The Universe Within Podcast

Hey everybody! Episode 39 of the show is out. In this episode, I spoke with my friend Aline Horwath. Aline and I are actually neighbors at the moment during the pandemic and I often admire her beautiful garden. Aline is a botanist and plant biologist who has been studying mosses to find data about climate change. It was really interesting for me to hear about her research and learn more about the plant kingdom through her lens and knowledge. She has a lot to share and we got into some really beautiful themes about plants, the world, and the human condition. I think you all will enjoy this conversation and learn a lot. To view bonus material, get access to Q&A’s, and extended conversations, check out my Patreon page below. Enjoy!"Aline is a canopy biologist fascinated by the hidden wonders of the unexplored canopy, especially in tropical montane cloud forests. Since 2007, Aline has been involved in ecophysiological studies related to climate change. Her main focus has been the use of stable isotopes and epiphytic bryophytes (mosses and liverworts) as climatic indicators in tropical ecosystems. Since 2013 Aline has been working as a freelance scientist, educator, field-botanist, and canopy biologist in India, Trinidad & Tobago, Europe, and Peru.In addition to being passionate about plant conservation, habitat restoration, soil regeneration and natural agriculture, Aline is dedicated to the practice and sharing of yoga, meditation, and the study of medicinal plants.”To contact Aline: mossmission@gmail.com http://linkedin.com/in/aline-horwath-b965bb133And here are some additional links she provided:http://cloudcurtain.org/news-item/novel-bryophyte-mesocosms/http://gurukulabotanicalsanctuary.tumblr.com/post/125175022888/mad-about-mosshttp://gurukulabotanicalsanctuary.tumblr.com/post/137488076823/rewilding-humansThis episode of the show is sponsored by the Temple of the Way of Light. To learn more or sign up for a retreat, visit:https://templeofthewayoflight.org/Share the show, Subscribe or Follow, leave comments, and if you can go on Apple Podcasts and leave a starred-rating and a short review. That would be super helpful with the algorithms and getting this show out to more people. Thank you in advance!For more information about me and my upcoming plant medicine retreats with my colleague Merav Artzi, visit my site at: https://www.NicotianaRustica.orgTo support this podcast on Patreon, visit: https://www.patreon.com/UniverseWithinTo donate directly with PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/jasongrechanikMusic courtesy of Nuno Moreno. See his work at: https://m.soundcloud.com/groove_a_zen_sound and https://nahira-ziwa.bandcamp.com/Thanks and until the next episode!https://www.facebook.com/UniverseWithinPodcasthttps://www.instagram.com/UniverseWithinPodcast

Hey everybody! Episode 38 of the show is out. In this episode, I spoke with my friend Ute Behrendt. Ute and I met at the Amazonian plant medicine center, the Temple of the Way of Light, where she works as a facilitator for plant-medicine ceremonies working with the Shipibo lineage of medicine. I’ve worked with Ute for a number of years now and really enjoy her partnership, wisdom, kindness, and care for all of the guests she looks after. She has had a varied and interesting life including working in psychiatric hospitals and in therapeutic institutions in Germany. She has also spent a number of years learning from a strong Shipibo family of doctors. I think this gives her a really balanced and holistic approach to her work. She is constantly learning and growing and has a lot of insight to offer. I think you all will enjoy this conversation and learn a lot. To view bonus material and extended conversations, check out my Patreon page below. Enjoy!"Over the last years, Ute has dedicated herself to learn and study with long-term Masterplant Diets in a well-known and respected Shipibo Healer lineage in the Ucayali region in Peru. She sees herself as a bridge between ancestral wisdom and Western understanding of life.  Besides studying in the Shipibo Tradition with Sacred Plants and her Shipibo Maestros, she also is studying different psycho-spiritual approaches to understand the mind and human experience better. For Ute, Psychology and Spirituality are not separate when you want to experience wholeness. She is fascinated about integrating and connecting different approaches and using different pathways to find and explore inner truth…She is organizing Masterplant Retreats & Diets and works as a facilitator in a well-known Ayahuasca Center. She also provides online psycho-spiritual inquiry sessions and mentoring packages.  She believes that everyone has their own answers and wisdom inside, and that’s why she is focusing on questions and letting answers unfold by themselves…Before she moved to Peru, she worked in a psychiatric hospital and in therapeutic institutions in Germany for almost 10 years… In Peru, working and studying with the Shipibo Healers and Sacred Plant Medicine, she found the missing link.”For Ute’s full bio, visit: https://www.universewithinpodcast.com/podcast/ute-behrendtFor more information about her work, visit her website: https://www.true-journey.net/This episode is sponsored by the Temple of the Way of Light: https://templeofthewayoflight.org/Share the show, Subscribe or Follow, leave comments, and if you can go on Apple Podcasts and leave a starred-rating and a short review. That would be super helpful with the algorithms and getting this show out to more people. Thank you!For more information about me and my upcoming plant medicine retreats with my colleague Merav Artzi, visit my site at: https://www.NicotianaRustica.orgSupport this podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/UniverseWithinDonate directly with PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/jasongrechanikMusic courtesy of Nuno Moreno. See his work at: https://m.soundcloud.com/groove_a_zen_sound and https://nahira-ziwa.bandcamp.com/https://www.facebook.com/UniverseWithinPodcasthttps://www.instagram.com/UniverseWithinPodcast

Hey everybody! Episode 37 of the show is out. In this episode, I spoke with my friend Will Spencer. Will and I met at the Amazonian plant medicine center, the Temple of the Way of Light, where he came down as a guest to work with ayahuasca in the Shipibo lineage. I befriended Will and followed his journey as it transpired from there onto a four-year journey around the world in a search for inner and outer discovery. Will has experience working with plant medicines and has a deep interest and knowledge about various esoteric traditions. He also recently started a podcast, called the Renaissance of Men, where he tries to discover and teach what it means to be an integrated man. Will has a lot of knowledge and wisdom to share and it was a pleasure sitting down and speaking with him. The podcast went almost four hours but we delved into myriad topics and I think you will gain some unique insights and potentially be exposed to some new and important ideas. To view bonus material and extended conversations, check out my Patreon page below. Enjoy!"Eight years ago, my life was a mess. I was overweight, filled with grief and shame, and pursuing the wrong goals for the wrong reasons. Then I found strong men who held a mirror up to me and helped me see, “You can’t get there from here.”Two years later, I had turned my life around. I even liberated myself to pursue my personal Hero’s Journey: solo backpacking around the world, which I fulfilled to wild success.Along the way I discovered my mission, my “Why”: to pass on what I’ve learned about what it means to be a man. Now I create transformation in my brothers, guiding them to Purpose, Passion, and a Place of honor in their lives, just as I found mine." To learn more about Will, his work, and his podcast, visit his website at: https://renofmen.com/To find him on Instagram and Twitter, visit: https://www.instagram.com/renofmen/ and @will_renofmenAnd to read the blog he spoke about, visit: https://willspencer.co/to-lose-the-world-and-gain-my-soul/This episode of the show is sponsored by the Temple of the Way of Light. To learn more or sign up for a retreat, visit: https://templeofthewayoflight.org/Share the show, Subscribe or Follow, leave comments, and if you can go on Apple Podcasts and leave a starred-rating and a short review. That would be super helpful with the algorithms and getting this show out to more people. Thank you in advance!For more information about me and my upcoming plant medicine retreats with my colleague Merav Artzi, visit my site at: https://www.NicotianaRustica.orgTo support this podcast on Patreon, visit: https://www.patreon.com/UniverseWithinTo donate directly with PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/jasongrechanikMusic courtesy of Nuno Moreno. See his work at: https://m.soundcloud.com/groove_a_zen_sound and https://nahira-ziwa.bandcamp.com/Thanks and until the next episode!https://www.facebook.com/UniverseWithinPodcasthttps://www.instagram.com/UniverseWithinPodcast

Hey everybody! Episode 36 of the show is out. In this episode, I spoke with my friend Irene Pérez Méndez. Irene and I met working at the Amazonian plant medicine center, the Temple of the Way of Light, where she initially came down to do research with ICEERS on the long-term effects of ayahuasca. While there, she also taught art therapy and worked with Jungian archetypes, and eventually started facilitating retreats. I've had the chance to know Irene for a number of years and she's one of my favorite people in this work. She brings joy, passion, humor, and integrity to her work. And she has a lot of knowledge about this work through her own experience and also through having worked with many people. It was a pleasure for me to sit down and catch up with her and I think there is a lot to be gained by her sharing. To view bonus material and extended conversations, check out my Patreon page below. Enjoy!"Irene Pérez Méndez is a certified TRE facilitator, art therapist and anthropologist. TRE is a somatic technique that helps us to release tension patterns in the body and regulate the nervous system; it is indicated for those who suffer from anxiety and stress. In the last 10 years, Irene has guided more than a thousand people in the process of working with master plants, focusing on the intention setting, facilitation and integration of experiences. She puts all her heart, respect and sense of humor in holding space and being at service, working for the health and balance of body, soul and spirit as fundamental parts of the human being."To learn more about Irene, visit her website at: http://www.lacasadelviento.es And her music at: https://soundcloud.com/samambai_a To view the study on ayahuasca and the Temple, visit: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31938878/ And finally to learn more about ICEERS and TRE, visit: https://www.iceers.org/ and https://traumaprevention.com/This episode of the show is sponsored by the Temple of the Way of Light. To learn more or sign up for a retreat, visit: https://templeofthewayoflight.org/Share the show, Subscribe or Follow, leave comments, and if you can go on Apple Podcasts and leave a starred-rating and a short review. That would be super helpful with the algorithms and getting this show out to more people. Thank you in advance!For more information about me and my upcoming plant medicine retreats with my colleague Merav Artzi, visit my site at: https://www.NicotianaRustica.orgTo support this podcast on Patreon, visit: https://www.patreon.com/UniverseWithinTo donate directly with PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/jasongrechanikMusic courtesy of Nuno Moreno. See his work at: https://m.soundcloud.com/groove_a_zen_sound and https://nahira-ziwa.bandcamp.com/.Thanks and until the next episode!https://www.facebook.com/UniverseWithinPodcasthttps://www.instagram.com/UniverseWithinPodcast

Hey everybody! Episode 35 of the show is out. In this episode, I spoke with Monica Gagliano. Monica is a scientist and the author of the very good book, Thus Spoke the Plant. Monica’s scientific research has focused on plant intelligence, communication through sound, and cognition. She has a really interesting story and has not only experienced plants and life through her scientific work, but also with her own direct experience of plants through ceremonial practices. I think Monica really embodies the true spirit of a scientist, someone who is willing to question the world, even in the face of adversity, and to come to conclusions that help to illuminate and deepen our understanding of the world we live in and our relationship to it. I think she is doing very important work and I imagine her work will only continue to grow and expand as it becomes more accepted. It was a pleasure speaking with her and I think you all will gain a lot out of it. To view bonus material and extended conversations, check out my Patreon page below. Enjoy! “My main research is broadly focusing on key aspects of the ecological processes by which organisms are able to gather information on the variable conditions of their surrounding environment in order to thrive.In collaboration with various disciplines across the Sciences and the Humanities, my research aims at expanding our perception of animals, plants and more generally Nature. In the process of learning how to do this, I have pioneered the brand-new research field of plant bioacoustics and extended the concept of cognition to plants, re-igniting the discourse on plant subjectivity, sentience and ethical standing. I am a Research Associate Professor in Evolutionary Ecology at the Biological Intelligence (BI) Lab, Southern Cross University, a Research Associate Professor (Adjunct) at the University of Western Australia Research Affiliate at the Sydney Environment Institute, University of Sydney.”To learn more about Monica, visit her website at: https://www.monicagagliano.com/And to learn about the Mind of Plants book and symposium she spoke of, visit: https://www.themindofplants.com/This episode of the show is sponsored by the Temple of the Way of Light. To learn more or sign up for a retreat, visit: https://templeofthewayoflight.org/Share the show, Subscribe or Follow, leave comments, and if you can go on Apple Podcasts and leave a starred-rating and a short review. That would be super helpful with the algorithms and getting this show out to more people. Thank you in advance!For more information about me and my upcoming plant medicine retreats with my colleague Merav Artzi, visit my site at: https://www.NicotianaRustica.orgTo support this podcast on Patreon, visit: https://www.patreon.com/UniverseWithinTo donate directly with PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/jasongrechanikMusic courtesy of Nuno Moreno. See his work at: https://m.soundcloud.com/groove_a_zen_sound and https://nahira-ziwa.bandcamp.com/https://www.facebook.com/UniverseWithinPodcasthttps://www.instagram.com/UniverseWithinPodcast

Hey everybody!! Episode 34 of the show is out. In this show, I spoke with my friend Richard Condon. Richard and I met at the Amazonian plant healing center, The Temple of the Way of Light, where he came to drink medicine and began offering his work to help align, deepen, and bring distinctions to the organization. I have learned a lot from Richard and consider him a teacher. His work with ontology, distinctions, language, alignment, and integrity has taught me a lot and helped me to deepen the work that I do. One of the questions I’m often asked is about plant medicine integration, and Richard’s work is an excellent tool in aiding in this. His work is really powerful outside of this field as well. I really enjoyed this conversation. To me, Richard really embodies what an inquisitive, clear, and focused mind is able to accomplish, as well as a big heart. I always enjoy speaking with and learning from Richard and I think you all will get a lot out of this episode. To view bonus material and extended conversations, check out my Patreon page below.“From a very young age I have been interested in thinking and living from a quote by Buckminster Fuller:“How can a single individual make a difference in the world.”My own evolution traversed from my early career as a drummer in a rock band opening for some of the preeminent bands of the 60’s to being an entrepreneur, primarily, in the restaurant and nightclubs...In the middle of my life I asked myself the question at the end of my life, what is it that I want to have fulfilled? The answer was having made a difference in people's lives in a profound way and to have elevated our own humanity…As I enter the last act of my life I have been even more deeply engaged in Bucky’s question. This has given rise to a deeper exploration of a new access to living, “Living an Aligned Life.”Currently I have also partnered with Jeff Willmore to deliver The Entrepreneurship, Accomplishment & Autonomy Course. This unique structure and methodology deliberately steps away from the “tips and techniques” kind of business knowledge that betrays top performance and instead, allows you to embody the advanced knowledge of a market leader and allows you to design leading edge practices based on your own original thinking.”Richard’s full bio: https://www.universewithinpodcast.com/podcast/richard-condonRichard’s website: https://www.missionb.coThis episode is sponsored by the Temple of the Way of Light: https://templeofthewayoflight.org/Share the show, Subscribe or Follow, leave comments, and go on Apple Podcasts and leave a starred-rating and a short review. That would be super helpful with the algorithms and getting this show out to more people. Thank you!For more information my work and upcoming plant medicine retreats, visit my site at: https://www.NicotianaRustica.orgSupport this podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/UniverseWithinDonate directly with PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/jasongrechanikMusic courtesy of Nuno Moreno. See his work at: https://m.soundcloud.com/groove_a_zen_sound and https://nahira-ziwa.bandcamp.com/https://www.facebook.com/UniverseWithinPodcasthttps://www.instagram.com/UniverseWithinPodcast

Hey everybody! Episode 33 of the show is out. A number of people have been asking me to do some more solo talks so I thought this would be a good episode to release an interview I did recently with my friend Will Spencer on his podcast, The Renaissance of Men. On his podcast, we got into a number of topics including my story, my journey into plant medicine, ontology, and what I have come to learn through a decade of this work. We went pretty deep into some topics so I hope you all will find this interview beneficial. And if you do, consider subscribing and supporting his show. To view bonus material and extended conversations, check out my Patreon page below. Enjoy! *Disclaimer: this channel and its host/guests do not dispute or contradict health authority guidance by denying the addictive or harmful properties of nicotine or tobacco.*Will’s podcast can be found at: https://linktr.ee/renofmen/This episode of the show is sponsored by the Temple of the Way of Light. To learn more or sign up for a retreat, visit: https://templeofthewayoflight.org/My colleague Merav Artzi (who I interviewed in episode 28) and I will be running diets in the Sacred Valley of Peru on March 3-19 and May 1-17. If you would like more information about joining us and the work I do, visit my site at: https://www.NicotianaRustica.orgIntegration/Consultation call: https://jasongrechanik.setmore.comPatreon: https://patreon.com/UniverseWithin  YouTube join & perks: https://bit.ly/YTPerksPayPal, donate: https://paypal.me/jasongrechanik Website: https://jasongrechanik.comInstagram: https://instagram.com/JasonGrechanikFacebook: https://facebook.com/UniverseWithinPodcast Music courtesy of Nuno Moreno. See his work at: https://m.soundcloud.com/groove_a_zen_sound and https://nahira-ziwa.bandcamp.com/

Hey everybody! Episode 32 of the show is out. In this show, I spoke with Dennis McKenna. Dennis is one of the pioneers of plant medicine work and has been a bridge for shedding light and bringing plant-medicine wisdom to the public. He and his brother Terence McKenna, I think, are great ambassadors for this work at large. Dennis has been involved in research, writing, and teaching for decades and brings a wisdom and experience to all of his talks. It was a pleasure and honor to speak with him and I think you all will get a lot out of this episode. To view bonus material and extended conversations, check out my Patreon page below. Enjoy!“Dennis McKenna’s professional and personal interests are focused on the interdisciplinary study of ethnopharmacology and natural hallucinogens. He received his doctorate in 1984 from the University of British Columbia, where his research focused on ethnopharmacological investigations of ayahuasca and oo-koo-he, two indigenous Amazonian psychedelic medicines. He completed post-doctoral studies at the Helicon Foundation in San Diego (1984-86), the Laboratory of Clinical Pharmacology at NIMH (1986-88) and the Department of Neurology at Stanford University (1988-1990). He worked at Shaman Pharmaceuticals as Director of Ethnopharmacology from 1990-93, and relocated to Minnesota in 1993 to join the Aveda Corporation as Senior Research Pharmacognosist.Dr. McKenna taught courses in Ethnopharmacology, Botanical Medicines and Plants in Human Affairs in the Center for Spirituality and Healing at the University of Minnesota from 2001 to 2017. He is a founding board member of the Heffter Research Institute and serves on the advisory board of non-profit organizations in the fields of ethnobotany and botanical medicines. He was a key organizer and participant in the Hoasca Project, an international biomedical study of ayahuasca used as a sacrament by the UDV, a syncretic religious group in Brazil. He is the younger brother of Terence McKenna…”For Dennis’ full bio, visit: https://www.universewithinpodcast.com/podcast/dennis-mckennaTo learn more about Dennis and his work, vist: https://mckenna.academy/This episode of the show is sponsored by the Temple of the Way of Light. To learn more or sign up for a retreat, visit: https://templeofthewayoflight.org/Share the show, Subscribe or Follow, leave comments, and if you can go on Apple Podcasts and leave a starred-rating and a short review. That would be super helpful with the algorithms and getting this show out to more people. Thank you in advance!For more information about me and my upcoming plant medicine retreats with my colleague Merav Artzi, visit my site at: https://www.NicotianaRustica.orgTo support this podcast on Patreon, visit: https://www.patreon.com/UniverseWithinTo donate directly with PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/jasongrechanikMusic courtesy of Nuno Moreno. See his work at: https://m.soundcloud.com/groove_a_zen_sound and https://nahira-ziwa.bandcamp.com/https://www.facebook.com/UniverseWithinPodcasthttps://www.instagram.com/UniverseWithinPodcast

Una nota: para ver las  notas del episodio en español,  visite mi sitio web a:  https://www.universewithinpodcast.com/podcast/imika-tariruHey everybody! Episode 31 of the show is out. In this show, I spoke with my friend Imikā Tariru Bary Vera Kuary Baru. Imika comes from the Tubú nation in the Vaupes region of the Colombian Amazon, on the Apaporis river. I have worked with Imika over the last few years and I have a lot of respect for him and his teachings. He carries a deep wisdom that is born from a beautiful tradition. I think voices like his are important in sharing and keeping alive and helping to, as he says, build a new maloka (ceremonial house), bridging traditions from all directions of the world. I trust you all will gain a lot from listening to this talk. Thank you to my friend Claude (who I interviewed in ep10) for translating. To support this podcast, get early access to shows, bonus material, and Q&As, check out my Patreon page below. “Imika was raised in community on the banks of the Apaporis River under the guidance of his father Hummugubu... Always ready to listen, Imika teaches by example in action, sharing freely and always ready to keep learning in this dizziness of life. Imika is the founder of the TUBÚ HɄMMɄRIMASA Urban Council and the creator of the SUARY project. These projects serve as ways to reunite the community and to interweave and color the paths of life, sharing and exchanging from simplicity, and in respect for the differences between us in daily life. They offer an alternative way of relating and a way to break down the barriers that are used to separate and classify humans.“For Imika’s full bio: https://www.universewithinpodcast.com/podcast/imika-tariruImika’s website: https://www.suaryasociacion.com/?lang=enemail: bridgeweavers@gmail.comClaude’s FB page: https://www.facebook.com/bridgekeepersHouse of Dawn project:https://gogetfunding.com/casadelamanecer-suaryasociacionThis episode is sponsored by the Temple of the Way of Light: https://templeofthewayoflight.org/Share the show, Subscribe or Follow, leave comments, and go on Apple Podcasts and leave a starred-rating and a short review. That would be super helpful with the algorithms and getting this show out to more people. Thank you!For more information about my work and upcoming plant medicine retreats, visit my site at: https://www.NicotianaRustica.orgSupport this podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/UniverseWithinDonate directly with PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/jasongrechanikMusic courtesy of Nuno Moreno. See his work at: https://m.soundcloud.com/groove_a_zen_sound and https://nahira-ziwa.bandcamp.com/https://www.facebook.com/UniverseWithinPodcasthttps://www.instagram.com/UniverseWithinPodcast

Hey everybody! Episode 30 of the show is out. In this show, I spoke with my friend Brian James. Brian and I met working together at the Amazonian plant-medicine center the Temple of the Way of Light. Brian is a yoga teacher and plant-medicine practitioner. I always really enjoy talking to Brian as he has a real depth of knowledge of yoga from a perspective that not many people have. He does a wonderful job at explaining the roots of the yogic practice and also how he sees the interconnection between that path and the path of shamanism. For such broad and diverse subjects, he is able to beautifully explain them in simple ways and show the universality of all of these paths. I think you all will gain a lot from listening to this talk, much as I did. To view bonus material and extended conversations, check out my Patreon page below. Enjoy!“Brian James is a transformational coach, yoga teacher, musician and shamanic practitioner currently living Vancouver Island, Canada with his wife Debbie and their dog Kingston. A lifelong musician, artist, and curious seeker, Brian began exploring yoga and plant medicines over twenty-five years ago. After a crisis in his mid-thirties — burned out from his job in advertising and struggling with stress, anxiety and addiction — he began his own healing journey in earnest. He’s spent the last decade learning from master teachers and exploring in greater depth the medicine paths of yoga, music, shamanism and psychology. He shares conversations with some of the teachers he’s met on the Medicine Path Podcast and has written two books: Yoga & Plant Medicine, published in 2019, and Harmonic Movement, a vinyasa yoga practice manual.Since 2012, Brian has dedicated his life to sharing the healing power of yoga and music, and has taught around the world — from Shanghai, China to the heart of the Amazon jungle. He regularly teaches group classes and workshops and works 1-to-1 with individuals, helping them develop a personal practice and supporting them in recovering a sense of wholeness and freedom. “Learn more: brianjames.caTo view the Shamanic Yoga series Brian created and receive 15% off, use the link: https://vimeo.com/r/32Ww/LjJOdjROTHor go to http://vimeo.com/ondemand/shamanicyoga and enter code "UNIVERSE15" This episode of the show is sponsored by the Temple of the Way of Light. To learn more or sign up for a retreat, visit: https://templeofthewayoflight.org/Share the show, Subscribe or Follow, leave comments, and if you can go on Apple Podcasts and leave a starred-rating and a short review. That would be super helpful with the algorithms and getting this show out to more people. Thank you in advance!For more information about me and my upcoming plant medicine retreats with my colleague Merav Artzi, visit my site at: https://www.NicotianaRustica.orgTo support this podcast on Patreon, visit: https://www.patreon.com/UniverseWithinTo donate directly with PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/jasongrechanikMusic courtesy of Nuno Moreno. See his work at: https://m.soundcloud.com/groove_a_zen_sound and https://nahira-ziwa.bandcamp.com/https://www.facebook.com/UniverseWithinPodcasthttps://www.instagram.com/UniverseWithinPodcast