Spirit Matters

Acharya Shunya is the first female head of a spiritual lineage that goes back 2,000 years in India. In her teaching, Acharya reinterprets and re-contextualizes Vedic wisdom, the nondual perspective of Advaita Vedanta, the lifestyle principles of Ayurveda, and Yoga philosophy and practices – and in so doing attempts to make the ancient insights relevant to modern sensibilities and needs. She says her purpose is “to create a learning and awakening path for contemporary seekers, empowering people everywhere to lead spiritually fearless, fulfilled and enlightened lives.”

A motivational speaker, podcast host, workshop facilitator and retreat leader, she’s the founder of the Awakened Self Foundation and Vedika Global. She is the author of three books, Ayurveda Lifestyle Wisdom; Sovereign Self; and Roar Like a Goddess: Every Woman's Guide to Becoming Unapologetically Powerful, Prosperous, and Peaceful.

Meet the host of Spirit Matters Philip Goldberg Author, Speaker, Spiritual Counselor, Writing Coach

Oren Jay Sofer holds a degree in comparative religion from Columbia University and now teaches Buddhist meditation, mindfulness, and communication internationally. A certified trainer of nonviolent communication, he is a practitioner of somatic experiencing for the healing of trauma and the author of several books. They include: Say What You Mean: A Mindful Approach to Nonviolent Communication and his current book, Your Heart Was Made for This: Contemplative Practices for Meeting a World in Crisis with Courage, Integrity, and Love. We spoke mainly about that second book and the need for spiritual responses to current world conditions. 

Meet the host of Spirit Matters Philip Goldberg

Swami Medhananda is a monk of the Ramakrishna Order and a distinguished academic, currently serving as Senior Research Fellow in philosophy at the Vedanta Society of Southern California. He received his Ph.D. in 2009 from the University of California at Berkeley, and also studied at Humboldt University in Berlin and at Oxford University in the UK. His current research focuses on the global philosophy of religion, the epistemology of mystical experience, cosmopsychism, Indian scriptural hermeneutics, and Vedantic philosophical traditions.

The Section Editor for the International Journal of Hindu Studies, he has published over thirty articles in leading academic journals as well as several books, including Swami Vivekananda’s Vedāntic Cosmopolitanism; Infinite Paths to Infinite Reality; and Panentheism in Indian and Western Thought. He also serves as Hindu Chaplain at both UCLA and USC. 

Swami Medhananda

Find Swami Medhananda on YouTube

Swami Brahmananda Saraswati, originally David Nowe of Pittsburgh, met Swami Muktananda and received Shaktipat initiation from him in 1975. He spent the next 8 years studying with and working for Muktananda in various ashram settings. Along the way he took initiation as a sannyasi and received the name Brahmananda. He returned to householder life for a period of time, then resumed the swami life. At one point he founded the God Realization Ministry, which taught the principles of siddha yoga in more than 200 churches, and was also the spiritual director of Simple Peace Retreats in Assisi, Italy.

 Since the time Covid broke out, he has been offering satsangs and conducting Shaktipat intensives in India. He is also a team member of American Veda Tours, co-leading (with the host of this podcast) journeys to sacred sites in India. We spoke about Muktananda, Kashmir Shaivism, and other illuminating topics.

Find out more about Philip Goldberg books here

Philip Goldberg Author, Speaker, Spiritual Counselor, Writing Coach

Dr. Alton B. Pollard III is a scholar, author, consultant, and public speaker on the subject of African American and U.S. religion and culture. He is about to join Wake Forest University as the Chair of Baptist Studies in the School of Divinity and professor of African American Studies in the College of Arts and Sciences.

His prior positions include: President Emeritus of Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, Dean of the School of Divinity and professor at Howard University, Director of Black Church Studies at the Candler School of Theology, and Chair of American Religious Cultures at Emory University. He is the author of several books, including Mysticism and Social Change: The Social Witness of Howard Thurman, and a new edition of W.E.B. DuBois’s The Negro Church. He has also written dozens of book chapters, journal articles, and op-eds. We spoke about Thurman, DuBois, and the influence of Mahatma Gandhi on the American civil rights movement. 

Find our more about the host of Spirit Matters, Philip Goldberg

Adam Bucko is an Episcopal priest, a teacher of contemplative spirituality, and an interfaith activist. Born and raised in Poland under a totalitarian regime, his early exposure to spiritual activism greatly influenced his life trajectory. His books and teachings often include collaborations with spiritual leaders and activists from different faith traditions. He is the author of Occupy Spirituality: A Radical Vision for a New Generation; The New Monasticism: An Interspiritual Manifesto for Contemplative Living; and his newest book Let Your Heartbreak Be Your Guide: Lessons in Engaged Contemplation. Actively involved in social and ecological justice efforts and programs that combine contemplative practice with activism, Adam is currently the Director of The Center for Spiritual Imagination, which is located at the Cathedral of the Incarnation in New York. 

Adam Bucko https://fatheradambucko.com/ 

Kimberley Theresa Lafferty is a teacher-practitioner who specializes in what she calls Constructive Developmental Psychology as well as Indo-Tibetan Vajrayana Buddhism. She offers private online psycho-spiritual counseling for individuals and couples, and in that work integrates the latest research on adult ego development, contemplative psychology, and other disciplines. She leads multi-year, private spiritual education cohorts through her organization, The Confluence Experience, which is also the url of her website. She is also an active board member of the Association for Spiritual Integrity.

The Confluence Experience https://confluenceexperience.com/

Find out more about Kimberley Theresa Lafferty

Connect with the host of Spirit Matters Philip Goldberg Author, Speaker, Spiritual Counselor, Writing Coach

Beryl Bender has been teaching yoga and meditation since 1971, and has been training yoga teachers through her school, The Hard & The Soft Yoga Institute, for nearly 50 years. She’s also the best-selling author of several books on yoga, including Power Yoga; Beyond Bower Yoga; and Yoga for Warriors: Basic Training for Strength, Resilience, and Peace of Mind, which was written especially for active duty military service members and veterans.

In her teaching, Beryl addresses the full range of Classical Yoga and its implications for consciousness, spiritual development, and holistic human growth. She also co-founded the Give Back Yoga Foundation has been a leader in addressing the relationship between yoga practice and activism and service.

https://www.power-yoga.com/

Find out more about Beryl Bender

Retreats https://www.power-yoga.com/retreats/ 

Daaji, aka Kamlesh D. Patel, is the fourth and current spiritual guide of the Heartfulness Institute, a century-old lineage that used to be known as the Shri Ram Chandra Mission. The organization has taught Heartfulness Meditation to several million practitioners in 126 countries. In addition to teaching and overseeing an international organization, Daaji gives keynote addresses and conducts workshops around the world.

Formerly a successful pharmacist in New York City for over three decades, he is also an author whose books include: The Wisdom Bridge; Designing Destiny; The Heartfulness Way; and his latest, Spiritual Anatomy: Meditation, Chakras, and the Journey to the Center. 

Ann Helmke is an ordained minister in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and serves as the faith liaison for the city of San Antonio, Texas. Prior to that she was the director of spiritual services at Haven for Hope, a program that serves homeless people. She has taught theology, has led workshops and retreats, co-founded the interfaith San Antonio Peace Center, and co-authored books. All of her work has focused on social justice through civic engagement. Consistent with that mission, she currently works with San Antonio mayor Ron Nirenberg on Compassionate USA, a campaign designed to promote compassion and community healing. We talked about her metaphor of getting out of the boat and walking on water -- the vital intersection of spirituality and compassionate action in the world.  

Meet Rev. Ann Helmke

CompassionateUSA.org

CharterforCompassion.org