CHITHEADS with Jacob Kyle (Embodied Philosophy)

In this episode, we discuss: Understanding the culture of Contemporary medicine and medicine as an industry. The Ayurvedic approach, addressing the physical, energetic and mental realm. Quantum biology and the Siddha texts - healing from the inside out.  Role of intuition as it informs mastery in healing and any field of work. Science of Sound, biological translation to energy and meaning.  The distinction between mantra and aphorism; using mantra and devotion to connect to  your soul’s intention. Alzheimer’s as a mutable disease and alternative practices to support conditions. Dr. Kulreet Chaudhary’s combined expertise in both modern neurology and the ancient science of health known as Ayurveda has uniquely positioned her as an expert able to pull from the broadest possible base to treat her clients. She is passionate about raising awareness for the need of a paradigm shift in contemporary medicine that focuses on patient empowerment and a health-based (rather than disease-based) medical system. Dr. Chaudhary is a regular guest on the Dr. Oz show, where her teachings about Ayurvedic medicine have been applauded by a national audience. Dr. Chaudhary is the author of The Prime and Sound Medicine. She is also a neuroscientist and has participated in over twenty clinical research studies in the areas of multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, ALS, and diabetic peripheral neuropathy. Her research includes groundbreaking work in stem cell therapies for diabetic peripheral neuropathy and drug development for the treatment of ALS. Dr. Kulreet Chaudhary spends her time doing research in Siddha Medicine in Tamil Nadu, India and seeing patients for Integrative Medicine consultations from San Diego, CA.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, we discuss: Invocation as a tool to invoke the divinity from within us. The celebration of Diwali and the purpose of celebrating festivals. Idols as means to connect to the God within us.  Chanting mantra, contemplating deeper truths, and the main sadhana of Kali Yuga.  The many names of Shiva - infinite expressions of infinite glories. How to understand karma and taking responsibility for your life. Spiritual practices for facing challenging times with strength and clarity. Swami Swatmananda is one of the most dynamic leaders of Chinmaya Mission. An Acharya of Chinmaya Mission-South Mumbai, he completed the Vedanta Course from Powai from 1998-2000. He has been serving in Chinmaya Mission Mumbai since 2000. He expounds the philosophy of Advaita Vedanta through talks on the Bhagavad Geeta, Upanishads and other texts of Vedanta & bhakti through camps, meditation retreats, interactive sessions and discussions for youth & adults. Chinmaya Pradeep is one of its kind outdoor Vedantic Vision Park based on the life and teachings of Swami Chinmayananda at Powai, Mumbai. He has conceptualised and executed it. He is also a playwrite and has written and directed two theatrical performances. “Adrshya – Quest for the Unseen” based on Saraswati Civilization & Developed India was written and directed by him in 2009. 9 shows of Adrshya have been performed by Chinmaya Yuva Kendra Mumbai in Mumbai, Pune, Allahabad and Chennai. “Just Like That”- A play based on the Bhagavad Geeta in the life of Anand-Family and how they discover harmony by applying the principles of Geeta was written and directed by him in 2015. 6 shows of the play have been performed in Mumbai, Pune, Chennai. His simplicity, foresight, peaceful nature and a balanced approach endear him to everyone. Swami Swatmananda can be reached through his social media handle @ChinmayaShivam or “Chinmaya Shivam” on Youtube, Instagram, FB, Twitter, Podomatic, Spotify, Amazon, iTunes, Google podcast & LinkedIn.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Medical anthropologist Alberto Villoldo has studied the shamanic healing practices of the Amazon and Andes for more than 25 years. He is the founder of the Four Winds Society, which trains modern shamans in the practice of energy medicine. He directs the Center for Energy Medicine in Chile, where he investigates and practices the neuroscience of enlightenment. Over the course of two decades with the shamans in the jungles and high mountains of the Andes, Villoldo discovered a set of sacred technologies that transform the body, heal the soul, and can change the way we live and die.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode we discuss: Daniel Simpson’s upcoming book, The Truth of Yoga. Daniel shares his intention and inspiration behind this comprehensive overview integrating contemporary history with scholarly history Differentiating yoga history and yoga philosophy as evolutionary systems of ideas Debunking commonly misunderstood concepts and myths of yoga evolution Connection points to tradition within modern practices Postural practice and being definitive about the unknown Reinterpreting yoga traditions, cultural appropriation and exploitation of yoga The nature of ultimate and relative truths in yoga Daniel Simpson teaches yoga philosophy at the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies, on teacher trainings and online. He earned his Masters degree in Traditions of Yoga and Meditation at SOAS (University of London), the home of the pioneering Hatha Yoga Project. He is the author of The Truth of Yoga, a comprehensive guide to the history of practice, which will be published in January by Farrar, Straus and Giroux. His website is http://danielsimpson.infoSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, we discuss: Co-sustaining spiritual practice and effective social action. Tips for carving out time for practice/ finding your core practice. Yogananda’s balanced, spiritual and responsible life. Sacred citizenship vs. the myth of rugged individuality. Practice as a wellspring for creativity. Harnessing imagination in the service of recognizing modes of our own experience. Knowledge of theory as it contributes to experience in practice. Philip Goldberg has been studying the world’s spiritual traditions for more than 45 years. He is the author or co-author of some 25 books published in more than a dozen languages. His book American Veda was named by Huffington Post and Library Journal as one of the Top 10 Religion Books of 2010; it was followed in 2018 by the popular biography The Life of Yogananda. He blogs on Spirituality & Health and cohosts the Spirit Matters podcast.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr. Chris Walling, PsyD, SEP, C-IAYT has been an active leader in healthcare for nearly two decades. His work integrates the developmental, biological, and somatic aspects of the lifespan. His work in academic medicine has included the administration of multidisciplinary leadership teams in hematology-oncology, physical medicine and rehabilitation, and geriatric psychiatry. He is a Clinical Research Fellow in the Traumatic Stress Research Consortium at the Kinsey Institute located at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. Dr. Walling is the current President of the United States Association of Body Psychotherapy, the hub of somatic psychology. His clinical focus in the behavioral sciences has examined the intersections of neuropsychotherapy, affect regulation, and somatic psychotherapy. Dr. Walling is the former Executive Administrator for the UCLA Longevity Center and Division of Geriatric Psychiatry. He currently serves as the Vice President of Education at the Alzheimer’s Research and Prevention Foundation where cutting-edge research is conducted in geriatric integrative medicine. Dr. Walling is also a member of the Somatic Experiencing Research Committee at the Somatic Experiencing Trauma Institute in Boulder, Colorado. Dr. Walling is a clinical associate at the New Center for Psychoanalysis and a licensed clinical psychologist in private practice in Los Angeles, California.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mirabai Starr is an award-winning author of creative non-fiction and contemporary translations of sacred literature. She taught Philosophy and World Religions at the University of New Mexico-Taos for 20 years and now teaches and speaks internationally on contemplative practice and inter-spiritual dialog. A certified bereavement counselor, Mirabai helps mourners harness the transformational power of loss. Her latest book, Wild Mercy: Living the Fierce & Tender Wisdom of the Women Mystics, was named one of the “Best Books of 2019” by Spirituality & Practice. Mirabai is on the 2020 Watkins List of the “100 Most Spiritually Influential Living People of the World.” She lives with her extended family in the mountains of northern New Mexico.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lisa Danylchuk is a licensed psychotherapist and yoga teacher trainer whose specialty is bringing yoga into trauma treatment. A graduate of UCLA and Harvard University, Lisa is the founder of the Center for Yoga and Trauma Recovery and creator of the Yoga for Trauma Online Training Program. She has authored three books, serves on the UN Task Force for the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation, and is also a contributing editor for Best Practices for Yoga for Veterans, published by the Yoga Service Council.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jeffrey J. Kripal is the Associate Dean of the Faculty and Graduate Programs in the School of the Humanities and the J. Newton Rayzor Chair in Philosophy and Religious Thought at Rice University. He is also the Associate Director of the Center for Theory and Research and the Chair of the Board at the Esalen Institute in Big Sur, California. Jeff is the author of eight books, including, most recently, The Flip: Who You Really Are and Why It Matters (Penguin, 2020), where he envisions the future centrality and urgency of the humanities in conversation with the history of science, the philosophy of mind, and our shared ethical, political, and ecological challenges. He is presently working on a three-volume study of paranormal currents in the sciences, modern esoteric literature, and the hidden history of science fiction for the University of Chicago Press collectively entitled The Super Story: Science (Fiction) and Some Emergent Mythologies. There he intuits and writes out a new emerging spectrum of superhumanities (in both senses of that expression). His full body of work can be seen at http://jeffreyjkripal.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Alex Auder, recently hailed by the NYTimes as “Yoga’s Instagram Provocateur” (https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/31/style/yoga-instagram-alex-auder.html) is a native New Yorker, who grew up in the Chelsea Hotel, where she lived with her mother, the Warhol Superstar Viva, and her sister, the actress Gaby Hoffmann. Besides for being hailed as one of America’s “most influential” yoga teachers, Alex is an actress (you can find her as a recurring character in HBO’s High Maintenance) and writer (currently working on a memoir about growing up in The Chelsea with Viva). She and her husband/co-collaborator have a podcast called “15minutes with Alex.”Teaching for over 20 years, she has developed a keen eye and a genuinely authentic, irreverent, and original voice. Her classes are known for the graceful integration of clear and precise alignment cues, intelligent sequencing based on stability and functional movement, somatics, and vedantic philosophy.Alex has been interviewed and quoted in The New Yorker for the article about guru predators called: https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/yoga-reconsiders-the-role-of-the-guru-in-the-age-of-metoo .When the pandemic landed, she closed down her brick and mortar studio on Philadelphia and now teaches two weekly live classes and has an extensive On Demand library of classes.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.