Sounds True: Insights At The Edge

Lauren Walker is a teacher of both yoga and energy medicine, who has served as Donna Eden’s teaching assistant and founded the yoga program at Norwich University. Lauren’s work has been featured in the New York Times, the Jerusalem Post, and Yoga Journal. With Sounds True, she has released the book Energy Medicine Yoga: Amplify the Healing Power of Your Yoga Practice. In this episode, Lauren speaks with Tami about the effectiveness of combining energy medicine techniques with yoga, how these practices can release trauma, and on-the-spot techniques to calm the fight-or-flight response. Lauren also shares a profound transformational practice called the Pure Breath technique. (76 minutes)

Tara Sophia Mohr is an expert on women’s leadership and well-being, best known as the creator of the global “Playing Big” leadership program for women. A unique voice who blends intellectual rigor with intuitive wisdom, Tara is the author of the book Playing Big: Find Your Voice, Your Mission, Your Message. In this episode, Tara speaks with Tami about overcoming the fear that can stop us from realizing our most cherished dreams, creating what Tara calls a “success architecture” for actualizing what we most want to bring forward in the world, and a vision of leadership that celebrates diversity and embraces the contributions of brilliant women. (63 minutes)

Dr. Julia B. Colwell has spent over three decades and many thousands of hours with individuals, couples, and groups, exploring the world of relationships. In this episode of Insights at the Edge, Tami speaks with Dr. Colwell about some of the various skills needed to support a long-term intimate relationship. Their discussion explores how to tune to the sensations in your body as a primary means to creating a loving partnership, learning to speak the “unarguable truth”—and receive the same from your partner, stopping fights before they start by working with your “reactive brain,” and more. (65 minutes)

Michael Gelb is an internationally recognized authority on creative thought and visionary leadership who has provided his expertise to companies such as IBM and Nike for more than 30 years. The author of the bestselling How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci, Michael’s new book with Sounds True is Creativity On Demand: How to Ignite and Sustain the Fire of Genius. In this episode, Tami Simon speaks with Michael about what it takes to develop a “creative mindset” rather than a “fixed mindset.” They also talk about the most effective qigong practices for renewing energy and supercharging the creative process. Finally, Michael speaks on how embracing uncertainty is one of the key aspects of learning to be truly creative. (64 minutes)

Joseph M. Marshall III is a teacher, historian, writer, storyteller, and a Lakota craftsman. Joseph’s expansive body of work includes nine nonfiction books, three novels, and numerous essays, stories, and screenplays. With Sounds True, he has produced the audio programs Quiet Thunder and Keep Going, as well as the book The Lakota Way of Strength and Courage. In this episode, Tami talks with Joseph about the inheritance of wisdom he received from his grandparents, the central teachings of the Lakota people, the sense of guilt and shame that many Euro-Americans feel when reflecting on the tragedies of American history, and a story about the power of awareness and looking back. (48 minutes)

Dr. Suhas Kshirsagar is a world-renowned Ayurvedic physician from a family of Vedic healers in India. He is the director of Ayurvedic Healing, an integrative wellness clinic in northern California, and an adviser and consultant at the Chopra Center. With Sounds True, he has released the six-session audio course Ayurvedic Wellness: The Art and Science of Vibrant Health, and the two-session audio Effortless Weight Loss: The Ayurvedic Way. In this episode, Tami speaks with Dr. Suhas about dietary wisdom for long life, Ayurvedic wisdom on fasting practices, and how philosophical insights from Ayurveda can help our personal lives and our overall health care system. (69 minutes)

Alanis Morissette is a Grammy® award-winning singer, songwriter, guitarist, record producer, and actress who has sold more than 60 million albums worldwide. In this special edition of Insights at the Edge, recorded live at the 2013 Emerging Women conference, Tami Simon and Alanis speak on the creative process and the ability to draw inspiration from one's fears. They also discuss the idea of the divine feminine and how it might be applied to a music industry fixated on the sexualization of women. Finally, Alanis and Tami talk about “ceilingless” conversations and Alanis’s vision for an evolution of “divine union” within the feminist movement. (65 Minutes)

Lorin Roche began meditating in 1968, and has sought to bring the joy of the practice to society at large ever since. As the developer of Instinctive Meditation, Lorin has created multiple book and audio projects on the subject—including Sounds True’s Meditation for Yoga Lovers. In this episode, Lorin and Tami Simon discuss his new book, The Radiance Sutras: 112 Gateways to the Yoga of Wonder and Delight and the process that went into its creation. They talk about the hard work of crafting a unique poetic interpretation and the insights Lorin has gained from listening to the personal stories of thousands of meditators. Finally, Lorin shares excerpts from some of his favorite poems within The Radiance Sutras.(71 minutes)

Dr. John Welwood is a clinical psychologist, psychotherapist, and practicing student of Buddhism and Eastern contemplative psychology. Dr. Welwood is an author whose books include Journey of the Heart and Perfect Love, Imperfect Relationships. With Sounds True, he has created the audio learning program Conscious Relationships. In this episode, Tami Simon speaks with Dr. Welwood about his understanding of the relationship between psychological work and the spiritual journey, as well as his view of the phenomenon of “spiritual bypassing.” He also talks about committed relationships and the most common issue that couples present in joint therapy. (60 minutes)

Tami Simon speaks with Deva Premal, a classically trained singer and musician known around the world for her devotional chanting and the inspiring music she creates with her partner Miten. When performing, Deva and Miten both have incredible presence on stage and transmit a kind of openness and emptiness that is beautiful to be with and quite rare. Deva speaks about her experiences sharing music all around the world, mantras, and how devotional music can actually create a space that she believes welcomes all of our emotional experience. (56 minutes)

A.H. Almaas—renowned as the creator of the “Diamond Approach” for spiritual and psychological inquiry—has published more than a dozen books on seeking wisdom and the true nature of reality. Most recently, he and his teaching partner Karen Johnson have released The Power of Divine Eros, which explores the pure energy behind physical desire. In this episode, Almaas is joined by Karen for a fascinating discussion with Tami Simon about how to fully connect with one's desires. The three also talk about working with the body’s energetic centers as part of spiritual inquiry. Finally, they spoke about divine union and what it means to be a “sexy angel.” (69 minutes)

Soloist Peter Jack Rainbird—along with his trusty vintage electric guitar and collection of homemade pedals—is said to create sounds that would seem to require a full orchestra. In this episode, Peter and Tami Simon talk about the origins of his unique personal sound and how it relates to nature, architecture, and society. They also discuss the process of discovering, nurturing, and expressing one's personal gifts. Finally, Peter introduces listeners to two excerpts from his new studio album releasing through Sounds True, Unravel: The Extended Suites. (66 minutes)

More than 30 years ago, Elizabeth Lesser helped cofound Omega Institute, now one of the world’s premiere centers for the exploration of the spiritual journey. These days, Elizabeth is known as the bestselling author of The Seeker’s Guide and Broken Open, as well as a frequent collaborator with Eckhart Tolle and Oprah Winfrey. In this episode, Elizabeth and Tami converse on the role of spiritual teachers, the power of prayer, and the inevitable price of wisdom. They also talk about fear and fearlessness, as well as the strength one can find in solitude. Finally, Tami and Elizabeth discuss psychotherapy as a modern sacred practice and how it might one day become a widely accepted form of spiritual seeking. (66 minutes)

As a nuclear physicist and former university professor, Claude Poncelet may seem an unlikely choice to be one of the world’s foremost authorities on shamanic practice. Yet, Claude has taught shamanic spirituality worldwide for more than 25 years, and has recently written the book The Shaman Within: A Physicist’s Guide to the Deeper Dimensions of Your Life, the Universe, and Everything. In this episode, Tami and Claude discuss the innate sentience of all matter, the points where science and shamanism converge, and the practical benefits of a leading a shamanic life in the modern world. They also speak on the shamanic art of shape-shifting, both as a spiritual practice and a path to physical healing. (73 minutes)

Mukti is an associate teacher at Open Gate Sangha in Northern California, which she cofounded in 1996 with her husband, Adyashanti. As a teacher, Mukti points us back to our natural state of undivided consciousness, supporting the journey with feminine qualities of quietude and nurturing. Mukti has recently created a six-session audio learning series with Sounds True entitled The Self in Full Bloom: Teachings and Practices for Embodied Awakening. In this episode, Mukti speaks with Tami about her personal experience of awakening and how it changes the self, guides us through a practice for embodied self-inquiry, and shares the inside story of her relationship with Adyashanti. (67 minutes)

Jon Kabat-Zinn is the founder and director of the Stress Reduction Clinic at the University of Massachusetts, whose trailblazing research has helped bring mindfulness meditation into mainstream medicine. Jon is the author of Wherever You Go, There You Are, and with Sounds True he has created many unique audio programs, including Adventures in Mindfulness and the Guided Mindfulness Meditation Series. In this episode, Tami speaks with Jon about the role of science in validating mindfulness practice, the 180-degree shift that lets us rest in awareness instead of identifying with our thoughts, and the potential renaissance in the world that may arise from a “mindfulness revolution.” (73 minutes)

Solala Towler—a respected teacher of qigong, sound healing, and the principles of the Tao—speaks with Tami Simon about the Taoist perspective on sex and intimate relationships. Drawing from his new book, The Tao of Intimacy and Ecstasy, Solala discusses Taoist lovemaking, how to apply the energetics of qigong to sex, and how to approach issues of sexual vitality. He also talks about “The Watercourse Way” as applied to relationship and how to approach the natural ebb and flow of intimacy. Finally, Tami and Solala discuss cultural misperceptions about relationships from a Taoist point of view. (62 minutes)

Mark Coleman speaks with Tami Simon about the power of taking our spiritual practice into the natural world. Mark is the founder of the Mindfulness Institute and a senior teacher at Spirit Rock Meditation Center who teaches Insight Meditation worldwide, and is author of the book Awake in the Wild: Mindfulness in Nature as a Path of Self-Discovery. In this episode, Mark recalls some of the most important wisdom he’s gained from his immersive retreats in nature, how nature can be a mirror for our own inner landscape, and how we might change on a personal and societal level if we paid more attention to our sensory experience of the natural world. (59 minutes) See Mark Coleman live in August 2014. Visit WakeUpFestival.com for more information.

James Finley, a renowned teacher in the Christian contemplative tradition, speaks with Tami Simon about the enduring wisdom of 14th century Christian mystic Meister Eckhart. James, who studied at the Abbey of Gethsemani with Thomas Merton, is the author of the book Christian Meditation, and with Sounds True has created many audio courses, the latest of which is Meister Eckhart’s Living Wisdom: Indestructible Joy and the Path of Letting Go. In this episode, James speaks with Tami about what he has found most compelling in the life and teachings of Meister Eckhart, what it means to be illumined by faith and to live in vulnerability, and leads us through a Christian meditation practice in the mystical tradition. (68 minutes)

Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor is a Harvard-trained neuroanatomist and the New York Times bestselling author of the memoir My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist’s Personal Journey, in which she describes experiencing a rare form of stroke and her eight-year recovery. In this episode, Dr. Taylor speaks with Tami about the two hemispheres of the brain and how to integrate them, how to maintain a balanced brain, and the importance of nurturing the right brain in today’s left brain-dominant society. (65 minutes) See Dr. Jill with singer-songwriter Carrie Newcomer in August 2014. Visit WakeUpFestival.com for more information.