Cultivating both inner and outer harmony, the Be Here Now Network trifecta of Raghu, David, and Sharon offers lessons in metta and letting go.This episode was recorded live at the annual Ram Dass Legacy “Open Your Heart in Paradise” retreat in Maui. Learn more about these Maui retreats, our annual Mountain retreat in Boone, North Carolina, and our regular digital retreats at ramdass.org/event.Mindrolling is brought to you by Reunion. Reunion is offering $250 off any stay to the Love, Serve, Remember community. Simply use the code “BeHere250” when booking. Disconnect from the world so you can reconnect with yourself at Reunion.  Hotel | www.reunionhotelandwellness.com Retreats | www.reunionexperience.orgThis week on Mindrolling, Raghu, David, and Sharon discuss:Ram Dass’ teaching of loving awareness and being at home in the universePutting practice and compassionate mindfulness into our daily livesThe power and strength of loveA guided metta practice from SharonBoth inner and outer harmonizing and turning metta towards ourselvesThe Bodhisattva tradition and taking on the suffering of othersLoving motivation and using wise discernmentThe continual process of letting goForgiveness and not allowing pain to overtake our livesAbout David Nichtern:David Nichtern, founder of Dharma Moon, is a senior Buddhist teacher who has been practicing and teaching meditation for over 40 years. He was one of the initial American students of renowned meditation master Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche and studied closely with him soon after his arrival in the United States in 1970. He is also a business consultant with companies creating a variety of offerings integrating meditation in a larger health and well-being context. David is also a multiple Grammy-nominated and Emmy award-winning musician.About Sharon Salzberg:Sharon Salzberg is a meditation pioneer, world-renowned teacher, and New York Times bestselling author. She is one of the first to bring mindfulness and lovingkindness meditation to mainstream American culture over 45 years ago, inspiring generations of meditation teachers and wellness influencers. Sharon is co-founder of The Insight Meditation Society in Barre, MA, and the author of twelve books, including the New York Times bestseller, Real Happiness, now in its second edition, and her seminal work, Lovingkindness. Her podcast, The Metta Hour, has amassed five million downloads and features interviews with thought leaders from the mindfulness movement and beyond.Learn more about Sharon and pre-order her new book at www.sharonsalzberg.com“You can ask yourself the question, what do I really want to see? What do I care about most right now? Is it winning or is it being kind? It brings us to wisdom we already have, that we can then bring forth and have it inform our action as best we can.” – Sharon SalzbergSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Sharing spiritual mementos from his world travels, Dakota Wint sits with Raghu to explore finding God everywhere and at any time.This time on Mindrolling, Raghu and Dakota converse about:Dakota’s travels throughout EthiopiaRastafarian tradition and its origin in EthiopiaReminiscing about their time shared in IndiaConfronting the weirdness of our collective stateFinding spirit in all cultures across the worldHow travel and curiosity have affected Dakota’s growthThe central Buddhist value of impermanenceTurning within and connecting to GodStories of the Aghori people in IndiaThe tribes of Papua New GuineaAbout Dakota Wint:Dakota Wint is a documentary filmmaker, vlogger, podcast host, and spiritual teacher from Detroit, Michigan. His films and podcasts revolve around current events, strange spirituality, and taboo traditions. You can subscribe to his podcast, A Place for Humans, HERE. Dakota grew to fame as an internet personality via his popular YouTube channel, Dakota of Earth. Dakota hosts retreats around the world and runs a non-profit focused on cultural and language preservation. Learn more about current happenings on his website.“The same spiritual lessons I’m finding all over the world. There’s a similar feeling, a shared feeling, to what I find when I’m in India, or Japan, or in Mexico. I can find the spirit or God hidden in the symbols.” – Dakota WintSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Redefining sainthood as a deep care for ourselves and others, Lama Rod Owens and Raghu discuss reclaiming our sacredness and our identity.Check out Lama Rod’s book, The New Saints, to learn more about becoming a spiritual warrior.Within this episode, Raghu and Lama Rod discuss:Healing through music and other mystical experiencesLama Rod Owens’ college experience and getting into activismRe-framing our relationship to religionThe freedom to be our most authentic selvesOwning our own identity and sacrednessCommunity and collective as the hero we all needThe apocalypse as an unveiling of the truthCreating a culture of care and prioritizing well-beingDisrupting habitual reactivity and transforming our responsivenessLoneliness on the spiritual pathAbout Lama Rod Owens:Lama Rod Owens is a Black Buddhist Southern Queen. An international influencer with a Master of Divinity degree in Buddhist Studies from Harvard Divinity School with a focus on the intersection of social change, identity, and spiritual practice. Author of Love and Rage: The Path of Liberation through Anger and co-author of Radical Dharma: Talking Race, Love and Liberation, his teachings center on freedom, self-expression, and radical self-care. Highly sought after for talks, retreats, and workshops, his mission is showing you how to heal and free yourself. A leading voice in a new generation of Buddhist teachers with over 11 years of experience, Lama Rod is highly respected among his peers and the communities that he serves. From these intersections, he creates a platform that’s very natural, engaging, and inclusive. Check out Lama Rod’s most recent publication, The New Saints and his podcast on the Be Here Now Network, The Spirit Underground.For current offerings and programs, click here. “I think that the most important spiritual practice is care, compassion love; I think that’s the common expression across many paths. A saint is defined by the depth of their care for others.” – Lama Rod OwensSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Noah and Raghu Markus catch up with Joseph Goldstein to talk about poetry, imposter syndrome, trust, and more.Grab a copy of Joseph’s poems and reflections HEREIn this episode, Raghu, Joseph, and Noah connect through these topics:How Joseph revitalized his poetic spirit while traveling in SpainRevision as the most important process of writingStruggling with imposter syndromeHow poetry overlaps the meditative spaceSilence as an integral precursor to creativityThe beauty within very ordinary experiencesHow aversion traps us just as much as desireCompassion as the activity of emptinessLoneliness and the myth of intimacyBuilding trust and self-confidenceArtistic versus scientific ways of understandingAnger as a messenger and using wise discernmentBe sure to check out this talk on quantum mechanics, as suggested by Joseph in today’s episode.About Joseph Goldstein:Joseph Goldstein has been leading insight and loving-kindness meditation retreats worldwide since 1974. He is a co-founder of the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts, where he is one of the organization’s guiding teachers. In 1989, together with several other teachers and students of insight meditation, he helped establish the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies.“A lot of creativity comes out of the silence because then it’s more intuitive rather than thinking through something. It’s that overlap that I really love. I can be in a quiet space and a very ordinary perception of something takes on more meaning because I’m not just rushing through it, I’m actually there in it.” – Joseph GoldsteinSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Trauma-focused psychotherapist Ralph De La Rosa links with Raghu to explain how radical self-compassion can outshine our deepest wounds.Eager to learn more? Grab your own copy of Ralph’s new book, Outshining Trauma.In this episode, Raghu and Ralph have a conversation about:  Ralph’s casual brush with death and the divine play of the universeHealing our afflictions and uncovering our awakened stateHow we all tend to dissociate and distract ourselvesInspiration from Buddhism in Ralph’s own life and his therapy practiceBefriending all of the different parts of our psycheConnecting the heart of compassion to the difficulties we experienceUtilizing the tools of Internal Family SystemsWorking with the breath and other meditation techniquesGetting intimate with our afflictionsThe concept of taking refugeConsidering what a healthy love/relationship looks likeHow to respond to self-judgment and drop our armorAbout Ralph De La RosaRalph De La Rosa (he/they) is a teacher of human spirituality, an internationally published author and a trauma-focused psychotherapist. Ralph works in private practice and is a seasoned meditation teacher known for his radically open and humorous teaching style. He is personally mentored by Richard Schwartz, founder and developer of Internal Family Systems. Check out Ralph’s new book, published in November 2024, focusing on trauma and radical self-compassion, Outshining Trauma. You can keep up with Ralph on his website.“Our hearts can really break open for our own struggle. That, for me, is the nature of what I would call radical self-compassion, when you start to behold your own struggle and are willing to get intimate with your afflictions rather than run from them.” – Ralph De La RosaSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Tyson Yunkaporta, an Aboriginal scholar and founder of the Indigenous Knowledge Systems Lab, dives into the complexities of navigating a post-truth world. He discusses how emotional narratives often overshadow objective facts, especially in the wake of societal upheavals like the pandemic. Tyson emphasizes the importance of Indigenous knowledge, exploring grief rituals, community ties, and the fight against disinformation. He advocates for understanding 'Right' vs 'Wrong' stories, urging compassion and connection to navigate these challenging times.

Sharing stories from her world travels, yoga teacher Susan Maruffo explores healing and self-discovery through yoga, Tantra, and meditation.This time on Mindrolling, Susan and Raghu journey through:  Unhappiness within Western cultural conditioningHow getting out of the United States transformed Susan’s lifeBeing alone while doing yoga versus in a group settingHow suffocating our ‘roles’ in life can beRecognizing our universal connection via a trip to IndiaComing back into the body through yoga practiceSusan’s experience at a Tantric school in ThailandNeo-Tantra versus classical TantraHealing through yoga and sexual explorationDying to the old versions of ourselvesHow the heart reveals itself during meditationThe ways we run away from intimacyAbout Susan Marrufo:Susan left the United States and a job in advertising in 2008 to travel internationally and experience life beyond the confines of her cultural conditioning. She received her first 500-hr yoga certification in Thailand in 2009, where she began her studies of the classical yogic scriptures and delved deeply into esoteric tantric philosophy. After 2 years of teaching month-long tantric-based courses on the banks of the Ganges in India and the Pacific coastal towns of Mexico, Susan returned to the US to begin a residential internship with the Kripalu School of Yoga, where she taught in and project-managed several Kripalu yoga teacher trainings as well as received her 2nd 500-hr teacher training certification from the Kripalu School of Yoga. Susan facilitates group courses in the inquiry of yoga and meditation and dives increasingly deeper into her yogic studies. She is the founder of Samarasa Center.“It was the first time that I started practicing yoga alone. Not in groups of classes with other people. That was transformational for me. That was the game changer, just being alone, having time, not feeling stressed, not feeling the pressure to be anybody. To be a wife, to be a boss, to be a daughter.” – Susan MarrufoSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Justin Boreta, the first musician to collaborate with Ram Dass, talks with Raghu about Ram Dass’ legacy and the power of music.Check out the track Awareness, an ambient track by Justin mixed with a guided meditation from Ram Dass.This week on Mindrolling, Justin and Raghu chat about:  Ram Dass’ legacy transported through musicThe chants that Ram Dass brought home from IndiaKali Yuga, the age of destructionChants for Ganesh and music as the delivery method for mantraRam Dass’ humor and charmHow music is a tool for being in the present momentUsing the breath to enter into a space of loving-kindnessThe intersection of community, teachings, and musicTrusting the music and letting goRaghu suggests checking out the poetry of Kabir brought to life through music. About Justin Boreta:Justin Boreta is a member of The Glitch Mob, a beat-driven electronic group that has been touring for more than a decade performing around the world at festivals including: Coachella, Burning Man, Lollapolooza, Reading & Leeds and Bonnaroo. Boreta has collaborated with the spiritual teacher Ram Dass and Alan Watts on guided meditations and was recently nominated for a 2021 Grammy for Best New Age Album. Boreta is also a member of the Soul Land music series at Love Serve Remember.“There was this sense of unencumbered big-eyed view of love. I felt so accepted and seen and relaxed right away. It was psychedelic. It was one of the most psychedelic experiences I’d had…the first thing I thought was if he [Ram Dass] makes me feel like that, I want other people around me to feel like that too.” – Justin BoretaSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Andrew Holecek, an expert on lucid dreaming and Tibetan yogas of sleep, shares his fascinating journey from the occult to spiritual enlightenment. He discusses the transformative potential of liminal dreaming—the space between wakefulness and sleep—and how it can enhance creativity and self-awareness. Andrew explores the significance of overcoming the dreamer illusion and the power of mantra meditation. Listeners will enjoy insights into how thoughts shape reality and the role of humor in spirituality, offering a fresh perspective on meditation practices.

Raghu interviews Leonard Pickard about his early involvement in psychedelics, zen practice, his 20-year incarceration, and building resilience via mindfulness.Leonard will be joining Raghu, Zach Leary, Trevor Hall and others at a Ram Dass Legacy Event in Denver on December 12th, 2024. For more info, click HERE.This week on Mindrolling, Leonard and Raghu chat about: Transformative experiences as not dependent on substancesDelving into the great leaders of the sixties and honoring Ram DassThe psychedelic revolution that is currently taking placeOur total dependence on one anotherThe way that music transformed throughout the 1960’sLeonard’s time at the San Francisco Zen Center studying Buddhism, meditation, and yogaCarrying our practice out into the worldHow Buddhism prepared Leonard for years of incarcerationThe beauty of spiritual practice and growing ones heartCheck out Leonard’s book, The Rose of Paracelsus, which he wrote while incarcerated, to explore more about psychedelics, spirituality, science, and human evolution.About Leonard Pickard:Once known as the Acid King, Leonard Pickard is a former research associate in neurobiology at Harvard Medical School, Harvard fellow in drug policy at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, and Deputy Director of the Drug Policy Analysis Program at UCLA. His 1996 prediction of the fentanyl epidemic was published by RAND in The Future of Fentanyl and Other Synthetic Opioids. Leonard Pickard is one of two people convicted in the largest LSD manufacturing case in history. On July 27, 2020, Pickard was granted compassionate release from federal prison 20 years into his sentence.“Transformative experience, if it is to be valid, cannot be drug dependent. It would be a terrible offense to think that such beautiful insights were dependent upon a mere substance.” – Leonard PickardSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.