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CHITHEADS with Jacob Kyle (Embodied Philosophy) — Religion & Spirituality
CHITHEADS with Jacob Kyle (Embodied Philosophy)

Chitheads is a smorgasbord of contemplative education. Each episode is like a mini masterclass, exploring the diverse landscapes of spiritual practice, philosophy, and the transformative power of embodied knowledge. Each episode is crafted with the curious and open heart in mind, aiming to illuminate the path of self-inquiry and empowerment for yoga teachers, scholar-practitioners, meditators and other spiritual seekers and contemplative folks from around the world. From the profound teachings of Yoga and Buddhism to the sometimes complex theories of contemplative psychology and the vibrant tapestry of indigenous wisdom, our guests share insights that awaken, challenge, and inspire. With every episode, we dive into discussions that matter, exploring questions that guide us closer to our true selves and to a deeper understanding of the world around us. Our mission is to create a space where wisdom (and not fame, power, or money) is the center of gravity and what we are most concerned about cultivating in this lifetime. Join us on Chitheads as we explore the liminal spaces of consciousness, embrace the complexities of the human experience without dogma or self-righteousness, and discover the beauty again and again of the interconnectedness of all things. Subscribe to Chitheads on YouTube and your favorite podcast platform, and please consider leaving us a positive review on one iTunes, or your favorite podcast player. Come dive into these in-depth conversations that illuminate our path of contemplative discovery. If you’ve felt like you’re the only one full of chit – full of consciousness or awareness ˀ– welcome home. This community of listeners, seekers, and scholar-practitioners is for you.

Latest Episodes:

Stephen Porges on Polyvagal Theory (#106) Mar 25, 2020

Show notes

Stephen W. Porges, Ph.D. is a Distinguished University Scientist at Indiana University, where he is the founding director of the Traumatic Stress Research Consortium within the Kinsey Institute. He holds the position of Professor of Psychiatry at the University of North Carolina and Professor Emeritus at the University of Illinois at Chicago and the University of Maryland. He served as president of both the Society for Psychophysiological Research and the Federation of Associations in Behavioral & Brain Sciences and is a former recipient of a National Institute of Mental Health Research Scientist Development Award. He has published more than 300 peer reviewed scientific papers across several disciplines including anesthesiology, biomedical engineering, critical care medicine, ergonomics, exercise physiology, gerontology, neurology, neuroscience, obstetrics, pediatrics, psychiatry, psychology, psychometrics, space medicine, and substance abuse. In 1994 he proposed the Polyvagal Theory, a theory that links the evolution of the mammalian autonomic nervous system to social behavior and emphasizes the importance of physiological state in the expression of behavioral problems and psychiatric disorders. The theory is leading to innovative treatments based on insights into the mechanisms mediating symptoms observed in several behavioral, psychiatric, and physical disorders. He is the author of The Polyvagal Theory: Neurophysiological foundations of Emotions, Attachment, Communication, and Self-regulation (Norton, 2011), The Pocket Guide to the Polyvagal Theory: The Transformative Power of Feeling Safe, (Norton, 2017) and co-editor of Clinical Applications of the Polyvagal Theory: The Emergence of Polyvagal-Informed Therapies (Norton, 2018). He is the creator of a patented music-based intervention, the Safe and Sound Protocol™, which currently is used by more than 1200 therapists to improve spontaneous social engagement, to reduce hearing sensitivities, and to improve language processing, state regulation, and spontaneous social engagement.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Coronavirus Contemplations with Miles Neale & Isa Gucciardi (#105) Mar 17, 2020

Show notes

Jacob Kyle speaks with Miles Neale and Isa Gucciardi about the corona virus, how we can skillfully respond to the situation, and why contemplative practice is so important at this time.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Neil Dalal on Vedanta & Self-Inquiry (#104) Feb 05, 2020

Show notes

In this episode, we discuss:

Neil’s documentary film, Gurukulam, which explores a living Advaita Vedanta lineage through sensory ethnography
What brought Neil to his path
Triple process of study for knowledge - listening, logical reflection, contemplative understanding
Experienced hunting, the need for a teacher and reflections on the current state of "Gurus"
The Western concept of Karma yoga vs. the way it is traditionally defined
Cultural appropriation, academia, yoga practitioners, the market of yoga and how we are manifesting these issues

Neil Dalal is Associate Professor of South Asian Philosophy and Religious Thought at the University of Alberta, where he teaches in both the Philosophy Department and Religious Studies Program. He received his PhD in Asian Cultures and Languages from the University of Texas at Austin where he specialized in Sanskrit and Indian philosophy, and an MA in East-West Psychology from the California Institute of Integral Studies. Dalal’s interests explore philosophy of mind, contemplative psychologies, and meditation practices found in classical South Asian Yoga systems. He grounds this research in classical Sanskrit texts and commentaries as well as their living traditions. Dalal’s current research focuses on the intersections of contemplative practices, textual study, and embodiment in Advaita Vedānta. He is the co-director of Gurukulam (The Orchard/Sony Pictures), a sensory-ethnographic study of a contemporary Advaita Vedānta community, co-editor of Asian Perspectives on Animal Ethics (Routledge Press), and has published articles in venues such as the Journal of the American Academy of Religion, Journal of Indian Philosophy, and Journal of Hindu Studies. Dalal is also a teacher within the traditional lineage of Śaṅkarācārya’s Advaita Vedānta. He spent several years living a monastic lifestyle in India while studying under the direct guidance of the renowned Advaita Vedāntin, Swami Dayananda Saraswati, who gave him permission to teach in 2002.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Joakim Vindenes on Virtual Reality (#103) Jan 28, 2020

Show notes

In this episode, we discuss:

How can we make interactions with VR meaningful
VR as a support for contemplative practice
The parallel between VR and Hinduism as an understanding of the world as dharma
Using VR to define reality – Who are we with all these possibilities? What would we like to experience? Wouldn’t we prefer to have surprises in life?
Therapy facilitated by VR to expand healing possibilities
The potential for both positive and negative effects of VR and how we will have to make personal and existential choices about how to use this technology

Joakim Vindenes is a PhD Candidate at the University of Bergen, Norway,
where he is researching VR technologies. At his spare time, he runs
Matrise — a blog focused on the intersections of VR, Consciousness,
Science & Philosophy. Matrise has lately increased in popularity and
discusses VR technology in relation to topics such as psychedelics,
Hinduism, Existentialism, Meditation and Non-dual states.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Andrew Holecek on Dreams & the Primary Delusion (#102) Dec 24, 2019

Show notes

In this episode we discuss:

Dreams from the perspective of Eastern tradition
What is the non-dreaming state
Spiritual benefits of lucid dreaming, including the development of psychic power
Physical and psychological therapeutic benefits of lucid dreaming
Tools to navigate nightmares
Principles and strategies to begin a practice of lucid dreaming (intention and meditation as foundational practices)
Preparation for a lucid dreaming practice by developing good sleep hygiene and establishing a more honored and treasured relationship to the dreaming state

Andrew Holecek has completed the traditional three-year Buddhist meditation retreat and offers seminars internationally on meditation, dream yoga, and the art of dying. He is the author of Preparing to Die: Practical Advice and Spiritual Wisdom from the Tibetan Buddhist Tradition; Meditation in the iGeneration: How to Meditate in a World of Speed and Stress; The Power and the Pain: Transforming Spiritual Hardship into Joy; the audio learning course Dream Yoga: The Tibetan Path of Awakening Through Lucid Dreaming, and his latest book Dream Yoga: Illuminating Your Life Through Lucid Dreaming and the Tibetan Yogas of Sleep. Dr. Holecek is a member of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, and has authored scientific papers. His work has appeared in Parabola, Lion’s Roar, Tricycle, Utne Reader, Buddhadharma Magazine, Light of Consciousness, and many other periodicals. Andrew holds degrees in classical music, biology, and a doctorate in dental surgery.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Christine Caldwell on Bodyfulness (#101) Dec 10, 2019

Show notes

In this episode we discuss:

Christine Caldwell's new book, Bodyfulness: Somatic Practices for Presence, Empowerment, & Waking Up in This Life
Bodyfulness happens when you look at embodiment as physical, psychological, and contemplative
8 principles of Bodyfulness and the 4 aspects in the practice of Bodyfulness
Difference between the stories that the body would tell and the verbal narrative we have laid on top of it
Bodyfulness is activism at its most basic level and how it can shift forms of activism
Obstacles to Bodyfulness include the oppression of the body by many societies, making our bodies and other bodies "wrong", and Bodylessness, in which the body is seen as a project
An enlightened body and body wakefulness - being "awake" is a bodily experience not just in the mind

Dr. Christine Caldwell, Ph.D., BC-DMT, LPC, NCC, ACS, is the founder of and professor emeritus in the Somatic Counseling Program at Naropa University in Boulder, CO, USA, where she taught coursework in somatic counseling theory and skills, clinical neuroscience, research, and diversity issues. Her work began forty years ago with studies in anthropology, dance therapy, bodywork and Gestalt therapy, and has developed into innovations in the field of body-centered psychotherapy. She calls her work the Moving Cycle. This system goes beyond the limitations of therapy and emphasizes lifelong personal and social evolution through trusting and following body states. The Moving Cycle spotlights natural play, early physical imprinting, bodily authority, and the transformational effect of fully sequenced movement processes. She has taught at the University of Maryland, George Washington University, Concordia, Seoul Women’s University, Southwestern College, Pacifica, and Santa Barbara Graduate Institute, and trains, teaches and lectures internationally. She has published over 30 articles and chapters, and her books include Getting Our Bodies Back, Getting In Touch, The Body and Oppression, and Bodyfulness.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Vanamali on Sanatana Dharma & Religious Fundamentalism (#100) Nov 26, 2019

Show notes

In this episode we discuss:

How religious fundamentalism is problematic
Many gods and choosing one god to workshop
The key to finding heaven here and now is the recognition of an omniscient God that is available to everyone at all times and in all spaces
Distortion of the Hindu way of life by colonialism and the spread of a more open-minded approach to the divine
Yoga of constant union
Defining features of the Vedic way of life
Being in an age of darkness and transition

Vanamali Mataji resides in Vanamali Ashram, Rishikesh. Vanamali is one of the names of Lord Krishna and she is an ardent Krishna Bhakta. Mataji always dresses in lavender as that is the colour of Krishna in transcendence. She has published many books on the Hindu gods - The Complete Life of Krishna, The Complete Life of Rama, Shiva - stories and teachings from the Shiva Mahapurana, Hanuman - Devotion and Power of the Monkey God, The Science of the Rishis, In the lost city of Krishna, Nitya Yoga - (Essays on the Bhagavad Gita) etc. Mataji regularly conducts classes on the Vedic Way of Life and the Sreemad Bhagavad Gita both in the Ashram and abroad. The Ashram is run by her brother - Mohanji who is an exemplary Karma Yogi. The Ashram does a lot of charitable work in both Rishikesh and in a small Himalayan village called Gaja. About a hundred widows are being given rations and many have also been adopted by various philanthropists all over the world. They also help in running a small village school in Gaja and a tribal school in the Wyanad district of Kerala.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Amit Goswami on Quantum Activism & Archetypal Living (#99) Oct 29, 2019

Show notes

In this episode, we discuss:

Quantum physics is an astounding entry into consciousness and puts trans-personal psychology on the map.
Why spiritual teachers talk so much about quantum physics.
Key features and principles of Quantum Physics and the role of the observer, quantum collapse, quantum entanglement, and downward causation.
How we actually live according to the quantum worldview and manifest our reality.
How archetypes are our internal stimuli, the divine waiting for us to act, and the lifestyle of living around a certain archetype.
Creativity, the power of intention and what comes next.
What is a quantum activist and how do we become one.

Theoretical Quantum Physicist Dr. Amit Goswami is a retired full professor from the University of Oregon’s Department of Physics where he served from 1968 to 1997. He is a pioneer of the new paradigm of science called “science within consciousness,” an idea he explicated in his seminal book, The Self-Aware Universe, where he also solved the quantum measurement problem elucidating the famous observer effect. Goswami has written several other popular books: The Visionary Window, Physics of the Soul, The Quantum Doctor, Creative Evolution, God is Not Dead, HowQuantum Activism Can Save Civilization, Quantum Creativity: Think Quantum, Be Creative, Quantum Economics: Unleashing the Power of an Economics of Consciousness. In his most recent book, The Everything Answer Book (April 2017), Goswami's basic premise is that quantum physics is not only the future of science, but it is also the key to understanding consciousness, death, God, psychology, and the meaning of life. In short, quantum physics offers a theory of everything. In his private life, Goswami is a practitioner of spirituality and transformation. He calls himself a quantum activist. He appeared in the film What the Bleep Do We Know!? and its sequel Down the Rabbit Hole as well as the documentaries Dalai Lama Renaissance and the award-winning The Quantum Activist.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Susanna Harwood Rubin on Pilgrimage, Kali & Cancer #98 Oct 01, 2019

Show notes

In this episode, we discuss:

Yoga’s evolution in New York City immediately following 9/11 and how Susanna found a yoga practice rooted in an intelligent spiritual worldview
Does everything happen for a reason? How Karma and Lila (divine play) interact in our lives.
Yoga of cancer as a deep inner conversation with the body rather than the language of battle.
What is pilgrimage? Can we engage in pilgrimage even if we can’t travel to spiritual sites?
Susanna’s pilgrimage with Kali, the Mother Goddess who represents all possibility.
Choosing who to walk through your (inner) life with.

Susanna Harwood Rubin is the author of Yoga 365: Daily Wisdom for Life On and Off the Mat. She is a yoga teacher, writer, and artist whose work is rooted in South Indian Philosophy. Based in NYC, Susanna teaches internationally and speaks on yoga, meditation, and Hindu myth. Her spiritual home is in Chidambaram, at the great Nataraja and Tillai Kali Temples. She teaches Devi Soul Yoga, combining yoga asana with mantra, myth, and mudra, and is the creator of 30 Things and Writing Your Practice workshops and online courses that apply yoga philosophy and myth to the practice of writing. Susanna writes for numerous publications and has been featured on HuffPostLive, MSNBC Today, SHE Summit, Yoga Journal, Mantra Wellness, and more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ekabhumi Ellik on Sacred Art (#97) Aug 13, 2019

Show notes

In this episode, we discuss:

What is a deity and the spectrum of deities
Different ways to approach deities (as a person with whom you have a personal relationship or an impersonal supreme that is beyond names and forms)
The role of sacred art in nourishing our spiritual nature
How to discern which type of sacred art to use
Eka's recent work on altars and having a place of divinity in your home
What a simple deity altar would include
Main misrepresentations and appropriations and why this matters as a practitio

Ekabhumi Charles Ellik is an award-winning poet, author, illustrator, yoga instructor and arts educator with 18 years of international teaching experience. Through a ritualized and meditative creative method, he makes artworks for ceremonial and educational use that help people deepen their spiritual practice, recognize the divinity of common experiences, and find meaning in the beauty of our world. His artworks may be found in yoga studios, private homes, and on altars around the world. He is currently part of the core faculty of livingsanskrit.com. His name was given by his first guru during a formal initiation ceremony into a tantric yoga lineage in 2005. Since that time, he has studied with many spiritual teachers and traditional artists both in India and the States. His art teachers include eminent western figurative painters like Domenic Cretara, as well as Newar artist Dinesh Charan Shrestha, Bikanir-style miniature painter Mahaveer Swami, Thangka painter Andy Weber, and yantra painter Mavis Gewant.
Ekabhumi’s writing and artwork has been published widely, appearing in anthologies and journals like The Poetry of Yoga, Berkeley Fiction Review, and Pearl, as well as books like Shiva’s Trident by Swami Khecharanatha, Tantra Illuminated by Christopher Hareesh Wallis and Awakening Shakti by Sally Kempton. His instructional Shakti Coloring Book and the uplifting Bhakti Coloring Book are now available world-wide from Sounds True Press.
Though his first love is the arts, he has a wide range of interests that are reflected in his many past occupations: event producer, stock options broker, handyman, journalist, ski boot fitter, competitive surfer and champion sailor. He toured internationally as a performance poet, and the poets he coached won numerous regional and national titles. He facilitated writer’s groups, hosted poetry readings, and organized spoken-word festivals for nearly 20 years, culminating in the acclaimed 2009 Individual World Poetry Slam.
Ekabhumi is an inspiring, playful yet methodical teacher who helps students cultivate deeper intuitive states. For nearly two decades, he variously taught yoga, painting, public speaking, and creative writing to students ranging from kindergarten to post-graduate level. Much of his time is now spent creating educational material about interpreting, making, and utilizing sacred art of the dharma traditions. On weekends, he can be found in his garden practicing silence and learning directly from Nature.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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