Somatic singer and teacher Marisa Michelson shares information on the powerful work of connecting to the body through song and uninhibited self-expression.

Today’s podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self.

In this episode of The Indie Spiritualist, Chris and Marisa have a conversation about:

• Vocal ‘de-armoring’: working with voice, the body, and the psyche to release blocks
• Bringing somatic relationship and embodiment into the classical music world
• How Marisa discovered that singing could bring her into transcendent bliss
• Navigating information overload in our fast-paced, tech-driven age
• A roadmap to reconnect with the body and relearn the language of direct experience
• Letting spontaneity flow through the liberating practice of somatic singing
• A jaw-focused practice for releasing tension and unlocking full expression
• Trust and vulnerability to open up our bodies, hearts, and minds
• Simple somatic practices to weave into day-to-day life

About Marisa Michelson:

In addition to being a sought-after somatic singing teacher, Marisa is an award-winning composer of music-theatre, experimental musicals, oratorios and choral works, and was the founding director of the psychedelic singing ensemble Constellation Chor | an immersion in voice, movement, and spirit. Marisa has written four full-length musicals, two of which were produced off-Broadway by Prospect Theater Company. Her most personal composition project to date was her Desire|Divinity Project, a three part music-theater piece exploring the connection between sexuality and spirituality through an exegesis of the Song of Songs and a musicalization of Sappho’s poetry fragments.  She currently travels around singing with the vocal quartet, Agrol Agra, which performs Hungarian folk songs and Bartok arrangements of said folk songs. Marisa is beyond grateful to live and work and teach on acres of land in Upstate New York (Ancram/unceded Mohican land).  Marisa gives her gratitude to the trees, red-winged blackbirds, deer, hares, water and wind, dirt, bees, and non-human life for the profound support. Connect with Marisa on her website.

“It’s been such a gift for me to work with processes, particular exercises, and practices that are developing my understanding of how energies are moving through my body, how muscles are moving in coordination with each other, and how emotions are coordinating with the physical body, the nervous system, the energy body. Getting to go deeper into this is like learning a language that can then allow us to have more and more clarity in our own direct experience.” – Marisa Michelson

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Musician Craig Wedren reflects on his rise to fame in the D.C. hardcore scene, blending together punk rock, spirituality, and healing. 

In this episode, Chris and Craig converse about:

• From punk rock roots to a spiritual path: how Craig’s musical journey shaped his creative and personal life
• Craig’s first exposure to meditation in his 20s
• The origins of music, sound, and vibration 
• How music transcends language, culture, and generations to connect all people
• Transcendental Meditation and inspirational tricksters 
• Searching for deeper meaning and spirituality in modern, often soulless society
• Craig’s improvisational practices: free writing & free-form guitar playing
• Craig’s work creating original music for a therapeutic ketamine clinic called Kanopy 
• Ketamine treatment for addiction recovery 
• Craig’s rise to fame in the D.C. punk scene with his band Shudder to Think
• The synergy between performer and audience 
• How Craig’s cancer diagnosis brought him back down to earth and showed him what truly mattered

“I found a lot of punk rockers or hardcore people are particularly drawn to eastern religions. A friend of a friend said once, ‘the search for something deeper in a world increasingly devoid of it’. It makes perfect sense that I am meeting people that later on get drawn to different paths, traditions, and teachings.” – Chris Grosso 

About Craig Wedren:

Craig Wedren first gained notice as the dynamic, multi-octave-wielding frontman of Shudder to Think – one of the first Washington, D.C. bands to make the transition from the revered Dischord punk label to the majors during the grunge era. Wedren has released a series of solo albums and related collaborative projects. At the same time, Wedren’s music has become an essential part of some of film and television’s most popular and lauded shows. In recent years, Wedren’s endlessly creative spirit has also seen him release Adult Desire 360--a VR app comprised of 360° panoramic music videos featuring songs from his album Adult Desire; share the limited edition hard-bound book My '90s, featuring photos he took on his Polaroid Spectra in the 1990s and early 2000s that documented his late nights and early mornings on the road with Shudder to Think and time with friends including Fugazi, Smashing Pumpkins, Pearl Jam, members of The State and more; and Sabbath Sessions, his multi-episode podcast featuring musical meditations that represent his first explorations of ambient choral music, where Wedren’s technique of sampling and looping his famously elastic voice results in a unique kind of sound bath. Check out Craig’s website. 

“In general, the playground of my work, the sandbox of it, is pretty regulating I would say. I’ve been programming playlists and now I am starting to write original music for some friends of mine who have a ketamine therapy clinic.” – Craig Wedren

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Blending together hardcore punk and spirituality, Ray Cappo inspires listeners to deflate the ego and serve something bigger than themselves.

This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self.

This time on The Indie Spiritualist, Chris and Ray delve into:

• The powerful intersection between hardcore punk and spirituality
• Living on the fringes of society
• How the hands of God can touch anybody, even in the most unexpected places
• The beginning of Ray’s spiritual path and being inspired by Harley Flanagan of hardcore punk pioneers Cro-Mags
• Shifting inward: moving beyond the senses and the mind into subtle awareness
• From chaos to calm: being in Samadhi rather than emotional turmoil
• Kirtan and serving something bigger than ourselves instead of being the center of attention
• The presence of ego even in yogic and spiritual communities 
• Finding oneness and connection with all beings, beyond outer labels
• Letting go of idolizing people or things and reserving reverence for the divine
• Considering how being in the spotlight can inflate the ego if one does not offer praise back to God and surrender
• Recognizing rock bottom as a spiritual turning point and a hidden blessing

"Nothing else will fit in that God shaped hole. If you make your spouse your God, or your dog your God, your house your God, that God is always going to let you down." –Ray Cappo

About Ray Cappo:

As a teen in the 80s, Ray Cappo founded the hardcore punk band Youth of Today, which championed the principles of clean living, vegetarianism, and self-control. After experiencing a spiritual awakening in India, he formed a new band, Shelter, devoted to spreading a message of hope through spiritual connection. Ray currently leads yoga retreats, trainings, and kirtans at his Supersoul Farm retreat center in Upstate New York, as well as annual pilgrimages to India. He is the co-founder and co-host of Wisdom of the Sages, a daily yoga podcast that has been ranked #1 on Apple for podcasts about spirituality. Check out Ray’s recently released memoir, From Punk to Monk.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Teaching us to relax back into being held by spaciousness, Lama Rod Owens discusses the forces that help us remember real love, awakened freedom, and who we truly are. 

In this episode of the Indie Spiritualist Podcast, Chris and Lama Rod explore:

• The practice and embodiment of real love as revolutionary
• Transcending violence and harm and the yearning for all to be free
• Holding brokenheartedness with a lot of care and viewing it as a teaching 
• Continued practice even as an awakened being 
• Returning to a space of fluidity and openness
• Riding the middle line between form and emptiness 
• Cultivating a stronger relationship with Earth, even in an urban environment 
• Mystical breakthroughs and navigating mental health through the lens of spirituality 
• Getting distracted by euphoria / believing we are hyper-special instead of taking spiritual experiences as an opportunity to connect more deeply with humanity 
• Meditative experiences that can be found in daily life and in our pre-existing hobbies
• Allowing space for Western medicine when it is needed 
• Untangling the notion that we have to like something or someone in order to love 
• Returning agency back to community and the enduring spiritual traditions that will aid in our survival  

This episode is sponsored by Betterhelp & Dharma Seed:

Today’s podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self.

Join Krishna Das, the most well-known voice of Bhakti chanting (Kirtan) in the West, and David Nichtern - a senior Buddhist teacher, founder of Dharma Moon, guitarist in Krishna Das’ band, and producer of several of his albums - for a warm and engaging conversation about these two paths, their shared roots, and how they intersect in contemporary spiritual practice. Learn more about this FREE online gathering - THE HEART & MIND OF PRACTICE: BUDDHISM & BHAKTI

About Lama Rod Owens:

Lama Rod Owens is a Black Buddhist Southern Queen. An international influencer with a Master of Divinity degree in Buddhist Studies from Harvard Divinity School with a focus on the intersection of social change, identity, and spiritual practice. Author of Love and Rage: The Path of Liberation through Anger and co-author of Radical Dharma: Talking Race, Love and Liberation, his teachings center on freedom, self-expression, and radical self-care. Highly sought after for talks, retreats, and workshops, his mission is to show you how to heal and free yourself. A leading voice in a new generation of Buddhist teachers with over 11 years of experience, Lama Rod is highly respected among his peers and the communities that he serves. From these intersections, he creates a platform that’s very natural, engaging, and inclusive. Check out Lama Rod’s most recent publication, The New Saints, and his podcast on the Be Here Now Network, The Spirit Underground.

For current offerings and programs, click here.

“Is it taking you out of this moment, out of relationship with others around you? Are you having thoughts of being special and extraordinary? Is it helping you to be more human, or is it leading you towards this idealized state that seems to take you out of the messiness of humanity? I think that the real spiritual breakthrough brings us deeper into the experience of being human, of empathy." – Lama Rod Owens

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Paul Levy, a pioneer in spiritual emergence, chats with Chris Grosso about the concept of Wetiko and healing our collective malady.

Today’s podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self.

In this episode, Chris and Paul explore:

• The diagnosis of our collective malady and defining Wetiko
• Waking up through the darkness 
• Life as a collective dream we are all manifesting 
• The mind virus we are all suffering from and what it can reveal to us 
• The primary importance of the psyche in creating world events
• Accessing our divine inheritance and divine power 
• Psychologist and Dream Analyst Carl Jung’s exploration of Wetiko 
• The danger of turning a blind eye to our shadows
• Quantum physics as a dreaming phenomena 
• Shedding light into our unconscious mind 
• Compassion as the ultimate dissolver of Wetiko 

About Paul Levy:

Paul Levy is an author, speaker, and facilitator who describes himself as “a wounded healer in private practice, assisting others who are also awakening to the dreamlike nature of reality.” Paul brilliantly synthesizes wisdom streams from quantum physics, Carl Jung, Buddhism, alchemy, shamanism, Kabbalah, mystical Christianity, and the work of science fiction author Philip K. Dick. He has been a Tibetan Buddhist practitioner for over 35 years, was the coordinator for the Portland Padmasambhava Buddhist Center, and is the founder of the “Awakening in the Dream Community.” Paul’s books include The Quantum Revelation: A Radical Synthesis of Science and Spirituality, Dispelling Wetiko: Breaking the Curse of Evil, and Awakened By Darkness. Learn more about Paul on his website. 

"Wetiko is a Native American term but every spiritual tradition talks about it, just in different languages. This is the diagnosis. We've made a huge breakthrough. There's been a diagnosis of what's at the bottom of our collective malady. We're in the middle of a collective psychosis of titanic proportions, that is what Wetiko is.” – Paul Levy

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Certified sound healer Kelvin Young joins Chris Grosso to discuss how to find freedom within institutions and systems.

Today’s podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self.

This time on The Indie Spiritualist, Chris and Kelvin explore:

• Kelvin’s first encounter with holistic healing in the prison system
• How Kelvin became inspired to change his life and get sober for himself and his daughter
• Becoming anchored through sound healing
• How we at the subatomic level, we are vibration and sound
• Having spiritual experiences at concerts regardless of genre
• Integrating holistic practice into hospitals and other facilities
• Moving from hypervigilance to relaxation through sound healing
• Meeting people where they are at on their healing journey
• The science of sound and rituals around the world that utilize sound
• The power of humming and using our own voice as a tool
• The gong as an instrument of interconnection
• 12-step healing as integral piece for many people in recovery

About Kelvin Young:

Kelvin Young is a Certified Sound Healer and Owner of Kelvin Young, LLC. He is also a person in sustained recovery which means Kelvin hasn’t used alcohol or any other drug to cope with his mental and emotional distress since March, 6th 2009. Kelvin received his recovery coaching training at CT Community for Addiction Recovery (CCAR) and Recovery Support Specialist (RSS) certification at Recovery University. Kelvin has presented around the country in diverse settings, including CCAR Multiple Pathways to Recovery Conference, Alternatives Conference, Yoga Reaches Out, Newtown Yoga Festival, The Shift Network, Indie Yoga in San Francisco, CA, Alex Grey’s Chapel of Sacred Mirrors, Copper Beech Institute, CT Women’s Consortium, yoga studios, retreat centers, conferences, high schools, colleges, prisons, addiction treatment centers, psychiatric hospitals and mental health agencies. Today, he publicly speaks on addiction recovery to people from all walks of life. Kelvin also facilitates private and group sound healing sessions at different locations throughout the United States. Keep up with Kelvin HERE.

“Sound has been that foundation for me to explore and understand that sound itself is life itself. It humbles me to be in awe of what all of sound is, the vibrations. Down to the subatomic level, we are vibration, we are sound, we are energy, we are frequency.” – Kelvin Young

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Psychologist Tori Olds helps listeners unravel inner landscapes by examining emotions, identity, and the patterns in our lives.

Today’s podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self.

In this episode, Chris and Tori explore:

• Tori’s early interest in emotions and psychology
• Interfacing with our emotional reactions
• How experiences shape identity
• Irrational and self-defeating behaviors
• How what we learn as a child influences how we protect ourselves as an adult
• Emotional knowing versus logical knowing
• Implicit memory and fear conditioning
• How witnessing new evidence can help us unlearn negative patterns
• Mindfulness for regulation of the nervous system
• The importance of working with a trained professional
• The potential within psychedelic-assisted therapy

If you are unable to work with a therapist but feel therapy may be helpful, check out this book recommendation from Tori: Self Therapy

About Tori Olds:

Tori Olds, PhD is a psychologist and a mother, but there is much more to her identity. Songwriting, meditation, and teaching are also important aspects of her life. She helped start Deep Eddy Psychotherapy alongside her sister Charlotte, her husband Glenn, and both her parents, which has provided her with numerous opportunities to train and supervise aspiring therapists. Ten years ago, she began leading a 6-month training group called “Minding the Heart,” offering a deep dive into experiential methods of therapy. She is drawn to these approaches because she believes the most profound transformation occurs when we connect with the deepest parts of ourselves—those that can only be reached through direct, experiential contact. Keep up with Tori on her website.

“Making a prediction and seeing that what is happening is not what we predicted makes the memory labile…it’s in a state where it can change. If we introduce new knowing in two seconds the whole neural network can be rearranged or dissolved.” – Tori Olds

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Diving into the meaning of existential kink, Dr. Carolyn Lovewell joins Chris Grosso to discuss unlocking our unconscious desires.

Today’s podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self.

This time on The Indie Spiritualist, Chris and Dr. Lovewell discuss:

• The meaning of existential kink
• The practice of orgasmic meditation
• How vulnerability and truth can lead to more sensation
• Considering what our unconscious desires may be
• Practicing enjoying what is already happening
• Realizing the darkness / pain we may be attracted to subconsciously
• Themes within the myth of Persephone
• The power addictions hold over us and admitting powerlessness
• A guided meditation from Dr. Carolyn
• Living as characters in God’s dream
• Becoming aware of our own wholeness and non-dualism
• Sleep Over Mystery School and the heart of western mysteries

About Dr. Carolyn Lovewell

Dr. Carolyn Lovewell (formarlly Elliott) is an American scholar, author, and occultist. She is the author of the book Existential Kink which focuses on shadow integration as a means for creating positive change in the self. She obtained a doctorate in Critical and Cultural Studies at the University of Pittsburgh. Check out Dr. Lovewell’s podcast, Sleep Over and learn more on her website.

If you are interested in integrating the opposites in the psyche, join the 9 month program with Dr. Lovewell at the Sleep Over Mystery School

“Existential kink is the idea that pretty much all of us human beings have an unconscious attraction to painful things. We’re all kinky, we’re all in a sadomasochistic relationship with the universe. The universe, God, whatever we want to call it is a dom that has no safe words. It just keeps coming, all the time. We can learn to make those unconscious attractions to painful or negative patterns conscious. When we do that, we liberate all sorts of energy that had been unconsciously stuck. Existential Kink is a deep tool for change.” – Dr. Lovewell

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Reflecting on our ability to peacefully coexist, Nina Rao and Krishna Das join Chris Grosso to talk politics, practice, and more.

This week, Chris, Krishna Das, and Nina all converge upon:

• Maharaj-ji’s response to being visited by politicians
• Keeping the heart calm and open regardless of what is happening around us
• Recognizing everyone as a part of our own selves
• Coexisting with all beings, human and non-human
• Living out our karma and doing the best can to not harm anyone
• Considering feelings about the upcoming election
• How it took returning to the west for Nina to connect to devotional practice
• Finding a way to unlock the love that lives within us
• Connecting to the guru even after they have left the body
• The ways we are born programmed by our culture, parents, etc.
• Chris’ experience with Ketamine therapy for his mental health
• Chanting as self releasing rather than self expressing

About Krishna Das:

Layering traditional Hindu kirtan with instantly accessible melodies and modern instrumentation, Grammy nominee, Krishna Das has been called yoga’s “rock star.” With a remarkably soulful voice that touches the deepest chord in even the most casual listener, Krishna Das – known to friends, family, and fans as simply KD – has taken the call-and-response chanting out of yoga centers and into concert halls, becoming a worldwide icon and the best-selling chant artist of all time. His album ‘Live Ananda’ (released January 2012) was nominated for a Grammy in the Best New Age album category.

Krishna Das now travels the world sharing his kirtan practice and wonderful stories of his life, of Maharaji-ji, of his life on the Path and discusses bringing chanting into our lives through retreats and workshops. To date, KD has released 15 well-received albums, most recently Trust in the Heart released in October 2017. For more on Krishna Das events, music, and other offerings visit: KrishnaDas.com

About Nina Rao:

Nina Rao is a devotional singer. She tours with Krishna Das, playing cymbals, singing, and acting as his business manager. Nina has two of her own albums, “Antarayaami – Knower of All Hearts” and “Anubhav”. Nina regularly leads kirtan, workshops, and retreats in her hometown of Brooklyn, New York and beyond. Together with Chandra and Genevieve Walker, Nina operates the 21 Taras Collective. You can keep up with Nina on her website or find her on Instagram @nina_rao and on Facebook @NinaRaoChant.

“If people’s hearts are open and calm and connected to other people, the chances of doing things that are destructive is much less. You have to try to get to the deepest place inside and then who could you hurt because everybody is part of your own self.” – Krishna Das

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Calling attention to the healing properties of psychedelics, author and therapist Sean Lawlor talks with Chris about his new book, Psychedelic Revival.

Grab your copy of Psychedelic Revival: Toward a New Paradigm of Healing HERE

Today’s podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self.

In this episode, Sean and Chris reflect on:

• Sean’s inaugural experiences with psychedelics
• Accessing altered states of mind
• Integrating psychedelic experiences into daily life
• Chris’s journey with treatment-resistant depression and psychedelic therapy
• Changing the ongoing damage from the war on drugs
• What psychedelics are and what they can do
• Breaking out of our habituated thoughts patterns
• Enduring the challenging parts of a psychedelic journey
• The different types of psychedelics and their pros and cons
• The amazing effect of placebo and having intentions
• Plant medicines versus more western psychedelics

About Sean Lawlor:

Sean is an author, therapist, and developer of online course content. He received his Masters of Fine Arts from Chatham University and completed a 3-year Master’s program in Mindfulness-Based Transpersonal Counseling at Naropa University. Sean’s new book, Psychedelic Revival: Toward a New Paradigm of Healing, is currently available in print and digital formats. Learn more about Sean on his website.

“A theory that I do believe in is that everything that comes up in the (psychedelic) experience can be helpful for one’s own healing journey, even if it is really challenging and dark.” – Sean Lawlor

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.