Sadly, many spiritual organizations display the negative characteristics of cults, and many spiritual teachers and leaders abuse their power. As a result, many sincere seekers end up disillusioned, wounded, or traumatized. Steven Hassan is an expert on cults, mind control, and "undue influence," and his Freedom of Mind Resource Center is dedicated to empowering spiritual students to protect themselves and retain their independence. We discuss some of the valuable tools Steven has developed, such...
Oct 12, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 27
We all have wounds. We've all struggled with pain, grief and loss. In this interview, the psychologist, contemplative teacher, and renowned author, James Finley, discusses what he calls "a path, a way of life, in which we human beings may be healed from all that hinders us from experiencing the steady, strong currents of divinity that flow on and on in the bitter-sweet alchemy of our lives." The author of "Merton's Palace of Nowhere," "Christian Meditation," and other books and audio series, Jim...
Oct 01, 2023•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 26
We've all heard of Kundalini. However, misconceptions about it are commonplace. In this episode we get it all straight by speaking with Joan Shivarpita Harrigan about kundalini and the entire process of spiritual development. An American who was authorized to teach in a traditional lineage based in Rishikesh, India, Joan has practiced, studied, and taught Advaita Vedanta and Raja Yoga for 45 years, 30 of which were spent as Director of Kundalini Yoga Care USA. A retired psychologist as well, she...
Sep 21, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 26
In the first half of this episode, we explore the life and teachings of the Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steiner, the founder of Anthroposophy and the Waldorf Schools, with two longtime practitioners and teachers in Steiner's tradition, Signe Eklund Schaefer and Christopher Schaefer. Then Christopher says goodbye and Signe discusses her new book, She Was Always There: Sophia as a Story for Our Time. The term Sophia is Greek for "wisdom" and has come to signify the Divine Feminine. We explore Her ...
Sep 11, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 24
Karen Tate is an Interfaith Minister, a public speaker, a podcaster, a social justice activist, and an author. Her books include Sacred Places of Goddess; Voices of the Sacred Feminine; and her latest, Normalizing Abuse: A Commentary on Our Pervasive Culture of Abuse. Observing that "abuse and exploitation are pervasive and global," she warns about the risks of accepting this as "ordinary, acceptable, usual, or standard." The conversation focuses on her research on the various forms of abuse fou...
Aug 31, 2023•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 24
Mark Matousek is an award-winning author, teacher, and speaker whose work focuses on transformative writing for personal, professional, and spiritual development. He’s the founder of the Seekers Forum, an online community for non-sectarian spiritual dialogue, a founding member of V-Men, an organization devoted to ending violence against women and girls, and he offers workshops in self-inquiry and personal development, featuring a method he calls Writing to Awaken. He blogs for psychologytoday.co...
Aug 21, 2023•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 22
Connie Zweig, Ph.D., is a retired psychotherapist, a prolific author, and a practitioner and teacher of meditation for more than 50 years. Best known for her research and writing on Carl Jung's concept of the shadow, she's the co-author of Meeting the Shadow and Romancing the Shadow and the author of A Moth to the Flame (a novel about the life of the Sufi poet Rumi), the bestselling book on aging, The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul, and her latest book, Meeting the Shadow on the S...
Aug 11, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 21
Author, Educator, and Developmental Psychologist Robert Atkinson, joins us to talk about his timely new book, A New Story of Wholeness: An Experiential Guide for Connecting the Human Family. We spoke about the need, in our fragmented time, for a shared vision of our interconnectedness and the unity that binds us in spite of our superficial differences. Atkinson shares his belief that we're approaching what he calls "a consciousness of global integration." Connect with Robert Atkinson https://www...
Aug 01, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 21
Yoga teacher and teacher trainer Eric Shaw joins us to discuss his exhaustively researched book, Sacred Thread, A Comprehensive Yoga Timeline: 2000 Dates That Shaped Yoga History. The subject, and our conversation, goes well beyond just the developments in what's known as "postural yoga." It includes the entire range and depth of yogic precepts and practices and their spread from India to the rest of the world. We also touched upon the impact yoga has had on other traditions and the importance o...
Jul 22, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 20
Welcome to the official podcast of the MindBodySpirit.fm podcast network. For our debut episode we will explore the concept of Gratitude as a life practice through the eyes of award-winning cinematographer and director of the documentary film Gratitude Revealed, Louie Schwartzberg. We gathered three podcasters from the network Philip Goldberg host of Spirit Matters, Cynthia Occelli host of Rewritten and Dr. Steven Farmer host of The Dr Steven Farmer Podcast-Healing for Your Soul to get their imp...
Jul 13, 2023•50 min•Ep. 1
Saniel Bonder and Linda Groves-Bonder work together as spiritual teachers through the Human Sun Institute, the organization they co-founded. Best known for the process called Waking Down (later Waking Down in Mutuality), they describe their mission this way: "To being heart-based embodied awakening to a worldwide audience." Our conversation focused on their spiritual histories and their current work, such as what it means to become "a human sun." We also addressed delicate issues relevant to con...
Jul 12, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 18
To most of us, the word surrender evokes weakness, defeat, captivity, and giving up -- not good things. Yet, many spiritual traditions call upon followers to surrender and portray it as the key to the kingdom. In this spirited and illuminating interview, the globally-known transformational teacher, Kute Blackson, author of the inspiring new book, The Magic of Surrender, describes how surrender, properly understood and applied, can lead to freedom, strength, and spiritual riches by syncing indivi...
Jul 02, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 17
We explore deep and powerful spiritual lessons from the Christian mystics with one of the world's leading experts, Mirabai Starr. From John of the Cross and the dark night of the soul to the liberating teachings in the lives of female saints like Teresa of Avila, there are spiritual blessings to be gleaned. We also plunge into the heart of despair as Mirabai shares from personal experience how to grow spiritually following the heartbreak and grief of a painful loss. Connect with Mirabai Starr Fi...
Jun 22, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 16
Arielle Ford was a highly successful agent and publicist who represented some of the world's top self-help and spiritual authors. Then she became an author herself, writing 11 non-fiction books including Wabi Sabi Love and The Soulmate Secret, which launched her on a new career as a respected coach and speaker on the subject of love and relationships. Now she's published her first novel, The Love Thief, about the spiritual transformation of the main character, an American woman who finds herself...
Jun 12, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 15
Psychologist Rachel Harris, author of Listening to Ayahuasca, joins us to discuss her fascinating new book, Swimming in the Sacred. In recent years, entheogens, aka psychedelics, have enjoyed a resurgence of interest since research on the substances was halted amidst the abuses of the 1960s. Studies undertaken at prestigious universities have been demonstrating the therapeutic applications of the "medicines." While she, like many psychologists and physicians, consider this a promising, if not tr...
May 31, 2023•1 hr•Ep. 14
A deep and far-ranging conversation with the renowned spiritual teacher, poet, storyteller, and prolific author, Mark Nepo. Mark's 25 nonfiction books have sold more than a million copies. They include The Book of Awakening, which topped the New York Times bestseller list; More Together Than Alone; and most recently Surviving Storms: Finding the Strength to Meet Adversity. In addition, he just came out with a volume of his poetry titled The Half-Life of Angels. We'll learn about the link between...
May 21, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 13
The spiritual memoir is an extremely popular genre and a time-tested vehicle for conveying spiritual wisdom as well as the blessings and challenges of life on the razor's edge we call the spiritual path. In this conversation, Richard Lischer -- an ordained Lutheran minister and a professor at Duke Divinity School -- discusses his book, Our Hearts are Restless: The Art of the Spiritual Memoir, and his own observations as both a reader and an author of books in that genre. You'll learn how to get ...
May 10, 2023•57 min•Ep. 12
The culmination of the ancient Vedic tradition, Vedanta represents the core teachings of what we call Hinduism. In its modern expression, it has had a huge influence on spiritual seekers around the world, and its impact continues to grow. In this interview, Swami Sarvapriyananda, the Minister and spiritual leader of the Vedanta Society of New York, and one of the primary proponents of Vedanta today, makes this profound and practical wisdom easily understandable and accessible. Vedanta Society of...
Apr 30, 2023•1 hr•Ep. 11
World Music pioneer and leading kirtan artist Jai Uttal joins us for a probing conversation about the spiritual value of music in its myriad forms and expressions. We talked about his musical roots, his discovery of the increasingly popular Indian style of call-and-response mantra chanting (kirtan), and how he and others have integrated Western instruments and motifs into traditional Indian music. We also talked about his latest album, "Dust and Tears," which features a broad range of musical st...
Apr 20, 2023•59 min•Ep. 10
Since 1980, Gayatri Naraine has served as the United Nations representative of the Brahma Kumaris, a worldwide spiritual organization founded in India in 1937 with a strong orientation toward service work and the practice of Raja Yoga, which Gayatri has practiced for over 45 years. She is also a senior teacher at the Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University. We spoke about the origin and unique features of the Brahma Kumaris, its unusual emphasis on female leadership, and her work at the UN, wh...
Apr 10, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 9
Matthew Fox, the eminent theologian, author, and former Catholic priest, discusses his estrangement from the Church and his highly influential reframing of the Christian tradition with concepts such as Creation Spirituality and Original Blessing. A treasure trove of insights for everyone regardless of their path. Find out more about Matthew Fox Connect with Phil Goldberg Author, Speaker, Spiritual Counselor, Writing Coach Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mar 30, 2023•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 8
The first major Indian guru to come to America, Swami Vivekananda set the template for all the teachers who followed - and his enormous impact persists. Here, Oxford historian Ruth Harris, author of the landmark biography "Guru to the World," explores Vivekananda's fascinating life and enduring legacy. Get the book- Guru to the World: The Life and Legacy of Vivekananda Find books by Phil Goldberg and other MindBodySpirit.fm podcast hosts in our online store Learn more about your ad choices. Visi...
Mar 20, 2023•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 7
As longtime teachers and practitioners, and as co-founders of the Association for Spiritual Integrity, Jac O'Keeffe and Rick Archer have seen the good, bad, and ugly of contemporary spirituality. Here they dive into the need to promote ethical standards among spiritual teachers and ways to help seekers and students guard against spiritual abuse. Find out more about the Association for Spiritual Integrity Connect with Jac O'Keefe Ric Archer and Buddha at the Gas Pump Learn more about your ad choi...
Mar 09, 2023•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 6
A lively conversation with Robert Mulhall, CEO of The Kripalu Center for Yoga, and Stephen Cope, author, psychologist, and longtime Scholar in Residence at Kripalu. They discuss the fascinating history of the most prominent yoga retreat center in America, the challenges of adapting an ancient tradition to modern life, and yoga's (and Kripalu's) role in generating personal and cultural transformation. The Kripalu Center for Yoga Stephen Cope Author, Spiritual Counselor, Speaker, Philip Goldberg L...
Feb 27, 2023•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 5
A penetrating conversation with the passionate and prolific expert on the world’s mystical traditions, Andrew Harvey. Andrew, the founder and director of the Institute of Sacred Activism, and author of more than 30 books, including Radical Regeneration, discusses the vital need for engaged spirituality in our times -- and much more. Find out more about Andrew Harvey Find out more about Philip Goldberg- Author, Speaker, Workshop Leader and Spiritual Counselor Learn more about your ad choices. Vis...
Feb 16, 2023•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 4
In this deep conversation with renowned spiritual teacher Sally Kempton, author of Awakening Shakti: The Transformative Power of the Goddesses of Yoga and Meditation for the Love of It, we dive deeply into a variety of valuable topics, such as the practical implications of nonduality, the relational aspect of spirituality, working with personifications of the Divine, and meditation as play. And Sally leads us in a guided meditation. Find books from Philip Goldberg and other MindBodySpirit.fm pod...
Feb 02, 2023•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 3
In this episode, the interspiritual rabbi Rami Shapiro shows us the transformational value of exploring traditions other than our own. Listen as we discuss perennial teachings across boundaries, Rami's notion of "nondual aliveness," and much more. Find out more about award winning author Rabbi Rami Shapiro Connect with Philip Goldberg here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jan 19, 2023•58 min•Ep. 2
In this first episode of the new Spirit Matters, we have a far-ranging, illuminating, and practical conversation with the renowned scholar of Buddhism, Robert Thurman. A close friend of the Dalai Lama and author of many books, including Wisdom is Bliss: Four Friendly Fun Facts That Can Change Your Life, Bob’s ability to communicate complex ideas in ways that everyone can understand and apply to their lives is on full display here – as is his playful wit. Get Philip Goldberg's latest book Spiritu...
Jan 05, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 1
