Introduction

In this episode I'm joined once again by meditation teacher and Sanskrit translator Lorin Roche PhD. Our last interview was so popular, with so many requests for more, that Lorin agreed to another one! In this conversation we dive into Lorin's unique approach to meditation, look at why the way meditation is usually taught is actually damaging for most people, why monasteries psychologically castrate monks and what that means for their non-monastic students, and how to meditate in a way that embraces all of your life energies. Topics include: -Lorin’s unusual definition of meditation -The origins of meditation -What we can learn from the lives of the saints -The spiritual geniuses and daredevil monastics of the past -The male pioneers of meditation and their legacy -Enlightenment or bust -Adapting meditation to your needs and lifestyle -The sexual side of monasticism -Celibacy for the 1% -Living the life of all of your chakras -The high art of living all of your life energies -Sexuality as part of spirituality -Lorin’s radical meditation pursuits -Lorin’s early training and first spiritual breakthroughs -Lorin’s mission to serve meditators -What happens when a person starts to meditate? -Why meditation gets credit for something people should get credit for -Why most meditation techniques are a bad fit -Why the deep effect of certain techniques don’t show themselves for a couple of years -Why many people’s meditation starts beneficially but becomes more harmful as time goes on -Meditation with a monastic-oriented control structure -Why long term meditation can de-vitalise people -Ayahuasca as the party drug of pious Californian yoga teachers -What interviewing thousands of successful meditators taught Lorin about what works -What’s unique about Lorin’s approach to meditation -Common misunderstandings about meditation -Why a lot of people approach meditation like they’re sitting in church -The human mind’s activity as an expression of the universal life force -The genius of the human body -Psychologically castrating monks for administrative reasons in the monastery -Meditation should be a place people should go to be free, not disciplined -Actively encouraging wildness and cherishing of life in meditation -The parallels between meditation and eating disorders in teenage girls -The shadowy allure of discipline -Lorin’s best advice to a new meditator -Meditation as a way of being in love with life Check out Lorin's first interview here: https://soundcloud.com/guruviking/guru-viking-interviews-ep1-lorin-roche-phd To find out more about Lorin visit: lorinroche.com radiancesutras.com meditationtt.com Visit www.guruviking.com for more interviews, audios, and articles. Music 'Deva Dasi' by Steve James