Saniel Bonder and Linda Groves-Bonder work together as spiritual teachers through the Human Sun Institute, the organization they co-founded. Best known for the process called Waking Down (later Waking Down in Mutuality), they describe their mission this way: "To being heart-based embodied awakening to a worldwide audience." Our conversation focused on their spiritual histories and their current work, such as what it means to become "a human sun." We also addressed delicate issues relevant to contemporary spiritual seekers: the potential of power abuse by teachers and the vulnerability of their students.

SanielandLinda.com

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To most of us, the word surrender evokes weakness, defeat, captivity, and giving up -- not good things. Yet, many spiritual traditions call upon followers to surrender and portray it as the key to the kingdom. In this spirited and illuminating interview, the globally-known transformational teacher, Kute Blackson, author of the inspiring new book, The Magic of Surrender, describes how surrender, properly understood and applied, can lead to freedom, strength, and spiritual riches by syncing individual consciousness with divine intelligence. 

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We explore deep and powerful spiritual lessons from the Christian mystics with one of the world's leading experts, Mirabai Starr. From John of the Cross and the dark night of the soul to the liberating teachings in the lives of female saints like Teresa of Avila, there are spiritual blessings to be gleaned. We also plunge into the heart of despair as Mirabai shares from personal experience how to grow spiritually following the heartbreak and grief of a painful loss.

Connect with Mirabai Starr

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Arielle Ford was a highly successful agent and publicist who represented some of the world's top self-help and spiritual authors. Then she became an author herself, writing 11 non-fiction books including Wabi Sabi Love and The Soulmate Secret, which launched her on a new career as a respected coach and speaker on the subject of love and relationships. Now she's published her first novel, The Love Thief, about the spiritual transformation of the main character, an American woman who finds herself in India. We spoke about why she wrote the book, the plot and characters (without giving anything away), and why fiction can be especially transformative for both author and reader alike. 

Get the book The Love Thief Connect with Arielle Ford here

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Psychologist Rachel Harris, author of Listening to Ayahuasca, joins us to discuss her fascinating new book, Swimming in the Sacred. In recent years, entheogens, aka psychedelics, have enjoyed a resurgence of interest since research on the substances was halted amidst the abuses of the 1960s. Studies undertaken at prestigious universities have been demonstrating the therapeutic applications of the "medicines." While she, like many psychologists and physicians, consider this a promising, if not transformative, development, Dr. Harris is concerned that "research protocols may be significantly different from the best practices developed over decades of work by guides in the underground psychedelic community." We discussed exactly what that hard-earned wisdom consists of and the potential psychospiritual benefits of the careful use of entheogens. 

Find out about Psychologist Rachel Harris

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A deep and far-ranging conversation with the renowned spiritual teacher, poet, storyteller, and prolific author, Mark Nepo. Mark's 25 nonfiction books have sold more than a million copies. They include The Book of Awakening, which topped the New York Times bestseller list; More Together Than Alone; and most recently Surviving Storms: Finding the Strength to Meet Adversity. In addition, he just came out with a volume of his poetry titled The Half-Life of Angels. We'll learn about the link between creativity and spirituality, how to derive the greatest spiritual benefit from reading poetry, tips for surviving life's biggest challenges, and what we're called upon to do at this moment in history.

Connect with Mark Nepo here

Philip Goldberg- Author, Speaker, Spiritual Counselor, Writing Coach

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The spiritual memoir is an extremely popular genre and a time-tested vehicle for conveying spiritual wisdom as well as the blessings and challenges of life on the razor's edge we call the spiritual path. In this conversation, Richard Lischer -- an ordained Lutheran minister and a professor at Duke Divinity School -- discusses his book, Our Hearts are Restless: The Art of the Spiritual Memoir, and his own observations as both a reader and an author of books in that genre. You'll learn how to get the most out of reading a spiritual memoir, and about writing one should you choose to give it a try.

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The culmination of the ancient Vedic tradition, Vedanta represents the core teachings of what we call Hinduism. In its modern expression, it has had a huge influence on spiritual seekers around the world, and its impact continues to grow. In this interview, Swami Sarvapriyananda, the Minister and spiritual leader of the Vedanta Society of New York, and one of the primary proponents of Vedanta today, makes this profound and practical wisdom easily understandable and accessible.

Vedanta Society of New York

Swami Sarvapriyananda

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World Music pioneer and leading kirtan artist Jai Uttal joins us for a probing conversation about the spiritual value of music in its myriad forms and expressions. We talked about his musical roots, his discovery of the increasingly popular Indian style of call-and-response mantra chanting (kirtan), and how he and others have integrated Western instruments and motifs into traditional Indian music. We also talked about his latest album, "Dust and Tears," which features a broad range of musical styles, and the transformational impact of music that touches the heart--even when it triggers sadness or longing.

Jai Uttal https://jaiuttal.com/ 

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Since 1980, Gayatri Naraine has served as the United Nations representative of the Brahma Kumaris, a worldwide spiritual organization founded in India in 1937 with a strong orientation toward service work and the practice of Raja Yoga, which Gayatri has practiced for over 45 years. She is also a senior teacher at the Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University. We spoke about the origin and unique features of the Brahma Kumaris, its unusual emphasis on female leadership, and her work at the UN, which focuses on exploring and developing the spiritual dimension of UN programs with practical relevance to individual lives, such as its sustainable development goals. 

Brahma Kumaris

Brahma Kumaris at the UN

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