Guru Viking Podcast

In this episode I am once again joined by Daniel Ingram, independent Buddhist writer, author of ‘Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha’, and co-founder of the Emergent Phenomenology Research Consortium (EPRC). Daniel recounts his history with the obscure but powerful fire kasina technique, which uses a candle flame to enter into advanced states of meditative concentration. Daniel shares his successes and failures, encounters with occultists and meditation masters, and investigations into ancient texts. Daniel reveals the many uses of the powerful concentration that can be developed using fire meditation, discusses his own experiences of psychic powers and out of body experiences, and considers the risks of mental illness when dabbling in esoteric realms. At the time of recording, Daniel had just returned from a three week intensive private fire kasina meditation retreat, and he also gives a detailed practice report from his meditative seclusion, as well as practical advice for those who wish to explor

In this interview I host a conversation between iconoclastic yoga teacher Angela Farmer, and internationally renowned counsellor, workshop teacher, and author of ‘The Wild Woman’s Way’, Michaela Boehm. Michaela shares her admiration for Angela’s work, and Angela describes the journey of her relationship to her body, including childhood struggles , meeting her pain, and beginning a love affair with the body. Angela discuses her life’s process of teaching and eventually going beyond traditional yoga, as well as sharing the remarkable account of recovery from severe injuries received in a recent fall. Angela and Michaela also discuss Milarepa and the feminine, surrender vs giving up, the wisdom of the body, structure and imposition, learning to receive, and how to meet the world with all one’s fullness. … Video version: www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep165-wisdom-and-the-body-angela-farmer-michaela-boehm Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’. … Topics Include: 00:00 -

In this episode I am joined by Dr K.A Shakoor: spiritual life coach, doctor of traditional Chinese medicine, and author of several books including ‘Ghetto Sutras’ and ‘Maahaah Yoga’. Dr Shakoor recalls his childhood upbringing in which he overcame illness and bullying through martial arts and meditation. Dr Shakoor recounts his early martial training, the unfolding of his psychic abilities, and the influential mystical experiences and people that influenced his life. Dr Shakoor reveals how he learned to be assertive and handle conflict, how he developed his own variation of tonglen meditation, and the importance of trusting one’s first thought. Dr Shakoor also shares his training in various religious and energetic systems, including qigong, yoga, aikido, Buddhism, traditional Chinese medicine, and more. … Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/164-dr-ka-shakoor-ghetto-sutras 

Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’. … Topics Include: 00:00 - Intro 00:

In this episode I’m joined by Dean Sluyter: meditation teacher, best-selling author of several books including his most recent ‘The Dharma Bum’s Guide to Western Literature: Finding Nirvana in the Classics’. Dean recounts his fortunate upbringing, how he began to realise he had an unusually fast mind, and the early mystical experiences that would change his life in profound ways. Dean talk about his parent’s radical left activism, and how one event caused him to re-examine his family’s beliefs. Dean shares the arc of his spiritual life, including his psychedelic sadhu period, his twenty years as a teacher of Transcendental Meditation while teaching English at the illustrious Pingry School, his studies in Buddhism and Dzogchen, and why he now considers himself to be a spiritual elder. … Video version: www.guruviking.com/podcast/163-dharma-bums-guide-to-western-literature-dean-sluyter Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’. … Topics Include: 00:00 - Intro 00:55 -

In this interview I am joined by Martin Faulks: author, hermeticist, meditation adept, and memory expert. Martin recalls his upbringing in Norwich England, including his childhood love of martial arts, the dissonance between an intellectual home life and school yard bullying, and an intuition for something more in life. Martin shares his first steps in practicing hermeticism according to Franz Bardon's methods, and offers the fruits of his unbroken daily practice of over thirty years. Martin also reveals elemental personality strategies for facing adversity and how to balance them, how to find one’s authentic self amidst society's mixed messages of approval, and how the Renaissance era memory techniques of Giordano Bruno can be used today as a path to enlightenment. ... Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/162-the-hermeticist-martin-faulks 

Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’. … Topics Include: 00:00 - Intro 00:56 - Upbringing in nature 03:40 -

In this interview I am once again joined by Beth Upton, meditation teacher, ex-nun, and student of renowned meditation master Pa Auk Sayadaw. Beth shares her emphasis on meditation with the natural rhythms of the body and reveals how she deals with students who experience low motivation, psychological challenges, and even psychosis as a result of meditation practice. Beth also discusses her own relationship difficulties after disrobing as a nun, why she embarked on special communication trainings to address them, and explains why erotic feeling diminishes as one becomes more enlightened. … Video version: www.guruviking.com/podcast/161-natural-meditation-beth-upton-2

 Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’. … Topics Include: 00:00 - Intro 00:43 - Beth’s Sanditthika meditation community in Spain 04:16 - Different modes of community 07:36 - Meditation with one’s natural rhythm 10:45 - The structure at Pa Auk monastery 12:04 - Resting for the first few days of ret

In this episode I am joined by Tulku Yeshi Rinpoche, Dzogchen master, teacher of Tibetan Buddhism, and author of over 15 books. Tulku Yeshi Rinpoche recounts his nomad upbringing in Amdo, Tibet including his family circumstances, early education in his local tent school, and more. Tulku Yeshi Rinpoche recalls, the spiritual influence of his mother, his rigorous religious education under the mahasiddha Lama Tamcho Gyatso, and the early signs of his being a tulku. Tulku Yeshi Rinpoche also describes his love of books and reading, and how the circumstances of his early life have shaped him today. … Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/160-nomad-master-tulku-yeshi-rinpoche 
Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’. … Topics include: 00:00 - Intro 00:44 - Nomad upbringing in Amdo, Tibet 11:08 - Early education in a tent school 16:43 - Further education at boarding school 26:36 - Mother’s religious influence 28:13 - Reopening of the local temples and mon

In this episode I host a dialogue between Tibetologist and Tantric Buddhist Lama Glenn Mullin and doctor of Tibetan Medicine and Yuthok Nyingthig spiritual teacher Dr Nida Chenagtsang. Lama Glenn and Dr Nida discuss impact of three key revolutionary figures in Tibetan Buddhism from historical and doctrinal perspectives: Padmasambhava, Atisha, and Tsongkhapa. The discussion extends to include the history and evolution of the famous 6 Yogas of Naropa. Both Lama Glenn and Dr Nida are known to teach these hitherto secretive practices relatively openly, and they discuss the issues that have influenced them to do so, including prophecy, the true meaning of secrecy, and the importance of including the body in religious practice. Lama Glenn and Dr Nida also discuss subjects such as the geomancy of Samye and the surrounding areas, the pros and cons of the multiplicity of religious sects in Tibet, similarities between Buddhist lineages and Western psychological schools, and more. …

 Video version: www.guruviking.

Dr Evan Thompson is a Professor of Philosophy at the University of British Columbia an Associate Member of the Department of Asian Studies and the Department of Psychology, and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada.
 Evan recounts his upbringing in his father’s intentional community, the Lindisfarne Association, and shares stories of childhood encounters with teachers of Zen, Sufism, Tibetan Buddhism, Yoga, and more. Evan traces his intellectual and academic trajectories, and reflects on the problems of community dynamics and religious perennialism that his father’s community faced. Evan then outlines his critique of what he calls ‘Buddhist Exceptionalism’, as laid out in his book ‘Why I Am Not A Buddhist’. As part of this critique, Evan addresses subjects such as why Buddhism is not a science of the mind (or of anything else), why presentations of the historical Buddha used by figures such as Goenka are a useful fiction, the problems of borrowing the authority of science for the purposes of Buddhist

Tseyang Osel is a Buddhist yogini who has spent most of her twenties in solitary retreat in remote mountain areas. Recorded in Tang Valley, Bhutan. Tseyang tells the story of her childhood, the beginning of the inspiration to become a yogini, and her attraction to solitary retreat. Tseyang details the practicalities as well as the dangers of spending months in the remote mountains, and the unique challenges of being a female practitioner in today’s world. Tseyang also discusses her love of Vajrayogini practice, the effect of kye-rim naljor on the subtle body channels, themes of devotion and attachment, and gives her heart advice to those who wish to practice well. …

 Video version: 
Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’. … Topics include: 00:00 - Intro 00:47 - Tseyang’s childhood and upbringing 04:25 - The desire to become a mountain practitioner 06:35 - Searching for female inspirations 12:07 - Solitary retreats and attraction to remote mountain areas 16:0

Candia Raquel recently interviewed me for her ‘Sensual Sessions’ Podcast. Video version: www.guruviking.com/podcast/steve-james-interviewed-on-the-sensual-sessions-podcast 00:00 - What does Steve do? 02:00 - Does Steve have magical powers? 03:36 - Is Steve enlightened? 06:14 - Why is Steve interested in mysticism and relationship? 08:45 - Are Steve’s interests useful in daily life? 10:17 Applying sublime and subtle practices in daily life 14:31 - Falling in love with the mundane 17:22 - Feeling pleasure in meditation 22:37 - Do men struggle to describe feeling? 26:40 - 3 blocks to feeling pleasure 31:20 - Relaxations vs excitation 36:05 - Pleasure in martial arts and competition 39:11 - The ritual of preparation 42:53 - Winning 45:17 - Candia on ritual and the unexpected 47:08 - Biggest challenges for men in feeling pleasure 48:55 - Do men have unique stresses? 50:36 - Stoicism and emotions 54:47 - Candia on macho culture 58:42 - Repression vs narcissism 59:52 - How Steve works with people who

In this episode I am once again joined by Delson Armstrong, spiritual teacher, meditation virtuoso, and author of ‘A Mind Without Craving’. Delson draws on his scriptural knowledge and personal experience to take a deep dive into dependent origination, the doctrine believed by many Buddhists to be the key to enlightenment. In practical and relatable terms, Delson explains how this doctrine works, why it is important yet so often misunderstood, and how to use meditation to move from an intellectual understanding to the experiential understanding that is Buddhist enlightenment. Delson also compares the enlightened to the unenlightened experiences of time, memory, and decision making process, and gives a surprising answer to the question: can enlightened people make mistakes? …

 Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/155-key-to-enlightenment-delson-armstrong-3 
Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’. … Topics include: 00:00 - Intro 00:53 - How to obtain

In this episode I am joined by Brad Warner, Zen teacher and best-selling author of ‘Hardcore Zen’ and ‘The Other Side of Nothing’. Brad recounts his unusual childhood, his passion for Punk rock ethics, and reveals what thwarted his teenage desire to become a born again Christian. Brad describes his first encounter with Zen, shares the secret of his decades of daily practice, and explains why he is at odds with the culture and institutions of mainline American Zen. Brad also discusses his awakening experience, the significance of dharma transmission, his new book on ethics, and what Dogen’s mysterious metaphors have in common with the TV show ‘Ancient Aliens’. … Video version: www.guruviking.com/podcast/155-hardcore-zen-brad-warner Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’.
 … Topics include: 00:00 - Intro 00:48 - Brad’s writing process 01:54 - ‘I’m not saying it was Aliens, but it was Aliens’ 03:25 - Brad’s unusual upbringing 06:22 - Finding Zen and moving to Japa

Richard Ayling recently interviewed me on his 'Man Reimagined' Podcast. Topics include: 00:00 - Rich on Steve and interesting topics 03:07 - Steve’s background 08:46 - What is average? 11:06 - Growing up on the Shetland Islands 13:41 - Discipline and delayed gratification 22:54 - Guru Viking Meditation Club 34:10 - Strong determination sitting 36:51 - Dedication from enjoyment 43:07 - ‘Masculine and feminine’ 01:00:36 - Fundamentalism trap 01:03:08 - Rich’s doubts about men’s work 01:07:30 - Rich’s professional trajectory 01:18:36 - Methods are limited + Steve on men’s work 01:29:03 - Enquiry over imposition 01:34:23 - Movement Koan Method 01:42:43 - Meditation vs movement practices 01:44:40 - About relationship 01:49:27 - On conversation 01:51:42 - Steve’s future Richard Ayling: https://www.re-align.co/ Other times I have been interviewed: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/category/Steve+Interviewed

Special guest Dr Jonathan Lunine, distinguished American planetary scientist and physicist, joins the ongoing discussion with: - Shinzen Young, meditation teacher and neuroscience research consultant - Chelsey Fasano, a Columbia University neuroscience student Dr Lunine is the David C. Duncan Professor in the Physical Sciences and Chair of the Department of Astronomy at Cornell University. Dr Lunine has published over 380 research papers and is at the forefront of research into planet formation, evolution, and habitability. Dr Lunine’s work includes the Cassini mission to Saturn, the James Webb Space Telescope, and the Juno Mission to Jupiter. Dr Lunine is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and has participated in and chaired advisory and strategic planning committees for the Academy and for NASA. In this episode, the group question the compatibility of faith and science, explore the writings of St Thomas Aquinas and the radical theology of T.S Eliot, and consider the controversial theories of

In this episode I am joined by Mary Shutan: author, occultist, and spiritual teacher. Mary shares her journey from a traumatic early childhood to adoption into an upper-middle class family, and how spiritual overwhelm in her teenage years, and a subsequent kundalini awakening, drove her to in-depth study of spiritual themes. Mary details her own kundalini experience, including challenging side effects, kundalini traps, and the role of sacrifice on the spiritual path. Mary also discusses her love of reading and magical realism, recounts her time as a ritual magician working with the dark feminine, advises on encounters with entities and extra-terrestrials, and describes the different types of spiritual protection employed by institutions and public figures. … Video version: www.guruviking.com/podcast/153-mary-shutan-kundalini-and-the-occult Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’.
 … Topics include: 00:00 - Intro 01:03 - Prolific publications 01:41 - Mary’s writi

In this episode I travel to the Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan, where I visit world renowned Bhutanese author Ashi Kunzang Choden at her family seat of Ogyen Choling in the Tang Valley, Bumthang. Ashi gives a tour of her home, which her family have occupied for hundreds of years, including a rare look into a remarkable multi-story temple with rich religious frescos, sacred artefacts, and entire floors dedicated to Tara and Guru Rinpoche. Ashi also recounts her remarkable life that embodies so much of Bhutan’s recent history. Ashi was born into a family of feudal lords, witnessed the reformations of the 1950s, was educated in Catholic convents in India, and worked for the United Nations, before returning to her family home which she now runs as a cultural centre and guest house. Ashi also recalls the spiritual advice given to her by Dudjom Rinpoche, reveals why her exposure to Christianity opened her up to the heart of Buddhism, and discusses the impact of feminist thought on her perspective of Bhutanese c

David recounts his upbringing in Scotland, and how a lifetime of frustrated spiritual seeking was resolved in a profound spiritual experience that changed everything. David details the results of this transformative experience and discusses themes such as religiosity, the zeal of the convert, falling into the spirit of God, advice for prayer and meditation, and the mystic’s view of identity. … Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/151-scottish-mystic-david-mcmurdo Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’. … Topics include: 00:00 - Intro 00:37 - David’s upbringing in Scotland 03:50 - David’s love of the Scottish town of Thurso 05:56 - Frustrating spiritual seeking 07:57 - A life-changing spiritual experience 10:56 - Piercing the roof of the intellect 12:32 - Jesus Christ 15:43 - The Mystery 18:01 - Changes in David after the experience 20:06 - Gnosis and experiential spirituality 21:55 - Zeal of the convert 26:50 - Disagreement with the doctri

In this episode I am once again joined by Dr Nida Chenagtsang, master of Tibetan Medicine and spiritual teacher of the Yuthok Nyingthig tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. Dr Nida reveals why in 2021 he withdrew from public teaching to take an extended personal retreat lasting the year, and details the overall structure, daily routine, and practices that he engaged. Dr Nida recalls the obstacles he encountered and how he overcame them, and shares the powerful experience towards the end of his retreat that caused lasting significant change in his personality and activity. Dr Nida also discusses the danger of ego inflation and narcissism in spiritual practice, the serious psychological risks of rigorous training, and offers his advice on those who wish to embark on meditation retreat. … Video version: www.guruviking.com Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’. … Topics include: 00:00 - Intro 00:56 - Why did Dr Nida go on retreat? 04:31 - Longchenpa on life’s busyness 06

Lian Brook-Tyler recently interviewed me about magic and the esoteric for her ‘Primal Happiness’ podcast. Topics include: 00:00 - Steve is a muggle 03:07 - Who is Daniel Ingram? 08:29 - Musing on magic 18:04 - Cheat code or apotheosis? 19:46 - Magic as listening 22:22 - Dream yoga 25:00 - Lian on magic 26:55 - Siddhi and special powers 28:48 - Magic in modern culture 35:02 - Lian’s journey with magic 42:18 - Lian’s magical evolution 47:21 - Magical dark night 49:30 - Advice for those interested in magic 51:59 - Seeing beyond yourself 56:11 - Lian and the rose Lian’s ‘Primal Happiness’ Show - https://www.youtube.com/c/WakingTheWild Other times I have been interviewed: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/category/Steve+Interviewed