This episode, I take you to Sammajeewa Buddhist Temple in Minuwangoda, a town in Sri Lanka's West.

During my travels in Sri Lanka, I thought it would be interesting to spend a couple of weeks at a Buddhist temple to learn more about the lifestyle of a Buddhist monk, learn more about Buddhist philosophy, and observe how this is practiced in a temple.

Here, I met Bhante Subodhi, a lovely monk who started the temple in Minuwangoda. I hope you enjoy this short interview with Bhante Subodhi, who shares insight into his personal experience as a Buddhist monk.

At the end (from about 27 mins) he also shares a loving kindness meditation for you to experience.

Book I mention: 'What the Buddha Taught' by Walpola Rahula https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/What_the_Buddha_Taught

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This episode I take you to Kolkata the capital city of West Bengal, a state in the east of India. Although Kolkata is known as the 'city of joy', it is also known as having one of the largest red-light districts in Asia and is one of India's largest human trafficking hubs.

Today I will be speaking to Smarita Sengupta, the founder of the NGO Destiny Reflection which began in 2007. Destiny aims to disrupt the cycles of sexual exploitation and human trafficking in Kolkata. Destiny and Smarita have won numerous awards nationally and internationally for their dedicated work.

Smarita has a beautiful authenticity about her, and I hope you enjoy learning more about her and the journey of Destiny.

Follow Destiny Reflection:

Website: https://www.destinyreflection.org/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/destinyreflection

Instagram: destiny.reflection & madebydestinyreflection

Some resources I mention:

Shop ethical: https://ethical.org.au/

Documentary: 'Stolen Innocence' https://youtu.be/eTtBnPxNpYs?si=Cz2gdJPpQk2t0h-6

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This episode we go back to the South of India, to Kanha Shanti Vanam, the world headquarters of the Heartfulness Institute.

During my stay at Kanha it coincided with the youth Rising with Kindness Conference. For three days there were around 5,000 youth between the age of 18-35 at Kanha. I will be sharing conversations with two lovely men. Firstly Akshay, a 20 year old man sharing his experience of the conference. Secondly, my good friend Anant sharing his experience volunteering at the conference and how the heartfulness practice and community has impacted his life.

Also, if you want to hear more about Heartfulness meditation and Kanha you can listen to episodes 6 and 7 where I speak to Dr. Elizabeth Denley and Dr. Veronique Nicole.

Here are some resources about Heartful Communication which I mention in the episode:

Heartful Communication resources:

• https://heartfulness.org/heartful-communication/
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHFUmBC8WFoKANHACAST #38 Liz Kingsnorth - COMMUNICATING from the HEART
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=xujOsI4gR3EDiscover the Magic of Heartful Communication

Non Violent Communication free 30 day introductory course: https://nvcacademy.com/nonviolent-communication/free-30-day-introductory-nvc-course-nonviolent-communication

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In this episode, I am taking you to Sadhana Forest, on the outskirts of Auroville in the State of Tamil Nadu in south India.

Sadhana Forest has a community of volunteers who live completely off-grid, demonstrating an alternative way of living. 20 years ago Sadhana Forest was arid land, and over the years volunteers have successfully reforested 70 acres of land with indigenous Tropical Dry Evergreen Forest. Sadhana Forest has since spread its work within India and internationally with ecological projects in Haiti, Kenya and Namibia.

I was lucky to chat with Luke Marsh, originally from the UK and now a long-term volunteer of 7 years in Sadhana. I hope you enjoy hearing from Luke and learning more about what Sadhana Forest is all about.

Sadhana Forest Website:

https://sadhanaforest.org/

Sadhana Forest Documentary:

https://youtu.be/dJLHc1dg2YE?si=CKMLxZXtmu9TpZU

Luke's Recommendations:

The Venus Project documentaries

• Paradise or Oblivian documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KphWsnhZ4Ag
• The Choice is Ours documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yb5ivvcTvRQ

Book called 'Ishmael' by Daniel Quinn https://www.ishmael.org/books/

Auroville Website: https://auroville.org/

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In this episode, I am again taking you to the South of India, to Kanha Shanti Vanam (or Kanha for short), the world headquarters of the Heartfulness Institute.

I was lucky to have a brief chance to speak with Dr. Veronique Nicolai, also known as Dolly. Dolly is a paediatrician originally from France who started practising Heartfulness meditation over 30 years ago to manage the stressors in her early days as a medical student. Dolly's journey led her to teach yoga and to be the Director of the Heartfulness Yoga Academy based at Kanha.

I loved hearing about Dolly's story and her insight into Heartfulness and passion for Yoga.

I apologise for the sound quality of this episode, there were some intense weather conditions.I have done my best to improve the quality and hope you can still enjoy the conversation!

If you have any feedback about the episode, would love to hear your thoughts!

Also, check out the previous episode if you want to hear more about Heartfulness meditation and Kanha where I spoke to Dr. Elizabeth Denley.

Heartfulness Yoga Academy:

https://learning.heartfulness.org/pages/heartfulness-international-yoga-academy….

Yoga4Unity:

Yoga 4 Unity - YouTube

Find a Heartfulness Trainer or local group session:

https://heartspots.heartfulness.org/

More information about Khana Shanti Vanam:

Video: https://youtu.be/cDF1glqFVjw?si=JjGhIiPn7YZi9POSKanha Shanti Vanam Hyderabad | India | Heartfulness

Website: https://heartfulness.org/kanha/

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This episode I am taking you to the South of India to a place called Kanha Shanti Vanam (or 'Kanha' for short) in the state of Telangana.

Kanha is the international headquarters of the Heartfulness Institute, and has the world's largest meditation centre. Millions of people around the world practice Heartfulness meditation and today I will be diving deeper into the heart of what Heartfulness is with Australian Dr. Elizabeth Denley.

Within the Heartfulness institute, Elizabeth is a trainer, writer, speaker, educator, curriculum developer, and Editor in Chief for the Heartfulness Magazine. Among many other things she is a musician, nature lover, and has a PhD in Biology.

Personally, I have really benefited from the Heartfulness way and resonate deeply with the essence of the teaching to connect with ourselves, others and interact with the environment around us through the light and love in our hearts.

I hope you enjoy learning more about Heartfulness as much as I did from Elizabeth.

If you have any feedback about the episode, would love to hear your thoughts!

Find a Heartfulness Trainer or local group session:

https://heartspots.heartfulness.org/

More information about Khana Shanti Vanam:

Video: https://youtu.be/cDF1glqFVjw?si=JjGhIiPn7YZi9POSKanha Shanti Vanam Hyderabad | India | Heartfulness

Website: https://heartfulness.org/kanha/

Book recommendation:

Designing Destiny - The Heartfulness Way

https://www.amazon.in/Designing-Destiny-Kamlesh-Patel-Daaji/dp/9393986223

This episode I am taking you back to the beachside surf town in Weligama on the South West coast of Sri Lanka and back to Conny's dog and cat shelter where she hosts Workaway Volunteers. This time I am chatting with a couple of the current volunteers, Courtney from England and Neomi from Switzerland, they will share a bit of insight into their Workaway volunteer experiences here.

If you would like to hear more about Conny's journey running non-profit animal shelters in Sumatra and Sri Lanka then listen to Episode 4 of the podcast.

If you want more information about the Workaway volunteering concept and platform, I introduce this in episode 3 of the podcast. I hope you enjoy hearing from the lovely Courtney and Neomi.

If you have any feedback about the episode, would love to hear your thoughts!

If you are interested in supporting what Conny is doing, please share this podcast episode. If donating resonates you can do this online: https://tierheim-sri-lanka.de/en/donate/

General Website:

Lokkus Dogs and Cats Care Sri Lanka Website: https://tierheim-sri-lanka.de/en/

Sumatra Dogs and Cats Care Website: https://www.sumatradogsandcats.de/

Youtube:

Youtube Channel 'Dogs and cats care Sri Lanka & Sumatra: https://www.youtube.com/@lokkusdogscatscaresrilanka6230

Facebook:

Lokkus Dogs and Cats Care Sri Lanka Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/Connypoponny?_rdc=1&_rdr

Sumatra Dogs and Cats Care Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/groups/934897313650422/

Instragram

Lokkus Dogs and Cats Care Sri Lanka Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lokkusdogsandcatscare

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In this episode, I take you to the beachside surf town in Weligama on the South West coast of Sri Lanka where I met Conny who runs non-profit dog and cat shelters. She has one shelter based on the Indonesian Island of Sumatra and another in Trincomalee on the East coast of Sri Lanka. She stays in Weligama where she runs a smaller home-based shelter currently housing 19 cats and 7 dogs.

If you want more information about the Workaway volunteering concept and platform, check out episode 3 of the podcast where I introduce this.

In my 3 weeks staying near Weligama, I have been volunteering at the shelter for some afternoons. I was immediately intrigued by Conny's journey and her overflowing passion for what she does.

I hope you enjoy hearing from Conny!

If you are interested in supporting what Conny is doing, please share this podcast episode. If donating resonates you can do this online: https://tierheim-sri-lanka.de/en/donate/

General Website:

Lokkus Dogs and Cats Care Sri Lanka Website: https://tierheim-sri-lanka.de/en/

Sumatra Dogs and Cats Care Website: https://www.sumatradogsandcats.de/

Youtube:

Youtube Channel 'Dogs and cats care Sri Lanka & Sumatra: https://www.youtube.com/@lokkusdogscatscaresrilanka6230

Facebook:

Lokkus Dogs and Cats Care Sri Lanka Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/Connypoponny?_rdc=1&_rdr

Sumatra Dogs and Cats Care Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/groups/934897313650422/

Instragram

Lokkus Dogs and Cats Care Sri Lanka Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lokkusdogsandcatscare

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If you have any feedback about the episode, would love to hear your thoughts!

In the third episode of the Ripples of Humanity podcast, I go solo and share information about the Workaway volunteering platform and my experiences with Workaway volunteering.

Workaway is a community of global travellers who want to see the world whilst contributing and giving back to the places they visit.

The platform enables over 50,000 hosts in over 170 countries to offer volunteering opportunities usually in exchange for accommodation and food to be linked with travellers!

Workaway website and socials:

https://www.workaway.info/

https://www.instagram.com/workawayinfo?igsh=ZGZiN2tzeTkzMWZs

https://web.facebook.com/workaway.info

Workaway articles and video:

The official Workaway video (youtube.com)

https://www.workaway.info/Workaway News: 20 Years of Adventures and Memories

https://www.workaway.info/Workaway.info the site for cultural exchange. Gap year volunteer for food and accommodation whilst travelling abroad.

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In this episode I am taking you to the area of Dharamkot in Dharamshala around the Himalayas in the north of India.

It was here in June 2024 that I met Richa while I was doing a 10-day Vipassana meditation course. Richa was volunteering her time and energy as a server during the course.

This is not Richa's first time volunteering, and I quickly discovered the passion, peace and wisdom Richa holds from her path in practicing Vipassana meditation and volunteering in the courses with such love and joy.

For those who know me, you would know how much I love vipassana meditation and the benefit I have gained from this practice, so I hope you enjoy hearing Richa share her experience and wisdom.

For more information on Vipassana meditation:

Vipassana Research Institute - https://www.vridhamma.org/What-is-Vipassana

For more information on Vipassana courses:

https://www.dhamma.org/en/index

Documentaries about Vipassana taught in prisons:

Doing Time Doing Vipassana: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkxSyv5R1sg

This is the story of an ancient meditation technique named Vipassana, which shows people how to take control of their lives and channel them toward their own good. It is the story of a strong woman named Kiran Bedi, the former Inspector General of Prisons in New Delhi, who strove to transform the notorious Tihar Prison and turn it into an oasis of peace. But most of all it is the story of prison inmates who underwent profound change, and who realized that incarceration is not the end but possibly a fresh start toward an improved and more positive life.

Dhamma Brothers: https://youtu.be/phHib5VaCeE?si=sLZ-_H-36JA-zHF6

A documentary film about a group of prison inmates in the US who participate in a 10-day Vipassana retreat. The film asks "is it possible for these men, some of whom have committed horrendous crimes, to change?". This film has the power to dismantle stereotypes about men behind prison bars.