Integrating the self, identity, and belonging; mindfulness researcher, Dr. Dan Siegel, joins Raghu Markus to explore his new book, IntraConnected."From a mathematical point of view, the modern construction of a separate solo self is actually a violation of a complex system's ability to adapt and learn." – Dr. Dan SiegelIn this episode Raghu Markus and Dr. Dan Siegel ponder:The integration of self, identity, and belongingRadical Trauma and losing the sense of selfScience and contemplative wisdomThe Optimal Flow of HarmonyDeath as a space of possibility Being a part of a wholeAbout Dr. Dan Siegel:Dr. Siegel is a Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the UCLA School of Medicine and the founding co-director of the Mindful Awareness Research Center at UCLA. An award-winning educator, he is a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association and recipient of several honorary fellowships. Dr. Siegel is also the Executive Director of the Mindsight Institute, an educational organization, which offers online learning and in-person seminars that focus on how the development of Mindsight in individuals, families, and communities can be enhanced by examining the interface of human relationships and basic biological processes. His psychotherapy practice includes children, adolescents, adults, couples, and families. He serves as the Medical Director of the LifeSpan Learning Institute and on the Advisory Board of the Blue School in New York City, which has built its curriculum around Dr. Siegel’s Mindsight approach.Keep up with Dr. Dan Siegel and purchase his books on his website hereSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In a discussion on transcendence, Raghu Markus and Zen Priest Hozan Alan Senauke describe embodying zen practices and having a stable mind."What really impressed me about the Chinese/Japanese poetry was that there was a sense of the ordinary. There was something marvelous and transcendent in ordinary perceptions." – Hozan Alan SenaukeIn this episode Raghu Markus and Hozan Alan Senauke explore:The practice of ZenMagic within the ordinary Meeting spiritual teachers and guidesSeeing both sides of everything and finding balanceEmbodiment and putting our practice into the worldBeing Happy and being in the moment Hozan Alan Senauke:Hozan Alan Senauke is a Soto Zen priest, folk musician, poet and the Abbot of Berkeley Zen Center in California. As a socially engaged Buddhist activist, Hozan has worked closely with the International Network of Engaged Buddhists and Buddhist Peace Fellowship since 1991. In 2007, he founded Clear View Project, developing Buddhist-based resources for relief and social change in Asia and the U.S. He is author of The Bodhisattva’s Embrace: Dispatches from Engaged Buddhism’s Front Lines. In another realm, Hozan has been a student and performer of American traditional music for more than fifty years.For Alan Senauke dharma talks, click hereSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Scholar Michael Meade sits down with Raghu Markus for a mythical episode on storytelling, symbolism, and human nature."Myth is about vertical imagination. Myth opens up the connections we have to the heavens and the connections we have to the underworld... On the surface a myth is false, but it carries deeper truths than you can find anywhere else." – Michael MeadeIn this episode Raghu Markus and Michael Meade converse about:Michael's induction into the realm of myth Storytelling with musical instrumentsOral and literary traditions in mythologyFinding truth within imaginationLife, death, and renewalThe mythic nature of humans and dreamsA connection between endings and beginnings  The African myth of the eagle and the child About Michael Meade: Michael Meade is a renowned storyteller, author, and scholar of mythology, anthropology, and psychology. He combines hypnotic storytelling, street-savvy perceptiveness, and spellbinding interpretations of ancient myths with a deep knowledge of cross-cultural rituals.He is the author of Awakening the Soul, The Genius Myth, Fate and Destiny: The Two Agreements of The Soul, Why the World Doesn't End, The Water of Life: Initiation and the Tempering of the Soul; editor, with James Hillman and Robert Bly, of Rag and Bone Shop of the Heart; and the creator of the Living Myth Podcast.Michael Meade is the founder of Mosaic Multicultural Foundation, a nonprofit network of artists, activists, and community builders that encourages greater understanding between diverse peoples.Discover more from Michael Meade and purchase his books HERESee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Moving out of constriction and into connection with reality, Sharon Salzberg reunites with Raghu to talk about her new book, Real Life."When we are out of harmony with the truth, we are not realistic. Everything is distorted, we reach for happiness in all the wrong places, we let other people define us instead of finding out who we truly are." – Sharon SalzbergIn this episode we hear Sharon Salzberg and Raghu Markus explore:How to 'get real' and see the truth Constriction versus connectionBeing bound by habitual patternsOne-pointedness Dealing with greed, hatred, delusionHow to avoid spiritual bypassing Toxic optimismA reinterpretation of DharmaAbout 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 forthcoming release, Real Life: The Journey from Isolation to Openness and Freedom, is set for release in April of 2023 from Flatiron Books. 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.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Centering on her new book, Big Mama Speaks, Dr. Sabrina N'Diaye and Raghu discuss forgiveness and the wisdom we gain from our ancestors."The older I get, the more I realize being a good therapist has nothing to do with all these acronyms behind my name. I know my grandmother didn't even graduate from high school, but she had a degree in the soul." – Dr. Sabrina N'DiayeIn this episode Dr. Sabrina N'Diaye and Raghu discuss:Understanding trauma Dialoguing with our ancestorsDr. Sabrina's writing processThe magic of forgivenessDeriving lessons from painful experiencesApplying ancestral wisdom to therapy practiceMaking a commitment to compassionAbout Sabrina N'Diaye:Dr. Sabrina N’Diaye is an integrative psychotherapist and founder of the Heart Nest Center for Peace and Healing in Baltimore. There, she lovingly serves women, couples, other healers, and small groups. Her approach to healing is a blend of wisdom, science, and ancient spiritual practices. She is a student of the late Sufi Master Sidi Muhammad al-Jamal of Jerusalem and incorporates Sufi healing into her with individuals, families, and communities. Keep up with Dr. N'Diaye on Instagram or her website and stay tuned for her upcoming book, Big Mama Speaks.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Author and teacher, Kevin Griffin sits down with Raghu to discuss finding a higher power and responding to everything with love."The Dharma can be your higher power rather than praying to some sort of Abrahamic God. The Dharma itself is powerful and provides all you need for turning your life over to the Dharma." – Kevin GriffinIn this episode Kevin Griffin and Raghu explore:A Buddhist path to recovery How practicality can lead to spirituality Dharma as a higher powerInitial transformation in the 12-step program Applying a metta practice to our daily livesHow we can bring balance into our inner world About Kevin Griffin:Kevin Griffin is a Buddhist teacher and author of several books, including Living Kindness: Metta Practice For The Whole Of Our Lives, One Breath at a Time: Buddhism and the Twelve Steps, and Buddhism & the Twelve Steps DAILY REFLECTIONS. A longtime Buddhist practitioner and 12 Step participant, he is a leader in the mindful recovery movement and one of the founders of the Buddhist Recovery Network. Kevin is a husband, father and musician. His album “Laughing Buddha” is a collection of rock and world-beat tunes with Buddhist themes. Learn more at www.kevingriffin.net.Check out Kevin Griffin's upcoming events on Spiritrock.orgSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Devotional Musician Jai Uttal joins Raghu to chat about his new album which explores the deepest spiritual longings of the human psyche."The Bhakti's of the past, their songs are so deeply personal and intimate in their relationship to God; it's stepping into that stream, as gracefully as possible." – Jai UttalIn this episode Jai Uttal and Raghu weave together:Devotional MusicThe art of translationInherited sentiments and emotionsThe beauty of expressing our deepest experiencesIntimacy with GodThe Yoga of DevotionFollowing the path of the heart Online Kirtan Camp with Jai Uttal – Level 2 - The Ocean of Bhakti Journey into the heart of devotion with Jai Uttal. Sign Up HereDo you ever wish you could learn to chant? Do you have an existing mantra or kirtan practice and want to go deeper? Have you been wanting to connect with other people who love yoga, mantra and kirtan?Begin slowly, at your own pace, and make a small and very easy commitment to chant three to five minutes a day, watering that tender shoot of devotion in the deepest recesses of your soul. Before you can even say 108 RAMs, the seed of bhakti within your heart will blossom into a beautiful tree of spiritual connection and love, and become a shelter of peace and compassion for others.'Dust & Tears' Jai Uttal's New Album The nine compositions on this album continue this ancient steam of devotion. These mystical songs, though veined with heart-wrenching sorrow, express the deepest spiritual longings of the human psyche. Yet, when sung with beauty, heartfelt intensity, and vulnerability, these primordial emotions give birth to an unspoken well of sublime joy. The lyrics, composed by Nubia and I, rest on the very breath of our mystical ancestors. The inspiration is from their passionate hearts and ardent poetry. These songwriters of Bhakti were untamed revolutionaries, proclaiming the triumph of love over hate. May we, in our small way, sing like they sang, fearlessly and with abandon, longing for darshan, praying for all beings to be free. Each of these songs grew from a seed found in an ancient text – sometimes it was a line, sometimes just a word, and sometimes simply the sentiment – which was planted in the soil of our souls to sprout into the music you hear today. Listen Here"Kirtan is the calling, the crying, the reaching across infinite space — digging into the heart’s deepest well to touch and be touched by the Divine Presence." – Jai Uttalhttp://www.jaiuttal.comhttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiQb8kZolBKVCk0tYhwQGqQhttps://www.facebook.com/jaiuttal/https://www.instagram.com/jaiuttal/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Discussing their book You Are The Universe, Amy Buetens and Julie Weinstein join Raghu to talk about Ram Dass in the next generation.You Are The Universe is an impactful guidebook, chronicling the unconventional journey and self-discovery of Ram Dass, one of the world’s most beloved spiritual teachers. Sourced from five decades of recordings, Ram Dass shares his life story and transformative teachings in his own words with honesty and humor. These teachings from Ram Dass offer teens and adults of all ages life-altering inspiration for understanding universal truths, navigating their unique paths with compassion and awareness, and living a meaningful life. Vibrant hand-drawn and water-colored images illustrate Ram Dass’s captivating story of transformation. You Are The Universe offers an accessible perspective on our world through Ram Dass’s eyes, and explores timeless answers for today’s most urgent questions.Grab your copy of You are the Universe here See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

ZaChoeje Rinpoche joins Raghu for a talk on being recognized as a Tulku (reincarnated Tibetan master) by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and the true nature of struggling.Help others improve their mental and emotional well-being, reduce stress, improve focus, increase self-awareness and self-regulation — all while deepening your own practice and understanding.Join Buddhist teacher David Nichtern and special guest Professor Robert Thurman for a free online program on Tuesday, February 14th at 6:00pm ET. Visit dharmamoon.com/beherenow for more info and to reserve your spot for the free info session!"The difference between the enlightened being and the un-enlightened being is: we are all struggling, but an enlightened being stops struggling over the struggles; and we struggle over the struggles. That is the truth of suffering." – ZaChoeje RinpocheIn this episode ZaChoeje Rinpoche and Raghu dive into:Growing up in India as a Tibetan refugee child, and becoming a monkBeing recognized as a Tulku (reincarnated Tibetan master) by His Holiness The Dalai LamaMoving to the U.S. and founding Emaho Foundation a Tibetan Buddhist center serving the greater Phoenix areaRetranslating the Buddha's First Noble Truth (the truth of struggling)Disentangling from getting caught in the story of the "Movie of Me" – the fixed idea of who we areThe role of devotion, faith, and guru in spiritual development through the lens of Tibetan BuddhismConnecting with the true nature of the mind as clear lightAn illuminating guided meditation practice on the sky like nature of mind and heartSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In a conversation about fallibility and self-honesty, spiritual advisor Jaymee Carpenter and Raghu Markus talk about surrender and transcending victimhood."When I was younger I was getting high on my identity of being a victim and I got high on drugs. Then I got sober and I got high on this new identity of a sober person. It was just a transference of ego." – Jaymee Carpenter"We all have that generational karma in one way or the other that we are dealing with." – Raghu Markus In this episode Jaymee Carpenter and Raghu Markus discuss:Overcoming the lies we tell ourselfComing back from rock bottomKinship and mentorshipMeditation and miraclesRecovery from drug and alcohol addictionIdentity and being nobodySee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.