Be Here Now Network Guest Podcast

Visionary artist, Martina Hoffmann, describes her encounters with spirit through dreams, nature, psychedelics and more.Today’s podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self.In this episode, Martina Hoffman offers a talk on:Encountering spirit through dreaming, nature, and moreThe interweaving of creativity and spiritAttempting to express the ineffableEntering into meditation through artMartina’s expansive spiritual evolutionLucid dreaming and transitioning from dream to awakeningOut of body experiences and feeling everything deeplyMartina’s experience with psychedelics and receiving graceThe many ways that one can heal (physically, spiritually, emotionally)Letting go and embracing new beginningsHow challenging moments prepare us for the final journeyAbout Martina Hoffmann:German-born, Martina Hoffmann partially grew up in Cameroon, West Africa. She studied art education with and sculpting at the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University in Frankfurt/Main, Germany. During this time she also met the Fantastic Realist, Robert Venosa, and greatly inspired by his work, began her work as a painter. During their 30 year relationship they closely worked together, taught workshops worldwide and shared studios, both in the US as well as in Europe. Today Martina Hoffmann works as a painter and sculptress and remains a central figure in contemporary Visionary Art. Her paintings offer the viewer a detailed glimpse into her inner landscapes – imagery that has been inspired by expanded states of consciousness. Her Visionary Realism is decidedly feminine and places the ‘Universal Woman’ in an intimate cosmos. She transcribes her ecstatic experiences but also her subtle reflections on the nature of women in a realistic style which marries the fantastic to the sacred. Check out Martina’s work on her website.“My eyes opened, this beautiful blue sphere appeared in front of me and was suspended by electric energy. I made a painting of it. It had a message that said don’t be afraid. They explained to me how I had to go through this process to help me become the person I was supposed to be.” – Martina HoffmannAbout The Host, Jackie Dobrinska:Jackie Dobrinska is the Director of Education, Community & Inclusion for Ram Dass’ Love, Serve, Remember Foundation and the current host of Ram Dass’ Here & Now podcast. She is also a teacher, coach, and spiritual director with the privilege of marrying two decades of mystical studies with 15 years of expertise in holistic wellness. As an inter-spiritual minister, Jackie was ordained in Creation Spirituality in 2016 and has also studied extensively in several other lineages – the plant-medicine-based Pachakuti Mesa Tradition, Sri Vidya Tantra, Western European Shamanism, Christian Mysticism, the Wise Woman Tradition, and others. Today, in addition to building courses and community for LSRF, she leads workshops and coaches individuals to discover, nourish and live from their most authentic selves. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Guiding us along the path, Gil Fronsdal shows how to develop spirituality into enduring inner strengths rather than solitary experiences.Today’s podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self.In this episode, Gil Fronsdal teaches listeners about:Developing personal, inner strengthsThe tendency of meditators to over-value spiritual experiencesWisdom as one of our inner strengthsThe clarity of awakening and seeing the functions of our heart and mindHow something arises and how something ceasesWhat it means to be awake in the here and nowRecognizing all of the times we are in the past or the futureShedding, letting go, and simplifying our experienceFinding the path in the present momentRemaining composed and settling our entire beingHow the Buddhist path does not have a destinationAbout Gil Fronsdal:Gil Fronsdal is the co-teacher for the Insight Meditation Center in Redwood City, California; he has been teaching since 1990. He has practiced Zen and Vipassana in the U.S. and Asia since 1975. He was a Theravada monk in Burma in 1985, and in 1989 began training with Jack Kornfield to be a Vipassana teacher. Gil teaches at Spirit Rock Meditation Center where he is part of its Teachers Council. Gil was ordained as a Soto Zen priest at the San Francisco Zen Center in 1982, and in 1995 received Dharma Transmission from Mel Weitsman, the abbot of the Berkeley Zen Center. He currently serves on the SF Zen Center Elders’ Council. In 2011 he founded IMC’s Insight Retreat Center. Gil has an undergraduate degree in agriculture from U.C. Davis where he was active in promoting the field of sustainable farming. In 1998 he received a PhD in Religious Studies from Stanford University studying the earliest developments of the bodhisattva ideal. He is the author of The Issue at Hand, essays on mindfulness practice; A Monastery Within; a book on the five hindrances called Unhindered; and the translator of The Dhammapada, published by Shambhala Publications. You may listen to Gil’s talks on Audio Dharma.This recording was originally published on Dharmaseed“The right attitude, the right intention, is to begin finding that way of being that simplifies our experience. One of the right intentions is the intention of letting go, of renunciation. You can’t take a lot of baggage with you, even good baggage, if you want to walk the path.” – Gil FronsdalSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Exploring how to untangle the threads of intense desire, teacher Trudy Goodman offers direction on meeting the Dharma.Today’s podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self.This time on the BHNN Guest Podcast, Buddhist teacher Trudy Goodman discusses:Being incarnated into this desire-bodyDiversity within desire and being tuned into different frequenciesThe pressure to conform to expectationsDifficulty in knowing our deepest desires and embodying themBeing determined to do what we wantComing home to the true self which is underneath everythingHeartbreak and obstacles to connection as a place of learningDeveloping our ability to be with intense sensation and maintaining awarenessLeaning into the call of the dharmaThis recording from the Big Bear Retreat Center was originally published on DharmaseedAbout Trudy Goodman:Trudy is a Vipassana teacher in the Theravada lineage and the Founding Teacher of InsightLA. For 25 years, in Cambridge, MA, Trudy practiced mindfulness-based psychotherapy with children, teenagers, couples and individuals. Trudy conducts retreats and workshops worldwide.Learn more about Trudy’s offerings at trudygoodman.com“This place of heartbreak, of the obstacles to love, connection, longing, relationship, this place is really the place that we learn how to hold this world of desire with a peaceful heart.” – Trudy GoodmanSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Lama Tsultrim Allione shares the practice of feeding our demons in order to dissolve that which prevents us from being free.In this episode from the 2023 Summer Mountain Retreat, Lama Tsultrim Allione shares:How she first discovered Buddhism and meditationThe beauty within silence and quiet attention to our surroundingsLama Tsultrim’s first trip to India and studying the mystic eastHer connection with Ram Dass and Maharaji’s early devoteesThe practice of feeding our demons (the parts of ourselves that drain us)Dissolving that which prevents us from being freeFighting our demons versus feeding our demonsThe demons of the fear of abandonment, depression, anxiety, and addictionParts of ourselves that are trying to get attentionThe difference between the wants and needs of our demonsA guided practice for listenersAbout Lama Tsultrim Allione:Lama Tsultrim Allione is the bestselling author of Women of Wisdom (1984), Feeding Your Demons (2008), and Wisdom Rising Journey into the Mandala of the Empowered Feminine (2018). Lama Tsultrim is the founder of Tara Mandala, a 700-acre retreat center with a three-story temple and library dedicated to the divine feminine in the Buddhist tradition near Pagosa Springs, in southwest Colorado. She leads a vibrant international community with over forty groups around the world. Learn more about Lama Tsultrim Allione’s work at Tara Mandala“I know that demons means a lot of different things in this country, in different cultural contexts. What I mean by it is the different parts of ourselves that drain us, that cause us to be not free. In fact, the word mara, which is the word for demon in Sanskrit, means that which blocks freedom.” – Lama Tsultrim AllioneSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Discover the mystical connection between music and spirituality as experts explore how songs can bridge to the ethereal. They discuss the powerful roles intention and creativity play in psychedelic experiences. Hear about the transformative effects of music on emotional healing and altered states of consciousness. Personal stories reveal how familiar soundscapes can deepen connections within. It's a heartfelt conversation about the importance of community and supported exploration on the journey to self-awareness.

Gil Fronsdal, a seasoned teacher at the Insight Meditation Center, discusses parenting through a Buddhist lens. He highlights family life as a profound practice, stressing that children are more influenced by our presence than our words. Fronsdal explores the importance of remaining emotionally present and modeling equanimity, emphasizing self-control and mindfulness. He shares personal stories about the challenges of parenting, including managing anger and anxiety, while encouraging acceptance of our children's individuality and emotions.

Defining relationships as a triangle between God, Self, and Other, Stephen and Ondrea Levine discuss opening and softening our hearts.Today’s podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self.In this archival episode, Stephen and Ondrea Levine explore:How relationships open our hearts in hellThe difficulty in relationships as a path to purificationHow easy it is to be in a relationship, how hard it is to relateRelationships as a triangle between God, Other, and SelfHow fear and cruelty dissolves in a willingness to approach the truthTrying to let go of what keeps hearts separateDying into life, letting the heart burst, and going onPractices that help us connect to ourselves and to forgiveThe tremendous work we can do at homeHealing parental relationshipsHow grief keeps us separateEach moment of love as complete and preciousLearning how to love by watching how unloving we often areAbout Stephen & Ondrea Levine:Stephen Levine was an American poet, author and Buddhist teacher best known for his work on death and dying. He was a friend and colleague to many Be Here Now Network Teachers. Along with Jack Kornfield, Joseph Goldstein and Sharon Salzberg, Stephen is responsible for making the teachings of Theravada Buddhism more widely available to students in the West. He also helped establish the Living/Dying Project with RamDev and Ram Dass.For over thirty-two years, Stephen and his wife Ondrea Levine provided emotional and spiritual support for those who are life-threatened, and for caregivers. Through their healing and forgiveness workshops, many writings, and endless compassion, Stephen and Ondrea have touched the lives of thousands of people all over the world. They are the authors of numerous books, including Who Dies, Embracing the Beloved, and A Year to Live, among others. Find more talks and writings from Stephen and Ondrea at levinetalks.com.“Relationship offers us an opportunity to open our heart in hell. The difficulty of relationship is one of its most exquisite opportunities for purification, for healing.” – Stephen LevineSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Trudy Goodman introduces listeners to the Brahmavihārās through an affectionate breath practice and a loving-kindness body scan.Today’s podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self.This week on the BHNN Guest Podcast, Buddhist teacher Trudy Goodman explores:The Brahmavihārās: love, compassion, joy and equanimityRe-parenting ourselves through practiceThe feeling of being soothed, comforted, and safetyOffering loving kindness to our bodyGratitude for the breath and all it does to support usThe breath as a river of blessings that is always here for usHow the Brahmavihārās infuse and suffuse our beingA loving-kindness body scanAbout Trudy Goodman:Trudy is a Vipassana teacher in the Theravada lineage and the Founding Teacher of InsightLA. For 25 years, in Cambridge, MA, Trudy practiced mindfulness-based psychotherapy with children, teenagers, couples and individuals. Trudy conducts retreats and workshops worldwide.Learn more about Trudy’s offerings at trudygoodman.comThis recording was originally published on DharmaseedYou will notice that the breath is so exquisitely attuned. When we’re upset we tend to breath rapidly. When we’re at peace the breath slows down. We don’t have to do anything. This is one of the ways we are loved and supported by the breath. You don’t have to make it happen, you don’t have to create it.” – Trudy GoodmanSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of the Ram Dass Explorer’s Club, Buddhist teacher Spring Washam delves into the real work that comes before and after a journey with plant medicine.Today’s podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self.This conversation was recorded as part of the Ram Dass Explorer’s club. To learn more and sign up to join a Ram Dass fellowship gathering near you, visit RamDass.org/Fellowship.In this episode, Spring Washam and Jackie Dobrinska explore:Medicine as the gateway, practice as the real workAwakening to the truth of interconnectednessMetta, the loving-kindness practice / four qualities of heart and mindThe liberation that can be found within communityMoving away from hyper-independence and giving more value to loveThinking about our ‘why’ when it comes to using psychedelicsLearning how to love ourselves, each other, and this broken worldThe future of psychedelic legalization and the destruction of systemsComing back to meditation, devotion, and chantingA Q&A session with listeners on trauma, patterns, set & setting, and moreAbout Spring Washam:Spring Washam is a well-known teacher, author, and visionary leader based in Oakland, California. She is the author of A Fierce Heart: Finding Strength, Courage and Wisdom in Any Moment and her newest book, The Spirit of Harriet Tubman: Awakening from the Underground. Spring is considered a pioneer in bringing mindfulness-based meditation practices to diverse communities. She is one of the founding teachers at the East Bay Meditation Center, located in downtown Oakland, CA. She has practiced and studied Buddhist philosophy in both the Theravada and Tibetan schools of Buddhism since 1999. She is a member of the teacher’s council at Spirit Rock Meditation Center in northern California where she was trained for over a decade.In addition to being a teacher, she is also a shamanic practitioner and has studied indigenous healing practices since 2008. She is the founder of Lotus Vine Journeys, a one-of-a-kind organization that blends indigenous healing practices with Buddhist wisdom in South America. Her writings and dharma teachings have appeared in many online journals and publications. She currently teaches meditation retreats and leads workshops, and classes worldwide.Spring currently teaches meditation retreats and leads workshops, and classes worldwide: springwasham.com and is cohost of her own podcast on Be Here Now Network, The Spirit Underground.About Jackie Dobrinska:Jackie Dobrinska is the Director of Education, Community & Inclusion for Ram Dass’ Love, Serve, Remember Foundation and the current host of Ram Dass’ Here & Now podcast. She is also a teacher, coach, and spiritual director with the privilege of marrying two decades of mystical studies with 15 years of expertise in holistic wellness. As an inter-spiritual minister, Jackie was ordained in Creation Spirituality in 2016 and has also studied extensively in several other lineages – the plant-medicine-based Pachakuti Mesa Tradition, Sri Vidya Tantra, Western European Shamanism, Christian Mysticism, the Wise Woman Tradition, and others. Today, in addition to building courses and community for LSRF, she leads workshops and coaches individuals to discover, nourish and live from their most authentic selves. “The medicine is the gateway but the practice is the real work. Nothing is real until it’s lived.” – Spring WashamSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Through meditation and lecture, Gil Fronsdal outlines how the awareness of awareness is more important than the content of an experience.Today’s podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self.This time on the BHNN Guest Podcast, Gil Fronsdal explains:Giving too much importance to our experiencesBeing mindful of whatever is present in a given momentThe authority we give to our fixationsDropping into the experience of the body breathingKnowing our feelings and thoughts and noticing when we are distractedA guided mediation from Gil to develop awareness of awarenessAbout Gil Fronsdal:Gil Fronsdal is the co-teacher for the Insight Meditation Center in Redwood City, California; he has been teaching since 1990. He has practiced Zen and Vipassana in the U.S. and Asia since 1975. He was a Theravada monk in Burma in 1985, and in 1989 began training with Jack Kornfield to be a Vipassana teacher. Gil teaches at Spirit Rock Meditation Center where he is part of its Teachers Council. Gil was ordained as a Soto Zen priest at the San Francisco Zen Center in 1982, and in 1995 received Dharma Transmission from Mel Weitsman, the abbot of the Berkeley Zen Center. He currently serves on the SF Zen Center Elders’ Council. In 2011 he founded IMC’s Insight Retreat Center. Gil has an undergraduate degree in agriculture from U.C. Davis where he was active in promoting the field of sustainable farming. In 1998 he received a PhD in Religious Studies from Stanford University studying the earliest developments of the bodhisattva ideal. He is the author of The Issue at Hand, essays on mindfulness practice; A Monastery Within; a book on the five hindrances called Unhindered; and the translator of The Dhammapada, published by Shambhala Publications. You may listen to Gil’s talks on Audio Dharma.“In some ways, it doesn’t matter that much where you bring your attention, what matters is that you’re using it. You can develop just as much clarity of mind and presence of mind on the rain sound as you can on your breathing, as you can on almost anything.” – Gil FronsdalSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.