Rabbi Rami Shapiro is an award-winning author, teacher, and former congregational rabbi whose written prayers are used in books around the world. With Sounds True, he has published the spoken-word offering How to be a Holy Rascal and the forthcoming book Holy Rascals: Advice for Spiritual Revolutionaries. In this episode of Insights at the Edge, Rami and Tami Simon talk about the concept of the "holy rascal" and just what it takes to become one. Rami speaks on his background as a rabbi and how h...
Feb 14, 2017•1 hr 8 min
Larry Ward is both a Baptist minister and a teacher of the Buddhist dharma, personally ordained by Thich Nhat Hanh. A lifelong advocate for nonviolent social change, Larry draws his main inspiration from the life and works of Martin Luther King, Jr. He will be a featured presenter on Sounds True's Year of Mindfulness program. In this episode of Insights at the Edge, Tami Simon and Larry discuss how to tap into inner reservoirs of resilience and the factors that keep us from performing our very b...
Feb 07, 2017•1 hr 4 min
Bonnie Badenoch is a therapist, teacher, and author who has devoted much of her career to helping trauma survivors and those with attachment wounds to rediscover balance and resilience in their lives. With Sounds True, Bonnie has created the online course Trauma and the Embodied Brain, which is the first eight-week module in a yearlong curriculum called Leading Edge of Psychotherapy. In this episode of Insights at the Edge, Bonnie and Tami Simon speak on the modern understanding of how traumatic...
Jan 31, 2017•1 hr
Reverend angel Kyodo williams is an activist, master trainer, founder of the Center for Transformative Change, and the acclaimed author of Being Black: Zen and the Art of Living with Fearlessness and Grace and Radical Dharma: Talking Race, Love, and Liberation. Rev. angel will be a featured presenter on Sounds True's upcoming A Year of Mindfulness program—a unique yearlong series of monthly talks given by a group of meditation teachers from a diverse background of traditions. In this episode of ...
Jan 24, 2017•47 min
Theresa Reed is a recognized expert in the field of Tarot reading who writes, speaks, podcasts, and coaches on the subject. With Sounds True she has released The Tarot Coloring Book, a full-length reference to the imagery and importance of the classic Rider Waite deck that doubles as an engaging coloring experience. In this episode of Insights at the Edge, Tami Simon and Theresa discuss the heart of Tarot and how it's not simply a passive tool. They speak on the concept of adult coloring books a...
Jan 17, 2017•52 min
Dr. Shamini Jain is a psychologist, scientist, and social entrepreneur who is also the founder and director of the Consciousness Healing Initiative (CHI). She will be a featured presenter on Sounds True's upcoming Energy Healing Summit, where she will speak on "Biofield Science: How Consciousness Catalyzes Healing." In this episode of Insights at the Edge, Tami Simon and Shamini speak on how biofields are the missing link in understanding how consciousness affects our health. They also discuss b...
Jan 17, 2017•1 hr 5 min
José Luis Stevens is an author, international lecturer, teacher, psychologist, licensed clinical social worker, and the cofounder of the Power Path School of Shamanism and the Center for Shamanic Education and Exchange. With Sounds True, José has written a new book called Encounters with Power: Adventures and Misadventures on the Shamanic Path of Healing. In this episode of Insights at the Edge, Tami Simon and José discuss his definition of "power" and the necessity of approaching it from a sham...
Jan 13, 2017•1 hr 15 min
Amy Kurtz is a health coach and Pilates instructor whose painful, multi-decade struggle with chronic illness made her decide to stand up and take better charge of her life. Now much healthier and happier, Amy describes her nightmarish journey through modern medicine—and how you too can take the reins of your health issues—in the new Sounds True book Kicking Sick: Your Go-To Guide for Thriving with Chronic Health Conditions. In this episode of Insights at the Edge, Tami Simon and Amy discuss her ...
Jan 02, 2017•59 min
Nancy Colier is a psychotherapist, interfaith minister, meditation teacher, and the celebrated author of books such as Inviting a Monkey to Tea: Befriending Your Mind. With Sounds True, Nancy has written a new book called The Power of Off: The Mindful Way to Stay Sane in a Virtual World. In this episode of Insights at the Edge, Tami Simon and Nancy have a frank discussion of the large-scale modern addiction to cell phones, email, and social media. Nancy offers ways one can recognize addictive be...
Dec 13, 2016•1 hr 5 min
Terri Tate is a clinical nurse specialist, teacher, and down-to-earth inspirational teacher disguised as a standup comedian. Drawing on the experience of nearly dying from oral cancer, Terri infuses stories of some of the darkest moments of her life with a spritely humor. With Sounds True, she has published a memoir called A Crooked Smile, which shares her experiences of cancer diagnosis, falling into the endless machinery of the healthcare system, and emerging with a startling new appreciation ...
Dec 07, 2016•1 hr 2 min
Hank Wesselman is a paleoanthropologist and a shamanic practitioner who has devoted his life to exploring the mysteries of human origins. He has authored several books and articles detailing his adventures in altered states and shamanic journeys. With Sounds True, Hank has published The Re-Enchantment: A Shamanic Path to a Life of Wonder, which offers a path for reclaiming a sense of wonder at the many joys of life and the universe. In this episode of Insights at the Edge, Tami Simon and Hank sp...
Nov 30, 2016•1 hr 9 min
Damien Echols was wrongly convicted of murder in 1994 as part of the infamous "West Memphis Three" trials. He spent almost two decades in prison, until new DNA evidence exonerated him in 2011. In this fascinating episode of Insights at the Edge, Tami Simon speaks with Damien on how he rejected bitterness at his mistreatment by the justice system and used his incarceration to explore the practice of hermetic magic. They talk about what it took for Damien to survive prison and what brought him to ...
Nov 22, 2016•1 hr 5 min
Jacqueline Freeman is a biodynamic farmer and natural beekeeper who speaks internationally on organic beekeeping, women in agriculture, and cultivating a more holistic relationship with nature. With Sounds True, she has published the book Song of Increase: Listening to the Wisdom of Honeybees for Kinder Beekeeping and a Better World. In this episode of Insights at the Edge, Tami Simon and Jacqueline discuss the unique unity consciousness of bees and how understanding their perspective opens up p...
Nov 15, 2016•1 hr 10 min
Janine Shepherd is an author, motivational speaker, and former Olympic-level skier whose work draws upon an incredible journey of personal healing. She details that journey—from the car accident that broke her spine through intense rehabilitation and beyond—in the Sounds True book Defiant: A Broken Body Is Not a Broken Person. In this episode of Insights at the Edge, Tami Simon and Janine talk about the active choice to be alive and the power in knowing that decision. They speak on what it means...
Nov 08, 2016•55 min
Shinzen Young is a renowned mindfulness teacher known for his live gatherings, where he uses a scientific, "algorithmic" approach to explain the many aspects of meditation. With Sounds True, he has published the decades-in-the-making book The Science of Enlightenment: How Meditation Works. In the second half of an extensive interview on Insights at the Edge, Tami Simon and Shinzen talk about how to bring equanimity to both pleasurable and painful sensory experiences and how that has a purifying ...
Nov 01, 2016•1 hr 15 min
Shinzen Young is a renowned mindfulness teacher known for his live gatherings, where he uses a scientific, "algorithmic" approach to explain the many aspects of meditation. With Sounds True, he has published the decades-in-the-making book The Science of Enlightenment: How Meditation Works. In this episode of Insights at the Edge, Tami Simon and Shinzen speak on his approach to mindfulness, including a method of breaking down sensory experience into easily parsed categories. They talk about the t...
Oct 25, 2016•1 hr 6 min
Snatam Kaur is an American-born, internationally renowned kirtan singer raised in the Sikh and kundalini yoga tradition. Known for her blends of ancient chant and modern instrumentation, Snatam also teaches meditation and yoga. With Sounds True, she has published the book-and-CD set Original Light: The Morning Practice of Kundalini Yoga. In this episode of Insights at the Edge, Tami Simon and Snatam discuss the roots of her spiritual practices and the meaning of the Aquarian Sadhana, which is on...
Oct 19, 2016•1 hr 11 min
Krista Tippett is a Peabody® award-winning broadcaster and New York Times bestselling author whose works focus on faith, ethics, and moral wisdom. She is the host of the radio program and podcast On Being. In this episode of Insights at the Edge, Tami Simon and Krista discuss how journalism can be an art that drives healing, as well as the difference between being driven by a mission and being driven by an agenda. They speak on the virtue of hope and how it contrasts with optimism. Finally, Kris...
Oct 10, 2016•1 hr 10 min
Elena Brower is a yoga instructor, artist, and designer who is devoted to cultivating meditation as our most healing habit. With Sounds True and coauthor Erica Jago, Elena has published Art of Attention: A Yoga Practice Workbook for Movement as Meditation. In this episode of Insights at the Edge, Tami Simon speaks with Elena about her upcoming audio offering, The Return Home: Essential Meditation Training for a Vital, Centered Life. Elena talks about the "home frequency" that each of us possesse...
Oct 04, 2016•1 hr 7 min
Cheri Huber is the founder of Mountain View Zen Center and the Zen Monastery Practice Center in California, as well as the author of 19 books including When You're Falling, Dive and What You Practice Is What You Have. She is the founder and director of Living Compassion, a nonprofit organization dedicated to peace and service. With Sounds True, Cheri has released the audio series Unconditional Self-Acceptance. In this episode of Insights at the Edge, Tami Simon and Cheri discuss how your life is...
Sep 26, 2016•55 min
Eric Kaufmann is a leadership consultant who has advised executive teams at companies such as Sony and T-Mobile. With Sounds True, Eric has published the book and audiobook The Four Virtues of a Leader: Navigating the Hero’s Journey Through Risk to Results. In this episode of Insights at the Edge, Tami Simon speaks with Eric about his unusual life and how he came to be a leadership consultant by way of his training in Zen Buddhism. Tami and Eric talk about the journey of leaving the familiar and...
Sep 20, 2016•1 hr 6 min
Raghu Markus is a musician and artist who collaborated with Ram Dass on the groundbreaking spoken-word and world music album Love Serve Remember, and currently serves as the executive director of the Love Serve Remember Foundation. Raghu has collaborated with Sounds True and Ram Dass to create Being Here Now: The Essential Teachings of Ram Dass, a nine-week online course beginning on September 19. Parvati Markus has written and edited many nonfiction books, including the recent Love Everyone: Th...
Sep 12, 2016•1 hr 4 min
Terry Real is a family therapist, author, and founder of the Relational Life Institute, which hosts workshops on family and relationships throughout the country. He has written several books, including The New Rules of Marriage: What You Need to Make Love Work. Terry will be a featured presenter during Sounds True’s upcoming online training summit Psychotherapy 2.0, which will take place September 7–13. In this episode of Insights at the Edge, Tami Simon and Terry talk about the inherent challen...
Sep 06, 2016•1 hr 7 min
Mark Nepo is a poet, philosopher, and spiritual teacher who is the author of numerous books and audio projects, including the New York Times #1 bestseller The Book of Awakening, which made the list of Oprah’s Ultimate Favorite Things. With Sounds True, Mark has published many books and audio courses, including Inside the Miracle: Enduring Suffering, Approaching Wholeness. In this episode of Insights at the Edge, Tami Simon has an intimate conversation with Mark about the two most important lesso...
Aug 29, 2016•1 hr 13 min
Diana Fosha is the developer of AEDP—Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy—a transformational psychotherapy model that grows and changes according to the latest findings in attachment theory, neuroplasticity, and interpersonal neurobiology. She is one of the featured presenters for Sounds True’s second annual Psychotherapy 2.0 online summit, which will take place September 7–13, 2016. In this episode of Insights at the Edge, Diana and Tami Simon discuss the central concepts of AEDP and ...
Aug 21, 2016•1 hr 9 min
Tehya Sky is an author and metaphysical guide who focuses on the integration of our physical humanity and our innate divinity. With Sounds True, Sky has published the book A Ceremony Called Life: When Your Morning Coffee Is as Sacred as Holy Water. In this episode of Insights at the Edge, Tami Simon and Sky speak on how embracing our vulnerability leads to catharsis and personal revelation. Sky discusses her own journey to become an up-and-coming teacher, including the process of "deconditioning...
Aug 16, 2016•1 hr 3 min
Iyanla Vanzant is an author and expert on personal empowerment whose work includes five New York Times bestsellers and many appearances onstage, over the radio, and on television as the host of Iyanla: Fix My Life. With Sounds True, Iyanla has created several audio programs, including Giving Thanks and Living from Your Center. In this episode of Insights at the Edge, Tami Simon and Iyanla speak about cultivating intimacy with God and holding onto faith during trying times. They mull on values th...
Aug 08, 2016•58 min
Jack Kornfield is a world-renowned teacher and one of the key figures to introduce Buddhist mindfulness practice to the West. He is the author of many books and audio programs, including The Wise Heart and After the Ecstasy, the Laundry. In this episode of Insights at the Edge, Jack and Tami Simon discuss Buddhist views of how best to navigate periods of difficulty and heartache. Jack reflects on four decades of personal meditation practice and how this has informed how he works with students. J...
Jul 31, 2016•49 min
Michael Carroll is the COO of Global Coaching Alliance, a former executive, and a certified meditation teacher of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. A globally recognized expert on mindfulness in the workplace, Michael has written many books including The Mindful Leader and Fearless at Work. With Sounds True, he has created the audio series The Mindful Leadership Training. In this episode of Insights at the Edge, Michael and Tami Simon speak on using mindfulness to foster a better workplace environ...
Jul 25, 2016•1 hr 4 min
Lissa Rankin is a physician, public speaker, and the founder of the Whole Health Medicine Institute. She is the New York Times bestselling author of Mind Over Medicine, The Fear Cure, and The Anatomy of a Calling. In this episode of Insights at the Edge, Tami Simon and Lissa speak on her incredible personal journey and how it led her to quit traditional OB/GYN medicine as an act of personal integrity. They talk about trusting one’s inner voices and developing the discernment necessary to know wh...
Jul 18, 2016•1 hr 6 min