In episode 14 of Podcaster Stories, I sit down with Eric Barnhart, host and founder of Urban Contemplatives and the Mindful Moment podcast.

With a tagline of “creating mindful moments for active lives”, each 15-minute episode features conversations with artists, musicians, writers, scientists, philosophers and others, exploring contemplative practices through an ecumenical Christian lens.

Topics up for discussion this week include:

• how Star Wars inspired his love for music, which inspired his eventual career
• how that love for music got him a degree in jazz piano, which led to him working in churches”creating mindful moments for active lives”how he’s met other like-minded folks through this association with the church
• why divisiveness is a global issue versus a beliefs issue
• how Eric’s seen the very best and the very worst of humanity over the last 25 years
• how the podcast came about due to the Covid pandemic
• why allowing yourself to hear your belief is more effective than being told what to believe
• how he deals with people that are trying to push their own agenda
• how shared learning through open dialogue is key to a positive community
• how Star Wars fans can be very similar to those with fervent beliefs
• why you can have polarizing viewpoints yet still agree on something if it connects with, or moves, you
• why none of us are experts – in life, in religion, in culture, and more
• why we need to stop fretting about the things that don’t really matter
• how Western culture still needs to catch up with other cultures when it comes to mindfulness
• how Thomas Merton played such a huge part in Eric’s life and goals with Urban Contemplatives and the Mindful Moment podcast
• how true Christianity is about humility and being there for others, no matter what
• how Mysticism creates fear in some Christian corners, and why it shouldn’t
• where Eric sees the podcast evolving over the next 12 months
• why good ramen is key to a happy life
• how his love of Jethro Tull helped him learn guitar, even when holding the guitar upside down!
• how the music industry has paved the way for content creators across all mediums when it comes to distribution and production

Settle back for an enlightening episode where Eric shares what may be the best pathway to peace in our lifetime.

Connect with Eric:

• Urban Contemplatives
• Mindful Moment Podcast
• Urban Contemplatives on Facebook

Contact me: [email protected]

My equipment:

• Samson Q2U Mic
• Focusrite Scarlett Solo 3rd Gen Audio Interface
• TRITON AUDIO Fethead In-Line Microphone Preamp
• Denon DJ HP-1100 Over Ear Headphones
• RockJam MS050 Adjustable Mic Suspension Boom
• Dragonpad Pop Filter

Recommended resources:

• Captivate.fm
• Aweber email marketing
• SquadCast remote interviewing

This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:

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