Black Beryl

Today I sit down with Blue Beryl's producer, Lan A. Li, a historian of Chinese science, medicine, and the body. We talk about their life-long practice of qigong, the limits of academic critique, and the integration of divergent epistemologies in studying Chinese anatomy. Along the way, we discuss Lan’s new book, Body Maps: Improvising Meridians and Nerves in Global Chinese Medicine, Lan’s relationship to Islam, and how to cultivate wonder through academic study.If you want to hear more from experts on Buddhism, Asian medicine, and embodied spirituality then subscribe to Blue Beryl and don’t miss an episode!Resources mentioned in this episode:Lan’s websiteLan Li, “The Vital Other: Integrative Medicine and India” (2012)Lan Li, “Acupuntura e Moxabustão” (2023)Lan Li and Pierce Salguero, Jivaka Project Philadelphia (2015-2020) Pierce’s blogs on Ugly Truths about Grad School, Metamodernism, Metamodern Asian Medicine, and PolyperspectivalismLan Li, Body Maps: Improvising Meridians and Nerves in Global Chinese Medicine (2025) 

In this episode I sit down with Ruth Westoby a scholar, teacher, and practitioner of  yoga. We discuss Ruth’s work on the body in early hatha yoga texts. We talk about the broad diversity of approaches to the material body in these sources, including their ideas about gender, the cultivation of powers, and approaches to liberation. Along the way, we touch on yogic sex, practices to stop menstruating, and the courageous work that modern practitioners have been doing to expose abuse by yoga gurus.If you want to hear more from experts on Buddhism, Asian medicine, and embodied spirituality then subscribe to Blue Beryl and don’t miss an episode!Resources mentioned in this episode:Preliminary published results from Ruth’s researchMallinson and Szántó, The Amṛtasiddhi and Amṛtasiddhimūla (2021).Jason Birch, The Amaraugha and Amaraughaprabodha of Gorakṣanātha (2023).Elena Valussi, “The Physiology of Transcendence for Women” (2009)BBP episode with Dominic SteavuHatha Yoga ProjectArticles on guru abuse by Pattabhi Jois: Anneke Lucas, Karen Rain, Amanda LuciaInform ProjectVideo footage of Ruth doing historical āsanas Ruth’s website and email newsletter, Facebook page, Instagram

Today, I sit down with Theodora Wildcroft, a researcher, anthropologist, and long-time teacher of what she calls “post-lineage yoga.” We discuss Theo's ethnographic research on yoga in the UK, focusing on its connections with animism, paganism, and other somatic practices. We also dive into Theo’s personal approach to yoga as a liberatory practice that allows diverse bodies and minds to thrive. Along the way, we touch on disability, neuro-divergence, cultural appropriation, and the inescapable influence of colonialism for contemporary yogis. Enjoy! and subscribe to Blue Beryl for monthly episodes.Resources mentioned in this episode:Theodora Wildcroft, Post Lineage Yoga: From Guru to #MeToo (2020)Theo Wildcroft & Harriet Mcatee, The Yoga Teacher's Survival Guide: Social Justice, Science, Politics, and Power (2024)Barbora Sojkova & Theodora Wildcroft, Yoga Studies in 5 Minutes (2025)Theo’s website: https://theowildcroft.com

Today I sit down with Willa Blythe Baker, a writer, translator, and teacher of meditation based on Himalayan Buddhist tradition. We talk about Willa’s early discovery of Buddhism with her mother, her time living as a nun, and our shared experience in graduate school at UVa. We then do a deep-dive into Buddhist tantra and the alchemical transformations of the body-mind that led to Willa’s most recent book, The Wakeful Body, published by Shambhala in 2021. If you find yourself in your head too much of the time, then this conversation is for you! Enjoy! And, if you want to hear from more experts on Buddhist medicine and related topics, subscribe to Blue Beryl for monthly episodes here. Willa's Publications and Activities Natural Dharma Fellowship and Wonderwell Mountain RefugeThe Wakeful Body: Somatic Mindfulness as a Path to Freedom (2021) The Arts of Contemplative Care: Pioneering Voices in Buddhist Chaplaincy and Pastoral Work (2012)Everyday Dharma: Seven Weeks to Finding the Buddha in You (2009)Essence of Ambrosia: A Guide to Buddhist Contemplations (2005)

Today I sit down with Dr. Brandt Stickley, associate professor of classical Chinese medicine at the National University of Natural Medicine. We talk about Brandt’s approach, which he calls “nondual psychosomatic medicine.” We also explore how perceiving yin and yang moment by moment can be a portal to nondual experience, and how placing needles in a patient can open up a whole imaginal world of symbols and spirits. Along the way, we talk about phenomenology, Chinese herbs, and how premodern texts might literally speak to us.Remember, if you want to hear from more experts on Buddhism, Asian medicine, and embodied spirituality, subscribe to Blue Beryl for monthly episodes. Please enjoy! Resources mentioned in the episode:Brandt’s PatreonBrandt’s personal website

Naomi Worth, a scholar of Tibetan Buddhism's yoga tradition, discusses intense elements and visual aspects of the practice. She shares insights on balancing her scholarship with teaching high school and guiding teens through mindfulness. Topics include wrathful deities, sky-gazing, and empowering youth through philosophical teachings.

Today I sit down with Justin B. Stein, a specialist in modern Japanese religion and the preeminent historian of Reiki. We discuss Justin’s new book, Alternate Currents, about the transnational origins of Reiki, and also get into his perspective as a both a scholar and a Reiki practitioner. Along the way, we ask what Reiki has to do with Buddhism, what subtle energy feels like up close, and what kinds of extraordinary experiences might occur when you open up to energy of the universe. Remember, if you want to hear from more experts on Buddhism, Asian medicine, and embodied spirituality, subscribe to Blue Beryl for monthly episodes. Please enjoy!Resources mentioned in the episode:C. Pierce Salguero, Buddhism and Medicine: An Anthology of Modern and Contemporary Sources (2020). Justin’s translation is Chapter 5, “Psychosomatic Buddhist Medicine at the Dawn of Modern Japan”Justin B. Stein, Alternate Currents: Reiki’s Circulation in the Twentieth-Century North Pacific (2023).BBP interview with Nathan Michon

Historian Dominic Steavu discusses Daoist practices, psychedelics, talismanic tattoos, and internal alchemy. He explores the intersection of Taoism, Buddhism, and psychedelics, contrasting body-centric Taoism with mental-focused Buddhism. Topics also include alien encounters, intergalactic mushrooms, mystical visions, and scholarly skepticism.

 In this debut episode of Blue Beryl's second season on embodied spirituality, I sit down with Paul C. Wang, a healer and teacher of Chinese medicine and Daoism, and host of the Daology Podcast. We talk about Paul’s practices of “memetic healing” and “clinical cosmology,” and how he works with Chinese medicine, martial arts, neigong, and spirit healing. Along the way, we discover how to communicate with deceased spirits, and how to embody the Dao through everyday practices.   Please enjoy! And if you want to hear from more experts on Buddhism, Asian medicine, and embodied spirituality, subscribe to Blue Beryl for monthly episodes.Resources mentioned in this episode:Daology PodcastDaocenter.comDao Center’s Facebook page

In this podcast, they reflect on Season 1, challenge academic norms with Buddhist medicine, and explore embodied spirituality. Topics include talismanic chants, dissolving bodies, and the mystery of spirituality. Scholars share personal journeys and the importance of integrating personal experiences into academic work.