Michael Gelb is an internationally recognized authority on creative thought and visionary leadership who has provided his expertise to companies such as IBM and Nike for more than 30 years. The author of the bestselling How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci, Michael’s new book with Sounds True is Creativity On Demand: How to Ignite and Sustain the Fire of Genius. In this episode, Tami Simon speaks with Michael about what it takes to develop a “creative mindset” rather than a “fixed mindset.” They ...
Sep 30, 2014•1 hr 3 min
Joseph M. Marshall III is a teacher, historian, writer, storyteller, and a Lakota craftsman. Joseph’s expansive body of work includes nine nonfiction books, three novels, and numerous essays, stories, and screenplays. With Sounds True, he has produced the audio programs Quiet Thunder and Keep Going, as well as the book The Lakota Way of Strength and Courage. In this episode, Tami talks with Joseph about the inheritance of wisdom he received from his grandparents, the central teachings of the Lak...
Sep 23, 2014•48 min
Dr. Suhas Kshirsagar is a world-renowned Ayurvedic physician from a family of Vedic healers in India. He is the director of Ayurvedic Healing, an integrative wellness clinic in northern California, and an adviser and consultant at the Chopra Center. With Sounds True, he has released the six-session audio course Ayurvedic Wellness: The Art and Science of Vibrant Health, and the two-session audio Effortless Weight Loss: The Ayurvedic Way. In this episode, Tami speaks with Dr. Suhas about dietary w...
Sep 16, 2014•1 hr 9 min
Alanis Morissette is a Grammy® award-winning singer, songwriter, guitarist, record producer, and actress who has sold more than 60 million albums worldwide. In this special edition of Insights at the Edge, recorded live at the 2013 Emerging Women conference, Tami Simon and Alanis speak on the creative process and the ability to draw inspiration from one's fears. They also discuss the idea of the divine feminine and how it might be applied to a music industry fixated on the sexualization of women...
Sep 09, 2014•1 hr 5 min
Lorin Roche began meditating in 1968, and has sought to bring the joy of the practice to society at large ever since. As the developer of Instinctive Meditation, Lorin has created multiple book and audio projects on the subject—including Sounds True’s Meditation for Yoga Lovers. In this episode, Lorin and Tami Simon discuss his new book, The Radiance Sutras: 112 Gateways to the Yoga of Wonder and Delight and the process that went into its creation. They talk about the hard work of crafting a uni...
Sep 02, 2014•1 hr 11 min
Dr. John Welwood is a clinical psychologist, psychotherapist, and practicing student of Buddhism and Eastern contemplative psychology. Dr. Welwood is an author whose books include Journey of the Heart and Perfect Love, Imperfect Relationships. With Sounds True, he has created the audio learning program Conscious Relationships. In this episode, Tami Simon speaks with Dr. Welwood about his understanding of the relationship between psychological work and the spiritual journey, as well as his view o...
Aug 19, 2014•1 hr
Tami Simon speaks with Deva Premal, a classically trained singer and musician known around the world for her devotional chanting and the inspiring music she creates with her partner Miten. When performing, Deva and Miten both have incredible presence on stage and transmit a kind of openness and emptiness that is beautiful to be with and quite rare. Deva speaks about her experiences sharing music all around the world, mantras, and how devotional music can actually create a space that she believes...
Aug 12, 2014•56 min
A.H. Almaas—renowned as the creator of the “Diamond Approach” for spiritual and psychological inquiry—has published more than a dozen books on seeking wisdom and the true nature of reality. Most recently, he and his teaching partner Karen Johnson have released The Power of Divine Eros, which explores the pure energy behind physical desire. In this episode, Almaas is joined by Karen for a fascinating discussion with Tami Simon about how to fully connect with one's desires. The three also talk abo...
Aug 05, 2014•1 hr 8 min
Soloist Peter Jack Rainbird—along with his trusty vintage electric guitar and collection of homemade pedals—is said to create sounds that would seem to require a full orchestra. In this episode, Peter and Tami Simon talk about the origins of his unique personal sound and how it relates to nature, architecture, and society. They also discuss the process of discovering, nurturing, and expressing one's personal gifts. Finally, Peter introduces listeners to two excerpts from his new studio album rel...
Jul 29, 2014•1 hr 5 min
More than 30 years ago, Elizabeth Lesser helped cofound Omega Institute, now one of the world’s premiere centers for the exploration of the spiritual journey. These days, Elizabeth is known as the bestselling author of The Seeker’s Guide and Broken Open, as well as a frequent collaborator with Eckhart Tolle and Oprah Winfrey. In this episode, Elizabeth and Tami converse on the role of spiritual teachers, the power of prayer, and the inevitable price of wisdom. They also talk about fear and fearl...
Jul 22, 2014•1 hr 6 min
As a nuclear physicist and former university professor, Claude Poncelet may seem an unlikely choice to be one of the world’s foremost authorities on shamanic practice. Yet, Claude has taught shamanic spirituality worldwide for more than 25 years, and has recently written the book The Shaman Within: A Physicist’s Guide to the Deeper Dimensions of Your Life, the Universe, and Everything. In this episode, Tami and Claude discuss the innate sentience of all matter, the points where science and shama...
Jul 15, 2014•1 hr 13 min
Mukti is an associate teacher at Open Gate Sangha in Northern California, which she cofounded in 1996 with her husband, Adyashanti. As a teacher, Mukti points us back to our natural state of undivided consciousness, supporting the journey with feminine qualities of quietude and nurturing. Mukti has recently created a six-session audio learning series with Sounds True entitled The Self in Full Bloom: Teachings and Practices for Embodied Awakening. In this episode, Mukti speaks with Tami about her...
Jul 08, 2014•1 hr 6 min
Jon Kabat-Zinn is the founder and director of the Stress Reduction Clinic at the University of Massachusetts, whose trailblazing research has helped bring mindfulness meditation into mainstream medicine. Jon is the author of Wherever You Go, There You Are, and with Sounds True he has created many unique audio programs, including Adventures in Mindfulness and the Guided Mindfulness Meditation Series. In this episode, Tami speaks with Jon about the role of science in validating mindfulness practic...
Jul 01, 2014•1 hr 12 min
Solala Towler—a respected teacher of qigong, sound healing, and the principles of the Tao—speaks with Tami Simon about the Taoist perspective on sex and intimate relationships. Drawing from his new book, The Tao of Intimacy and Ecstasy, Solala discusses Taoist lovemaking, how to apply the energetics of qigong to sex, and how to approach issues of sexual vitality. He also talks about “The Watercourse Way” as applied to relationship and how to approach the natural ebb and flow of intimacy. Finally...
Jun 24, 2014•1 hr 2 min
Mark Coleman speaks with Tami Simon about the power of taking our spiritual practice into the natural world. Mark is the founder of the Mindfulness Institute and a senior teacher at Spirit Rock Meditation Center who teaches Insight Meditation worldwide, and is author of the book Awake in the Wild: Mindfulness in Nature as a Path of Self-Discovery. In this episode, Mark recalls some of the most important wisdom he’s gained from his immersive retreats in nature, how nature can be a mirror for our ...
Jun 17, 2014•58 min
James Finley, a renowned teacher in the Christian contemplative tradition, speaks with Tami Simon about the enduring wisdom of 14th century Christian mystic Meister Eckhart. James, who studied at the Abbey of Gethsemani with Thomas Merton, is the author of the book Christian Meditation, and with Sounds True has created many audio courses, the latest of which is Meister Eckhart’s Living Wisdom: Indestructible Joy and the Path of Letting Go. In this episode, James speaks with Tami about what he ha...
Jun 10, 2014•1 hr 7 min
Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor is a Harvard-trained neuroanatomist and the New York Times bestselling author of the memoir My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist’s Personal Journey, in which she describes experiencing a rare form of stroke and her eight-year recovery. In this episode, Dr. Taylor speaks with Tami about the two hemispheres of the brain and how to integrate them, how to maintain a balanced brain, and the importance of nurturing the right brain in today’s left brain-dominant society. (65 mi...
Jun 03, 2014•1 hr 5 min
Dr. James S. Gordon, the founder and director of the Center for Mind-Body Medicine and a clinical professor at the Georgetown University School of Medicine, speaks with Tami Simon about self-healing strategies for overcoming depression. Dr. Gordon is the author of Unstuck, and with Sounds True he has created the six-session audio program Freedom from Depression: A Practical Guide for the Journey. In this episode, Tami speaks with Dr. Gordon about the actual research on antidepressants and their ...
May 27, 2014•57 min
David Darling, a Grammy®-winning cellist and maverick musician who redefines the way the cello is played and the way music is taught, speaks with Tami Simon about his unique perspective on music. With Sounds True, David has released a new record called In Love and Longing with vocalist Sylvia Nakkach, as well as Just Being Here, a collaboration with Coleman Barks featuring David’s music and the poetry of Rumi. In this episode, David and Tami discuss the cello as an instrument of melancholy, what...
May 20, 2014•1 hr 12 min
Dee Joy Coulter speaks with Tami Simon about the nature of the creative mind. Dee is a nationally recognized neuroscience pioneer with a doctorate in neurological studies and holistic education from the University of Northern Colorado. With Sounds True, she has recently released the book Original Mind: Uncovering Your Natural Brilliance and an audio program called A Guided Tour of Brain Development. In this episode, Dee examines why the creative mind values emptiness and open focus, how we can r...
May 13, 2014•1 hr 8 min
What is the active ingredient in plant spirit medicine? Eliot Cowan tells us that the answer is friendship. In this edition of Insights at the Edge, the author of Plant Spirit Medicine speaks with Tami about engaging in a friendship with plant spirits, and compares the act of connecting with plant spirits in your local area versus working with the spirits of plants from distant places. Tami and Eliot also discuss “great teacher plants” such as marijuana and the plants from which ayahuasca is der...
May 06, 2014•1 hr 12 min
Elizabeth Gilbert speaks with Tami Simon about the magic of creative living. Elizabeth is a novelist, essayist, and author most widely known for her bestselling memoir Eat Pray Love, and has recently released her latest novel, The Signature of All Things, which O, The Oprah Magazine calls “the novel of a lifetime.” In this episode, Elizabeth challenges the myth of the tortured artist, offering her insights for allowing creativity to be a joyous and pleasurable pursuit. She also reveals how ideas...
Apr 29, 2014•44 min
Adyashanti speaks with Tami Simon about his understanding of the story of Jesus. Adyashanti is an American-born teacher trained in the Zen tradition who teaches today about the process of spiritual awakening. With Sounds True, his latest project is a book and audio program called Resurrecting Jesus: Embodying the Spirit of a Revolutionary Mystic. In this episode, Adya examines the deep mythic underpinnings of the story of Jesus and how it can serve as a map of awakening. He also talks about Jesu...
Apr 22, 2014•1 hr 19 min
Tami Simon speaks with Donna Eden, a renowned energy medicine expert who has taught throughout the US, Australia, New Zealand, Europe, and South America. Along with her partner David Feinstein, Donna is author of the books Energy Medicine and Energy Medicine for Women. With Sounds True she has produced the multimedia program The Energy Medicine Kit. In this episode, Tami speaks with Donna about her experiences as someone who both sees energy and has healed herself from serious medical challenges...
Apr 15, 2014•1 hr 3 min
Deena Metzger—author, poet, teacher, and the creator of the classic Sounds True audio title This Body, My Life—has an in-depth conversation with Tami Simon. Tami and Deena discuss her work with the ReVisioning Medicine organization and the necessity of listening to the story that chronic illness is trying to tell you about your body. They also talk about creating a “literature of restoration,” intended to promote values other than those pushed by materialistic society and to focus on what is tru...
Apr 08, 2014•1 hr 2 min
In a special Insights at the Edge sponsored by Spirituality & Health magazine, Tami Simon interviews the founder and editor-in-chief of The Huffington Post, Arianna Huffington. They converse about Arianna’s recently published book, Thrive: The Third Metric to Redefining Success and Creating a Life of Well-Being, Wisdom, and Wonder, and what it means to truly incorporate the principles of the Third Metric into one’s life. They also speak about the increasing visibility of devotion to the inne...
Apr 01, 2014•55 min
Tami Simon speaks with Dr. José Luis Stevens, a leading shamanic teacher who brings indigenous wisdom to personal and organizational challenges. José is the cofounder of the Power Path School of Shamanism and the author of 18 books and ebooks, including his latest book with Sounds True, Awaken the Inner Shaman: A Guide to the Power Path of the Heart. In this episode, Tami speaks with José about what the Inner Shaman is and how we can access it through practice and surrender. He explores shamanic...
Mar 25, 2014•1 hr 7 min
On this week’s Insights at the Edge, Tami Simon interviews author and poet Roger Housden, creator of the New York Times bestseller Ten Poems to Change Your Life. With Sounds True, Housden has recently published the book Keeping the Faith Without a Religion. Tami and Roger have a conversation regarding the extraordinary access contemporary peoples have to different faiths, as well as why increasing distrust of authority has driven many away from traditional religious practice. They also discuss h...
Mar 18, 2014•1 hr 7 min
Tami Simon speaks with Coleman Barks, a leading scholar and translator of the 13th century Persian mystic, Jelaluddin Rumi. Coleman’s work was the subject of an hour-long segment in Bill Moyers’ Language of Life series with PBS. He has published numerous Rumi translations, including with Sounds True the audio programs I Want Burning, Rumi: Voice of Longing, and his new three-CD collaboration with cellist David Darling called Just Being Here: Rumi and Human Friendship. In this episode, Tami speak...
Mar 11, 2014•1 hr 3 min
Founder of the Neurosculpting® Institute Lisa Wimberger speaks with Tami Simon about how people can change their ingrained beliefs and conditioned behaviors using her revolutionary method. Neurosculpting takes a whole-brained approach to changing the way we deal with stress. Lisa relates how to “set up our brains for change” by calming our fight, flight, and freeze response, and guides us through a Neurosculpting session so we can see how we might respond in a new way to a stressful situation. (...
Mar 04, 2014•1 hr 5 min
