If you are a regular listener to the Contemplify podcast, you might be scratching your head and wondering why I am pairing a drink with this conversation. Let me explain. My pal Mark Longhurst runs the top-notch website OrdinaryMystic.net reached out to me some time ago inquiring if I’d ever consider being interviewed on Contemplify so my fellow contemplatives could get a better sense of who I am. I agreed on the condition that Mark be the one to take interviewer reins. So today I am in the hot ...
Dec 19, 2017•1 hr 7 min•Season 1Ep. 50
"Written with charming simplicity and wry humor, Midlife is a philosophically rich source of what might be called 'the higher life hacks' – reflective ways of dissolving the sense of emptiness and regret that tends to hit each of us with the onset of middle age. A work of disarming wisdom." - Jim Holt (author of Why Does the World Exist?) Have you ever asked yourself, what would my life have been like if I’d gone down another career path? Or wished you could release some past grudge that sits on...
Dec 05, 2017•54 min•Season 1Ep. 49
“Who touches this touches a man. Incredibly moving, risk-taking, original, and deep. I was in tears a number of times while reading it. Magnificent.” - Barry Spacks Teddy Macker is a guileless poet who incarnates the beauty and struggle of both the internal and external landscapes of this world we share. I would be lying if I didn’t say that one of my new life goals is buy Teddy a Lagunitas IPA and shoot the bull on all of life’s matter late into the evening. Macker is quick to laugh, invoke the...
Nov 21, 2017•1 hr 4 min•Season 1Ep. 48
“Mark, reading the poetry of Teddy Macker who I will interview on Monday. His poetry stops time. Equal parts Wendell Berry, Gary Snyder, St. Francis and yet completely his own man. I can't recommend enough him. His 'poem for my daughter' was my gateway, and the tears haven't stopped since. I've put a copy of his book, This World, in the mail for you. Best read in the still of night when the boys are in bed and a taste of whisky is not far from your lips.” What you just heard was a text I sent my...
Nov 20, 2017•9 min•Season 1Ep. 47
The winding road of life leads you to beautiful vistas and the shallows of hardship. Tracy Cochran shares her experiences of the vistas and the shallows in our conversation. We touch on the practices that enliven us, vulnerability as a superpower and how she got involved in her work at Parabola Magazine . One thing that particularly struck me about Tracy, was her incredible capacity for deep listening. After hearing our conversation, you will bear witness to the depth that she shares in her word...
Nov 07, 2017•55 min•Season 1Ep. 46
“Cal Newport is a clear voice in a sea of noise, bringing science and passion in equal measure. We don’t need more clicks, more cats, and more emojis. We need brave work, work that happens when we refuse to avert our eyes.” - Seth Godin Where is your attention right now? Do you find your attention span shrinking in the era of sound bites and clickbait headlines? Do you turn towards social media when a moment of boredom arises? Cal Newport has written a book that will upturn your perception of ho...
Oct 24, 2017•1 hr 1 min•Season 1Ep. 45
Barbara Holmes served as president of United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities, as well as professor of ethics and African American religious studies. She was ordained in the Latter Rain Apostolic Holiness Church in Dallas, Texas, and has privilege of call in the United Church of Christ and recognition of ministerial standing in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). In addition to her work with law firms, Holmes has worked with homeless missions, HIV/AIDS ministries, and internationa...
Oct 17, 2017•59 min•Season 1Ep. 44
Dr. Amy Oden is a Professor of Early Church History and Spirituality at the Saint Paul School of Theology. In her latest book Right Here, Right Now: The Practice of Christian Mindfulness Amy draws upon the roots and connection points of mindfulness found in the Christian Tradition. In this episode, Amy shares what ‘mindfulness’ means to her, her own practices to cultivate mindfulness, and the brilliance of Jesus using mindfulness metaphors such as ‘asleep’ and ‘awake’ in his teaching (and some p...
Oct 10, 2017•54 min•Season 1Ep. 43
Jeff Johnson has surfed distant shores, climbed mountains you’ve never heard of and travelled to corners of the world most people couldn’t place on a map. All of this is impressive, but what is most striking about Johnson is his authenticity. This genuineness comes across in his photography, his film 180 South and his book Bend to Baja . He is not dazzled by the flash of today, but seeks the wisdom of those who are further down the path of life. In our conversation Jeff shares why he gets up ear...
Sep 17, 2017•55 min•Season 1Ep. 42
“The Sacred Enneagram is not a just book about an ancient personality framework with a funny name. It is a roadmap to self-understanding written by one of the great spiritual practitioners of my generation. Read it now and you can thank me later.” – Jonathan Merritt (Contributing writer for The Atlantic ) How well do you know yourself? Are you able to name your basic desire or fear? The questions that linger around identity and intrinsic drives can be instigation for liberation, but without the ...
Sep 05, 2017•53 min•Season 1Ep. 41
‘What Richard Foster and Dallas Willard were to my generation – prime tour guides to the spiritual life – I hope and believe Carl McColman will be for the next generation. If you don’t know about him and his work, you should.' - Brian D. McLaren Have you ever had a dream that shook you to your core? Or been given a book at the exact time you needed it? I know I have and if either of those ring true for you, you will raise your pint glass and cheer with what your ears are hearing from my guest to...
Aug 28, 2017•1 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 40
‘ Christopher Pramuk’s latest work, At Play in Creation, offers a truly stunning introduction to the long-held but often forgotten Wisdom tradition. Priming our theological imaginations with the rich and sensuous language of poetry and with Merton’s poem Hagia Sophia as a guide, Pramuk opens us to the divine music hidden in each of our encounters and allows us to glimpse the unseen Reality whom Merton calls Sophia.' -- Kathleen Duffy, SSJ Christopher Pramuk is the author of Sophia: The Hidden Ch...
Aug 07, 2017•1 hr 1 min•Season 1Ep. 39
Tasha Wahl is the founder and creator of The Butterfly Effect whose mission statement is so lovely I want to share it here...The Butterfly Effect is an underground movement redefining philanthropy one “butterfly” at a time by providing individuals the opportunity to give to a cause close to their heart. Harnessing the power of social media, we create a ripple effect of contagious generosity through our Butterfly Drops and Wahl2Wall installations. We recognize that we can be the change we want to...
Jul 25, 2017•15 min•Season 1Ep. 38
My guest today is the multifaceted Jules Evans and trying to encapsulate Jules in a brief bio is near impossible, but let me start by sharing some his accolades: his first book, Philosophy for Life and Other Dangerous Situations was a Times Book of the Year in 2013 and was integral to the revival of Stoic philosophy that you see happening today, he is a research fellow at the Centre for the History of Emotions, Queen Mary University of London where he researches well-being and ecstatic experienc...
Jul 19, 2017•56 min•Season 1Ep. 37
Laura Dunn is the documentary filmmaker behind the film The Unforeseen , which took home the Independent Spirit Truer Than Fiction Award and was executive produced by Robert Redford and Terrence Malick. Laura’s latest film, Look & See: A Portrait of Wendell Berry in which she teams up Redford and Malick again, is the focus of this conversation. Put this stunningly beautiful documentary on your watch list. I’ve been an ardent follower of Wendell Berry’s work for years and this film is a glimp...
Jun 26, 2017•57 min•Season 1Ep. 36
Hey everyone, welcome to another episode of Contemplify, the basecamp for budding contemplative whose pursuit is to kindle the examined life through conversations with creatives, scholars and practitioners. My guest today is Andrew Hinton, filmmaker and co-director of the sublime Emmy-nominated documentary film, Tashi & the Monk. If you haven’t seen Tashi & the Monk, I can’t recommend it enough. It’s moving, funny, wise and at times heart-breaking. This film follows former Buddhist monk ...
Jun 20, 2017•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 35
Who is there that can make muddy water clear? But if allowed to remain still, it will gradually become clear of itself. Who is there that can secure a state of absolute repose? But let time go on, and the state of repose will gradually arise.' - Lao Tzu It’s graduation season. It is all too likely that someone in your circle is graduating from an esteemed institution, be it a university or local high school, or kindergarten. And with graduations comes graduation speakers….politicians, celebritie...
Jun 06, 2017•6 min•Season 1Ep. 34
‘This is a magnificent book [The Buddha Walks Into the Office] that just happens to be truly fun to read. Accessible, urgent, and life-changing.’ - Seth Godin Lodro Rinzler is a practitioner and teacher in the Shambhala Buddhist lineage, the founder of the MNDFL meditation studio (which New York Magazine just named the best place to learn meditation in NYC ) and the author of numerous books including; Love Hurts: Buddhist Advice for the Heartbroken , the bestselling book, The Buddha Walks into a...
May 22, 2017•53 min•Season 1Ep. 33
This bonus practice episode invites you to ground your being in contemplating the universe. This practice is from Nancy Ellen Abram's book, A God That Could Be Real (pp. 89 - 90)
May 19, 2017•5 min•Season 1Ep. 32
‘You will find that your beliefs are enriched by reading Abrams’s [A God That Could Be Real]. I am thrilled that we have the creativity and originality that is exhibited in this book, and I recommend it highly to all, religious or secular, believer or atheist, who are ready to explore honestly their understanding of the divine in our beautiful, expanding universe.’ - Desmond Tutu Nancy Ellen Abrams is the author of A God That Could Be Real . This episode will be of special interest for those who...
May 16, 2017•1 hr 3 min•Season 1Ep. 31
‘You get the sense that this guy practices what he preaches. There’s a confidence and peace that inspires.’ - Modern Sage Magazine David Michie is a presenter, mindful safari guide and author, best known for his novel series The Dalai Lama’s Cat . In our conversation we focused on the importance of meditation through the lens of his book, Hurry Up and Meditate: Your Starter Kit for Inner Peace and Better Health . You will hear David share how to overcome the usual hurdles to starting a meditatio...
May 08, 2017•36 min•Season 1Ep. 30
Scott Hartley is venture capitalist and author. In 2016 he was a finalist for the Financial Times and McKinsey & Company's Bracken Bower Prize for the best business book proposal by an author under 35. He has served as a Presidential Innovation Fellow at the White House, a Partner at Mohr Davidow Ventures (MDV), and a Venture Partner at Metamorphic Ventures. Prior to venture capital, Scott worked at Google, Facebook, and Harvard’s Berkman Center for Internet & Society. He has been a cont...
Apr 25, 2017•57 min•Season 1Ep. 29
"Henry David Thoreau, by no means the most conventional man of his time, lamented on his death bed, “What demon possessed me that I behaved so well.” He would have taken comfort in Holy Fools. They remind us of a deeper sanity that is sometimes hidden beneath apparent lunacy: the treasure of a God-centered life.” - Jim Forest ( Praying with Icons ) Jim Forest is the author of numerous books, including The Root of War is Fear: Thomas Merton’s Advice to Peacemakers . He serves as International Sec...
Apr 03, 2017•50 min•Season 1Ep. 28
Russell James Pyle (russelljamespyle.com) is a national touring Musician and Ecopsychologist based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Russell is one of a kind--an ambient folk troubadour, Buddhist, ecopsychologist, flyfisherman, avid hiker, comic book enthusiast, and with deep roots in the Pamunkey tribe. You will find that all of these elements flow through Russell and are expressed articulately through his music. We cover a lot of ground, Russell’s shift into a more contemplative way of being, the ap...
Mar 25, 2017•1 hr 8 min•Season 1Ep. 27
“ The thing about Alana [Levandoski] is that she’s gifted. She's not just gifted as a musician, which she is, but she’s gifted as a lyricist...she teased these words, kind of like mantras, highly evocative mantras. She strung them together in a developmental expansion. So it was really a stroke of creative insight. It was really lovely how she brought it together." - James Finley (via interview with Ordinary Mystic) After Alana Levandoski attended and graduated from the Living School for Action ...
Mar 17, 2017•47 min•Season 1Ep. 26
Stephen Blackmer is founding executive director of Kairos Earth and chaplain of Church of the Woods . Steve comes to this with 30 years of conservation experience, having founded and built conservation organizations including the Five Rivers Conservation Trust, Northern Forest Alliance and Northern Forest Center. A midlife shift led him to Yale Divinity School and ordination as a priest in the Episcopal Church, carrying the question in his heart and mind: “How can being a priest deepen my work t...
Mar 07, 2017•52 min•Season 1Ep. 25
�Rev. Dr. Peter Traben Haas is the author of several books, including Centering Prayers: A One Year Daily Companion for Going Deeper into the Love of God. Peter is steeped in the Christian contemplative tradition, passionate about bringing the contemplative mind into church communities and the sheer number of books mentioned in this episode could chart the course for your next year (or two) of reading.
Mar 01, 2017•47 min•Season 1Ep. 24
“Though I do not believe that a plant will spring up where no seed has been, I have great faith in a seed. Convince me that you have a seed there, and I am prepared to expect wonders.” - Henry David Thoreau Kevin Dann is a historian, naturalist, and troubadour, and author of ten books, including Expect Great Things: The Life and Search of Henry David Thoreau ; Bright Colors Falsely Seen: Synaesthesia and the Search for Transcendental Knowledge ; Across the Great Border Fault: The Naturalist Myth...
Feb 20, 2017•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 23
“[Charlie] Parr may have been born during the Nixon era, but you can taste the grit of the Dust Bowl in his music.”- Dusted Magazine In this episode, Charlie shares a reflection on Harlan and Anna Hubbard as they sought a simple life on the river and in the woods. You can learn more about Charlie and his music at charlieparr.com .
Feb 12, 2017•11 min•Season 1Ep. 22
Christine Koh is a music and brain scientist turned multimedia creative via channels as a speaker, writer, designer and consultant. She spent a decade in academia, during which time she was awarded prestigious fellowships from the National Institutes of Health to fund her Ph.D. research at Queen’s University and joint-appointment postdoctoral fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, and the Massachusetts Institutes of Technology. Christine was about to become a profe...
Feb 02, 2017•51 min•Season 1Ep. 21
