CHITHEADS with Jacob Kyle (Embodied Philosophy)

In this episode we discuss: Unreasonable happiness as a way to engage in this time of crisis  Todd’s personal experience of spiritual awakening  The fall from grace of two beloved gurus Betrayal, resentment, grief, healing and forgiveness with boundaries as an act of self-love A new student-teacher relationship and the foundation of Ashaya Yoga Seeing everything in life as a path of awakening Non-duality, integration of all of it - this is the spiritual practice ​Todd Norian, E-RYT 500, seeks to awaken others to their inherent potential for healing and joy by integrating the body, mind, and heart through yoga and meditation. Believing that yoga is a gateway for self-discovery and spiritual growth, Todd founded Ashaya Yoga in 2012 to guide his students through an alignment-based, heart-opening practice that builds strength and flexibility while giving them access to the universe of power within. A student of yoga since 1980, Todd brings advanced biomechanical knowledge, Shaiva Tantra philosophical teachings, and an unapologetic sense of humor to his international workshops and trainings. As a classically trained Jazz musician, Todd created several music albums for yoga and relaxation, including Bija: Soothing Music and Mantras for Yoga and Meditation. Learn more by reading Todd’s book, Memoir of a Jewish Yogi. For a listing of Ashaya Yoga Certified Teachers near you and a schedule of Todd’s upcoming teacher trainings, workshops, and retreats, visit ashayayoga.com. Practice with Todd online at www.yogainternational.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode we discuss: The spirit of Bhakti Breath as a supreme principle, relating to the Divine through breath - a delivery system of love The power of mantra Bhakti as the fuel for practice and the importance of digging in one spot to reach a depth Cultivating a relationship to deity  The relationship between Bhakti and Tarka and the process of falling in love with awareness Your own signature Bhakti Mary Reilly Nichols is the Director of Nalanda Institute’s Yoga, Mind & Spirit and has been teaching yoga for over 30 years. She offers teachings through the lens of non-duality in the Upanishads, Advaita Vedanta, as well as in the Tantric methods of Kashmiri Shaivism and Kundalini Yoga. She holds a BA in anthropology from Harvard University, and completed five years of residency in the ashrams of Swami Muktananda both in India and in the US. In addition to workshops, weekly classes, corporate and teacher-trainings, Nichols teaches stress management in psychiatric settings and is involved in ongoing research on the mind/body benefits of yoga and meditation. Dr. Kavitha Chinnaiyan is a Cardiologist and Professor of Medicine at Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine in Royal Oak, MI. She is an initiate in the Tāntrik lineages of Śrī Vidyā and Non-dual Śaiva Tantra (also known as Kashmir Śaivisim) and has studied Advaita Vedānta, Ayurveda, and Yoga with teachers across the globe. Her workshops, courses and writings on meditation, Yoga, Tantra, Ayurveda and non-duality strive to bring these time-honored traditions to modern living in practical ways. She is the author of The Heart of Wellness (Llewellyn Publications, January 2018), Shakti Rising (New Harbinger Publications, October 2017), which won the Nautilus Gold Award for Best Books of 2017 and Glorious Alchemy: Living the Lalitā Sahasranāma (New Sarum Press, UK, January 2020).See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode we discuss: The nature of reality as wisdom and compassion even in the face of obstacles Spiritual challenges we are facing in the Covid19 pandemic Staying in our spiritual practice even in the face of existential threats  Leaning into fear and finding refuge in God and nature Building the Ojas, immunity and the bridge between the ordinary love and universal love The teaching of Ananda, holding the absolute and relative reality at the same time Reconciling the teaching of the naturalness of death with the commitment to stay engaged and to help others Accessing the heart as a gateway to unconditional wisdom Shambhavi is the spiritual director of Jaya Kula. Her principle training is in the View and practices of Trika Shaivism (a.k.a. Kashmir Shaivism or Shaiva Tantra) and the Dzogchen tradition of Tibet. She has also studied meditation with teachers in the Kagyu and Nyingma traditions. Her root Guru is Anandamayi Ma.Shambhavi is known for making complex teachings about the nature of the self and reality understandable, practical, and always relatable to everyday experience. Her teachings are grounded in her more than thirty-five years of daily personal practice and personal retreats.In addition to offering teachings in spiritual practice and view, Shambhavi conducts festival day pujas, yajñas, and also weddings and other rites. She is a trained jyotishi and diviner.At one time, Shambhavi taught at Northwestern University. She left academia in 2004 in order to devote herself to practice, writing and teaching in her spiritual tradition. SHAMBHAVI’S BOOKSShambhavi is the author of The Reality Sutras: Seeking the Heart of Trika Shaivism (2018), Nine Poisons, Nine Medicines, Nine Fruits (2017), The Play of Awakening: Adventures in Direct Realization Tantra (2012), Pilgrims to Opennness: Direct Realization Tantra in Everyday Life (2009), Returning  (2015), and No Retreat: Poems on the Way to Waking Up (2016). In addition, she published an academic book, Avatar Bodies: a Tantra for Posthumanism. She holds an MFA in Fiction from Mills College and a Ph.D. in Modern Thought and Literature from Stanford University.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Stephen W. Porges, Ph.D. is a Distinguished University Scientist at Indiana University, where he is the founding director of the Traumatic Stress Research Consortium within the Kinsey Institute.  He holds the position of Professor of Psychiatry at the University of North Carolina and Professor Emeritus at the University of Illinois at Chicago and the University of Maryland.  He served as president of both the Society for Psychophysiological Research and the Federation of Associations in Behavioral & Brain Sciences and is a former recipient of a National Institute of Mental Health Research Scientist Development Award.  He has published more than 300 peer reviewed scientific papers across several disciplines including anesthesiology, biomedical engineering, critical care medicine, ergonomics, exercise physiology, gerontology, neurology, neuroscience, obstetrics, pediatrics, psychiatry, psychology, psychometrics, space medicine, and substance abuse. In 1994 he proposed the Polyvagal Theory, a theory that links the evolution of the mammalian autonomic nervous system to social behavior and emphasizes the importance of physiological state in the expression of behavioral problems and psychiatric disorders. The theory is leading to innovative treatments based on insights into the mechanisms mediating symptoms observed in several behavioral, psychiatric, and physical disorders. He is the author of The Polyvagal Theory: Neurophysiological foundations of Emotions, Attachment, Communication, and Self-regulation (Norton, 2011), The Pocket Guide to the Polyvagal Theory: The Transformative Power of Feeling Safe, (Norton, 2017) and co-editor of Clinical Applications of the Polyvagal Theory: The Emergence of Polyvagal-Informed Therapies (Norton, 2018). He is the creator of a patented music-based intervention, the Safe and Sound Protocol™, which currently is used by more than 1200 therapists to improve spontaneous social engagement, to reduce hearing sensitivities, and to improve language processing, state regulation, and spontaneous social engagement.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jacob Kyle speaks with Miles Neale and Isa Gucciardi about the corona virus, how we can skillfully respond to the situation, and why contemplative practice is so important at this time.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, we discuss: Neil’s documentary film, Gurukulam, which explores a living Advaita Vedanta lineage through sensory ethnography What brought Neil to his path Triple process of study for knowledge - listening, logical reflection, contemplative understanding Experienced hunting, the need for a teacher and reflections on the current state of "Gurus" The Western concept of Karma yoga vs. the way it is traditionally defined Cultural appropriation, academia, yoga practitioners, the market of yoga and how we are manifesting these issues Neil Dalal is Associate Professor of South Asian Philosophy and Religious Thought at the University of Alberta, where he teaches in both the Philosophy Department and Religious Studies Program. He received his PhD in Asian Cultures and Languages from the University of Texas at Austin where he specialized in Sanskrit and Indian philosophy, and an MA in East-West Psychology from the California Institute of Integral Studies. Dalal’s interests explore philosophy of mind, contemplative psychologies, and meditation practices found in classical South Asian Yoga systems. He grounds this research in classical Sanskrit texts and commentaries as well as their living traditions. Dalal’s current research focuses on the intersections of contemplative practices, textual study, and embodiment in Advaita Vedānta. He is the co-director of Gurukulam (The Orchard/Sony Pictures), a sensory-ethnographic study of a contemporary Advaita Vedānta community, co-editor of Asian Perspectives on Animal Ethics (Routledge Press), and has published articles in venues such as the Journal of the American Academy of Religion, Journal of Indian Philosophy, and Journal of Hindu Studies. Dalal is also a teacher within the traditional lineage of Śaṅkarācārya’s Advaita Vedānta. He spent several years living a monastic lifestyle in India while studying under the direct guidance of the renowned Advaita Vedāntin, Swami Dayananda Saraswati, who gave him permission to teach in 2002.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, we discuss: How can we make interactions with VR meaningful VR as a support for contemplative practice The parallel between VR and Hinduism as an understanding of the world as dharma Using VR to define reality – Who are we with all these possibilities?  What would we like to experience? Wouldn’t we prefer to have surprises in life? Therapy facilitated by VR to expand healing possibilities The potential for both positive and negative effects of VR and how we will have to make personal and existential choices about how to use this technology Joakim Vindenes is a PhD Candidate at the University of Bergen, Norway,where he is researching VR technologies. At his spare time, he runsMatrise — a blog focused on the intersections of VR, Consciousness,Science & Philosophy. Matrise has lately increased in popularity anddiscusses VR technology in relation to topics such as psychedelics,Hinduism, Existentialism, Meditation and Non-dual states.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode we discuss: Dreams from the perspective of Eastern tradition What is the non-dreaming state Spiritual benefits of lucid dreaming, including the development of psychic power Physical and psychological therapeutic benefits of lucid dreaming Tools to navigate nightmares Principles and strategies to begin a practice of lucid dreaming (intention and meditation as foundational practices) Preparation for a lucid dreaming practice by developing good sleep hygiene and establishing a more honored and treasured relationship to the dreaming state Andrew Holecek has completed the traditional three-year Buddhist meditation retreat and offers seminars internationally on meditation, dream yoga, and the art of dying. He is the author of Preparing to Die: Practical Advice and Spiritual Wisdom from the Tibetan Buddhist Tradition; Meditation in the iGeneration: How to Meditate in a World of Speed and Stress; The Power and the Pain: Transforming Spiritual Hardship into Joy; the audio learning course Dream Yoga: The Tibetan Path of Awakening Through Lucid Dreaming, and his latest book Dream Yoga: Illuminating Your Life Through Lucid Dreaming and the Tibetan Yogas of Sleep. Dr. Holecek is a member of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, and has authored scientific papers. His work has appeared in Parabola, Lion’s Roar, Tricycle, Utne Reader, Buddhadharma Magazine, Light of Consciousness, and many other periodicals. Andrew holds degrees in classical music, biology, and a doctorate in dental surgery.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode we discuss: Christine Caldwell's new book, Bodyfulness: Somatic Practices for Presence, Empowerment, & Waking Up in This Life Bodyfulness happens when you look at embodiment as physical, psychological, and contemplative 8 principles of Bodyfulness and the 4 aspects in the practice of Bodyfulness Difference between the stories that the body would tell and the verbal narrative we have laid on top of it Bodyfulness is activism at its most basic level and how it can shift forms of activism Obstacles to Bodyfulness include the oppression of the body by many societies, making our bodies and other bodies "wrong", and Bodylessness, in which the body is seen as a project An enlightened body and body wakefulness - being "awake" is a bodily experience not just in the mind Dr. Christine Caldwell, Ph.D., BC-DMT, LPC, NCC, ACS, is the founder of and professor emeritus in the Somatic Counseling Program at Naropa University in Boulder, CO, USA, where she taught coursework in somatic counseling theory and skills, clinical neuroscience, research, and diversity issues. Her work began forty years ago with studies in anthropology, dance therapy, bodywork and Gestalt therapy, and has developed into innovations in the field of body-centered psychotherapy. She calls her work the Moving Cycle. This system goes beyond the limitations of therapy and emphasizes lifelong personal and social evolution through trusting and following body states. The Moving Cycle spotlights natural play, early physical imprinting, bodily authority, and the transformational effect of fully sequenced movement processes. She has taught at the University of Maryland, George Washington University, Concordia, Seoul Women’s University, Southwestern College, Pacifica, and Santa Barbara Graduate Institute, and trains, teaches and lectures internationally. She has published over 30 articles and chapters, and her books include Getting Our Bodies Back, Getting In Touch, The Body and Oppression, and Bodyfulness.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.