Spirit Matters Talk

Rachel Zinman discussion by Discussion by Dennis and Phil

Kimberly Braun is a Minister and spiritual teacher who spent more than ten years as a Carmelite monastic nun. A meditation coach, she has been devoted to meditation from the age of five. She earned a Masters degree in theology in 2001 with a concentration on the adult spiritual journey, and is a keynote speaker and a retreat a workshop facilitator. Her new book about her years as a monastic is Love Calls, Insights of a former Carmelite nun. Her non-profit, TheikoSoma (Divine Body) aims to provide spiritual experiences through ritual gatherings, a mystic school and a video forum. Learn more about Kimberly Braun here: www.kimberlybraun.com and here www.EssenceMeditation.net

Kimberly Braun discussion by Discussion by Dennis and Phil

Rachel Harris, PhD is the author of Listening to Ayahuasca. She was in private practice as a psychotherapist for thirty-five years and worked as a research scientist for a decade. A recipient of a National Institutes of Health New Investigator’s Award, Dr. Harris has published more than forty scientific studies in peer-reviewed journals, and has worked as a psychological consultant to Fortune 500 companies and the United Nations. She lives on an island off the coast of Maine. We spoke about her groundbreaking research on Ayahuasca and the people who use it for spiritual purposes. Learn more about Rachel Harris here: http://www.listeningtoayahuasca.com.

Rachel Harris discussion by Discussion by Dennis and Phil

Lynne Twist has been a recognized global visionary committed to alleviating poverty, ending world hunger and supporting social justice and environmental sustainability for more than 40 years. From working with Mother Teresa to the refugee camps in Ethiopia and the threatened rainforests of the Amazon, as well as guiding the philanthropy of some of the world’s wealthiest families, Lynne’s work has brought her a deep understanding of people’s relationship with money. Her compelling life experiences inspired Lynne to write her best-selling book, The Soul of Money: Transforming Your Relationship with Money and Life. She has also written numerous articles and contributed chapters to more than ten books. A popular keynote speaker, she is the founder of the Soul of Money Institute and has worked with over 100,000 people in 50 countries in the arenas of fundraising with integrity, conscious philanthropy, strategic visioning and creating a healthy relationship with money. We spoke about issues at the intersection of

Lynne Twist discussion by Discussion by Dennis and Phil

Menas C. Kafatos, Ph.D., is the Fletcher Jones Endowed Professor of Computational Physics, and Director of the Center of Excellence of Earth Systems Modeling and Observations at Chapman University. He is also associated with Korea University, the National Observatory of Athens, Hellas, and the Nalanda Institute for Consciousness Studies and Research. A quantum physicist, cosmologist, natural hazards and climate change researcher, he works on quantum physics and the nature of the mind, cosmic Awareness and topics bridging science to metaphysics and philosophy. He holds lectures and seminars on the natural laws that apply everywhere, for well-being and success. He is the author or editor of 17 books, including The Conscious Universe; Looking In, Seeing Out; and the New York Times bestseller You Are the Universe (coauthored with Deepak Chopra). We spoke about various issues around the intersection of science and spirituality. Learn more about Menas Kafatos here: http://www.menaskafatos.com/about-menas

Menas Kafatos discussion by Discussion by Dennis and Phil

Paul Muller-Ortega, Ph.D., is one of the world’s most highly respected scholars in the field of Indian Religion and Hindu Tantra. He is the founder of Blue Throat Yoga, which teaches the Svatantra philosophy of Kashmir Shaivism, along with the practice of Neelakantha Meditation. For nearly fifty years, Paul has been a pioneer in the technology of Consciousness, lecturing and teaching about meditation and Indian philosophy to hundreds of thousands in North and South America, Europe, and India. Through his books, articles, essays, commentaries, and translations, he has earned a reputation for a remarkable capacity to convey esoteric truths and teachings in an accessible and relevant way. Paul is the author of The Triadic Heart of Shiva: Kaula Tantricism of Abhinavagupta on the Non-Dual Shaivism of Kashmir, as well as numerous scholarly articles. Now retired from twenty-five years teaching at Michigan State and the University of Rochester, Paul teaches how to abide in the heart of Consciousness, a journey that i

Paul Mueller Ortega discussion by Discussion by Dennis and Phil

Dr. Larry Brilliant is a pioneering physician, visionary technologist and global philanthropist who was named one of Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people. His memoir, Sometimes Brilliant, is a remarkable story that illuminates some of the most significant moments in the generation of Baby Boomer activists and spiritual seekers. Currently the Chair of the Skoll Global Threats Fund, which focuses on ending pandemics and the threats posed by climate change and other challenges, Dr. Brilliant’s life of public service began in the Himalayan ashram of the great spiritual teacher Neem Karoli Baba, who told him to work for the World Health Organization and help eradicate smallpox. Later, he co-founded, with Ram Dass and others, the Seva Foundation, whose programs have given sight to more than 4 million blind people in dozens of countries. We talked about his time with Neem Karoli and how the guru’s legacy continued to inspire and inform Larry’s work in public health. Learn more about Larry Brilliant here. htt

Larry Brilliant discussion by Discussion by Dennis and Phil

Yogi Amrit Desai has been a leading figure in the world of yoga since 1960, when he began teaching in Philadelphia. He founded some of the largest yoga and health centers in North America, including the Yoga Society of Pennsylvania, Kripalu Yoga Center, and the Amrit Yoga Institute in Salt Springs, Florida, where he currently teaches and resides. Amritji has reached millions through his international trainings, workshops, seminars, and conferences, and he has trained more than 8,000 yoga and yoga nidra teachers around the world to teach the inner dimension of yoga that he developed. His many publications include Kripalu Yoga: Meditation in Motion; Amrit Yoga: Explore, Expand, and Experience the Spiritual Depth of Yoga; and Amrit Yoga and the Yoga Sutras. We spoke about the origins of his work in yoga, his innovative methods, his ongoing projects and his observations about the past half century of yoga in the West. Learn more about Yogi Amrit Desai here: https://www.amrityoga.org/gurudev-amritji-desai/

Yogi Amrit Desai discussion by Discussion by Dennis and Phil

Rev Michael Bernard Beckwith interview by Discussion by Dennis and Phil

Rev Michael Bernard Beckwith discussion by Discussion by Dennis and Phil

Jai Uttal is a singer, multi-instrumentalist and producer. Hailed as a world music pioneer, he was among the first to hear the universal heartbeat in the variegated rhythms of the globe. His powerful voice and panoramic musical vision have also been at the core of the yoga community’s embrace of the traditional call-and-response devotional chanting known as Kirtan. Having studied for years with the Indian sarod master Ali Akbar Khan, Jai’s music is deeply rooted in the Indian classical tradition, but it is also plentifully imbued with other influences, including reggae, rock, folk, Brazilian music and Bollywood. We spoke about how he came to his unique devotional music, his guru Neem Karoli Baba, and his latest CD, “Roots, Rock, Rama!” Learn more about Jai Uttal here. http://jaiuttal.com/

Jai Uttal discussion by Discussion by Dennis and Phil

Shinzen Young is an American mindfulness teacher and neuroscience research consultant with an extensive background in Buddhism and other traditions. As he puts it, “I’m a Jewish-American Buddhist teacher who got turned on to comparative mysticism by an Irish-Catholic priest and who has developed a Burmese-Japanese fusion practice inspired by the spirit of quantified science.” The author of The Science of Enlightenment: How Meditation Works, he has collaborated with Harvard Medical School, Carnegie-Mellon University and the University of Vermont. He leads residential retreats throughout North America and phone-based mini-retreats. We spoke about his personal background, his decades of teaching, the various forms of Buddhism and the adaptation of traditional practices to modern secular life. Learn more about Shinzen Young here: http://www.shinzen.org/about/