Mindrolling With Raghu Markus

Turning to Celtic wisdom, author and teacher John Philip Newell chats with Raghu about reconnecting to our home, Mother Earth.Pick up your copy of John’s new book, The Great Search: Turning to Earth and Soul in the Quest for Healing and Home, HERE.This week, John and Raghu get into: John’s upbringing and being drawn to the natural worldThe Celtic lineage and having awareness for the sacredness of natureKnowing that wisdom resides deep within us, not outside of usSeeing the universe as an expression of the divineWhat we can learn from native traditionsA radical new beginning through humility and relation to earth and one anotherAddressing the divine in one another and in every life formBreaking cycles of war and repetitionThe contributions of Carl Jung on the collective and individual unconsciousMerging Eastern and Western traditionsCheck out The Marriage of East and West to learn more about the topics John and Raghu referenceAbout John Philip Newell:John Philip Newell is a Celti

Connecting the inner world and the outer world, physicist Federico Faggin reveals his work studying the physics of spirituality.Follow this link to order your copy of Federico's book: Irreducible: Consciousness, Life, Computers and Human NatureThis episode of Mindrolling with Federico and Raghu includes these topics: Federico's life growing up in ItalyNeuroscience and studying consciousnessHow physical feelings come from electrical processes in the brainConnecting spirituality and physicsConsidering if a computer could be programmed for consciousnessFaggin's experience recognizing the inner love that comes out of usHow quantum physics proves the interconnection within the universeFederico's perspective on freewill and determinism in our livesGoing beyond what science has doneThe limited freedom we have while incarnatedPredicting our behavior and how our consciousness is watching allGrace and the unpredictability of free willThe divine mystery and why it will never be resolvedAbout Federico Faggin:Federic

Focusing on curiosity, patience, and self-compassion, Cortland Dahl joins Raghu to go over his new book, A Meditator's Guide to Buddhism.This week, Cortland and Raghu discuss: The mystical practice of making aspirationsTuning into ourselves and trusting ourselvesLearning through our relationshipsRecognizing that the next Buddha is the sanghaNurturing sparks of inspiration through practiceHow meeting teachers helps us realize our own inner depthWhy curiosity can move us along the spiritual pathPatience, creating space, and being vs. doingSelf-compassion in a world of chaos and uncertaintyDiscomfort as a zone of growthExpanding our motivations for doing our practiceSeeing the awakened nature in everyone and everythingPick up a copy of A Meditator's Guide to Buddhism HEREAbout Cortland Dahl:Cortland Dahl is a Buddhist scholar and translator, author, meditation teacher, and a collaborator on various scientific studies. After receiving a Master’s Degree in Buddhist Studies, he lived for eight years in India a

This week's Mindrolling is a collection of some of the best moments from Raghu’s interviews with mindfulness and metta experts Joseph Goldstein and Sharon Salzberg.In this special episode:Clip 1 (Ep. 65): Raghu and Joseph explore the foundations of mindfulness, the influence of habits, and how everything hinges on the tip of motivation. Clip 2 (Ep. 44): Raghu and Sharon discuss metta practice and practical ways to connect with others through loving-kindness. Clip 3 (Ep. 224): Raghu and Joseph delve into the realities of mindfulness and how the craving for becoming can hijack our meditation practice. Clip 4 (Ep. 225): Raghu and Sharon touch on the Eightfold Path, the balance of equanimity and effort, and the universal truth of starting over. Clip 5 (Ep. 457): Joseph leads a meditation on awareness, beautifully punctuated with a haiku poem.“And we can suffuse the whole field of mindfulness with the feeling of loving-kindness. Friendliness towards our own experience and well-wishing for all others. May all being

David Silver and Raghu sit down for a conversation about maintaining equanimity in the face of multiple humanitarian and ecological crises around the world.Join comedian Duncan Trussell and Buddhist teacher David Nichtern on September 3rd for a free online talk: Imposter Syndrom & Teaching MeditationThis week, David and Raghu discuss: The divided state of our countryDealing with negative emotions like depression and lonelinessAdjusting our internal behavior in order to help others and ourselvesLooking to spiritual practitioners for answers and guidanceThe current political landscape of our worldThe necessity of having both wisdom and compassionRemaining equanimous in the face of global crisesBeing aware of spiritual materialismWhy a sitting meditation practice is integral for self-understandingOvercoming the afflictions and distortions of the mindSending loving kindness to all corners of our heartsTransforming ourselves to make the world a better placeAbout David Silver:David Silver is the forme

Using modern tools to support inner transformation, ServiceSpace founder Nipun Mehta offers innovative solutions for turning artificial intelligence into collective heart intelligence.Learn more about ServiceSpace’s unique model of organizing small acts of service at servicespace.org.In this episode, Nipun and Raghu chat about: Nipun’s upbringing and finding the infinity behind each momentLiving a life of serviceUsing artificial intelligence for inner transformation and the emergence of compassionFear of AI versus it’s potential positive usesCollective heart Intelligence versus today’s artificial intelligenceTaking care of others as others take care of youNipun and his wife’s pilgrimage through IndiaLooking at what we can do to offer kindness to the worldBeing sustainable through being relatedThe physical and emotional rewards of being generousShifting from transaction into relationshipAbout Nipun Mehta:Nipun Mehta is the founder of ServiceSpace (formerly CharityFocus), an incubator o

Discussing her new book, Ordinary Mysticism, Mirabai Starr breaks free from religious institutions and shares heart-opening mystical wisdom.Mirabai’s upcoming book, Ordinary Mysticism: Your Life as Sacred Ground, will be released in September 2024. Preorder your copy HERE!This time on Mindrolling, Mirabai and Raghu converse about: How beginner’s mind and humility help us cope with the worldOur capacity to feel the pain of the world as our superpowerThe dark night of the soul and Saint John of the CrossMirabai’s loss of her daughter and the transformational power of sufferingThe broken, open heart and expanding our heart to contain grief and realityBeing with ‘what is’ – as an act of devotion and loveReligious ‘polyamory’ and intimate encounters with numerous spiritual traditionsMirabai’s baptism and dedication to peace in the Middle EastWhy mystical experiences do not need to happen in the container of religionAbout Mirabai Starr:Mirabai Starr is an award-winning author of creative non-fic

Author and artist Scott Snibbe visits Mindrolling to teach listeners how to train the mind for long-lasting happiness.Get your copy of Scott’s book, How to Train a Happy Mind: A Skeptic’s Path to Enlightenment, HERE.This week on Mindrolling, Scott and Raghu discuss: How being in tune with reality leads to happinessScott’s childhood and sensing the feeling of infinitySelfishness/self-centeredness as an antagonist to joyHappiness through cherishing othersAnalytical meditation and filling your mindRemembering how precious every day isStabilizing the mind through meditation to be less reactiveConnecting with ourselves first thing in the morningHow cell phones externally define our world and lead to unhappinessLooking at who we are beneath our thoughts, feelings, and personalitySmall shifts in our daily lives such as smilingEmbodying human rights in our thoughts and behaviorAbout Scott Snibbe:Scott Snibbe is an interactive media artist, author, entrepreneur, and meditation instructor who hosts the&n

Jamie Kilstein returns to the Mindrolling Podcast!In this episode, Jamie speaks with Raghu about finding an appreciation for all faiths and shares how exploring different religions led him to Jesus.Jamie and Raghu talk about: Oppression within organized religionJamie’s experience with psychedelics and Ram DassZen as the atheism of religionMaharaj-ji and incorporating multiple religionsHow music connects us to religionBeing led to Jesus ChristThe importance of Sangha and connecting to the communitySeeing the beauty in all faiths rather than being restrictiveHow Jesus set us free for freedomRecommendation from this episode: Jazz Musician Bill EvansAbout Jamie Kilstein:Jamie Alexander Kilstein is an American writer, radio host, and stand-up comic. He hosts the podcast, Trauma Bonding, with his wife Alex. Keep up with Jamie on his Instagram or on his website.“I think you find the right spiritual group or people who can connect with you and can laugh so hard that you can feel God, peo

Author and Medium Paul Selig shares transformational wisdom from divine messengers and chats with Raghu about what our world could be like.Paul’s third book in The Manifestation Trilogy, A World Made New, will be out in September 2024. Preorder HERE!This week on Mindrolling, Paul and Raghu converse about: Paul’s journey of becoming and the split between the perceived self and the real selfWorking with energy and understanding phenomenaDivine guides and how they present to PaulPaul’s connection to Ram Dass and his vision of the Ram Dass house in HawaiiMediumship and sensing Ram Dass and Maharaj-ji in the spirit realmIdentity and the structure of realityKnowing the divine self and aligning with it as a demonstration of our true natureChanneling messages from the divineAbout Paul Selig:Paul Selig is an author and medium who is considered to be one of the foremost spiritual channels working today. In his breakthrough works of channeled literature, Selig has recorded an extraordinary program for personal

Writer and meditation teacher, Henry Shukman, joins Raghu to discuss his forthcoming book, Original Love, and how love is the true foundation of our life.In this episode of Mindrolling, Henry and Raghu journey through: Henry’s background, travels, and witnessing joy among those without materialistic richesRecognizing how we are a part of everything in the universeHow meditation helped Henry stop limping through lifeTranscendental meditation and being religious about our practiceAcknowledging our suppressed emotions and working through them with the help of therapyHenry’s time as a trombonist in London calypso bandsTaking on an altruistic perspective to improve your lifeHow meditation does so much more than mitigate stressThe early Buddhist view of mindfulnessInterrupting our constant mental commentary by focusing on bodily sensationsThe experiential reality of unity, emptiness, and boundlessnessBreaking open our hearts through any religion or experienceTapping into unconditional love for ourselves a

Activist and mountaineer, Wasfia Nazreen, has an expansive talk with Raghu about her trek up the K2 peak and finding inner strength.This time on Mindrolling, Wasfia and Raghu explore: Connecting to Mother EarthHow abandonment taught Wasfia that education was her pathway to freedomHow moving to Georgia gave Wasfia a deep connection to the culture of the American SouthThe Tonglen meditation technique and taking away the pain of othersHow Wasfia was magnetized to Tibetan BuddhismWasfia’s journeys as a mountain climber and the healing power of climbingRevering mountains as the home of Gods and GoddessesDead Zones and trekking up dangerous summitsWasfia’s connection to the Dalai Lama and Dilgo Khyentse RinpocheAbout Wasfia Nazreen:Wasfia Nazreen is best known for being the only Bangladeshi and first Bengali in the world to climb the Seven Summits, the highest mountains of every continent. She is also the only woman to hold the simultaneous titles of National Geographic Explorer & Adventurer. An outspoken

OG Mindroller David Silver reunites with Raghu to discuss the themes of consciousness and spirituality that lie at the heart of Hermann Hesse's literary work.This week on Mindrolling, David Silver connects with Raghu over: Inspiration from Hermann HesseThe book Siddhartha and embarking on a spiritual searchDescents into decadence and an attachment to the material worldEmbracing everything that is in front of usComparing lessons from Ram Dass and Hermann HesseThe inevitability of sufferingHow World War II likely influenced Hesse’s understanding of suffering and isolationLiving on more than one plane of consciousnessThe book Steppenwolf and Carl Jung’s conceptualization of the shadowFear and owning up to ourselvesRaghu’s experience at the Garchen Buddhist InstituteThe problem with media and accessing constant informationAssuming an altruistic perspectiveLearn more about Herman Hesse HERE and check out The Marginalian HEREAbout David Silver:David Silver is the fo

Discussing her memoir, Lotus Girl, Helen Tworkov and Raghu talk about spiritual quests and experiencing a deeper reality.Get your copy of Lotus Girl HEREIn this episode, Helen and Raghu talk about: Growing up with tyrannical parentsHow the iconic photo of Thich Quang Duc changed Helen’s lifeBeing orientated to Asia through Psychedelics, out-of-body meditation experiences, and equanimityRaghu’s altered state through the music of John ColtraneHow trying to understand her family lead Helen on a quest for realityHelen’s friendship with Charles MingusStories of the Dalai LamaHolding suffering without letting it define youOur capacity to feel many emotions at the same timeBeing accepting of whatever is in front of you in the moment“At the time, I had no understanding that that kind of break with reality could be an entry into a deeper reality that was very true.” – Helen TworkovSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do

Reflecting on Gandhi’s principles, Raghu and Perry Garfinkel discuss sainthood, imperfection, and continued service to others.Get your copy of Perry’s book, Becoming Gandhi, HEREThis time on Mindrolling, Perry and Raghu talk about: Bob Dylan, Jazz, and music as a portalPerry’s journey to India looking for Neem Karoli BabaFollowing the footsteps of Mahatma GandhiHow sainthood does not mean you are enlightenedPolarized views of Gandhi and controversy based on gender, race, etc.Acting out empathy in compassionate waysThe six principles of truth, vegetarianism, non-violence, simplicity, faith, and celibacyRe-introducing Gandhi to the next generationSeparating the idea of faith from any rigid religious dogmaTrusting our own unique experiencesAbout Perry Garfinkel:Perry Garfinkel is an author and has been a contributor to the New York Times since 1986, specializing in travel and cultural trends. A veteran journalist who has covered the overlap of East and West for more than thirty years for

Discussing his memoir, Down for the Cause, Bruce “Badri” Margolin talks with Raghu about his work in drug reform and meeting Ram Dass, Tim Leary, and Neem Karoli Baba.Grab your copy of Down for the Cause HEREThis week on Mindrolling, Bruce and Raghu talk about: What propelled Bruce on his journey as a lawyerBruce’s first marijuana defense caseThe Campaign to Abolition Marijuana Prohibition (C.A.M.P.)When Bruce received Be Here Now from his therapistBruce’s travels through Greece, Ethiopia, India and moreHow Bruce met Ram Dass and Neem Karoli Baba in IndiaReadjusting to the western worldBruce’s work in defending Tim Leary’s caseAbout Bruce Margolin:Bruce Margolin is an American criminal defense attorney who specializes in marijuana and drug laws. Bruce defended Timothy Leary and is renowned for his work in Marijuana decriminalization. Since 1973, Bruce has served as the executive director of the Los Angeles chapter of NORML (The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana La

Reflecting on spirituality and synchronicity, Dr. Lisa Miller talks with Raghu about the capacity to have an awakened mind and heart.Get your copy of Dr. Miller’s book, The Awakened Brain, HEREThis time on Mindrolling, Dr. Lisa and Raghu talk about: Dr. Miller’s synchronistic connection with Ram DassIdentifying threads of lived, spiritual human life in clinical psychologyBeing born with the capacity to awakenCultivating our relationship to the transcendentThe difference between a spiritual experience and a fully integrated spiritual lifeAn awakened heart and mind as a protective factor against despairThe mental health epidemic in our countryTrust and moments of unconditional loveRadical love on Dr. Lisa’s journey to parenthoodHow suffering brings us closer to GodAbout Dr. Lisa Miller:Lisa Miller, Ph.D., is Professor in the Clinical Psychology Program at Columbia University, Teachers College, where she founded the Spirituality Mind Body Institute, the first Ivy League graduate program in spiritu

RamDev, host of Healing at the Edge podcast, joins Raghu for a conversation on compassion and openness of the heart.This week on Mindrolling, RamDev and Raghu discuss:RamDev’s background in mathematics and recognizing patternsHow people in the West are not as embodied as in the EastThe first three chakras of fear, guilt, and shamePsychedelics and other dimensions of realityGoing beyond separatenessCompassion and non-dual practicesTaming the monkey-mindSub ek and quantum entanglementStories about Maharaj-ji’s mystical existenceHope for the future and allowing our hearts to be vulnerableA meditation around inclusivity through compassionAbout RamDev:Dale Borglum is the founder and Executive Director of The Living/Dying Project. He is a pioneer in the conscious dying movement and has worked directly with thousands of people with life-threatening illness and their families for over 30 years. In 1981, Dale founded the first residential facility for people who wished to die consciously in the United States, The Dyin

Tracy Cochran and Raghu talk about living our way to wisdom and being at home in ourselves through presence.Get your copy of Tracy’s book, Presence: The Art of Being at Home in Yourself, HEREIn this episode, Tracy and Raghu chat about:Living our way to wisdomThe knowledge that the world offers usRam Dass and Fierce GraceTracy’s experience being attackedBeing seen with eyes of love and compassionThe power of forgivenessHeartfulness and living within the truest parts of ourselvesCourage and the willingness to be openAbout Tracy Cochran:Tracy Cochran is a writer and meditation teacher. She is the author of Presence: The Art of Being at Home in Yourself, which is available on the Shambhala Publications website and on Amazon. She is the editorial director of Parabola, an acclaimed quarterly magazine that draws on the world’s cultural and wisdom traditions to explore the questions that all humans share. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, Psychology Today, O Magazine,

Psychedelic therapist and author Sean Lawlor chats with Raghu about shifting the paradigm through the healing power of psychedelics.Pre-order your copy of Sean’s book, Psychedelic Revival, HEREIn this trip on Mindrolling, Sean and Raghu take us through:Sean’s awakening through psychedelicsThe inter-connectivity of all thingsPsychedelic assisted therapyIndigenous uses of plant medicine and musicStories of Maria Sabina’s sacred ceremoniesChanging our negative habits and ways of beingTrusting ourselves to follow our inner guideRecreational use versus spiritual useHistorical trauma and polarizationAbout Sean Lawlor:Sean is an author, therapist, and developer of online course content. He received his Masters of Fine Arts from Chatham University and completed a 3-year Master’s program in Mindfulness-Based Transpersonal Counseling at Naropa University. Sean’s new book, Psychedelic Revival: Toward a New Paradigm of Healing, is currently available for preorder in print and digital fo