The Desert Fathers & Mothers of Egypt in the 4th century BCE recognized how the constant drive to always be working can be like a "demon," destroying our physical, emotional, and spiritual health and relationships. In this live talk and guided meditation we'll reflect together on their wisdom to seek balance in our fast-paced world.
Matthew Mumber, M.D., practices medicine as a board-certified radiation oncologist with the Harbin Clinic in Rome. After entering private practice, Matt attended and graduated from Dr. Andrew Weil’s fellowship in integrative medicine at the University of Arizona, where he met Rachel Remen and attended trainings on facilitation of physician-patient retreat groups through Commonweal. Subsequently, Matt attended and graduated from a 2-year program on spirituality at the Living School for Action and...
Toni Stogdill is a Realtor and the Director of Communications for the Master Investor's Tribe (St. Louis, MO). She recently participated in our "Centering for Wisdom" group coaching program and shares her journey of contemplative transformation. Toni is a real-life busy, overwhelmed, stressed out professional like many of you who has integrated a daily centering practice into her life (she knew absolutely nothing about contemplative prayer before we met). That has helped her to get crystal clear...
Julius B. Anthony is Founder and President of St. Louis Black Authors of Children’s Literature and The Believe Project. He has enjoyed more than 20 years as an early childhood and elementary education professional and has served as a classroom teacher, principal, director of curriculum and insruction, and adjunct professor. Throughout his career, Julius has enjoyed writing motivational poems and short stories for his students and serving as a fierce advocate of literacy-based PK-12 education. In...
Ben Gioia (“joya”) is a two-time best-selling author, speaker, and creator of the Influence With A Heart® Method. If you have a BIG IDEA, Ben will teach you how to write your #1 best selling book — in 5 weeks — and position yourself for a media explosion (and more) in 3 months. Ben helped a Fortune 100 company shift culture, trained leaders at Stanford, launched the world's biggest magazine, and created video game with MIT to transform employee resilience and customer experience. Ben’s signature...
Dr. Waldinger has one of the most viewed Ted Talks of all time, with over 100 million views – it’s called “What Makes for a Good Life?” Just to give you a teaser, he gives us the answer to what makes for happiness in just two words, within the first five minutes of the show! Bob Waldinger is also a clinical psychiatrist at Harvard and the current Director of the Harvard Study on Adult Development. The study began in 1938, it’s now in its 83rd year, it is the longest running research study ever c...
For this episode I am your co-host, along with Nick Zolfo, the host of the podcast “Catching ZZ’s: A Millennial’s Guide to Mindfulness.” Nick and I were introduced by a mutual colleague, and we realized that we have a very similar purpose behind our podcasts – which is to highlight the wisdom of others’ spiritual practices and share it with as many people as possible. Since we are so aligned, we decided to make this a co-interview, just taking turns interviewing each other about meditation pract...
Keith Kristich lives in Buffalo, NY with his partner and wife, Colleen. He’s a self-described lover of nature, good conversation, and am often found with a book, banjo, or guitar in hand. In his own words, he says “My ultimate aim is to help people slow down and reconnect with their deepest and truest self.” Two things stand out about this interview. First, Keith discovered meditation “by accident.” Of course, nothing happens by accident, but he started his journey just by being naturally drawn ...
In this special episode I want to reflect on our global connection to each other, and to invite each of you to open your heart as you engage the fears and anxieties that we’re feeling right now during the coronavirus pandemic.
Ven. Kusala Bikshu is an American-born monk ordained in the Zen Tradition of Vietnam and head monk at the International Buddhist Meditation Center in the Korea town section of Los Angeles. Kusala is a member of the Buddhist-Roman Catholic Dialogue of Los Angeles and MID – Monastic Inter-religious Dialogue, a national organization of Buddhists and Catholics. I was introduced to Kusula through Fr. William Skudlarek, who is a Benedictine monk at St. John’s Abbey and has been active in inter-monasti...
Mag Dimond is the award-winning author of Bowing to Elephants: Tales of a Travel Junkie (which hit #1 in 5 countries on the day it launched and just won Best Indie Biographies & Memoirs from Kirkus). Her book has been compared to EAT, PRAY, LOVE in professional reviews and has received accolades from many thought leaders in the mindfulness space, including Jack Kornfield. It’s full of stories of her travels around the world, self-discovery, healing, food, and so much more. Mag has been a wor...
Fr. Bill dives deep into the practice of Centering Prayer right from the first question in this episode. Jim McElroy, my guest on [episode 19](https://thomasjbushlack.com/episode19/), mentioned Fr. Bill Sheehan as a frequent retreat leader in the 12-Step Contemplative Outreach community, and he suggested inviting Bill to be a guest. This was sage advice! Fr. Bill is a priest and a member of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate (O.M.I.), and has a Masters Degree in Formative Spirituality fro...
Fr. Columba Stewart is kind of like a cross between a Benedictine monk and Indiana Jones! Since becoming the executive director of the Hill Monastic Manuscript Library (HMML) at St. John’s Abbey in 2003, Columba has traveled extensively throughout the Middle East, Africa, Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, and India, cultivating relationships with communities possessing manuscript collections from the early medieval to early modern periods. A graduate of Harvard, Yale, and Oxford universities, Father...
**Michael Poffenberger** is the Executive Director of the Center for Action & Contemplation in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and he is part of a younger generation of leaders seeking to integrate contemplative practices with compassionate social action. Michael was inspired in college by spending time with Saint Mother Teresa and her sisters of charity in Kolkata, India, and then learning about the work of Dorothy Day and the Catholic Worker Movement, and the writings of Thomas Merton on contempl...
After 10+ years practicing Internal Medicine in a busy urban hospital, Dr Jill Wener knows firsthand what severe stress and burnout feel like. In the midst of her own burnout, she was introduced to [Conscious Health Meditation](www.meditationinmedicine.com), and it had a profound effect on her resilience and reactivity. Like many healthcare professionals, Jill was initially skeptical of spiritual practices. However, as she learned the science behind Conscious Health Meditation, she embraced the ...
There are some real delights waiting for you in this episode - especially when Sarah reflects on St. Paul's writings about no longer thinking about ourselves and our egos - I found this so liberating from the way we tend to focus on ourselves and only up making our suffering worse. We also sort of go off script toward the end, when Sarah asks me about living in the current climate in the United States today as a committed contemplative. I hope you'll find some encouragement in our exchange and S...
After my interview with Fr. Laurence Freeman, OSB, (Episode 14), he immediately suggested that I get in touch with Dr. Barry White. Listeners are going to be very grateful for this connection Dr. Barry White, M.D., is hematologist and an executive board member of VHI Health and Wellbeing, a part of [VHI](https://www.vhi.ie/home) - the largest health insurance provider in Ireland. He was a keynote speaker at the John Main Seminar in 2018, hosted by the [World Community for Christian Meditation](h...
I first met Fr. Laurence at the New Contemplative Exchange in Snowmass Colorado in August of 2017. He was there as one of the representatives of what we affectionately call the "Big 4" networks of Christian contemplative practice - along with Fr. Thomas Keating (Contemplative Outreach, Ltd.), Rev. Dr. Tilden Edwards (Shalem Institute), Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM (Center for Action and Contemplation). Laurence Freeman was born in England in 1951 where he was educated by the Benedictines and studied En...
Maria Gullo describes how God frees us from the "imposter self" in contemplation, and how a daily practice helps to integrate our many roles in life. Maria Gullo is a fellow teacher of Centering Prayer and on the Insight Timer app, the creator of TheDeeperConnection.org, a trained and experienced spiritual director, and a small business owner. Maria first reached out to me after we found each others' teachings on Insight Timer, and it took is over a year to finally connect. The word that stands ...
Louis Komjathy 康思奇 (Ph.D., Religious Studies; Boston University) is Associate Professor of Chinese Religions and Comparative Religious Studies at the University of San Diego, and Research Fellow of the Mind & Life Institute. A leading teacher-scholar of Daoism (Taoism) and Contemplative Studies, he has particular interests in contemplative practice, embodiment, and mystical experience. He is also founding Co-chair (2004-2010) of the Daoist Studies Unit of the American Academy of Religion, fo...
Fr. Stuart Higginbotham, an Episcopal priest in Gainesville, GA, is another one of the thoughtful and inspiring persons I met at the New Contemplative Exchange in Snowmass, CO, last August (2017). This interview stood out for me because of the very intentional way in which Stuart is bringing a contemplative disposition into his leadership role as pastor and priest at Grace Episcopal Church. His approach to leadership exemplifies what happens when we work to remove our ego and self-will from dail...
Lerita Coleman Brown, PhD, Professor of Psychology Emerita at Agnes Scott College, is a spiritual director/companion, writer, retreat leader, and speaker. A graduate of the Spiritual Guidance Program at the Shalem Institute (founded by Tilden Edwards, Episode 3), Lerita writes about and promotes contemplative spirituality in everyday life, the life and work of Howard Thurman, and uncovering the peace and joy in one’s heart. Dr. Brown was the retreat director and keynote speaker at the "Sewanee C...
The Rev. Matthew Wright is an Episcopal priest, writer, and retreat leader working to renew the Christian Wisdom tradition. He serves as priest-in-charge at St. Gregory’s Episcopal Church in Woodstock, NY and is a teacher for Northeast Wisdom and The Contemplative Society, non-profits rooted in the teaching lineage of Cynthia Bourgeault. Matthew lives with his wife, Yanick, alongside the brothers of Holy Cross Monastery in West Park, NY. Matthew Wright is emerging as one of the most dynamic youn...
I was introduced to Dr. Stephen Parker by a friend who suggested I reach out to him given my interests in psychology, yoga, and contemplative practices. We worked together for a brief time in therapy, but quickly moved into a spiritual friendship. I received initiation from him in 2013, and he remains one of my principle teachers of contemplation. I am grateful for his warmth and generosity, and he has helped me to understand how yoga as the science of spiritual practice can be fully integrated ...
Myra Rucker is a yoga instructor at the YMCA, [Nokomis yoga](http:////www.nokomisyoga.com/), and a teacher at [Common Ground Buddhist meditation center](http:commongroundmeditation.org/)in Minneapolis, MN. This episode was particularly fun for me because Myra was my first yoga teacher, and she has become a good friend and a wonderful conversation partner on this path of contemplative transformation. I met Myra about 7 or 8 years ago I walked into a yoga studio at the YMCA in downtown Minneapolis...
Chris Heuertz was introduced to the Enneagram by a friend in India and it radically changed his life - leading to a shocking and difficult awakening, a "severe mercy," but one that led him on a journey of self-discovery and in-depth study of the Enneagram system and process of spiritual transformation. The wisdom of this journey is collected in his recent book, The Sacred Enneagram: Finding Your Unique Path to Spiritual Growth. This interview breaks open a deeper understanding of the Enneagram, ...
This bonus track is an edited snippet from my interview with Chris Heuertz for the Contemplate This! podcast, conversations on contemplation and compassion. My interview with Chris was so rich and in-depth that I wanted to break out this 7 minute section where he gives a very concise overview of what the Enneagram is - or better, how it functions as a tool for spiritual growth and integration - and he gives an incredible overview of the nine personality typologies, or as he calls them the nine p...
Phileena is a founding co-director of Gravity Center: a Center for Contemplative Activism (in Omaha, NE), along with her husband Chris. She has spent her life in social justice work among the world’s poor. A member of the New Friar movement, for nearly 20 years she and her husband Chris served with Word Made Flesh in more than 70 countries building community among victims of human trafficking, survivors of HIV and AIDS, abandoned children and child soldiers and war brides. Author, spiritual dire...
This third interview is with the Rev. Dr. Tilden Edwards, an Episcopalian priest and founding member, former Executive Director, and now Senior Fellow of the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation. Shalem is a Hebrew word meaning "whole" or "complete," or as Tilden explains in this podcast, the Hebrew captures the notion of "movement toward wholeness." According to their website, "Shalem is grounded in Christian contemplative spirituality yet draws on the wisdom of many religious traditions." ...
This second episode is an interview with Cynthia Bourgeault. Cynthia is an ordained Episcopalian priest, and beloved teacher of contemplative forms of Christian practice, Founder of the Wisdom Way of Knowing, teacher in the Wisdom School, and now a core teacher at the Center for Action and Contemplation in Albequerque NM. She has been a prolific author of 9 books, notably Centering Prayer and Inner Awakening and her most recent, The Heart of Centering Prayer: Nondual Christianity in Theory and P...
