Sounds of SAND

Dr. Daniel Foor is a ritualist and educator focused on helping others to reclaim their innate capacity to relate with their ancestors and with the greater web of other-than-human kin. He is the author of Ancestral Medicine: Rituals for Personal and Family Healing and an internationally respected teacher of ancestor reverence and ritual. Since 2004 Daniel has guided over one hundred multi-day ancestor-focused healing rituals in eight countries, reached thousands of participants through personal sessions and online courses, and mentored over 150 practitioners to facilitate the work of ancestral healing. Topics: 00:00:00 – Introduction 00:02:41 – Daniel’s Lineage and Ancestry 00:05:03 – Genesis of Ancestral Medicine 00:07:42 – Ancestor Work Along the Spiritual Path 00:11:36 – Trauma and Ancestors 00:18:00 – Animism 00:24:36 –  Descendants, Ancestors, and Captain Kirk 00:26:10 – How to Begin Ancestor Work 00:35:25 – Special and Not-so-special Ancestors 00:40:58 – The Role of Ritual 00:44:12 – Ancestor Work and Children 00:48:34 – Ancestors Living Through Us and Addictions 00:54:04 – Expanding Ancestry 01:00:33 – Epigenentics 01:05:14 – Connecting to Our Ancestral Lands 01:09:50 – How to Connect

Parvathy Baul is a practitioner, performer and teacher of the Baul tradition from Bengal, India. She studied closely with two of the most respected Baul Gurus of the previous generation, Sri Sanatan Das Thakur Baul and Sri Shashanko Goshai. ​According to her Guru's vision, Parvathy Maa has created Sanatan Siddhashram - as a place of learning, practicing and preserving the oral history of the Baul tradition. The poetry of Chandidas Song of the Great Soul by Parvathy Baul Topics: 00:00 – Introduction 02:27 – The Poet Chandidas 19:50 – Vibrational Transmissions 21:58 – Instruments of the Baul 30:02 – Surrender and Devotion 37:46 – Lineage of Baul Music 46:04 – Sacred Music in a Concert Setting 54:50 – One of Parvathy’s First Songs

Marlon Barrios Solano is an internationally recognized interdisciplinary artist and researcher specializing in software engineering, generative AI, dance improvisation, and mindfulness. His diverse work, ranging from AI-driven apps to digital therapeutics, manifests in web applications, interactive installations, multimedia performances, education, and consulting. His notable work with Sati-AI demonstrates the innovative integration of AI in mindfulness practices. Marlon lends his expertise to a variety of domains, guiding both individuals and organizations in leveraging AI technology. He is a researcher in residency at Lake Studios Berlin and Wisdom Labs (San Francisco), and has held research residencies and fellowships in Germany, Amsterdam, Switzerland, and the UK. He holds an MFA from The Ohio State University and graduated from the General Assembly Software Engineering Program in 2021. A Kernel Fellow Block5 2022, he also teaches Vipassana meditation to artists and technologists. His previous positions include a research associate role at the Inter-University of Dance/University of The Arts in Berlin from 2012-2016. A certified Vipassana/Mindfulness Meditation Teacher from Spirit Rock Meditation Center and lived at Insight meditation Society in Barre, MA from 20016 to 20121. Marlon continues to study and practice under Stephen Batchelor and is an Embodyoga® 200 Hour Certified Teacher. He has taught and developed projects worldwide. He is a fellow for the Mind and Life EUROPEAN SUMMER RESEARCH INSTITUTE (ESRI) 2023. Marlon’s Linktree Sati-AI Article on Sati-AI in Lion’s Roar Topics: 00:00 – Introduction 03:58 – Meditation Background 07:52 – Dance and Meditation 13:34 – The Importance of Practice 17:06 – The Sacred 25:40 – ”Mind-full-ness” and Practice 32:34 – Remembering to Remember 36:42 – Sati-AI 50:07 – Large Language Models 54:04 – AI and Art 57:48 – Dangers of AI 64:56 – Conclusions Special thanks to Lake Studios Berlin for hosting us and the equipment to record this conversation.

Two recent appearances of Sophie Strand at SAND. One was her Community Conversation with Zaya and Maurizio Benazzo the second a story she read called “Healing: A Ghost Story” with Bayo Akomolafe. Sophie’s course The Body is a Doorway at SAND Sophie Strand is a writer based in the Hudson Valley who focuses on the intersection of spirituality, storytelling, and ecology. But it would probably be more authentic to call her a neo-troubadour animist with a propensity to spin yarns that inevitably turn into love stories. Give her a salamander and a stone and she’ll write you a love story. Sophie was raised by house cats, puff balls, possums, raccoons, and an opinionated, crippled goose. In every neighborhood she’s ever lived in she has been known as “the walker”. She believes strongly that all thinking happens interstitially – between beings, ideas, differences, mythical gradients. Her first book of essays The Flowering Wand: Lunar Kings, Lichenized Lovers, Transpecies Magicians, and Rhizomatic Harpists Heal the Masculine is available now from Inner Traditions. Her eco-feminist historical fiction reimagining of the gospels The Madonna Secret will also be published by Inner Traditions. Her books of poetry include Love Song to a Blue God (Oread Press) and Those Other Flowers to Come (Dancing Girl Press) and The Approach (The Swan). Her poems and essays have been published by Art PAPERS, The Dark Mountain Project, Poetry.org, Unearthed, Braided Way, Creatrix, Your Impossible Voice, The Doris, Persephone’s Daughters, and Entropy. She has recently finished a work of historical fiction, The Madonna Secret, that offers an eco-feminist revision of the gospels.  She is currently researching her next epic, a mythopoetic exploration of ecology and queerness in the medieval legend of Tristan and Isolde. Follow her on Facebook or on Instagram @cosmogyny. sophiestrand.com Topics: 0:00 – Introduction 4:30 – We Must Risk New Shapes 14:24 – Disability and Sickness 26:50 – Collective Story Telling and Trance 39:16 – A Rescue Promise 44:20 – Healing: A Ghost Story

Martin Gray is a seasoned explorer, photographer and travel writer renowned for his profound insights into pilgrimage to sacred sites around the world. He created the World Pilgrimage Guide website in 1996, which has received more than 100 million visitors and shares lists of places, writings and photos of sacred sites in over 160 countries around the planet. In 2004 National Geographic published “The Geography of Religion” of his photos. In 2007 Sterling published Sacred Earth, a collection of 200 of photographs.  Sacred Sites / World Pilgrimage Guide Shortcut to Nirvana by Maurizio Benazzo and Nick Day Topics: 0:00 –  Introduction 2:52 – Background and interest in sacred sites 7:26 – Energetic experiences 15:30 – Pilgrimages 17:18 – Power places 24:42 – Map of sacred sites 29:54 – Tips for Western travelers at sacred sites 35:28 – Cumulative energy of sacred sites 37:24 – Sound at sacred sites 41:55 – Schewedegon pagoda soundscape 51:08 – Shortcut to nirvana 54:40 – Martin’s most personal sacred sacred sites

The full title of today’s episode is: “They thought they buried me; They did not know I am a seed” In this community conversation from June 2023, SAND co-founders Zaya and Maurizio Benazzo host Bayo Akomolafe and Chief Oluwo Fayemi peeling back the layers of history and tap into the wellspring of resilience that resides within us all. Weaving Bayo's wisdom and Chief Oluwo Obafemi's ancestral knowledge, they enture into this mystical landscape, navigating the intricacies of existence, embracing the profound beauty of the unfolding journey. Bayo Akomolafe (Ph.D.), rooted with the Yoruba people in a more-than-human world, is the father to Alethea and Kyah, the grateful life-partner to Ije, son and brother. A widely celebrated international speaker, posthumanist thinker, poet, teacher, public intellectual, essayist, and author of two books, These Wilds Beyond our Fences: Letters to My Daughter on Humanity’s Search for Home (North Atlantic Books) and We Will Tell our Own Story: The Lions of Africa Speak, Bayo Akomolafe is the Founder of The Emergence Network and host of the online postactivist course, ‘We Will Dance with Mountains’. He currently lectures at Pacifica Graduate Institute, California and University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont. He sits on the Board of many organizations including Science and Non-Duality (US) and Ancient Futures (Australia). In July 2022, Dr. Akomolafe was appointed the inaugural Global Senior Fellow of University of California’s (Berkeley) Othering and Belonging Institute. He has also been appointed Senior Fellow for The New Institute in Hamburg, Germany. He is the recipient of the New Thought Leadership Award 2021 and the Excellence in Ethnocultural Psychotherapy Award by the African Mental Health Summit 2022.    Chief Oluwo Obafemi Fayemi Epega is a world-renowned Babalawo and the founder of O.I.D.S.I. (Obafemi Institute for the Divine & Universal Study of Ifa). He was initiated as a priest of Obatala in 2004, and received his Tefa in 2005. He strongly believes that the restoration and preservation of African divine sciences and traditions can restore psychological balance and personal empowerment to all people. A lecturer, teacher and healer and the author of Who is Sambo?, Baba Femi has facilitated Ifa workshops all over the world. He has been invited to share his knowledge and insight on countless radio shows, major universities and colleges. In addition to overseeing more than 400 ceremonies and rituals, Baba Femi has either directly facilitated, or served as the principal liaison for the initiations of more than 50 Ifa and Olorisha priests. With the blessings of Olodumare, his ancestors, and Ifa, this life has allowed him to fully embrace and experience that which his heart has chosen. He is proud to be an African American man, native Houstonian, descendant of slaves, priest of Ifa, teacher, author, mentor, son, a friend to many, a loving husband, and most importantly, an honorable father. We invite you to connect further with Bayo Akomolafe in an immersive recording from the SAND co-presentation Three Black Men Trauma, Ritual & the Promise of the Monstrous live in Los Angeles from June 2023 with your guides: Bayo Akomolafe, Orland Bishop, and Resmaa Menakem for nearly six hours of talks, video, and explorations.

“The past is history. The future is mystery. The present moment is a gift”— Lama Lhanang Rinpoche Today’s guest are the authors of a new book out on Sounds True, The Tibetan Book of the Dead for Beginners: A Guide to Living and Dying. In this episode we go into Tibetan Book of the Dead’s cultural significance in the West, the West’s death phobic culture, the connections to Dream Yoga, what is meant by the Bardo, the history of the Tibetan Book of the Dead, karma and rebirth, and how their new book can support the living and the dead on our lives. Venerable Lama Lhanang Rinpoche is a teacher of Vajrayana Buddhism of the Nyingma lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. Born in Tibet, he currently directs the Jigme Lingpa Center in San Diego and teaches throughout the United States and internationally. For more, visit. Mordy Levine is president of the Jigme Lingpa Center and creator of the Meditation Pro Series that has taught meditation to more than 250,000 people. For more, visit Topics: 00:00 – Introduction03:10 – Genesis of the Book06:12 – TBD in the West13:24 – Tibetean Dream Yoga22:50 – Death Phobic Culture36:26 – Present Moment Gift39:18 – Role of Hearing and Listening50:58 – Karma and Rebirth

Hosted by SAND Co-founders Zaya and Maurizio Benazzo Deran Young is a licensed therapist specializing in racial trauma and legacy burdens. She is also a Co-Author of the New York Times Best Seller, You Are Your Best Thing, a retired military officer, & founder of Black Therapists Rock. Black Therapists Rock is a non profit organization with a network of over 30,000 mental health professionals committed to reducing the psychological impact of systemic oppression and intergenerational trauma. She obtained her social work degree from University of Texas, where she studied abroad in Ghana, West Africa for two semesters creating a high school counseling center for under-resourced students. Deran has visited over 37 different countries and her clinical experience spans across four different continents. Her passion for culture and people has led her to become a highly sought after diversity and inclusion consultant working with companies like BBERG, Facebook, Linked In, and YWCA. She resides in the Washington DC area with her 10 year old son.Topics00:00 – Introduction04:12 – Deran’s Journey12:54 – Joining the Military20:42 – Ghana31:50 – Intergenerational Trauma34:28 –  Black Therapists Rock42:24 – Racialized Trauma  

Spiritual guide and author, Shakti is known internationally as one of the most authentic and profound voices in contemporary spirituality. Presenting the message of Advaita and non-dual Tantra within a contemporary framework, Shakti offers, with compassion and great clarity, an inner technology for dissolving the contraction of suffering that traditionally accompanies each of our lives. Her invitation is to come to the space of inner peace and unconditional love which resides at the heart of us all. Her key teachings are the love for transcendence, or spiritual awakening, followed by its deep integration, into everyday living, so that each moment can be met as a precious opportunity for spiritual growth. Her students are left with the joy of an open heart and an authentic sense of freedom within the recognition of our being as one with everything. Shakti's Course on SAND Dwelling in the Heart Topics: 00:00 – Introduction02:20 – Awakening to Our True Nature05:21 – Letting Go Language08:04 – Emptiness13:08 – Authenticity15:07 – Experiencing with the Heart20:26 – Staying with the Paradox of Seperation29:52 – Seeing into our Listening37:16 – Nondual Tantra40:20 – Compassion and Suffering50:45 – Coming Up for Shakti

Lyla June in this illuminating community conversation with Zaya and Maurizio Benazzo shares ways in which indigenous food systems of the past and present teach us how to relate to our inner and outer world. These highly successful systems have been proven to operate based on respect, reverence, responsibility, and reciprocity. She explores, among others topics: How can we manifest these qualities within ourselves and into the world? How can ancient wisdom help with modern ills? How does inner life reflect in outer behavior? Stick around towards the end of the episode for an original song by Lyla. Dr. Lyla June Johnston is an Indigenous public speaker, artist, scholar and community organizer of Diné (Navajo), Tsétsêhéstâhese (Cheyenne) and European lineages from Taos, New Mexico. Her messages focus on Indigenous rights, supporting youth, traditional land stewardship practices and healing inter-generational and inter-cultural trauma. She blends undergraduate studies in human ecology at Stanford University, graduate work in Native American Pedagogy at the University of New Mexico, and the indigenous worldview she grew up with to inform her perspectives and solutions. Her internationally acclaimed presentations are conveyed through the medium of poetry, music and/or speech. She is currently pursuing a doctoral degree at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks in Indigenous Studies with a focus on Indigenous Food Systems Revitalization. Topics: 00:00 – Introduction 04:02 – Outer Landscapes / Indigenous Food Systems 16:30 – Hunting and Fishing 24:40 – Water 46:40 – Bamboo 56:02 – Inner Landscapes