Modern Spirituality

Explore what the ancient Vedic wisdom has to say about the purpose and meaning of life, and how each and every one of us can find our unique soul's purpose, or dharma.

In this episode, host Ben Decker is joined by his friend, bestselling author and top podcaster, Sahara Rose. Learn about the Great Resignation, and how millions of people are leaving their jobs in search of a more meaningful way to spend their time and build a living. Hear more about the process that Sahara and Ben each went through as they secured their first book deals and how they unexpectedly crossed paths.
 
Sahara is the founder of Rose Gold Goddesses™, the sacred sisterhood collective all about embodying the divine feminine within. She is a keynote speaker, speaking on stages at Google and Facebook, as well as being featured as the nutrition speaker for Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move Campaign at Harvard Medical School and in Vogue, Forbes, NBC and more. She's also the author of Eat Feel Fresh, Idiot's Guide to Ayurveda, Discover Your Dharma, and A Yogic Path Oracle Deck.

Other topics covered:
+ The Dharma Coaching Institute
+ Collaborative Religious Studies
+ Dharma Archetypes (And Sahara's read on which archetypes Ben Decker embodies!)


Show Notes:

Develop Your Meditation Practice with books by Ben Decker

Modern Spirituality: A Guide to the Heart of Mindfulness, Meditation, and the Art of Healing
https://www.amazon.com/Modern-Spirituality-Mindfulness-Meditation-Healing/dp/1647398150/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1641179550&sr=8-4

Practical Meditation for Beginners: 10 Days to a Happier, Calmer You
https://www.amazon.com/Practical-Meditation-Beginners-Happier-Calmer/dp/1641520256/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1641179677&sr=1-1

Daily Mindfulness: 365 Exercises to Deepen Your Practice and Find Peace
https://www.amazon.com/Daily-Mindfulness-Exercises-Deepen-Practice/dp/164739192X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3MGNDB8WJLFGJ&keywords=Benjamin+Decker+daily+mindfulness&qid=1641179716&s=audible&sprefix=benjamin+decker+daily+mindfulne%2Caudible%2C296&sr=1-1

Meditations on Christ: A 5-Minute Guided Journal for Christians
https://www.amazon.com/Meditations-Christ-5-Minute-Journal-Christians/dp/1646118065/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1641179706&sr=1-2

Shamanic Reiki Therapy

Develop your intuition, learn to interpret the meaning behind your dreams, heal yourself, and others by joining Decker’s community of Shamanic Reiki Practitioners. Learn more and register today at ShamanicReikiTherapy.com

Chopra Global Certifications with Deepak Chopra
Become a  Meditation Teacher or an Ayurvedic Health Coach with a prestigious  certification through Deepak Chopra's Chopra Global at Chopra.com/certifications. Mention Ben Decker as your referral.

Experience Ayahuasca Plant Medicine at the First Ever Medically-Licensed Resort to offer this sacred shamanic experience, Rythmia Life Advancement Center. Enjoy a week of deep transformation with four plant medicine ceremonies led by shamans trained in the Columbian tradition, daily yoga classes, volcanic mud baths, dead sea colonic hydrotherapy, massages, and plant medicine preparation and integration workshops - with special guest Ben Decker. Book your trip today at Rythmia.Link/DeckerEvent

Contact The Modern Spirituality Podcast:

Benjamin W. Decker, Host/Executive Producer
Twitter.com/BenDecker
Instagram.com/BenjaminWDecker
[email protected]

Linda Michaelson, Producer
[email protected]

Ansley Weller, Associate Producer
[email protected]

Join host Ben Decker in a conversation with friend and mentor David Kessler, one of the world’s foremost speakers on death, grief and healing.

David’s experience with thousands of people on the edge of life and death has taught him the secrets to living a happy and fulfilled life, even after life’s tragedies. He is the author of six books, including the new bestselling book, Finding Meaning: The Sixth Stage of Grief. His first book, The Needs of the Dying received praise from Saint Mother Teresa.  

In this episode, hear Ben share the role David Kessler played in counseling him when his friend died by suicide. Full video here: https://youtu.be/jg4ZiyEVR0Q 

For most of his life, David has taught physicians, nurses, counselors, police, and first responders about the end of life, trauma, and grief. He facilitates talks, workshops and retreats for those experiencing grief. However, despite his vast knowledge on grief, his life was turned upside down by the sudden death of his twenty-one-year-old son. It inspired him to write his newest book, Finding Meaning.

David’s volunteer work includes being an LAPD Specialist Reserve for traumatic events as well as having served on the Red Cross’s disaster services team. He worked for over a decade in a three-hospital system. He was trained for bio -terrorists’ events as well as epidemics/ pandemics. He is the founder of www.grief.com which has over five million visits yearly from 167 countries.

David is a well-loved speaker with the ability to infuse the harder subjects of life with humor, warmth, and a willingness to be vulnerable about his own losses. He takes his experiences; from being a child visiting his ill mother in the ICU while being involved in one of the first mass shootings in the USA, to experiencing the work at Mother Teresa’s ministry in Calcutta, and working with his mentor, Elisabeth Kübler-Ross in the last decade of her life, and weaves those and many other experiences into inspiring, life-changing stories with an actionable, life affirming message of healing for all.

Show Notes:

Join David’s grief group, Tender Hearts, where you can turn your pain into purpose and take weekly steps to find peace and healing and create a life that honors your loved one. Connect with a supportive community on your own terms and in your own time. This unique grief group is not on social media and it’s always there when you need it. Register now at: TenderHeartsSupport.com

Other Grief Support Resources from David Kessler:
Grief.com
AboutGrief.com
GriefSuicide.com
ParentForever.com
HolidayGrief.com

Chopra Global Certifications with Deepak Chopra
Become a  Meditation Teacher or an Ayurvedic Health Coach with a prestigious  certification through Deepak Chopra's Chopra Global at Chopra.com/certifications.

Contact The Modern Spirituality Podcast:

Host/Executive Producer:
Ben Decker
Twitter.com/BenDecker
Instagram.com/BenjaminWDecker
[email protected]

Producer:
Linda Michaelson
[email protected]

Associate Producer:
Ansley Weller
[email protected]

Join host Ben Decker in a metaphysical conversation with friend Marianne Williamson. 

Marianne is best known for her 13+ bestselling books, and her 2020 campaign for president. She was the first ever spiritual teacher to make it to the televised Democratic Presidential Debates, and was the most Googled candidate after the second debates. Marianne initiated a global about face, as the intriguing freshness of her candidacy resulted in millions of people being exposed to a deeper, more spiritual and heart-centered approach to politics.

In this episode, hear Ben share his unique understanding of the importance of Marianne's role in today's mainstream society, even going so far as to refer to Marianne as an "avatar, synthesizing spirituality and politics." While Marianne did not accept this assertion, she says that "an avatar is someone who has gotten there 24/7, and I haven't gotten there 24/7." Ben replied, "I don't need you to get it right 24/7, I just need you to get it right when it matters. You get it right when it matters.”

Receive inspiration from Marianne's sage wisdom; especially on claiming one's power and ushering in a new  political and spiritual era. 

Marianne Williamson is a bestselling author, political activist and spiritual thought leader.

For over three decades Marianne has been a leader in spiritual and religiously progressive circles. She is the author of 14 books, four of which have been #1 New York Times best sellers. A quote from the mega best seller A Return to Love, “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure…” is considered an anthem for a contemporary generation of seekers.

Williamson founded Project Angel Food, a non-profit that has delivered more than 13 million meals to ill and dying homebound patients since 1989. The group was created to help people suffering from the ravages of HIV/AIDS. She has also worked throughout her career on poverty, anti-hunger and racial reconciliation issues. In 2004, she co-founded The Peace Alliance and supports the creation of a U.S. Department of Peace. In 2021, Marianne launched MarianneWilliamson.Substack.com and the TRANSFORM Podcast.

Show Notes:

Chopra Global Certifications with Deepak Chopra
Become a  Meditation Teacher or an Ayurvedic Health Coach with a prestigious  certification through Deepak Chopra's Chopra Global at Chopra.com/certifications.

TRANSFORM with Marianne Williamson
Become part of the global spiritual political awakening by subscribing to the new Substack newsletter with spiritual teacher and political activist Marianne Williamson. Get updates on global events from a spiritual perspective as well as tools for your own personal spiritual practice. Subscribe today at MarianneWilliamson.substack.com

Experience Ayahuasca Plant Medicine at the First Ever Medically-Licensed Resort to offer this sacred shamanic experience, Rythmia Life Advancement Center. Enjoy a week of deep transformation with four plant medicine ceremonies led by shamans trained in the Columbian tradition, daily yoga classes, volcanic mud baths, dead sea colonic hydrotherapy, massages, and plant medicine preparation and integration workshops - with special guest Ben Decker. Book your trip today at Rythmia.Link/DeckerEvent

Contact The Modern Spirituality Podcast:

Host/Executive Producer: 
Ben Decker
Twitter.com/BenDecker
Instagram.com/BenjaminWDecker
[email protected]

Producer:
Linda Michaelson
[email protected]

Associate Producer:
Ansley Weller
[email protected]

Spiritually Transformative Experiences can come in a number of different forms: near death experiences, psychedelic visions, alien abductions, and ceremonial ordinance or initiatory ritual. They can also take the form of a traumatic event or spontaneous realization. When we have the opportunity to consciously prepare ourselves, we are of course much better off. But what about the times when we don't have the preparation necessary?

Integration is the phase that happens immediately following the Spiritually Transformative Experience. This is perhaps the most crucial phase. If we don't effectively integrate our experience, at best, the experience ends up meaning very little for us - and at worst, it can actually serve as something that takes us further away from our true path, our higher nature, and our purpose.

For the last ten years, Ben Decker has been supporting clients and students in the preparation, facilitation, and integration of spiritually transformative experiences. Even before that, as a teen, Ben had his first formal initiation into metaphysics through training as a Shamanic Reiki Practitioner, Healer, and Master. Today, he is a 3rd Degree Shamanic Reiki Master and offering his first ever Shamanic Reiki Transmission to the public. 

Listen as he further explains the two lineages of Shamanism and Reiki, and how they correlate to support the effective development of psychic abilities, intuition, and the ability to cultivate and direct life force energy for healing on multiple levels.

Learn why he has taken so long to come out publicly about his work with the Amazonian shaman who changed his life, and the 70+ ayahuasca plant medicine ceremonies that have amplified his gifts as a healer, and initiated him into great natural and cosmic wisdom.

Explore how you can develop your own abilities as a healer to heal yourself, make sense of your past, integrate your experiences, and become a part of the great spiritual awakening (and healing) sweeping the globe.

Show Notes:

Shamanic Reiki Therapy
Develop your intuition, learn to interpret the meaning behind your dreams, heal yourself, and others by joining Decker's community of Shamanic Reiki Practitioners. Learn more and register today at ShamanicReikiTherapy.com

Fall 2021 Shamanic Reiki Training Schedule

• Level 1: Practitioner; October 15-17, 2021
• Level 2: Healer; November 1-5, 2021
• Level 3: Master; December 1-7, 2021

Visit ShamanicReikiTherapy.com also for free access to the Shamanic Reiki Transmission for Financial Freedom one hour event.

+ + +

Experience Ayahuasca Plant Medicine at the First Ever Medically-Licensed Resort to offer this sacred shamanic experience, Rythmia Life Advancement Center. Enjoy a week of deep transformation with four plant medicine ceremonies led by shamans trained in the Columbian tradition, daily yoga classes, volcanic mud baths, dead sea colonic hydrotherapy, massages, and plant medicine preparation and integration workshops - with special guest Ben Decker. Book your trip today at Rythmia.Link/DeckerEvent

Contact The Modern Spirituality Podcast

Host/Executive Producer:

Ben Decker

Twitter.com/BenDecker

Instagram.com/BenjaminWDecker

[email protected]

Producer:

Linda Michaelson

[email protected]

Associate Producer:

Ansley Weller

[email protected]

A spiritual awakening  is an experience that opens our hearts and minds to a radically different way of engaging with the world. Spiritual awakenings often result in major life changes; like relationships ending (or new ones beginning), moving to a new city, leaving a job in pursuit of something more authentic, letting go of old vices or addictions, the experiment and implementation of new practices like yoga, prayer, and meditation.

In this episode, host Ben Decker is joined by best-selling author and spiritual advisor Sah D'Simone. 

Sah and Ben first came into contact early in both of their careers as meditation teachers. Later, their first books were published by the same publishers. For those of you already familiar with the work of this radical spiritual guide, you may be surprised to learn of the unexpected professional background that set the stage for his spiritual awakening. 

Before Sah became the internationally recognized transformational speaker that he is today, he was the Creative Director for widely known fashion magazine, producing photoshoots with some of today's biggest entertainment industry celebrities. 

Hear about Sah's spiritual awakening, taking refuge in the Buddha through Vajrayana Buddhism, his encounter with the Dalai Lama, and the journey that brought him out of depression and anxiety, and into liberation and joy.  Be inspired by Sah's journey of forgiveness (of self and other), and the surprising nuances between shame, guilt, and remorse. You'll also get to hear about Sah's newest tattoo.

Learn also the parallel Ben Decker has drawn between to The Three Jewels of Buddhism: the Buddha, the dharma, and the sangha; and three keys to Christianity: the Christ, the gospel, and the church. Explore how this comparison can deepen one's understanding of the other, in relationship to one another. In his book, Modern Spirituality, Ben draws yet another parallel for The Three Jewels of Buddhism, and removes religious context altogether. He posits that for the optimal results of ongoing spiritual development, the modern spiritual practitioner should apply the three aspects of modern spirituality, inspired by these three jewels. These three aspects of modern spirituality will be expanded upon in Episode 5: The Three Jewels of Modern Spirituality.

Show Notes:

Chopra Global Certifications with Deepak Chopra
Become a  Meditation Teacher or an Ayurvedic Health Coach with a prestigious  certification through Deepak Chopra's Chopra Global at Chopra.com/certifications.

TRANSFORM with Marianne Williamson 
Become part of the global spiritual political awakening by subscribing to the new Substack newsletter with spiritual teacher and political activist Marianne Williamson. Get updates on global events from a spiritual perspective as well as tools for your own personal spiritual practice. Subscribe today at MarianneWilliamson.substack.com

Experience Ayahuasca Plant Medicine at the First Ever Medically-Licensed Resort to offer this sacred shamanic experience, Rythmia Life Advancement Center. Enjoy a week of deep transformation with four plant medicine ceremonies led by shamans trained in the Columbian tradition, daily yoga classes, volcanic mud baths, dead sea colonic hydrotherapy, massages, and plant medicine preparation and integration workshops - with special guest Ben Decker. Book your trip today at Rythmia.Link/DeckerEvent

Contact The Modern Spirituality Podcast

Host/Executive Producer: 
Ben Decker
Twitter.com/BenDecker
Instagram.com/BenjaminWDecker
[email protected]

Producer:
Linda Michaelson
[email protected]

Associate Producer:
Ansley Weller
[email protected]

All of the spiritual traditions across the globes utilize the technology of ceremony, ordinance, and ritual in their proprietary spiritual practices.

In this episode, learn the origins and meanings of the words ceremony, ordinance, and ritual, and what clues their meaning has to their crucial role at the center of all magical and spiritual faith traditions throughout history. 

Host Ben Decker introduces the principles of initiation (to begin something, or to initiate) in both a formal context like in a school, religion, or organization; as well as in a natural spiritual context, as in the initiatory power of having a child, losing a loved one, or going through another life-changing event. Ben Decker also shares three initiatory experiences: his baptism at age 8, entering into the temple of his family's religion and performing baptisms for the dead at age 14, and entering into an Egyptian initiation in the inner chambers of all three of the great pyramids of Giza under the light of the full moon at age 30. Follow the synchronicities between these initiatory ceremonial rituals and the unexplainable things that happened following them. 

Show Notes

"Modern Spirituality: A Guide to the Heart of Mindfulness, Meditation, and the Art of Healing," the newest book by Ben Decker is now available everywhere books are sold.
https://amzn.to/2XPbw9s

Get a custom video from Ben Decker on Cameo! 
Are you or a loved one celebrating? Or maybe going through something challenging? Use the link below to book a custom video from Ben Decker with a pep talk, custom affirmation, mini meditation,  prayer, or words of encouragement.
https://v.cameo.com/fNEIg00uLjb

Chopra Global Certifications with Deepak Chopra
Become a  Meditation Teacher or an Ayurvedic Health Coach with a prestigious  certification through Deepak Chopra's Chopra Global at Chopra.com/certifications

TRANSFORM with Marianne Williamson
Become part of the global spiritual political awakening by subscribing to the new Substack newsletter with spiritual teacher and political activist Marianne Williamson. Get updates on global events from a spiritual perspective as well as tools for your own personal spiritual practice. Subscribe today at MarianneWilliamson.substack.com

Experience Ayahuasca Plant Medicine at the First Ever Medically-Licensed Resort to offer this sacred shamanic experience, Rythmia Life Advancement Center. Enjoy a week of deep transformation with four plant medicine ceremonies led by shamans trained in the Columbian tradition, daily yoga classes, volcanic mud baths, dead sea colonic hydrotherapy, massages, and plant medicine preparation and integration workshops - with special guest Ben Decker. Book your trip today at Rythmia.Link/DeckerEvent

Contact The Modern Spirituality Podcast:

Host/Executive Producer: Ben Decker
Twitter.com/BenDecker
Instagram.com/BenjaminWDecker
[email protected]

Producer:
Linda Michaelson
[email protected]

Associate Producer:
Ansley Weller
[email protected]

This is a powerful episode, and we have to provide something of a trigger warning. In this episode we do address trauma, sexual abuse, childhood abuse, and healing and overcoming from these things. 

Host Ben Decker is joined by  award-winning actress, and actually  award-winning philanthropist as well, AnnaLynne McCord. Ben and AnnaLynne first met working in the field of modern-day abolition, through a network of anti-human trafficking organizations.   Over their 10+ year friendship, they both deepened their passion and love for inner-healing, healing of the mind, body, and heart through spirituality and meditation.

AnnaLynne is now the founder of The Love Storm, a mass meditation initiative aimed at raising the collective energy against slavery of the mind and the body.  Hear AnnaLynne's journey to earn her first $1 million by age 23, how, through forgiveness and metta lovingkindness meditation she was able to reconcile with the traumatic abuse she had endured in her childhood, become an inspirational figurehead for the movement toward personal liberation from sexual abuse, childhood trauma, and religious trauma.

Hear Ben Decker's take on reincarnation, his perspective of an esoteric and an exoteric teaching. He shares the teaching that reincarnation from an exoteric perspective has always been taught as a literal death and rebirth, while an esoteric teaching posits that reincarnation is symbolic for the reality that all living beings are of one life and infinite points of view. The teaching of reincarnation has always served the purpose of helping us see ourselves in  another person's shoes; different races, different genders, different life circumstances, as a means to support us in learning how to love one another as ourselves. 

Show Notes:

THE LOVE STORM is a global initiative founded by AnnaLynne McCord raising awareness on human-trafficking in an educational and empowering way. By hosting mass meditations in over 20 cities around the world, The Love Storm aims to lead the conversation that we must fight slavery from the inside out.  Join the movement today at TheLoveStorm.com

Chopra Global Certifications with Deepak Chopra
Become a  Meditation Teacher or an Ayurvedic Health Coach with a prestigious  certification through Deepak Chopra's Chopra Global at Chopra.com/certifications.

TRANSFORM with Marianne Williamson 
Become part of the global spiritual political awakening by subscribing to the new Substack newsletter with spiritual teacher and political activist Marianne Williamson. Get updates on global events from a spiritual perspective as well as tools for your own personal spiritual practice. Subscribe today at MarianneWilliamson.substack.com

Experience Ayahuasca Plant Medicine at the First Ever Medically-Licensed Resort to offer this sacred shamanic experience, Rythmia Life Advancement Center. Enjoy a week of deep transformation with four plant medicine ceremonies led by shamans trained in the Columbian tradition, daily yoga classes, volcanic mud baths, dead sea colonic hydrotherapy, massages, and plant medicine preparation and integration workshops - with special guest Ben Decker. Book your trip today at Rythmia.Link/DeckerEvent

Contact The Modern Spirituality Podcast:
Host/Executive Producer: Ben Decker
Twitter.com/BenDecker
Instagram.com/BenjaminWDecker
[email protected]

Producer:
Linda Michaelson
[email protected]

Associate Producer:
Ansley Weller
[email protected]

A spiritual awakening is taking place around the globe and you can be a part of it. For the first time ever in human history, we are really one world. 

Join Ben Decker, the direct descendant of the founding families of one of today's largest global religions, who has found healing and reconciliation with his childhood religion, discovered the magic and power of global esoteric teachings, and predicts the fulfillment and actualization of all major world spiritual traditions working in collaboration with one another.

In this introductory episode, you will meet Ben Decker, learn about the moment he came out as a member of the LGBTQ community to his parents, his journey being raised in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, joining the priesthood, eventually discovering Theosophy - the society that studies the esoteric teachings of all world spiritual traditions as one school of thought, and the play by play of his divine encounter on ayahuasca plant medicine.

Learn about the powerful similarity between all major world spiritual traditions: the prophecy of a coming messiah. Christians predict the return of Christ, which will bring about a thousand years of peace. Jews predict the arrival of a great Messiah, who will inaugurate world peace. Buddhists predict the incarnation of the final Buddha, Maitreya, who will initiate global enlightenment. Hindus predict the manifestation of the final incarnation of Krishna, the Kalki Avatar, who will elevate the consciousness of all of humanity and bring forth a new age. Explore the inspiring possibility that all of these predictions refer to one similar, coming event which we can band together and bring about a new age. 

Hear Ben Decker's take on the Illuminati conspiracy theory surrounding The New World Order's New World Religion agenda: the New World Religion could be a new way of looking at religion, not a new religion itself. Imagine a world where practitioners of all religions could practice in their own way, in more than just tolerance, but loving acceptance of one another.

Welcome to The Modern Spirituality Podcast.

Show Notes:
Chopra Global Certifications with Deepak Chopra
Become a  Meditation Teacher or an Ayurvedic Health Coach with a prestigious  certification through Deepak Chopra's Chopra Global at Chopra.com/certifications.

TRANSFORM with Marianne Williamson 
Become part of the global spiritual political awakening by subscribing to the new Substack newsletter with spiritual teacher and political activist Marianne Williamson. Get updates on global events from a spiritual perspective as well as tools for your own personal spiritual practice. Subscribe today at MarianneWilliamson.substack.com

Experience Ayahuasca Plant Medicine at the First Ever Medically-Licensed Resort to offer this sacred shamanic experience, Rythmia Life Advancement Center. Enjoy a week of deep transformation with four plant medicine ceremonies led by shamans trained in the Columbian tradition, daily yoga classes, volcanic mud baths, dead sea colonic hydrotherapy, massages, and plant medicine preparation and integration workshops - with special guest Ben Decker. Book your trip today at Rythmia.Link/DeckerEvent

Contact Ben Decker:
Twitter.com/BenDecker
Instagram.com/BenjaminWDecker
[email protected]