Mindrolling with Raghu Markus

Author Andy Karr invites us to look into the mirror, speaking with Raghu about why it is so essential for each of us to develop the habits of self-reflection and mindfulness practice.In this week’s episode, Raghu speaks with Andy about:The themes of self-reflection, applied mindfulness and cultivating a personal practice that are explored in Andy’s newest book, Into The MirrorAndy’s connection to Ram Dass, Buddhism and his study under Chögyam Trungpa‘Crazy wisdom’ and the teachings of Chögyam TrungpaThe importance of holding a personal practice of some sort, and what that offers to our lives“There is no substitute, in my mind, for just developing the habit of practicing. I think alongside of that is perspective, because you see yourself and then it goes back to mindfulness. You see your resistance, your fear, your boredom, whatever it might be.” – Andy KarrLinks & Recommendations From this Episode:Zen in the Art of Archery by Eugen HerrigelCrazy Wisdom by Chögyam TrungpaWhy We Meditate by Daniel Goleman and Tsoknyi RinpocheSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

For the 500th episode of the podcast, Mindrolling co-founder David Silver and old friend Danny Goldberg return!In this special episode, the group reflects on the question, “Are we living in the darkest hour of a dark age?” and explores different sources of light that can guide us through the darkness.In this episode, the group talks about:Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche’s belief that our era of human history is “the darkest hour of the Dark Ages”Looking towards spirituality and religion for the answers to humanity’s biggest problemsRam Dass and Alan Watts – and the theme of interconnectedness found at the heart of their teachingsPolitics, polarization and the manifestations of darkness that each generation must face"I think we have to look towards spirituality and religion for the answers to try to mediate unbridled materialism, which we know is a death trap." - Danny GoldbergLinks & Recommendations From this Episode:“In Search of the Lost Chord: 1967 and the Hippie Idea” by Danny GoldbergKesha’s new album Gag Order, with a track featuring Ram DassThe Beatles – All You Need Is Love (Broadcast live on BBC’s Our World)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

South African Shaman John Lockley returns to the Mindrolling podcast to share his experiences as a Sangoma in the Xhosa tradition and speak with Raghu about bringing indigenous wisdom into the modern world and opening the doors of our perception.In this episode, Raghu speaks with John Lockley about:Different methods for opening the doors of one’s own perceptionHow plant medicine is used in the Xhosa traditionShamanism as a path for exploring the ineffable experiences had through inner work and psychedelicsWorking with dreams and the spirit realm“The next part of the circle is going into the wilderness and seeing what needs to be done to stretch consciousness and help bring more healing. To maintain some mindfulness is extraordinarily important, which includes meditation and walking.” – John LockleyLinks & Recommendations From this Episode:Sharon Salzberg’s new book, Real LifeJohn Lockley’s NewsletterShift Network Courses (new course with John Lockley coming soon)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Tim Burkett joins Raghu to chat about his journey and the lessons along the way of writing his book, Enlightenment Is an Accident.Tim joins Raghu to shine light on:Stories of studying zen with Suzuki Roshi The various perceptions of the term, “enlightenment”“Idiot compassion,” spiritual bypassing, and authentic generosity The amygdala’s role in our behavior The Japanese concept of wabi-sabi, and manifesting non-dual feelingCheck out Enlightenment Is an Accident hereExplore Suzuki Roshi’s books hereAbout Tim Burkett:Tim Burkett began practicing Zen Buddhism in San Francisco in 1964 with renowned teacher Shunryu Suzuki (author of Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind). After completing his BA at Stanford University, Tim and his family moved to Minnesota.Tim’s first book, Nothing Holy About It, discusses how Zen’s core teachings unfold within the ordinary comedies and tragedies of everyday life. In his books, as in his life, Tim reveals how to live in the world with a deep joy that comes from embracing the work and play of this very moment.Tim is the former CEO of the largest non-profit organization in Minnesota for individuals with mental illness. He is a psychologist, a Zen Buddhist priest, and the Guiding Teacher of Minnesota Zen Meditation Center. He and his wife, Linda, have two grown children and two grandchildren.“Compassion begins with embracing the flaws of others. Healing begins with embracing our flaws.” - Tim BurkettSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Dr. Sylver Quevedo and Raghu jam on psychedelic preparation and integration, the MAPS MDMA studies, a Ram Dass ketamine story in India, and how 'love, serve, remember' connects to Indigenous wisdom.“One of the cardinal features that's been learned in the second psychedelic renaissance in the clinical trials has been the importance of two things that were not really understood that well in the 1960s—that is, preparation and integration. By contrast, one of the things that really was discovered early on and articulated very well by Ram Dass and Timothy Leary, was the importance of 'set and setting.' That has survived. It was figured out early on, never went away, and has been rediscovered over and over again.” – Dr. Sylver Quevedo Raghu and Sylver dive into:Taos, New Mexico; the Pueblo people; and the Neem Karoli Baba Ashram in Taos which houses the radiant and emotive Hanuman murti who jumped the ocean from India with Ram Dass and friends back in the day Working with MAPS (The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies) on their monumental MDMA for PTSD trials Psychedelics and love in the 1960s compared to psychedelics and science in the 2020s Ram Dass giving the "yogi medicine" LSD to his Guru, Neem Karoli Baba (Maharaj-ji) How Ram Dass and Maharaj-ji's lessons of "love, serve, remember" applies to Indigenous wisdom The transformational neural-plasticity and heart-opening properties of tryptamines and phenethylamines A fascinating Ram Dass on ketamine in India story, and Sylver's out-of-body revelation on ketamine"In the 1960s, we were mostly young and naive kids. But on the other hand, the ideals that came through there were real, even if we were misguided and naive about a lot of things like psychedelics. Now that science is part of the reality, in terms of the truth: the love and unity that we were pursing in the 1960s was a worthy cause." – Raghu MarkusAbout Dr. Sylver Quevedo:Dr. Sylver Quevedo is a psychedelic researcher who has practiced medicine for over 40 years and played major roles in world health projects. He is currently working with MAPS (The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies) on their monumental MDMA for PTSD trials. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Comedian, Mike Finoia, joins Raghu to share his difficult patch with mental health and the tools that have helped him cultivate inner peace.“I realized that there’s only two ways of operating: It’s either from a place of love or a place of fear. If you're operating from a place of fear, you really can’t be open to the love there is around us. But if you’re operating from a place of love, fear doesn’t stand a chance.” – Mike FinoiaMike and Raghu go deep about:Anxiety and finding the tools that work to manage itBeing vocal about the rough patches on Mike's public platformPractices for changing our internal landscapesBuddhist perspectives on anger, fear, good-enoughness, and emptinessHaving a sense of humor about our “self-cherishing”"Mother recognition," or the essence of motherly compassion“It takes way more courage to break through the constriction that we have in this society. And it takes courage to say, ‘I need some help.’” - Raghu MarkusConnect with Mike on his website or on social media @mikefinoiaLearn more about Vipassana meditation with Joseph Goldstein and Sharon Salzberg hereCheck out The Zen of Therapy by Mark Epstein hereSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Exploring the wisdom of Selfistry, Sarah Marshank joins to share her spiritual journey through the lens of Ram Dass's teaching of "from role to soul.""There is a place that's always here that's in us and that holds us, that is 'okayness.' It's a relief to finally land there. And from there, to feel happy and sad, and witness the horrors as well as the exquisite beauty of the world, and feel okay with all of it. It's that dance—to know that everything is fundamentally okay and to address all the fucked up things in the world at the same time. Those are not mutually exclusive." – Sarah MarshankIn this episode, Raghu and Sarah mindfully explore:Stories and themes from Sarah's new memoir, Being Selfish: My Journey from Escort to Monk to Grandmother Sarah growing up in the religious container of Judaism, and how meditation helped her come to spirituality Ram Dass's teachings of role to soul, and cultivating the witness How Sarah came up with the term "selfistry" through playing with self and no-self Opening to the okay-ness beyond the horror and beauty of the world How Ram Dass's teaching of "loving awareness" is synonymous with "soul" as well as "okayness"See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Raghu is joined by singer and songwriter Kesha to talk about living authentically, finding happiness, and bringing spiritual practice into our busy lives.Check out Kesha's new record, Gag Order, featuring a heartful interlude from Ram Dass.Kesha joins Raghu on Mindrolling to chat about:Her experiences with Ram Dass’s teachings and her inspiration to sample him on her track, Ram Dass Interlude from her new album, Gag Order The emptiness Kesha felt from outward seeking, the world of fame, and feeling unaligned with her truth Feeding people to transform from “me land” to “we land” Having the space to work from a state of authenticity Motivations in the record business  The habitual patterns surrounding our spiritual practices Reincarnation and Ram Dass’ manifestations after death The surprising catalyst of Kesha's spiritual awakening Humor as an essential quality of the spiritual path"You’re making enough space to serve yourself to get calm enough to be able to then give to others." - KeshaRaghu's book recommendation from this episode: Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ by Daniel GolemanSign up for the RamDass.org mailing list for a free five-day course that will help you build a daily practice of peace, presence, and spaciousness with Ram Dass: Enroll For Free"You'd rather be vulnerable and be hurt than living dead." - Ram DassSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

"The Hidden Artists podcast is about people who haven't been discovered yet—entrepreneurs, musicians, someone who is creative in what they do. People have all these talents, but they don't all have an opportunity to be known for what they do. I just want to give these people a chance to be able to do what they love for a living." – Natalie DayanIn this episode, Raghu and Natalie dive into:What it's like for Natalie being born Jewish, being raised in India, and now living in Los AngelesExploring the various parts of your identityThe inspiration behind starting her podcast, The Hidden Artists, which helps artists and entrepreneurs get discoveredObtaining her Masters degree in Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative MedicineWorking with feeling lost in life, and using fear as a way to motivate yourselfThe similarities and crossovers between Hinduism and JudiasmHow we are not our thoughts, we are not our storyRaghu's adventures through India, and learning Sab Ek (All One) wisdom from Maharaj-jiHaving faith that the universe is always working for you, as well as helping you be of serviceZaChoeje Rinpoche's wisdom to "stop struggling with struggle"How with people like Natalie, the future is going to be okay"You're not your story, you're not your thoughts; who you are, of course, is way behind all of that." – Raghu MarkusSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Raghu’s longtime friend, Daniel Goleman, returns to Mindrolling to catch up on his book co-authored with Tsoknyi Rinpoche, Why We Meditate.“There’s more than normal consciousness. There are other possibilities that have their own kind of richness. There are paths to those possibilities.” – Daniel GolemanIn this episode of Mindrolling, Raghu and Daniel chat about:Wild stories at Raghu’s family farm when they returned to the West  How Danny’s wife, Tara Bennet-Gorman’s book, Emotional Alchemy, along with traditional Tibetan practices served as Tsoknyi’s inspiration for addressing the things that get in the way of our lives, particularly as Westerners  Tsoknyi’s various methods for mindfulness: the handshake method, dropping practice, and more How Ram Dass came up with the term, “little shmoos” Cultivating a sense of “okayness” with things as they are The different types of love on the spectrum of “essence love”“These kinds of practices get integrated into your being. They're a resource for that intuitive trust.” – Raghu MarkusOpen a copy of Daniel Goleman and Tsoknyi Rinpoche's new book, Why We Meditate, here.Pick up Emotional Alchemy, written by Daniel's wife, Tara Bennett-Goleman here.If you’re interested in general teachings of Tibetan spirituality, check out Blazing Splendor.About Daniel Goleman:Daniel is an internationally known psychologist and author. His New York Times bestselling book, Emotional Intelligence, was named one of the 25 “Most Influential Business Management Books” by TIME Magazine. Daniel is also a board member of the Mind & Life Institute, an organization that fosters dialogues and research collaborations among contemplative practitioners and scientists. Daniel has organized a series of intensive conversations between the Dalai Lama and scientists, and further merged Dharma and science, coauthoring Altered Traits: Science Reveals How Meditation Changes Your Mind, Brain, and Body. Learn more about Daniel’s work at danielgoleman.infoSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.