Category: Podcast
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.
Podcast: Episode 45: Tulku Lobsang Rinpoche: Part 2
In the conclusion of this two-part interview, Laura Chandler continues her conversation with Buddhist teacher and the founder of Nangten Menlang Buddhist Medical Center, Tulku Lobsang Rinpoche. Tulku Lobsang is the recognized reincarnation of the great Tibetan Buddhist master Tulku Nyentse. At age 17, he escaped Tibet, was caught, and after spending time in a Chinese prison, successfully escaped to Nepal.
In this episode, Tulku Lobsang explains how discovering true happiness within yourself is the wisdom of Buddhism, and offers an important teaching from Machig Labdrön, Tibetan Buddhism’s great female yogini. He also shares his thoughts on the future of Buddhism and his upcoming teachings in Europe and the U.S.
Podcast: Episode 44: Tulku Lobsang Rinpoche: Part 1
On this episode, Laura Chandler speaks with Tibetan Buddhist teacher and founder of Nangten Menlang Buddhist Medical Center, Tulku Lobsang Rinpoche. Tulku Lobsang Rinpoche was born to a farming family in Tibet in 1976. He entered the Sowa Monastery at age six, and at age eleven, he went to the Nangzi Bön Monastery, where he studied Dzogchen. Tulku Lobsang was identified by the oracle of Tibet as the incarnation of the master teacher, Tulku Nyentse, and at age thirteen he was enthroned as the eighth incarnation of this master teacher. Tulku Lobsang has received teachings in all of the Tibetan Buddhist traditions, and teaches and lectures throughout the world on the subjects of Tibetan Medicine, Buddhism, and Astrology.
Podcast: Episode 43: Buddhist Perspectives on Death
This episode features a talk by Isa Gucciardi, Finding Meaning in Loss, which she gave at the Reimagine End of Life Conference in Berkeley, CA. In this thoughtful and uplifting talk, Isa encourages us to create the spaciousness required to truly be with the experience of loss, grief, and even death. She examines ways of navigating loss, and explores Buddhist perspectives on theme, while also offering practices that will help us approach death, our own and those we love, with awareness and grace.
Podcast: Episode 42: Jami Sieber: Part 2
In part two of this two-part interview, Laura Chandler is joined by the multi-talented composer, singer, and electric cellist, Jami Sieber. Jami creates lush soundscapes using her voice and the cello through a process called “looping.” She tours national and internationally, and her compositions have appeared in film, television and the critically acclaimed video game, Braid.
Podcast: Episode 41: Jami Sieber: Part 1
On this episode, Laura Chandler is joined by the multi-talented composer, singer, and electric cellist, Jami Sieber. Jami creates lush soundscapes using her voice and the cello through a process called “looping” that turns her solo instrument into an orchestra of heart-opening sound. Since launching her solo career in 1994, she has performed throughout the Europe, Asia, and North America to rave reviews. Her compositions have appeared in film and television and the critically acclaimed video game, Braid. In part one of this two-part interview with Jami, we discuss her early work in the award-winning pop-rock band, Rumors of the Big Wave, a socially conscious band that came of age during the aids epidemic in the 1980s. She also talks about her solo career, as well as her dedication to social activism, the environment, and her relationship to music, spirit, and the creative process.
Podcast: Episode 40: Helen Palmer: The Enneagram
This episode features international bestselling author and pioneer of the Enneagram, Helen Palmer, in conversation with Isa Gucciardi, Ph.D., creator of Depth Hypnosis and the author of Coming to Peace. Moderated by The Net and the Butterfly author Judah Pollack, this discussion takes place in front of a live audience at the Sacred Stream Center in Berkeley, CA. Topics covered in this talk include intuition, somatic processes, the early origins of the Enneagram, Buddhism, and how Helen came to be one of the early pioneers of this fascinating model.
Podcast: Bonus Episode: Introducing American Innovations Podcast
This bonus episode of the Sacred Stream Radio Podcast contains a preview of the newest podcast from Wondery called American Innovations.
DNA science. Artificial intelligence. Smartphones and 3D printers. Science and technology have transformed the world we live in. But how did we get here? It wasn’t by accident. Well, sometimes it was. It was also the result of hard work, teamwork, and competition. And incredibly surprising moments.
Hosted by bestselling author Steven Johnson (How We Got To Now), American Innovations uses immersive scenes to tell the stories of the scientists, engineers, and ordinary people behind the greatest discoveries of the past century.
All episodes are available now. Search for American Innovations on Apple Podcasts, or by visiting wondery.fm/sacred.
Podcast: Episode 38: Margarita Melville: The Guerilla Nun: Part 2
In this episode, Laura Chandler concludes her extensive interview with Margarita Melville, activist, educator, and member of the Catonsville Nine. Laura met with Margarita in her hotel room in Chula Vista, CA, where they discussed Margarita’s dedication to the Guatemalan people, her time in prison as a result of the Catonsville Nine action, her marriage to former Maryknoll priest Thomas Melville, and how marriage was part of their revolutionary plans. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Catonsville Nine, when nine Catholic activists burned draft files using homemade napalm to protest the Vietnam War on May 17, 1968. They were tried and convicted in federal court and sentenced to a total of 18 years in prison. At age 88, Margarita still exhibits the passion and energy that has been the signature of her life. She tells the story of the murders of student activists that she worked with and her own narrow escape from Guatamala after being betrayed to authorities for her participation in the resistance. Margarita also discusses politics today and how her view of spirituality and Christianity has grown over the years. And she has a special message for the young activists today.