The Universe Within Podcast

Hey everybody! Episode 16 of the show is out. In this show, I spoke with my friend Marta. Marta is a yoga instructor and plant medicine practitioner who I met at the Amazon healing center The Temple of the Way of Light, where she led workshops combining yoga and plant work. She draws on a lot of different traditions and modalities and bridges them together in a beautiful way. She is currently working on a book and offering one-on-one mentorship. I enjoyed this conversation and if you have any interest in yoga, plant medicine, and connecting the mind, body, and heart, I think you’ll enjoy this conversation as I did. And starting next episode I will begin releasing extended interviews of most of the episodes exclusively on Patreon, so check out more on that below.

“Marta Wanderlust is a space holder, spiritual mentor, a Yoga teacher and a Breathwork facilitator. Born in Poland with a history of having cities like London, Berlin or Rio de Janeiro as her home, Marta has spent the last six years living between India and Peru. She has studied across diverse traditions, devoted to understanding our human physicality and the pathways to Spirit. Her deep immersions into the realms of Advaita Vedanta, Yoga, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Plant Medicine, high-Andean and Amazonian shamanism have led her to understand that all paths are complementary, and ultimately lead to the very same realization of Unity, which she likes to refer to as 'remembering'. Marta is currently based in Europe, working on self-publishing her first book, sharing her practice with her online community, mentoring private clients, all while looking forward to the day when her greatest love, hosting of small transformative retreats internationally, will again be possible. “

Marta’s links:

www.martawanderlust.com

www.instagram.com/martawanderlustyoga

www.facebook.com/martawanderlustyoga

www.insighttimer.com/martawanderlustyoga

And to purchase Marta's newly released book, Miracles From The Abyss, visit: https://amzn.to/3sR2gvG

Share the show, Subscribe or Follow, and if you can go on Apple Podcasts and leave a starred-rating and a short review. That would be super helpful with the algorithms and getting this show out to more people. Thank you in advance!

If you would like more information on plant medicine and the work I do, visit my site at: https://www.NicotianaRustica.org    

To support this podcast on Patreon, visit: https://www.patreon.com/UniverseWithin  

To donate directly with PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/jasongrechanik 

Music courtesy of Nuno Moreno. See his work at: https://m.soundcloud.com/groove_a_zen_sound and https://nahira-ziwa.bandcamp.com/  

Thanks and until the next episode!

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Hello everybody. Episode 15 of the show is out. In this show, I spoke with my friend Joe Tafur. Joe and I met in the Amazon where we were both working at Shipibo plant-medicine centers, myself at the Temple of the Way of Light and Joe at Nihue Rao. Joe is a medical doctor and was drawn to come to the Amazon to work with and learn from traditional Shipibo curanderismo. Joe is a really interesting guy as he bridges the more ‘Western’ medical model with the more ‘traditional’ plant-healing systems. Joe has immersed himself deeply in both worlds and has the ability to speak to them both and how to bridge them together, respecting and learning from both systems. I always enjoy speaking with Joe and I think you all will enjoy this episode. To support this podcast, get early access to shows, bonus material, and Q&As, check out my Patreon page below. 

“Dr. Tafur has been an Integrative Medicine activist throughout his medical career, while in medical school at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine, and during his Family Medicine Residency at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). After residency, Dr. Tafur completed a two-year Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship at the UCSD Department of Psychiatry… In 2011, he helped to found Nihue Rao Centro Espiritual, a traditional healing center in the Peruvian Upper Amazon. At Nihue Rao, Dr. Tafur underwent traditional apprenticeship in Traditional Amazonian Plant Medicine and Shipibo curanderismo…

In March of 2017, he published his book The Fellowship of the River: A Medical Doctor’s Exploration into Traditional Amazonian Plant Medicine about his unique journey into spiritual healing work…

He also started the nonprofit Modern Spirit, dedicated to demonstrating the value of spiritual healing in modern healthcare… Modern Spirit is currently focused on supporting the Modern Spirit Epigenetics Project, a groundbreaking substudy of the MAPS MDMA-assisted Psychotherapy research trial…

Dr. Tafur has also been the primary host of the Modern Spirit Podcast...”

For Joe’s full bio, visit: https://www.universewithinpodcast.com/podcast/joe-tafur

Joe’s sites: https://www.drjoetafur.com & https://www.modernspirit.org

Share the show, Subscribe or Follow, and go on Apple Podcasts and leave a starred-rating and a short review. That would be super helpful with the algorithms and getting this show out to more people. Thank you!

If you would like more information on plant medicine and the work I do, visit my site at: https://www.NicotianaRustica.org    

Support this podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/UniverseWithin  

Donate directly with PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/jasongrechanik 

Music courtesy of Nuno Moreno. See his work at: https://m.soundcloud.com/groove_a_zen_sound and https://nahira-ziwa.bandcamp.com/  

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Hey everybody! Episode 14 of the show is out. In this show, I spoke with my friend Felix Durden. Felix and I met working together at the Amazonian plant medicine center The Temple of the Way of Light. Felix came to plant medicine in search of meaning and healing. And he has gone deep into the process of learning how to do this work, particularly in the Shipibo tradition. There aren’t many people from outside the Shipibo tradition that have gone this deeply into it. So he really has a deep knowledge of plants, of tradition, and the journey it takes to become a practitioner of this work. I always enjoy talking to Felix and I think you all will gain a lot of information and wisdom in this episode. And check out Patreon (see below) for access to the full episode. I hope you enjoy it!

“Felix (Soi Pino in Shipibo) first began his medicine journey attempting to heal from Lyme disease contracted in 2008. At its worst, he experienced a wide array of symptoms: anxiety attacks, memory loss, brain fog, and organ failure. After little success with conventional treatment, his research led him to consider exploring ayahuasca as an alternative. In 2013 Felix traveled to Peru to receive the medicine, and after experiencing relief from his symptoms, decided to stay on long term to learn more about traditional healing modalities. Felix has spent the last five years working closely with the medicine and the Shipibo people. For the first two years of his apprenticeship Felix worked at well-established amazonian center assisting over 1000 people in ceremonies. Felix later left to go to Pucallpa receive more in depth healing and instruction with his maestro. Through the medicine he was able to find incredible healing and relief from the pains of Lyme. Through his maestro’s lineage, he has been given full permission from his teacher to serve medicine and to provide healing diets. With the blessing of his teacher Felix holds this medicine with great love and respect, and has a deep passion for service.”

To learn more about the work Felix does, visit: https://bodyofprana.com/

For Felix’s podcast, called Beyond Words with Felix and Allen, visit: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/beyond-words-with-felix-and-al/id1524513312

Share the show, Subscribe or Follow, and if you can go on Apple Podcasts and leave a starred-rating and a short review. That would be super helpful with the algorithms and getting this show out to more people. Thank you in advance!

If you would like more information on plant medicine and the work I do, visit my site at: https://www.NicotianaRustica.org    

To support this podcast on Patreon, visit: https://www.patreon.com/UniverseWithin  

To donate directly with PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/jasongrechanik 

Music courtesy of Nuno Moreno. See his work at: https://m.soundcloud.com/groove_a_zen_sound and https://nahira-ziwa.bandcamp.com/  

Thanks and until the next episode!

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Hey everybody! Episode 13 of the show is out. In this show, I spoke with my friend Allen. Allen and I have worked together for a number of years at the Amazonian plant medicine center The Temple of the Way of Light. Allen has worked there as a facilitator, essentially a bridge between the guests who come down and the indigenous doctors who work there. He has a wealth of experience in that field and has worked with a number of master plant medicines and really has a deep grasp on what this work is and how to express it in different ways. Allen and I have had many conversations over the years and it’s always a pleasure to sit down and speak with him. He has a lot to share and teach and I think you’ll get a lot out of this episode. Cheers!

“Allen is a plant medicine facilitator and space holder. He is the co-host of the Beyond Words with Felix and Allen podcast, available on iTunes and Spotify. He spent the past 6 years in Peru learning from various plant medicine traditions and facilitating retreats at the Temple of the Way of Light healing retreat center in the Amazon. He is fascinated by plant medicine traditions and initiation rituals. He also loves baseball. In his previous lives, amongst other things, Allen studied acting in New York City, he was a Peace Corps volunteer in Cameroon, and he was a bus driver in Colorado. He can be found at: https://www.albanick.com “

If you enjoy the show, it would be a big help if you could share it with your own audiences via social media or word of mouth.  If you’re watching on YouTube if you could take a second and Subscribe to the channel and if you’re listening on Apple Podcasts to leave a starred rating and a short review. That would be super helpful with the algorithms and getting this show out to more people. Thank you in advance!

If you would like more information on plant medicine and the work I do, visit my site at: https://www.NicotianaRustica.org    

And finally, with the pandemic, most people doing this work have been without access to work since March and the future is uncertain.  If you are able to and would like to donate to the show to help out with new content that would be deeply appreciated.  For just a few dollars a month you can subscribe through Patreon and it gives you some really nice added benefits like early access to shows, bonus episodes, and a chance to ask personalized questions.

To support this podcast on Patreon, visit: https://www.patreon.com/UniverseWithin  

To donate directly with PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/jasongrechanik 

Another way you can support the show is if you are ordering anything from Amazon.com, and you use this link, the show will get a small commission with no additional cost to you: https://amzn.to/2Gw51PS

Music courtesy of Nuno Moreno. See his work at: https://m.soundcloud.com/groove_a_zen_sound and https://nahira-ziwa.bandcamp.com/  

And please leave any questions or comments in the comment section or email at:

https://www.UniverseWithinPodcast.com

This will help me with ideas for future shows.

Thanks and until the next episode!

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Hey everybody! Episode 12 of the show is out. In this show, I spoke with my friend Tsu-Yin Chang. Tsu-Yin is a Mindfulness-Based Psychotherapist who I met working at the Amazonian plant-medicine center The Temple of the Way of Light, where she came as a guest. I found her story fascinating as she has spent a number of years studying meditation in a monastic setting. She combines her mindfulness-based training in her work as a psychotherapist. Spawned by her own experience and interest, she recently began the process of training in psychedelic-assisted therapy through the well-known organization MAPS. I always find people interesting who bring various backgrounds together to better understand the mind and to assist people in their journeys with that. I really enjoyed talking to her and I think you will enjoy listening. As always, to support this podcast, get early access to shows, bonus material, and Q&As, check out my Patreon page below.

“Tsu-Yin Chang is a Mindfulness-Based Psychotherapist who integrates empirically-based Western psychological modalities with the knowledge & wisdom she’s gained through dedicated practice with mindfulness teachers in Asia, Australia and the US.

Since 2000, she has been fortunate to be immersed in the study of therapeutic & contemplative approaches to personal & interpersonal growth, psychological healing & transformation, alongside some of the world’s most respected psychologists, therapists, and teachers.

After completing a couple years of intensive Buddhist monastic training in Asia, the integration of spirituality into therapy became one of her passions, as well as helping others realize that the fulfillment they might be looking for on the outside can instead be found deep within.

She has a private practice in Boston, Massachusetts, and supports clients all across the country in mindfulness meditation online. She can be found at: https://www.mindful-living-center.org/ “

Share the show, Subscribe or Follow, and if you can go on Apple Podcasts and leave a starred-rating and a short review. That would be super helpful with the algorithms and getting this show out to more people. Thank you in advance!

If you would like more information on plant medicine and the work I do, visit my site at: https://www.NicotianaRustica.org    

To support this podcast on Patreon, visit: https://www.patreon.com/UniverseWithin  

To donate directly with PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/jasongrechanik 

Music courtesy of Nuno Moreno. See his work at: https://m.soundcloud.com/groove_a_zen_sound and https://nahira-ziwa.bandcamp.com/  

Thanks and until the next episode!

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Hey everybody! Episode 11 of the show is out. In this show, I spoke with Mark Flaherty. Mark Flaherty is a consultant astrologer with clients in over 60 countries. He has studied with Dr. Geoffrey Cornelius, former President of the Astrological Lodge of London, and Bob Mulligan of the Astrology Company, Florida. He is adept at translating the astrological symbols into simple English so that everybody can use this information to better understand themselves and live happier, more fulfilling lives. As always, to support this podcast, get early access to shows, bonus material, and Q&As, check out my Patreon page below. Enjoy!

I’m really interested in the stars, cosmology, ancient civilizations, numerology, and esoterica, so it was interesting for me to hear his knowledge about astrology. I enjoyed this conversation and I hope you will too. Cheers!

To learn more about Mark’s work visit his website at: https://mark-flaherty.com

(This is a footnote and follow-up from Mark on the significance of the number 12: "Astrology is essential about the union between the masculine/feminine, yin/yang - the Sun and the Moon. 12 comes from the relationship between the Sun and the Moon. The Sun symbolically speaking is the 1 (one year is one orbit of the Earth around the Sun) and the duality/dividing of the One into the many is made by the Moon. There are roughly 12 lunar cycles (29.5 days from New Moon to New Moon) in the year. So the Sun is 1 and Moon 2 (duality), which also come together as 12. So the full circle of astrology is divided into 12 parts - the One into the many. So 12 essentially represents the Sacred symbolic marriage of the Sun and Moon. I got it from an astrologer friend, Acyuta-bhava Dasa.")

Share the show, Subscribe or Follow, and if you can go on Apple Podcasts and leave a starred-rating and a short review. That would be super helpful with the algorithms and getting this show out to more people. Thank you in advance!

If you would like more information on plant medicine and the work I do, visit my site at: https://www.NicotianaRustica.org    

To support this podcast on Patreon, visit: https://www.patreon.com/UniverseWithin  

To donate directly with PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/jasongrechanik 

Music courtesy of Nuno Moreno. See his work at: https://m.soundcloud.com/groove_a_zen_sound and https://nahira-ziwa.bandcamp.com/  

And please leave any questions or comments in the comment section or email at:

https://www.UniverseWithinPodcast.com

This will help me with ideas for future shows.

Thanks and until the next episode!

https://www.facebook.com/UniverseWithinPodcast

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Hey everybody! Episode 10 of the show is out. In this show, I spoke with my friend Claude. Claude is a Peruvian anthropologist and ‘‘bridgekeeper,” an apt title for what he has become. I met Claude working at the Peruvian Amazonian plant medicine center, The Temple of the Way of Light. I find Claude to be a truly great bridge between many of the indigenous cultures he has studied and worked alongside with, and the outside world. He holds a depth of wisdom and an ability to communicate complex and different ideas in a very human and simple way. I could speak to Claude for hours, as we ended up doing in this show. Its three hours long but I think you will find Claude’s insights invaluable and very enlightening. This was one of my favorite conversations. I always enjoy talking to him and I think you will too. As always, to support this podcast, get early access to shows, bonus material, and Q&As, check out my Patreon page below. Enjoy!

“With experience living and studying in the West, and apprenticing with Peruvian and Ecuadorian curanderos, Claude calls his mission at the Temple “bridge keeping”: the art of establishing and facilitating smooth communications and understanding between different worlds.

Claude was born and raised in Lima, geographically close but very far away from the medicine traditions of the Peruvian jungle. While living in Europe he learned about Peruvian shamanism, and the idea of teacher plants such as San Pedro and ayahuasca fascinated him enough to return to Peru. But Claude’s first experience with San Pedro sent him directly back to Europe to study anthropology before he traveled to Iquitos for his first experience with ayahuasca in 2003.

Here, he found the perfect setting for his research fieldwork as he became deeply engaged in how local ayahuasquero traditions were being understood by Westerners and how traditional medicine practitioners were interacting and understanding their foreign guests. Right before graduating with an Anthropology License, Claude met an Ecuadorian mestizo curandero who traveled often to Europe and chose him as a helper and apprentice. After five years working with this man and his beautiful medicine in Europe and Ecuador, Claude again decided to return to the roots of the medicine in Peru. He has been working and learning from Maestra Ynes Sanchez and her family since early 2013 and collaborating with the Temple of the Way of Light since June 2015.”

These are the links Claude mentioned: https://www.facebook.com/bridgekeepers and https://chaikuni.org

Share the show, Subscribe or Follow, and if you can go on Apple Podcasts and leave a starred-rating and a short review. That would be super helpful with the algorithms and getting this show out to more people. Thank you in advance!

If you would like more information on plant medicine and the work I do, visit my site at: https://www.NicotianaRustica.org    

To support this podcast on Patreon, visit: https://www.patreon.com/UniverseWithin  

To donate directly with PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/jasongrechanik 

Music courtesy of Nuno Moreno. See his work at: https://m.soundcloud.com/groove_a_zen_sound and https://nahira-ziwa.bandcamp.com/  

Thanks and until the next episode!

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Hey everybody! Episode 9 of the show is out. In this show, I spoke with my friend Michael Kokal. Michael is the host of the End of the Road Podcast, a lawyer, and a former engineer. In this episode, we spoke a bit about the history of medicines and drugs in the United States and court cases that have set precedence to their illegality. We also spoke of recent court cases pertaining to the religious use of certain plants as a sacrament. And we discussed the changing climate in the US in regards to the medicinal value of some of these plants and how there may be an opening to them as legalized medicine in the near future. I enjoyed speaking with Michael and I think you’ll find this episode informative and engaging. As always, to support this podcast, get early access to shows, bonus material, and Q&As, check out my Patreon page below. Enjoy!

His podcast can be found at:

https://endoftheroad.libsyn.com/ or on Apple at: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/end-of-the-road/id1269885389

Share the show, Subscribe or Follow, and if you can go on Apple Podcasts and leave a starred-rating and a short review. That would be super helpful with the algorithms and getting this show out to more people. Thank you!

If you would like more information on plant medicine and the work I do, visit my site at: https://www.NicotianaRustica.org    

Support this podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/UniverseWithin  

Donate directly with PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/jasongrechanik 

Music courtesy of Nuno Moreno. See his work at: https://m.soundcloud.com/groove_a_zen_sound and https://nahira-ziwa.bandcamp.com/  

Links:

Hooked: Illegal Drugs and How They Got That Way (Full)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90bpUyAHNdI

The Roots of Drug Prohibition in America

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brAsC_MEAxY&t=1383s

Johann Hari: Origins of the War on Drugs - An Interview

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90bpUyAHNdI

THE HIGH AND THE MIGHTY: The War on Drugs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIznGX7sCqQ

Four of the Major Fear Campaigns That Helped Create America’s Insane War on Drugs

https://www.alternet.org/2015/02/four-moral-panics-drug-policy/

Chasing the Scream by Johann Hari

Work of Dr. Gabor Maté

Portugal’s Drug Decriminalization Success:

https://time.com/longform/portugal-drug-use-decriminalization/

https://www.theguardian.com/news/2017/dec/05/portugals-radical-drugs-policy-is-working-why-hasnt-the-world-copied-it

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*Disclaimer: Information in this podcast is not legal advice and should not be interpreted as such.*

Hey everybody! Episode 8 of the show is out. In this show, I sit down with Bernhard Karshagen. Bernhard works with the plant medicine Huachuma or San Pedro, a cactus indigenous to the Andean regions of South America. I’ve known about Bernhard for a long time through mutual friends and colleagues, so it was a pleasure to sit down and have a talk with him. I haven’t worked with Huachuma so it was interesting to hear his perspective on it. I find Bernhard a humble and wise man and he seems like a really good guide who has delved deeply into this plant and holds a really beautiful space. I think you’ll gain a lot by listening to him. I hope you enjoy it. As always, to support this podcast, get early access to shows, bonus material, and Q&As, check out my Patreon page below.

“Bernhard facilitates the San Pedro ceremonies and has a broad understanding of thought processes and patterns. He is highly intuitive with the ability to help people look at situations from a different perspective, helping them see through the layers of their thought structures, and guiding them to connect with their own truth.

Bernhard engages with people in a direct, yet gentle manner, guiding them to identify and let go of limiting beliefs, to step into their own being and empower them to return to their hearts.

Bernhard has a deep understanding of trauma and depression, having suffered from this illness for over 10 years as a result of medical trauma. He shares the wisdom and teachings that he has learned from his own healing experiences and uses this as the foundation for his work.”

For more information about working with Bernhard, visit his site at: https://www.ubuntuayni.com/

Share the show, Subscribe or Follow, leave comments, and if you can go on Apple Podcasts and leave a starred-rating and a short review. That would be super helpful with the algorithms and getting this show out to more people. Thank you in advance!

If you would like more information on plant medicine and the work I do, visit my site at: https://www.NicotianaRustica.org    

To support this podcast on Patreon, visit: https://www.patreon.com/UniverseWithin  

To donate directly with PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/jasongrechanik 

Music courtesy of Nuno Moreno. See his work at: https://m.soundcloud.com/groove_a_zen_sound and https://nahira-ziwa.bandcamp.com/  

https://www.facebook.com/UniverseWithinPodcast

https://www.instagram.com/UniverseWithinPodcast

Hey everybody! Episode 7 of the show is out. In this show, I sit down with my friend and colleague Sean Chiddy. Sean and I have worked together for a number of years and I have a lot of respect for his work. Sean is a psychologist who works with CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy), leads plant medicine retreats, and works with integrating people’s experiences after workshops. He has a lot of knowledge and I think is a really good ambassador at bridging psychotherapy with plant medicine work. I think you’ll gain a lot by listening to him. I hope you enjoy it. As always, to support this podcast, get early access to shows, bonus material, and Q&As, check out my Patreon page below.

“Sean Chiddy is a psychotherapist providing integration support to guests in preparation for their retreats and when they return home. He has also facilitated retreats at Soltara and specializes in combining applied mindful and other psychological approaches to help people confidently navigate the medicine space and get the most from their experiences.

With a longstanding interest in healing and wellbeing, Sean trained and registered as a Psychologist in Australia and later as a Cognitive Behavioral Psychotherapist in the UK, supporting people working with various common mental health conditions including depression, trauma (PTSD) and various other mood and anxiety problems. He was rated a top-performing therapist at one of the largest providers of treatment in the UK health system. He is known for his compassionate and down to earth manner.

After beginning his work with ayahuasca and other plant medicines in 2011 he moved to Peru in 2015 working in the integration team at one of the most respected ayahuasca centers there along with facilitating a successful workshop series called Mindfulness and the Medicine. Whilst in Peru, he began dieting with Shipibo maestros and continues to be amazed by the depth and potential of this plant medicine tradition. He joined Soltara in 2019, inspired by the opportunity to work with the world-class team being assembled.”

For more information about working with Sean, visit his site at: https://www.seanchiddy.com/ and https://soltara.co/

Share the show, Subscribe or Follow, and if you can go on Apple Podcasts and leave a starred-rating and a short review. That would be super helpful with the algorithms and getting this show out to more people. Thank you in advance!

If you would like more information on plant medicine and the work I do, visit my site at: https://www.NicotianaRustica.org    

To support this podcast on Patreon, visit: https://www.patreon.com/UniverseWithin  

To donate directly with PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/jasongrechanik 

Music courtesy of Nuno Moreno. See his work at: https://m.soundcloud.com/groove_a_zen_sound and https://nahira-ziwa.bandcamp.com/  

And please leave any questions or comments in the comment section or email at:

https://www.UniverseWithinPodcast.com

This will help me with ideas for future shows.

Thanks and until the next episode!

https://www.facebook.com/UniverseWithinPodcast

https://www.instagram.com/UniverseWithinPodcast