BeatTheProsecution.com. For more information, visit https://KatzJustice.com or contact us at info@KatzJustice.com, 703-383-1100 (calling), or 571-406-7268 (text). If you like what you hear on our Beat the Prosecution podcast, please take a moment to post a review at our Apple podcasts page (with stars only, or else also with a comment) at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/beat-the-prosecution/id1721413675

Jared Hinton M.A, M.A.T, LCMHC is a psychotherapist in private practice in Asheville, NC. Jared is a husband, father, and a person in long-term recovery. His work focuses on helping individuals and couples heal from patterns of ancestral, familial, and relational trauma. Jared is a graduate of Naropa University's Contemplative and Buddhist Psychology program and a student of the Appalachian Gestalt Institute in Asheville. In this episode, Jared and I discuss how these two experiences often arrive together in long-term intimate relationships, especially after the initial romantic "honeymoon" phase fades (usually 6 months to 3-4 years in. We discuss that disillusionment is the inevitable moment when the projection collapses. Where egolessness is relating from a place where your happiness and okayness are no longer 100% dependent on the other person's behavior, mood or validation. Connect with Jared Hinton: Jaredhinton.org Email:jaredhintonpsychotherapy@gmail.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.  Check out our Guided Audio Practices and Meditations at Relationships! Let's Learn About It. You can check out the original songs I have sung in my podcast at Pripo's Podcast Songs. Don't forget to visit our website 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 Sound Production by Matt Carlson

What becomes possible when we meet our most profound grief with sacred medicine and compassionate presence?In this episode of Women Awakening, Cynthia James welcomes Darci Meyers, a psychotherapist, Hakomi therapist, and Buddhist Chaplain who has devoted her life to healing at the intersection of trauma, loss, and expanded consciousness. Darci shares her profound journey through personal grief following her mother's early death, her pioneering work in hospice and palliative care, and her groundbreaking psilocybin bereavement retreats for parents who have lost children.Discover how psychedelic-assisted therapy opens pathways to profound healing, the wisdom that emerges from working with death and dying, and how expanded states of consciousness can facilitate deep transformation.Don't miss this conversation on Trauma, Grief & Psychedelic Therapy: A Deep Journey Into Healing.Enjoy the podcast? Subscribe and leave a 5-star review.Darci Meyers, MA is a registered psychotherapist, certified Hakomi Therapist, and Buddhist Chaplain specializing in mindfulness-based, somatic, and trauma-informed healing. Inspired by her mother's early death in 2002, she worked in hospice and palliative care for nearly 15 years. She served as the founding director of Deshen Shying Spiritual Care Centre at Dzogchen Beara in Ireland. Darci has been a faculty member in Rigpa's Contemplative End-of-Life Care Program through Naropa University and led pioneering psilocybin bereavement retreats in Jamaica for parents who lost children. Trained by MAPS in MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy and as a psychedelic guide, she studied with field pioneers at the California Institute of Integral Studies. A meditation practitioner for over 35 years, Darci brings together her work with death, dying, grief, and expanded states of consciousness to facilitate profound transformation and healing.Website: http://www.darcimeyers.com/Cynthia James is a transformational speaker, emotional integration coach, and host of the Women Awakening podcast. With a background as a former actress and Star Search champion, she brings creativity and depth to her work. Cynthia holds master's degrees in consciousness studies and spiritual psychology. Author of 6 bestselling and award-winning books, including I Choose Me: The Art of Being A Phenomenally Successful Woman at Home and at Work. Through her global retreats, coaching, and speaking, she helps women step into their power, live authentically, and lead with purpose.Connect with Cynthia James:Website: https://www.cynthiajames.net/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cynthia-james-enterprises/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/WhatWillSetYouFreeInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/cynthiajames777/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cynthiajamestransforms

~Ecopsychology, Depth Psychology, and Ecological Healing~ Jeanine M. Canty was Visiting Scholar at The New School at Commonweal in October 2025. She is a visionary scholar whose groundbreaking work illuminates the profound connections between consciousness, thought, and our relationship with the natural world. Her teaching weaves together social justice, ecological wisdom, and transformation. During this second event with Jeanine, we will look at our various notions of self—ecological, multicultural, and transpersonal—and engage in some experiences and reflections that embody this. Host Susan Grelock Yusem will be in conversation with Jeanine for the first hour, followed by a half hour of experiential work with Jeanine. Jeanine M. Canty, PhD Jeanine is a professor of transformative studies at CIIS, telecommuting from Boulder, CO. Formerly the chair of environmental studies at Naropa University, she continues to guest teach at Naropa and at Pacifica Graduate Institute. A lover of nature, justice, and contemplative practice, her teaching intersects issues of social and ecological justice, ecopsychology, and the process of worldview expansion and change. She is author of Returning the Self to Nature: Undoing Our Collective Narcissism and Healing Our Planet and her most recent edited book is an expanded, second edition of Ecological and Social Healing: Multicultural Women's Voices (2025). Find out more about The New School at Commonweal on our website: tns.commonweal.org. And like/follow our Soundcloud channel for more great podcasts.

Vince Fakhoury Horn reflects on his experiences within the Insight meditation tradition, as an authorized teacher in the lineage, arguing that its senior leaders have remained complicit, through their silence, on the genocide of Palestinians in Gaza.

~ Integrating Self Through Practice~ Jeanine M. Canty, PhD, was Visiting Scholar at The New School at Commonweal in October 2025. She is a visionary scholar whose groundbreaking work illuminates the profound connections between consciousness, thought, and our relationship with the natural world. Her teaching weaves together social justice, ecological wisdom, and transformation. Within this introductory talk, her first event at The New School as Visiting Scholar, we dive into the dualities within the western human's psyche in order to reclaim our ecological and transpersonal identities and to access pathways for healing. Jeanine M. Canty, PhD Jeanine is a professor of transformative studies at CIIS, telecommuting from Boulder, CO. Formerly the chair of environmental studies at Naropa University, she continues to guest teach at Naropa and at Pacifica Graduate Institute. A lover of nature, justice, and contemplative practice, her teaching intersects issues of social and ecological justice, ecopsychology, and the process of worldview expansion and change. She is author of Returning the Self to Nature: Undoing Our Collective Narcissism and Healing Our Planet and her most recent edited book is an expanded, second edition of Ecological and Social Healing: Multicultural Women's Voices (2025). Jeanine M. Canty, PhD Jeanine is a professor of transformative studies at CIIS, telecommuting from Boulder, CO. Formerly the chair of environmental studies at Naropa University, she continues to guest teach at Naropa and at Pacifica Graduate Institute. A lover of nature, justice, and contemplative practice, her teaching intersects issues of social and ecological justice, ecopsychology, and the process of worldview expansion and change. She is author of Returning the Self to Nature: Undoing Our Collective Narcissism and Healing Our Planet and her most recent edited book is an expanded, second edition of Ecological and Social Healing: Multicultural Women's Voices (2025). *** The New School is Commonweal's learning community and podcast — we offer conversations, workshops, and other events in areas that Commonweal champions: finding meaning, growing health and resilience, advocating for justice, and stewarding the natural world. We make our conversations into podcasts for many thousands of listeners world wide and have been doing this since 2007. Please like/follow our YouTube channel for access to our library of more than 400 great podcasts. Find out more about The New School at Commonweal on our website: tns.commonweal.org. And like/follow our Soundcloud channel for more great podcasts.

Dr Pat Ogden is a pioneer in somatic psychology, the developer of Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, and one of the leading voices revolutionising our approach to trauma treatment. This conversation explores how sensorimotor psychotherapy can help us understand and treat attachment wounds - particularly those picked up in early life. You'll learn: — How the body starts to “shape” itself based on our relationship with our early caregivers — The underlying principles that sensorimotor psychotherapy is built upon — Why how we organise our experiences may be the most important factor in our mental health and wellbeing — How sensorimotor psychotherapy helps to elicit unconscious and implicit patterns, so that healing can take place. And more. You can learn more about Pat's work by going to: https://sensorimotorpsychotherapy.org. --- Pat Ogden, PhD, is a pioneer in somatic psychology, the creator of the Sensorimotor Psychotherapy method, and founder of the Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Institute.  Dr. Ogden is trained in a wide variety of somatic and psychotherapeutic approaches, and has over 45 years of experience working with individuals and groups.  She is co-founder of the Hakomi Institute, past faculty of Naropa University (1985-2005), a clinician, consultant, and sought after international lecturer. Dr. Ogden is the first author of two groundbreaking books in somatic psychology: Trauma and the Body: A Sensorimotor Approach to Psychotherapy  and Sensorimotor Psychotherapy: Interventions for Trauma and Attachment (2015) both published in the Interpersonal Neurobiology Series of W. W. Norton. Her third book in this series, The Pocket Guide to Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, published in 2021, and she is working on Sensorimotor Psychotherapy for Children, Adolescents and Families with Dr. Bonnie Goldstein. Her current interests include groups, couples, children, adolescents, and families; complex trauma; Embedded Relational Mindfulness; implicit bias, intersectionality and culture; the relational nature of shame; presence, consciousness, and the philosophical/spiritual principles that underlie Sensorimotor Psychotherapy. --- Interview Links: — Dr Ogden's website - http://sensorimotorpsychotherapy.org/ — Dr Ogden's books - https://amzn.to/47gGd5I

Akasha J. Smith, PhD is the founder of School of Awakening which offers The Professional Intuitive Healer Certification Program and Transformational Retreats in Bali and Costa Rica. She's been Teaching,  facilitating Intuitive Healing sessions, Transpersonal Counseling and Past Life Regressions for people around the world for more than 20 years. She also offers Akashic Records Readings and Channeled Awakening Transmissions.One of her favorite parts about the work is watching people's hearts, bodies, minds and souls open to the connection and lives they've been so deeply longing for. When someone is ready and really shows up, true healing simply happens. With that can come a freedom unlike anything else that is absolutely beautiful to witness…another human shining.Akasha's Soul Purpose is to Help People Remember and Be Who they Truly Are. She does this through teaching, healing and creative expression. She is Deeply Passionate about Teaching Intuitive People, even if they Doubt their Abilities, how to Become Professional Healers, Heal Themselves and Awaken. Akasha has taught everything from Human Development Psychology to Creativity Enhancement and Dance to How to Connect with your Spirit Guides.She taught Mindfulness Meditation in Naropa University's Graduate Transpersonal and Contemplative Psychology Counseling Programs. Akasha researched Passionate Engagement for her Doctorate in East West Psychology at The California Institute of Integral Studies. She has a Masters Degree in Psychology from The Institute of Transpersonal Psychology with specializations in Teaching, Education & Research and Creative Expression. Akasha graduated from Naropa University with a Bachelor's degree in Contemplative Psychology and minors in Traditional Eastern and Healing Arts and Improvisational Dance. She also trained in The Clairvoyant Program at Psychic Horizons Institute and The Colorado School of Transpersonal Counseling and Hypnotherapy where she became an internationally certified hypnotherapist. She completed her yoga teacher training in Rishikesh, India and has studied traditional dance in Bali, Thailand, Hawaii and Spain.Akasha is a best-selling contributing author of Activate Your Life and just finished contributing to a 2nd book on Awakening Experiences and their impact on daily life. She was the co-author of a Transformation from Trauma study which was published in the peer-reviewed academic journal, The International Journal of Transpersonal Psychology.When Akasha isn't helping people Become Counselors and Healers and Leading Retreats, she's Creating Lightcode Art, Writing Poetry or Traveling the World Solo studying Dance, Healing and Yoga. https://www.schoolofawakenedliving.com/

EVEN MORE about this episode!What if music held the power to call your soul back from the edge between life and death? In this unforgettable episode, near-death experiencer and board-certified music therapist Ellen Wier shares her remarkable journey of healing through sound. From her miraculous recovery after a head injury to her encounters with ascended masters, Ellen reveals how vibration, frequency, and music can serve as divine bridges between worlds—awakening higher consciousness and restoring the body, mind, and spirit.Together, we explore how sound healing, through methods like Guided Imagery and Music, solfeggio frequencies, and singing bowls, opens portals to deep spiritual wisdom. Ellen recounts the astonishing moment her father's intuitive choice of Disney's Sleeping Beauty soundtrack became the frequency that pulled her back to life—proof of music's sacred capacity to reconnect us with the Source.We also discuss the growing scientific validation of sound as medicine, drawing on the work of experts like Dr. Bruce Perry and Dr. Mitchell Gaynor. Discover how creativity, rhythm, and vibration can elevate human consciousness, ease emotional pain, and help us remember who we truly are. This conversation will forever change how you hear the world—and how you understand the healing power of sound.Guest Biography:Ellen Wier is a Near-Death Experiencer, lightworker, and board-certified music therapist specializing in transpersonal healing. After a near-death experience at age 12, Ellen received profound spiritual insights that inspired her lifelong mission to heal through music and vibration. She blends classical music, crystal singing bowls, chanting, and guided imagery to help others access higher states of consciousness, connect with their higher selves, and awaken to their true potential. With a Master's in Transpersonal Counseling and Music Therapy from Naropa University, Ellen bridges science and spirituality—offering transformative experiences that guide individuals toward healing, self-discovery, and harmony.Episode Chapters:(0:00:01) - Healing and Spirituality Through Sound Frequencies(0:13:21) - Bridging Science and Spirituality With Sound(0:26:12) - Unlocking Spiritual Wisdom Through Sound(0:35:13) - The Power of Sound Healing(0:39:31) - Soul Frequency and Healing Wisdom(0:49:50) - Spiritual Healing Through Music and Love➡️Subscribe to Ask Julie Ryan YouTube➡️Subscribe to Ask Julie Ryan Español YouTube➡️Subscribe to Ask Julie Ryan Português YouTube➡️Subscribe to Ask Julie Ryan Deutsch YouTube➡️Subscribe to Ask Julie Ryan Français YouTube✏️Ask Julie a Question!

Akasha J. Smith, PhD is the founder of School of Awakening which offers The Professional Intuitive Healer Certification Program and Transformational Retreats in Bali and Costa Rica. She's been Teaching,  facilitating Intuitive Healing sessions, Transpersonal Counseling and Past Life Regressions for people around the world for more than 20 years. She also offers Akashic Records Readings and Channeled Awakening Transmissions.One of her favorite parts about the work is watching people's hearts, bodies, minds and souls open to the connection and lives they've been so deeply longing for. When someone is ready and really shows up, true healing simply happens. With that can come a freedom unlike anything else that is absolutely beautiful to witness…another human shining.Akasha's Soul Purpose is to Help People Remember and Be Who they Truly Are. She does this through teaching, healing and creative expression. She is Deeply Passionate about Teaching Intuitive People, even if they Doubt their Abilities, how to Become Professional Healers, Heal Themselves and Awaken. Akasha has taught everything from Human Development Psychology to Creativity Enhancement and Dance to How to Connect with your Spirit Guides.She taught Mindfulness Meditation in Naropa University's Graduate Transpersonal and Contemplative Psychology Counseling Programs. Akasha researched Passionate Engagement for her Doctorate in East West Psychology at The California Institute of Integral Studies. She has a Masters Degree in Psychology from The Institute of Transpersonal Psychology with specializations in Teaching, Education & Research and Creative Expression. Akasha graduated from Naropa University with a Bachelor's degree in Contemplative Psychology and minors in Traditional Eastern and Healing Arts and Improvisational Dance. She also trained in The Clairvoyant Program at Psychic Horizons Institute and The Colorado School of Transpersonal Counseling and Hypnotherapy where she became an internationally certified hypnotherapist. She completed her yoga teacher training in Rishikesh, India and has studied traditional dance in Bali, Thailand, Hawaii and Spain.Akasha is a best-selling contributing author of Activate Your Life and just finished contributing to a 2nd book on Awakening Experiences and their impact on daily life. She was the co-author of a Transformation from Trauma study which was published in the peer-reviewed academic journal, The International Journal of Transpersonal Psychology.When Akasha isn't helping people Become Counselors and Healers and Leading Retreats, she's Creating Lightcode Art, Writing Poetry or Traveling the World Solo studying Dance, Healing and Yoga. https://www.schoolofawakenedliving.com/

Jared Hinton M.A, M.A.T, LCMHC is a psychotherapist in private practice in Asheville, NC. Jared is a husband, father, and a person in long-term recovery. His work focuses on helping individuals and couples heal from patterns of ancestral, familial, and relational trauma. Jared is a graduate of Naropa University's Contemplative and Buddhist Psychology program and a student of the Appalachian Gestalt Institute in Asheville. In this episode, Jared and I discuss the relationship dynamics of codependency, differentiation and autonomy in relationships. They're how people interact emotionally in a relationship, not just fixed traits or parts. Healthy relationships usually balance all three: less codependency, more differentiation and solid autonomy so nobody feels trapped or smothered. Connect with Jared Hinton: Jaredhinton.org Email:jaredhintonpsychotherapy@gmail.com Online Men's Work Program Fall 2025 Jared will be launching a 9-week Men's Work course later this year. The program will examine internalized conditioning around masculinity, question outdated roles and expectations, come to terms with new roles and functions as a man in today's world, and reconnect with parts of self that have been suppressed or forgotten.  The course will explore emotional awareness, male development, archetypes and initiation, honesty, vulnerability, grief and purpose. The aim is to anchor in sense of connection, community, and know-how that can create lasting change and build a consistent path forward through daily rituals and practices. 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.  Check out our Guided Audio Practices and Meditations at Relationships! Let's Learn About It. You can check out the original songs I have sung in my podcast at Pripo's Podcast Songs. Don't forget to visit our website 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 Sound Production by Matt Carlson

This is the best! A great conversation with Katie Asmus!Katie Asmus is a Somatic and Nature-Based Psychotherapist. With a Master's degree in Somatic Psychology, over 30 years of leading individuals and group programs out in nature, and a lifetime of apprenticing to ceremony and rites of passage, Katie says the essence of her work is normalizing, celebrating, and bringing compassion to what it means to be human.  For the past 20 years, alongside maintaining a private psychotherapy practice, she has taught graduate students at Naropa University and Prescott College in the areas of Somatic and Nature-based Therapies. In addition, through the Somatic Wilderness Therapy Institute (and in collaboration with other inspiring colleagues), she created and facilitates both online and in-person workshops and trainings in Somatic Trauma work, Ceremony & Rites of Passage facilitation, as well as in a wide variety of wilderness, adventure, and nature-based therapy skills. Having sat with thousands of people from around the world and from all walks of life, Katie is a tender of the thresholds and strongly believes in the necessity of following our deepest longing while simultaneously knowing and feeling our interconnection and belonging to the greater web of life.Relevant LinksSomatic Nature Therapy InstituteMore About KatiePsychology TodayLinkedInKatie on Will White's Stories from the FieldKatie on The Awakened TherapistKatie on Therapy in the Great OutdoorsMore Ways to ConnectSocial Sciences Week Outdoor Therapy Series 2025

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Vince Fakhoury Horn: I was thinking about where to start with the 9th Jhāna, and I think the first thing to say is that the 9th Jhāna is not a state. So why in the world are we within a community of practice called The Jhāna Community, which is explicitly aimed at developing and cultivating certain states of mind, or states of consciousness, why would we be focusing on something which is not a state?Let me let me share a little bit where this term came from. So I'm borrowing this term from a researcher who I spoke to some months ago. This is a researcher working on a project studying advanced meditation. They were asking me about my experience with jhāna's and then asked, “Do you have any experience with anything that would be considered like a 9th Jhāna, or anything beyond the eight traditional jhānas.” And I had to think about that because I'd never heard the term, “the 9th jhāna.” I'd heard other things, weird things, but I hadn't heard that one before, so I thought about it and I was like, “Well, I guess the only thing I would describe as the 9th jhāna is just sort of resting in awareness, or just being open and not doing anything, just being”, what I would normally in my own models call Awareness Meditation, and that is the spirit of this exploration today.Want to explore the 9th jhāna with Vince Horn? Join him for another round of The 9th Jhāna in The Jhāna Community beginning September 30th, 2025. The 9th Jhāna is an exploration of how to explore these states of consciousness that arise in meditation naturally and organically when the mind and body are settled, through the doorway of a very different kind of meditation object, which is not an object at all. We take awareness as our “object.”Of course, awareness can't take itself as an object, right? If you could take awareness as an object, that wouldn't be awareness. It'd be some experience. With the 9th jhāna we're learning how to rest in awareness, to be aware of awareness. And there are lots of ways to do that, and there's lots of ways to think about that. So today I wanted to kind of just share a few different frames with you, uh, as an attempt to frame the unframeable. Awareness isn't something which we can frame properly because it's not an experience, or it's not a thing, or state. But we still have to talk about it. Because it's like the whole point of the Buddhist meditative tradition in a certain way. So how can we talk about something that doesn't fit into the normal categories of how we think about reality? One way I think we have to talk about this, and this is a longstanding conversation in the Buddhist contemplative tradition, is we have to talk about how we enter into this awareness of awareness. And there's a longstanding debate here between what in the Buddhist tradition they call the Sudden and Gradual schools. They're not actual real schools, okay. In fact, they're probably not really actual people who really believe either one of these extreme positions anymore.But, over thousands of years, you could say a dialogue has been happening across these different lines of looking at how the path unfolds. And one of the so-called schools says that the path is a gradual process, it's something that you develop through time. In a book called One Dharma by a Teacher named Joseph Goldstein, he does his best to try to make sense of these different approaches and he describes this kind of approach where you're gradually developing stage by stage or step by step. He calls this the Building From Below orientation. But there's also, as he describes it, a way to Swoop From Above with Awareness. You don't necessarily have to spend 20 years and you know, five Goenka retreats, or whatever the amount of stuff that you did, before you realized the basic truth about awareness, which is: good luck trying to not be aware. Ken Wilber, one of my early mentors, he used to always point to awareness, he'd say, “Try to stop being aware of my voice.” And Ken talks a lot [laughs] and he'd just keep talking, talking, talking about how you can't not be aware. And it's true, it's hard to shut awareness off.So here, how do we actually, suddenly realize that we're already aware? This is the Sudden School, which Joseph Goldstein described as Sweeping from Above. You could just realize it's already done. You're already aware, you're already awake. Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj, in a book called I Am That he said, “To be aware is to be awake. Unaware means asleep. You are aware anyhow, you need not try to be. What you need is to be aware of being aware. Be aware deliberately and consciously, broaden and deepen the field of awareness. You are always conscious of the mind, but you are not aware of yourself as being conscious.”I like this way of describing awareness practice, because in a way, he's integrating these two, the sudden and gradual approaches. He's not prioritizing one over the other. He's saying both are true. You're always conscious, right? So consciousness is always present, but you're not always aware that you're aware. You're not always conscious of your consciousness. And so there, that's the practice is being aware of being aware. That's it. That's what we're doing here. B. Alan Wallace in The Attention Revolution, another awesome Dharma book, that touches on awareness as a doorway into jhāna, he says, “In awareness of awareness, there is no intentional directing of attention. You simply rest in that flow of knowing, and from time to time gently recognize that you are aware.”I wish it were more complicated than that, sometimes I wish I could just lay it out like kind of like Daniel Ingram did in his book, Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha, and just give you the full, 400 page diagram detail of how to get into awareness. And I'm sure that book exists, and that might be a useful exercise. But for me, the practice is quite simple. And unfortunately, the thinking mind will tend to make this more complex than it is, and that tends to be one of the biggest obstacles that I've noticed in using awareness as a tool for entering into jhāna. So this is one way to look at what we're doing here with the 9th Jhāna. How is it that we're coming into this awareness? Gradually or all of a sudden. Another way of looking at awareness practice, I think that's very important is that if you are taking a gradual approach, if you feel like there's some kind of movement or development or progression through time, what I've noticed is that that progression often takes one of two forms, and this seems to largely depend on the person and the tradition that they're practicing in.One of the ways, in the Christian contemplative tradition, they call this Via Negativa. In the Hindu tradition, they call this Advaita, which is you take all of the experiences that are rising and you recognize that you are not any of those, because they're objects, because they're arising, because you can know them. That means they arise in time that they're changing, and they will vanish. This is the basic truth of vipassana, right? Mindfulness. Yeah, so we can recognize that and we recognize anything that we can be aware of is not ultimately who we are. This is the process of, Neti Neti, as it's said in Sanskrit, “Not this, Not this.”With this approach you're backing away from the untruth. You're backing away from everything that is not you. You're letting go of all those objects and just resting in awareness that's devoid of any characteristics. Devoid. That's important. This is the path of the void. Not this. Via Negativa. Then on the other side though, you have the opposite path, Via Positiva. “This too, This too.” Nothing is excluded. Anything that arises that appears to be apart from you, you include it in awareness. You fold it back into awareness and see that thing that I thought was out there, over here, this too! Shunryū Suzuki Roshi in Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind, he says, “That everything is included within your mind is the essence of mind.” So, here we're recognizing that everything that arises in the mind is the essence of mind.Another quote from Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj, in I Am That:“The mind produces thoughts ceaselessly, even when you do not look at them. When you know what is going on in your mind, you call it consciousness. That is your waking state–your consciousness shifts from sensation to sensation, from perception to perception, from idea to idea, in endless succession. Then comes awareness, the direct insight into the whole of consciousness, the totality of the mind. The mind is like a river, flowing ceaselessly in the bed of the body; you identify yourself for a moment with some particular ripple and call it: ‘my thought'. All you are conscious of is your mind; awareness is the cognizance of consciousness as a whole.”Awareness is the cognizance of consciousness as a whole. Again, we'll use this as our kind of broad definition for what it is that we're meditating on. And of course we don't meditate on awareness. We meditate as awareness. There's no way to take awareness as an object. You can only be that awareness.So how do you be aware? Well, you're already aware. How do you not be aware? That might be a more interesting question. How do we not be aware? How do we avoid this moment?So these are two approaches, “Not this, Not this” (via negativa) and “This too, This too.” (via positiva), are both are valid ways to realize Awareness. I remember the first time I really heard this spoken by someone I respected, it was a teacher at Naropa University. I was in this class called Contemplative Hinduism and learning about the different contemplative approaches in the Hindu tradition. My teacher was a woman named Sreedevi Bringi, and she grew up in India and her family, and her family was close friends with Jiddu Krishnamurti, so she grew up, hanging out with Krishnamurti in her family house. Okay, that should give you a little sense of her background.She said in India there are two basic approaches, and she described it in pretty much the same way I just described them to you, except she said with the Neti, Neti approach, she said in India we call this Advaita Vedanta, radical non-duality. And the other approach “This too, This too”, we call that Tantra. Vedanta and Tantra. And she said both of these are valid approaches. At the time that I heard that, it was really useful, because I'd taken the Via Negativa approach and I thought, “Well, this must be the only way.” I noticed in the beginning when everyone was sharing about your background, I should have probably asked when your first Goenka retreat was, because almost everyone here seems to have experienced that. And that very much is the Via Negativa approach, where you're just breaking down, deconstructing your experience, disidentifying, you could say dissociating from whatever arises. So this is also, I think, an important frame for understanding the 9th Jhāna, that there are different ways in, that are either about backing away from identification with anything, or moving toward identification with everything. Ultimately, I would suggest these lead to the same realizations. And then finally, I want to throw this last frame out to you, which is the Several Ways to Meditate framework. This is a framework that my wife, Emily Horn and I developed over many years now to kind of describe the various approaches to meditation that we have practiced, and we teach, to provide a schema for understanding all the different possible ways there are to do this, and how they connect and relate to each other.If you think for a moment of a hexagram, starting off with a very simple six-sided object. If you look at that hexagram, you can see that there's six points in the hexagram, and each of those points is a style of meditation or a way to meditate. You have Concentration Meditation, bringing attention to a single point. Mindfulness, where we're noticing sensations as they change. Heartfulness, inclining the mind toward opening the heart. Inquiry Meditation where we're using a question as a prompt for discovery, like "What is awareness?" or "Who is aware?" Then you have Imaginal Meditation where you're using internal imagery or other internal senses to kind of put yourself in a position, that you can only imagine, where you're more whole and integrated. And then finally we have Embodiment Meditation where you're working on inhabiting the body. Now obviously there's a lot of overlaps between these styles. It's not that they're completely separate. In fact, they do connect. And if you imagine this hexagram, every point connecting up to a single point, like a pyramid, except this is a hexagramic pyramid. That single point at the top, the apex, is Awareness. Awareness is the only way of meditating that doesn't have a focus. It's the only style of meditation where there's nothing to do, and thus awareness doesn't contradict any of these other styles of practice. You might be missing that you're aware while you're furiously meditating on your breath or something, you might actually miss that, really it's true. But you can be aware and breathe at the same time. Awareness is compatible with everything, and it's the common denominator of all these styles. It's the point that transcends and includes all these different ways to meditate. So in that sense, it's a kind of special approach. And because of that you can use any of those other styles of meditation, in combination with the intention to be aware of awareness, and you can practice that as a doorway into the 9th jhāna. So you can practice Mindful Awareness, you can use techniques that intentionally bring in mindfulness, and also point toward awareness. Or you could do a kind of inquiry into awareness. You could use inquiry meditation to, to hone in on the nature of awareness through asking questions. “What is aware of this experience right now?” Can you find that? You can just sit and be in your body. Embodied awareness. You can take awareness as your concentration object. Shamatha without a sign, which was mentioned earlier. You could move through the jhānas naturally and organically as you just rest in awareness, concentrated awareness. So I mention this model because I'm going to be pulling from a lot of these different techniques over the course of the next 12 weeks. And my hope is that by exploring this from different angles, you can find the approaches to awareness that work for you, to let you in, that are access points for you that are reliable and which you can deepen through. And my experience is sometimes people will find that access point in one place, and it might not be a Goenka retreat, it might be somewhere else. So, here I want to provide as many access points as possible while also continuing to keep the focus centered on the 9th Jhāna.Practice the 9th Jhāna in The Jhāna Community with Vince Fakhoury Horn. Next group starts on September 30th, 2025. Get full access to Buddhist Geeks at www.buddhistgeeks.org/subscribe

Judith Carlisle, Ph.D., has a masters degree in Management Information Systems and a doctorate in Computer Information Systems from the University of Arizona. She also earned a masters degree in Yoga Studies from the first-of-its-kind program started by a previous guest on Spirit Matters, Christopher Key Chapple, at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. Judith, who began practicing yoga with her grandmother as a young child, is now an adjunct professor in that same Yoga Studies program, She also teaches at Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado. Her teaching integrates the rigorous exploration of yogic and Buddhist texts, philosophies, and history with practices from the Dharmic traditions, e.g. Yoga and Buddhism. Her teaching is dedicated to supporting students and practitioners as they seek to understand how yoga study and practice support personal and worldly transformation, enlightenment, and liberation. She is a credentialed yoga teacher, registered with Yoga Alliance, and her work has included the development and delivery of trauma-informed yoga curricula and the training of Yoga teachers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Shannon Sky is a poet, author, photographer, publisher, and activist born in Chicago. She received her MFA in Creative Writing from the Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics at Naropa University.  Shannon is an off the radar, gender queer, underground poet. She previously worked in electoral politics, successfully advocated for juvenile justice reform laws in Chicago, lobbied Congress to fund public health care, and currently consults on green environmental projects.  She is the founder of Latter-day Beat Books. A world traveler, Shannon has explored all 50 states and 35 countries on four continents.

Paris sits down with her friend, artist, and talented, Bil Brown. They kick off the conversation with a lighthearted discussion about Bil's long hair and a humorous, unexpected suggestion of a live haircut. Bil shares a funny anecdote about his last haircut being during the pandemic and a Jim Morrison quote about bad haircuts. Paris then reminisces about how she first met Bil years ago at a convention in Las Vegas, even before their more memorable meeting at Leica, a detail she didn't recall until much later. Bil then discusses his "Black and Gray" magazine, which is making a comeback, and mentions his collaboration with Matt Mercury, who will be an associate publisher.Bil delves into his diverse professional background, starting with his MFA in avant-garde poetry from the Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics at Naropa University, a Buddhist college. He recounts how he became a photographer by accident after working for a modeling agency and shares fascinating stories about meeting comedian Jeff Garlin and being introduced to Robert Frank by Allen Ginsberg. He also details his involvement with the Ginsberg archive at Stanford, where he photographed Ginsberg's India journals with his Leica. The conversation then shifts to Bil's 15-year career as an agent, where his major client was Amazon Fashion, overseeing 600+ photographers, stylists, and digitechs across numerous studios. He reveals the shocking reason for the end of his relationship with Amazon: they were using his talent to train their AI, and then proposed a "collab agreement" where he would pay them to hire his talent, which he refused.Inspired by these experiences, Bil shares his new "vow of photography," mirroring his earlier "vow of poetry" to "make the world safe for photography" in the face of AI. He emphasizes the importance of content credentials in cameras like the Leica M11-P to prove authenticity. They touch upon the controversial situation surrounding Nick Ut's iconic photo and the ongoing debate about attribution. Bil also discusses his family history, including his Cherokee great-grandfather and his surprising connection to the wealthy Brown family of Louisville, Kentucky. He closes by sharing a poem from his Kerouac School days and his vision for the revived "Black and Gray" magazine, aiming to feature both renowned and emerging artists while incorporating street photography ethics into editorial work.Show Notes:www.theparischongshow.com/episodes/bil-brown-from-avant-garde-poetry-fashion-photography-black-gray-magazine-to-art-aiChapters:(00:00:00) Intro(00:00:28) Bil Brown(00:02:21) Black & Grey(00:11:22) Amazon(00:13:14) Vow of Photography(00:16:20) Magnum(00:19:28) #1 Dad(00:21:58) 100 Years of Leica Block Party(00:24:11) Black & Grey Reissue(00:29:43) Street Photographers(00:34:20) Thoughts on AI(00:39:57) Film vs Digital(00:46:32) Outro

In this episode, Michael Franklin, PhD—author, professor, and former chair of Naropa University's graduate Transpersonal Art Therapy program—joins us to explore art as a transformative path for healing the soul. Franklin invites us into the contemplative language of art—through mediums like clay, paint, and film—and how these move us beyond just self-expression and into uncovering deeper layers of ourselves and our potential. Drawing from his journey into transpersonal art therapy, he explains why art may be the most precise language for emotion, and how fluency in creative practice helps us stay present with our own discomfort so we can more compassionately accompany others through theirs in the practice of Art Therapy.  Special Guest: Michael Franklin.

Harmony Kwiker (kw-eye-ker), MA, LPC, NCC, ACS, is a psychotherapist, author, and visiting instructor at Naropa University where she teaches mindfulness-based transpersonal counseling. She is the founder of the Institute for Spiritual Alignment where she offers holistic trainings for therapists, coaches, and healers. Her first book, Reveal: Embody the True Self Beyond Trauma and Conditioning, is a vulnerable self-help memoir, and her second book, Align: Living and Loving from the True Self , her third book, The Awakened Therapist: Spirituality, Consciousness, and Subtle Energy in Gestalt Therapy, is a text book, and her fourth book, Holistic Co-Regulation: A Practitioner's Guide to Working with Chronic Dysregulation, is now available.    https://awakenedtherapist.com/holistic-therapy-t   Want to be a guest on Unconditioning: Discovering the Voice Within? Send Whitney Ann Jenkins a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1631293280445x277643368444412160

Veronique Mead, MD, MA is a former Dartmouth-affiliated assistant professor of family medicine and obstetrics. She retrained with a Master's degree in somatic psychotherapy from Naropa University and specialty training in pre and perinatal and other forms of trauma. For the past 25 years she has explored the scientific literature on how effects of trauma from the prenatal and other periods in a person's life can influence risk for autoimmune and other chronic illnesses. She shares the research on her blog Chronic Illness Trauma Studies.Euphrasia (Efu) Nyaki was born and raised in Tanzania where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree, trained as a science teacher, and later was trained as a healer using holistic methods. Efu is a Faculty Member of Somatic Experiencing®, a method founded by Dr Peter Levine, and a Professor of Family Constellation System Therapy by Hellinger Institute. In the last 31 years Efu has been living in Brazil facilitating trainings and Holistic therapy for trauma healing using Somatic Experiencing® and Family Constellation System Therapy. While living in Brazil, Efu has also been traveling in different countries such as India, Egypt, South Korea, China, Bolivia, Peru, Spain, Uruguay, Tanzania, Philippines, Sweden, Portugal, Spain  and Hong Kong facilitating trainings and workshops. After the pandemic situation, Efu has been giving international trainings, workshops, summits, webinars, podcasts, conferences, and individual therapy sessions and case consults through online. Efu is a co- founder of AFYA: Holistic Healing Center located in the northeast of Brazil. Afya supports many people from the local community as well as national and international individuals that approaches the center to receive support and healing.  Efu is a writer of the book titled: Trauma healing using Family Constellation System Therapy and Somatic Experiencing®.In This EpisodeVeronique:https://chronicillnesstraumastudies.com/https://lnk.bio/veroniquemeadFACEBOOK - https://www.facebook.com/chronicillnesstraumastudies/LINKED IN - https://www.linkedin.com/in/veroniquemeadillnessblog/YOUTUBE - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCh-ng96Ji8rJSIJdXjCpCqA/videosPINTEREST - https://www.pinterest.com/chrillog/_created/INSTAGRAM - https://www.instagram.com/veroniquemead/Euphrasia:https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B0BYXYGQ1Vhttps://linktr.ee/efunyaki?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=8eaad01c-d2dd-4e12-a35e-3b250748f25fYou can learn more about what I do here:The Trauma Therapist Newsletter: celebrates the people and voices in the mental health profession. And it's free! Check it out here: https://bit.ly/4jGBeSaThe Trauma Therapist Podcast:  I interview thought-leaders in the fields of trauma, mindfulness, addiction and yoga such as Peter Levine, Pat Ogden, Bessel van der Kolk and Bruce Perry. https://bit.ly/3VRNy8zBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-trauma-therapist--5739761/support.

Send us a textWhen Ellen, a music therapist and spiritual coach, encountered a near-death experience involving Jesus and Buddha on a pink cloud raft, her life transformed in unexpected ways. During our conversation, she reveals how this mystical event ignited her spiritual mission and influenced her book, "Waking Up in Heaven." Ellen's journey emphasizes the remarkable impact of sound and music therapy in healing, with insights that blend both spirituality and science to promote physical and cellular rejuvenation.Another fascinating story comes from a practitioner trained at Naropa University, who shares their own profound near-death encounter that reinforced their sense of purpose. This experience became a catalyst for their involvement in a spiritual documentary and highlighted the power of music in healing. Through the Bonnie Method and transpersonal psychology, they create transformative journeys for clients, using classical music to unlock altered states of consciousness, akin to the effects of LSD, leading to groundbreaking shifts in perception during intensive sessions.In our exploration of energy and spirituality, Ellen discusses a variety of techniques, including visualization, color, and sound, to help individuals connect with their higher selves. She highlights profound findings from Dr. Emoto and Veda Austin, illustrating the intricate relationship between water, light, and the body's electromagnetic field. Her teachings encourage embracing life's challenges as opportunities to connect with a higher presence, with music and sound serving as a powerful pathway to spiritual healing and discovery. Through these conversations, we uncover how aligning with source energy allows for co-creation of reality and the experience of miracles, offering listeners a roadmap to rediscovering their spiritual journey through the transformative power of music. Support the showWe hope you found the episode to be enlightening and insightful. Our goal is to create content that not only entertains but also helps you grow spiritually and connect with your inner self. If you enjoyed listening to this episode, we would greatly appreciate it if you could take a moment to like, subscribe, and write a review. Your feedback is incredibly valuable to us and helps us to improve the quality of our content and reach a wider audience. We believe that by sharing knowledge and insights about spirituality, we can help to inspire positive change and personal growth. So, if you find our podcast to be meaningful and informative, we encourage you to share it with your friends and family. You TubeFacebookFacebook Group The Road To Spiritual AwakeningSpiritual Awakening 101 Guide

In a world constantly demanding our attention and energy, have you ever felt trapped between the crucial need to care for yourself and the undeniable urge to care for those around you?  Well, for this conversation, Debbie gets into that very dilemma with Dr. Jordan Quaglia, as he challenges us to move beyond the 'either/or' of self-care and explore his revolutionary 'We Care' approach.  Jordan, who is the author of Self-Care to We Care: The New Science of Mindful Boundaries and Caring From an Undivided Heart, gives his take on the research on balancing self-care with caring for others and emphasizes the importance of holding both self-care and compassion for others simultaneously and offers practical strategies for setting healthy boundaries and integrating self-care into daily life. Come join Debbie and Jordan to redefine what it means to care! Listen and Learn:  Why balancing care for others and self-care isn't an either-or and the hidden choices in between When self-care crosses into avoidance or indulgence, it may signal disconnection rather than renewal Finding balance when caring for others overrides your own needs In moments of tragedy, do you become the superhero or collapse from the hurt? The We Care framework to transform self-care and caring for others into one balanced practice in everyday life Transform overwhelming empathy into sustainable compassion that fuels your action and protects your well-being How care-based boundaries protect your energy while deepening connection, not guilt Balancing self-care and caring for the world work together to fuel your resilience and action Resources:  From Self-Care to We-Care: The New Science of Mindful Boundaries and Caring from an Undivided Heart: https://bookshop.org/a/30734/9781645473473 Jordan's website: https://www.jordanquaglia.com/ Connect with Jordan on LinkedIn and Instagram:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordanquaglia  https://www.instagram.com/mindfulboundaries/?hl=en About Jordan Quaglia Jordan Quaglia, PhD, has spent over a decade researching and teaching on topics such as mindfulness, compassion, and boundaries. He is an associate professor of psychology at Naropa University, where he directs the Cognitive and Affective Science Laboratory and is research director for its Center for the Advancement of Contemplative Education. A recognized expert in the science of compassion, he has been designated as a research fellow by the Mind & Life Institute, a Contemplative Social Justice Scholar for Contemplative Mind in Society, and a panelist for multiple United Nations Day of Vesak conferences. In addition to his research, Jordan co-developed and regularly teaches an eight-week compassion training curriculum for hundreds of individuals. He lives with his wife in Boulder, Colorado. Book: From Self-Care to We-Care: The New Science of Mindful Boundaries and Caring from an Undivided Heart Related episodes:  374. Developing and Deepening Connections with Adam Dorsay  360. The Laws of Connection with David Robson  262. Hope and Values in Dark Times 254. Cultivating Compassion for a Lasting Connection with Michaela Thomas 234. The Power of Us with Dominic Packer  201. Fierce Compassion with Kristin Nef 105. The Self-Care Prescription with Robyn Gobin 75. Mindful Self-Compassion with Christopher Germer 65. Self-care, Kindness, and Living Well with Kelly Wilson  46. Altruism and the Flow of Compassion with Yotam Heineberg 32. Social Connection: Exploring Loneliness and Building Intimacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In a world constantly demanding our attention and energy, have you ever felt trapped between the crucial need to care for yourself and the undeniable urge to care for those around you?  Well, for this conversation, Debbie gets into that very dilemma with Dr. Jordan Quaglia, as he challenges us to move beyond the 'either/or' of self-care and explore his revolutionary 'We Care' approach.  Jordan, who is the author of Self-Care to We Care: The New Science of Mindful Boundaries and Caring From an Undivided Heart, gives his take on the research on balancing self-care with caring for others and emphasizes the importance of holding both self-care and compassion for others simultaneously and offers practical strategies for setting healthy boundaries and integrating self-care into daily life. Come join Debbie and Jordan to redefine what it means to care! Listen and Learn:  Why balancing care for others and self-care isn't an either-or and the hidden choices in between When self-care crosses into avoidance or indulgence, it may signal disconnection rather than renewal Finding balance when caring for others overrides your own needs In moments of tragedy, do you become the superhero or collapse from the hurt? The We Care framework to transform self-care and caring for others into one balanced practice in everyday life Transform overwhelming empathy into sustainable compassion that fuels your action and protects your well-being How care-based boundaries protect your energy while deepening connection, not guilt Balancing self-care and caring for the world work together to fuel your resilience and action Resources:  From Self-Care to We-Care: The New Science of Mindful Boundaries and Caring from an Undivided Heart: https://bookshop.org/a/30734/9781645473473 Jordan's website: https://www.jordanquaglia.com/ Connect with Jordan on LinkedIn and Instagram:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordanquaglia  https://www.instagram.com/mindfulboundaries/?hl=en About Jordan Quaglia Jordan Quaglia, PhD, has spent over a decade researching and teaching on topics such as mindfulness, compassion, and boundaries. He is an associate professor of psychology at Naropa University, where he directs the Cognitive and Affective Science Laboratory and is research director for its Center for the Advancement of Contemplative Education. A recognized expert in the science of compassion, he has been designated as a research fellow by the Mind & Life Institute, a Contemplative Social Justice Scholar for Contemplative Mind in Society, and a panelist for multiple United Nations Day of Vesak conferences. In addition to his research, Jordan co-developed and regularly teaches an eight-week compassion training curriculum for hundreds of individuals. He lives with his wife in Boulder, Colorado. Book: From Self-Care to We-Care: The New Science of Mindful Boundaries and Caring from an Undivided Heart Related episodes:  374. Developing and Deepening Connections with Adam Dorsay  360. The Laws of Connection with David Robson  262. Hope and Values in Dark Times 254. Cultivating Compassion for a Lasting Connection with Michaela Thomas 234. The Power of Us with Dominic Packer  201. Fierce Compassion with Kristin Nef 105. The Self-Care Prescription with Robyn Gobin 75. Mindful Self-Compassion with Christopher Germer 65. Self-care, Kindness, and Living Well with Kelly Wilson  46. Altruism and the Flow of Compassion with Yotam Heineberg 32. Social Connection: Exploring Loneliness and Building Intimacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this powerful episode of the Retreat Leaders Podcast, host Shannon Jamail welcomes trauma therapist and retreat coach Lesley Martin for a raw and insightful conversation about the emotional resilience and energetic boundaries required to lead transformational retreats. Lesley and Shannon dive deep into the often overlooked emotional toll retreat leaders face, especially when carrying their own unhealed trauma or managing the weight of participants' needs. They discuss how coaching and self-reflection can help retreat leaders grow beyond the therapy room, create healthier emotional boundaries, and avoid the path to burnout. You'll also get an inside look at Lesley's upcoming Morocco retreat for burned-out entrepreneurs, designed to help participants reset through cultural immersion, desert meditation, and intentional stillness in the Sahara. Episode Highlights: Why retreat leaders must address their own trauma to serve powerfully Energetic boundaries and grounding practices to prevent burnout Behind the scenes of Lesley's Morocco retreat: A transformational journey for service-based pros Coaching vs. therapy: When it's time to level up your personal growth Tools like Lesley's new digital workbook to reimagine what's possible Special offers for podcast listeners including a $200 discount on Lesley's upcoming retreat Whether you're navigating your own healing or simply want to hold space more effectively, this episode is filled with heartfelt wisdom, practical tools, and real talk about what it takes to lead (and live) with intention.   About Leslie Lesley is the coach, guide, and mentor for entrepreneurs and professionals who've been through trauma or adversity and now want to feel better and live more authentic and fulfilling lives. She helps empower people to change their lives for the better. Lesley brings over 20 years of knowledge and training as a holistic psychotherapist into her work to benefit her clients. Her approach is holistic, and she incorporates psychological, meditative, intuitive, and spiritual practices to help her clients heal, deepen their connection, and thrive.   She completed her Bachelor of Arts in Contemplative World Religions from Naropa University in Boulder, CO, and her Master of Arts in Mental Health Counseling from Medaille College. In 2021, Lesley completed a certification program in Life Coaching through The Life Coach School. Lesley is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in New York State and is the founder of WNY Holistic Counseling, A Whole-Person Approach to Therapy.  She is also the founder of Blue Lotus Soul Coaching, where she utilizes Life Coaching to help her clients live unencumbered, whole-hearted lives. She offers Akashic Records Readings, Trauma Clearing Sessions, Oracle Card Spreads, Psychotherapy Sessions, 1:1 Coaching Packages and unique Retreat Experiences.   Connect with Leslie https://lesleymartincoaching.com/    Free Gifts: $200 discount off the Sahara Soul Awakening Retreat if the participant mentions this episode: https://sahara-soul-awakening.myflodesk.com/  Possibility Pie workbook: https://sahara-soul-awakening.myflodesk.com/possibilitypie      The Retreat Leaders Podcast Resources and Links: Learn to Host Retreats Join our private Facebook Group Top 5 Marketing Tools Free Guide Free Top 11 Tips for Building an Email List  Get your legal docs for retreats   Thanks for tuning into the Retreat Leaders Podcast. Remember to subscribe for more insightful episodes, and visit our website for additional resources. Let's create a vibrant retreat community together!   Subscribe:  Apple Podcast | Google Podcast | Spotify

Mari Reisberg, MA, LPC, is a therapist, performer, certified creativity and innovation coach, and host of the Sustaining Creativity Podcast. She holds a BFA in Acting from the Hartt School and an MA in Somatic Counseling Psychology, Dance/Movement Therapy, from Naropa University. She currently splits time between her own private therapy practice, Courage to Create Counseling, and her own Sustaining Creativity business, where she works with performers and non-performers to spark, grow, sustain, share, and transform creativity in their lives. Mari believes life is way more fun when we tap into our creativityConnect with Mari here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mari-reisberg-b1320151/https://www.facebook.com/sustainingcreativity/https://www.instagram.com/sustainingcreativitywww.sustainingcreativity.comDon't forget to click below to download our FREE LinkedIn High Impact Posts Template for LinkedIn:https://www.thetimetogrow.com/ecsposttemplates

Send us a text! (add your email to get a response)Do we always have to choose between caring for ourselves vs. caring for others? Nope! Dr. Jordan Quaglia, associate professor at Naropa University, introduces us to "We-Care" – a revolutionary approach to caring that blends self-care and caring for others into an integrated practice where they mutually reinforce each other.Drawing from over a decade of research in mindfulness, compassion, and boundaries, Dr. Quaglia explains how self-care has evolved from a medical term to today's ubiquitous wellness practice, but suggests we're now ready for something more interconnected. The conversation delves into "care blind spots" – patterns in how we approach care that remain invisible to us. Some people habitually prioritize others at their own expense, while others may emphasize self-care to the point of undermining their social connections. When discussing boundaries, Dr.  Quaglia challenges conventional wisdom. Rather than seeing boundaries merely as expressions of self-care, he reframes them as actions that modify social situations to better align with our needs, values, and goals – while remaining awake to how our boundaries affect others. Healthy boundaries, when rooted in We-Care, balance both protection and connection.At the end of the conversation, Dr. Quaglia leads us through a "reverse self-compassion" practice that embodies We-Care principles, showing us what Dr. Qualia calls an "undivided heart" – the capacity to hold both self-care and care for others simultaneously.***If you have a loved one with mental illness and struggle to set boundaries, take care of yourself AND them at the same time, book a call with Dr. Kibby to learn how the KulaMind program can help. Resources:Check out Dr. Quaglia's new book hot off the presses: "From Self-Care to WeCare: The New Science of Mindful Boundaries and Caring from an Undivided Heart"Dr. Quaglia's IG @mindfulboundariesSupport the showIf you have a loved one with mental or emotional problems, join KulaMind, our community and support platform. In KulaMind, work one on one with Dr. Kibby on learning how to set healthy boundaries, advocate for yourself, and support your loved one. *We only have a few spots left, so apply here if you're interested. Follow @kulamind on Instagram for science-backed insights on staying sane while loving someone emotionally explosive. For more info about this podcast, check out: www.alittlehelpforourfriends.com Follow us on Instagram: @ALittleHelpForOurFriends

Today on Sense of Soul we have Rabbi Matthew Ponak, he is a teacher of Jewish mysticism, a spiritual counselor, and the author of Embodied Kabbalah: Jewish Mysticism for All People. Ordained with honors at the neo-Hasidic Rabbinical School of Hebrew College, he also holds a Master's degree in Contemplative Religions from the Buddhist-inspired Naropa University. Rabbi Matthew lives in Victoria, British Columbia and is certified as a Focusing Professional to guide others to deeper self-knowledge and healing through their bodies. Rabbi Matthew Ponak's new book, The Path of the Sephirot, comes out in April 2025. It is an experiential guide to counting the 49 days of the Omer, the period of time between the springtime holidays of Passover and Shavuot. In his latest offering, Rabbi Matthew combines traditional Kabbalah with practical everyday wisdom to help seekers of any background access the spiritual potential of this expansive time of year. https://a.co/d/3hqdNR5 To learn more about him, his offerings and speaking engagements, visit https://matthewponak.com Join the journey of The Path of the Sephiroth  https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/kabbalah-and-the-49-gates-counting-the-omer-for-spiritual-growth-tickets-1242543253319

In this episode, Veronique Mead, MD, MA, SEP, founder/consultant at Chronic Illness Trauma Studies interviews Psychologist Tony Madrid, PhD of Russian River Counselors on his work reversing asthma in children by helping their mothers heal from bonding disruptions. Childhood asthma can be cured if the child is not bonded with their mother. That occurs when babies are removed too soon from their mother or when the mother has suffered some terrible thing in her life, like divorce or death in the family. When the trauma is healed and a new birth is created in the mother's mind, the child's asthma will improve.Veronique Mead, MD, MA was a Dartmouth-affiliated assistant professor of family medicine and obstetrics. She retrained with a Master's degree in somatic psychotherapy from Naropa University and additional specialty training in pre and perinatal and other forms of trauma. For the past 25 years she has explored the scientific literature on how effects of trauma from the prenatal and other periods in a person's life can influence risk for autoimmune and other chronic illnesses. She shares the research on her blog Chronic Illness Trauma Studies https://chronicillnesstraumastudies.comTony Madrid, PhD has a Doctorate from Washington State University and completed a Fellowship in Medical Psychology at University of California at San Francisco. He ran California's licensing board for four years and was a lecturer at the University of San Francisco for 11 years. He's been a staff psychologist at Sonoma County for 3 years and a member of Russian River Counselors for 25 years. Madrid has over 30 papers published on Bonding Therapy and its cure for childhood asthma. https://mibsonoma.weebly.comIn This EpisodeContact Veronique:BlogFacebookLinkedInYouTubePinterestInstragramContact Tony:WebsiteEmail: madrid@sonic.netRussian River Counselors' phone: (707) 865-1200---If you'd like to support The Trauma Therapist Podcast and the work I do you can do that here with a monthly donation of $5, $7, or $10: Donate to The Trauma Therapist Podcast.Click here to join my email list and receive podcast updates and other news.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-trauma-therapist--5739761/support.

Raghu welcomes Tibetan Buddhist teacher Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche for a conversation on being diligent and consistent in our practice.Mindrolling is brought to you by Reunion. Reunion is offering $250 off any stay to the Love, Serve, Remember community. Simply use the code “BeHere250” when booking. Disconnect from the world so you can reconnect with yourself at Reunion. Hotel | www.reunionhotelandwellness.com Retreats | www.reunionexperience.orgIn this episode of Mindrolling, Raghu and Dzigar have a discourse on:Dzigar's upbringing in a Tibetan refugee camp in IndiaThe magic of the great Buddhist mastersUsing discriminating wisdom and blending Bhakti & BuddhismPractical ways to have a balanced lifeBeing a non-judgmental witness to ourselves, others, and the worldMeeting our intention with action rather than getting lost in the mundaneRemedying the three forms of laziness through consistent effortThe fruits of being diligent in our practiceShantideva, an 8th-century Indian philosopher, monk, and scholarMotivation and understanding how our actions serve usKnowing when to take a break in order to reenergize ourselves for full engagementThe joy in seeing through our intentions to the endAbout Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche:Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche was born in the Northern Indian province of Himachal Pradesh to Tibetan refugee parents. Rinpoche grew up in a monastic environment. He was trained in the Longchen Nyingtik lineage of the Nyingma school as well as the Khyen-Kong Chok-Sum lineages. He moved to the United States in 1989 with his family and began a five-year tenure as a professor of Buddhist philosophy at Naropa University (then Institute) in 1990. Not long after arriving in the United States, Rinpoche founded Mangala Shri Bhuti, an organization established to further the practice of the Longchen Nyingtik and Khyen-Kong Chok-sum lineages. He established a mountain retreat center, Longchen Jigme Samten Ling, in southern Colorado, where he spends much of his time in retreat and guides students in long-term retreat practice. When not in retreat, Rinpoche travels widely throughout the world teaching and furthering his own education. Keep up with Rinpoche's happenings HERE.Pick up your own copy of Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche's book, Diligence: The Joyful Endeavor of the Buddhist Path.“We need to succeed in our field to be able to meet our intention with action, to have concrete outcomes. Whether that is in the spiritual path, sports, business, or creating a balanced life with health and well-being for oneself and one's family, in all of this, the effort is essential. Effort in a way that is not sporadic, but consistent effort.“ – Dzigar Kongtrul RinpocheSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.