Category: Podcast
Podcast: Episode 60: Matthew Fox and Robert Thurman: Cultivating Peace in Difficult Times: Part 2
On this episode, we return to the archives to bring you part two of this historic conversation between Christian theologian Rev. Matthew Fox and Buddhist scholar Robert Thurman. In this talk, moderated by Isa Gucciardi, Bob and Matt offer thoughtful and sometimes humorous ideas about how we can cultivate peace individually and collectively. They talk about what led them to their respective spiritual paths and how they have navigated obstacles along the way.
Podcast: Episode 59: Matthew Fox and Robert Thurman: Cultivating Peace in Difficult Times: Part 1
On this episode, we dive into the archives to bring you a historic conversation between Christian theologian Rev. Matthew Fox and Buddhist scholar Robert Thurman. This talk on Cultivating Peace in Difficult Times took place at the Sacred Stream Center in 2017 and was moderated by Isa Gucciardi. We will be releasing this talk in three parts over the next few weeks. In part one, Bob and Matt offer thoughtful and sometimes humorous ideas about how we can cultivate peace individually and collectively. They talk about what led them to their respective spiritual paths and how they have navigated obstacles along the way.
Podcast: Episode 58: Dena Merriam: The Untold Story of Sita
On this episode, Dena Merriam, Founder of the Global Peace Initiative for Women (GPIW), joins Laura Chandler for an engaging conversation on diverse topics such as climate crisis, the Me Too movement, past lives, and the significance of the sacred feminine in the world today. Dena is the author of two books, including her latest, The Untold Story of Sita: An Empowering Tale for Our Time, a retelling of the Ramayana texts of Classic Indian Literature from the perspective of the primary female character, Sita. The book delivers an important message for our times, offering a new understanding of feminine wisdom and the intelligence of the natural world.
Podcast: Episode 57: 2019: A Retrospective
This episode is a retrospective of some of the highlights of the past year. You’ll hear excerpts from Laura Chandler’s interviews with bestselling authors Dawson Church and Christina Rasmussen, Grammy nominee Barbara Higbie, and renowned channel and author Paul Selig. Our featured music includes songs from Barbara Higbie, Dan Walters, and master sarod player Rajeev Taranath, as well as Sacred Stream’s very own Katie Rudman and her duo, Heddwen.
Podcast: Episode 56: Isa Gucciardi: Oracle Traditions in Buddhism and Shamanism
This episode features a talk by Isa Gucciardi on the Oracle Traditions found in Buddhism and Shamanism. In this talk, originally given at the Science and Nonduality Conference in San Jose, CA, Isa gives an overview of some of the remarkable lineages found in Buddhism and Shamanism and the methods of accessing wisdom through channeling as described in these traditions.
Podcast: Episode 55: Rajeev Taranath: Sarod Master
On this episode, Laura Chandler interviews Rajeev Taranath, one of India’s foremost classical musicians and a master of the sarod. At 87 years old, his career has spanned over four decades and drawn accolades from critics and audiences throughout the world. Rajeev is a distinguished disciple of the late legendary maestro Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, and was part of Khan’s musical family that included the great sitarists Ravi Shankar and Shrimati Annapurna Devi. Laura and Rajeev talk about Rajeev’s expansive career, perspectives on music and creativity, and his call to Indian Classical Music.
Podcast: Episode 54: Dawson Church: Mind to Matter
On this episode, Laura Chandler is joined by researcher and author, Dawson Church. Dawson is the author of the bestselling book and breakthrough in epigenetics, The Genie in Your Genes. His latest release, Mind to Matter: The Astonishing Science of How Your Brain Creates Material Reality, explores the cultivation of peak brain states in daily life.
In this lively interview, Laura and Dawson discuss the astonishing science behind how our minds create matter. Dawson points to numerous examples of studies demonstrating this, and offers ways of harnessing the power of our minds through meditation, EFT, and cultivating positive thoughts. He also shares some inspiring stories of people profoundly changing their lives by adopting the simple practices in his book.
Podcast: Episode 53: Paul Selig: Beyond the Known: Realization
On today’s episode, Laura Chandler is joined by writer, empath, and one of the foremost spiritual channels of our time, Paul Selig. Paul has just released his latest channeled book, Beyond the Known: Realization, which is the 6th in a series described as a “program for personal and planetary evolution as humankind awakens to its own divine nature.” In this episode, Paul explains his relationship to the guides, the process of channeling, and shares insights from the guides about the new book.
Podcast: Episode 52: Barbara Higbie: Resonance
Today’s guest is Grammy-nominated, Bammy award-winning musician, Barbara Higbie. A composer, pianist, singer-songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, Barbara has performed on more than 100 albums, including Carlos Santana’s 2007 release. She has 14 solo recordings to her credit as well as contributions to 10 compilations that have sold in the millions. A master collaborator and successful solo recording, Barbara was the first woman signed to Windham Hill Records, and had major commercial success with her chart-topping band, Montreux. She has also released music with Olivia Records and her own Slow Baby Records, and after nearly 40 years in the industry, she shows no signs of slowing down.
Podcast: Episode 51: Pema Dorjee: Tibetan Children’s Villages
In this episode, guest host Isa Gucciardi, interviews the venerable Tibetan Buddhist monk and teacher, Geshe Pema Dorjee. Geshe Pema Dorjee is a tireless advocate of the poor and disenfranchised in Nepal and India, especially children. He has dedicated his life to helping stop human trafficking and travels the world to raise funds for his many altruistic projects and often brings those funds to remote villages, which sometimes requires days of walking to the final destination.
Geshe Pema Dorje was the Director of the Tibetan Children’s Village School in Dharamsala for many years and has helped thousands of displaced children gain an education and find their way. In 1995, he became the first Principal of the College for Higher Tibetan Studies and in 2001, His Holiness the Dalai Lama asked him to revive and promote the Bodong tradition of Tibet, and he became the founder and Director of the Bodong Research and Publication Center.
Podcast: Episode 50: Christina Rasmussen: Where Did You Go?
On this episode, Laura speaks with Christina Rasmussen, acclaimed grief educator, and the author of Second Firsts and Where Did You Go? She is the founder of The Life Reentry Institute and has helped countless people break out of what she has coined the “waiting room” of grief to rebuild their lives through her Life Reentry Model. She describes grief as a catalyst for redefining identity and introduces a new model of grief based on the science of neuroplasticity. Her institute’s mission is to bring forth a new way of speaking about and embracing loss within the medical, corporate, and social environments. Her work has been featured on ABC News, Washington Post, Maria Shriver, and the White House Blog.
Podcast: Episode 49: Robert Thurman: In Conversation: Part 2
On this episode, hear the conclusion of Laura Chandler’s interview with scholar and bestselling author, Robert Thurman, who talks about the importance of the Sacred Feminine, the ways he sees humankind progressing, and why there is reason for hope. And in the second half, Laura is joined by author and teacher, Isa Gucciardi, who regularly co-teaches workshops with Bob on the subjects of Buddhism, shamanism, and the Divine Feminine. Isa discusses her workshops with Bob and the importance of bringing the masculine and feminine aspects in each of us into balance in order to create a more peaceful, productive, and harmonious world.
Podcast: Episode 49: Robert Thurman: In Conversation: Part 1
On this episode, Laura Chandler speaks with bestselling author and scholar, Robert Thurman, who was in town for the Science and Non-Duality Conference in San Jose (SAND). Bob is a recognized worldwide authority on religion and spirituality, Asian history, and Indo-Tibetan Buddhism. He is the co-founder of Tibet House and the author of many books, including Infinite Life and Why the Dalai Lama Matters. In this interview, Bob and Laura talk about the conference, his latest book, a graphic novel about the Dalai Lama – Man of Peace: The Illustrated Life History of the Dalai Lama of Tibet, and some of Bob’s favorite subjects, like the dogma of materialism, the absurd belief that nothing exists, and how Buddha actually discovered relativity.
Podcast: Episode 47: 2018: A Retrospective
In this episode, Laura Chandler takes a look back over the past year of interviews, revisiting key moments with inspiring guests that include renowned channel Paul Selig, activist and former nun Margarita Melville, and the exquisite electric cellist Jami Sieber. And you’ll also hear some new conversations with Robert Thurman and Lama Tsultrim Allione.
Podcast: Episode 46: Lama Tsultrim Allione
On this episode, Laura Chandler is joined by author and Tibetan Buddhist teacher, Lama Tsultrim Allione. Lama Tsultrim is currently on a European book tour to support her latest book, Wisdom Rising: Journey into the Mandala of the Empowered Feminine. In this conversation, Lama Tsultrim talks about the mandala practices in her book and her focus on making certain practices of Tibetan Buddhism relevant and impactful for contemporary practitioners. She also addresses many current political and spiritual topics, including sexual misconduct by spiritual teachers, the #metoo movement, and the role of women spiritual teachers in Tibetan Buddhism.