Contemplify

Latest Episodes:

Contemplating the Universe (Bonus! Practice Episode) May 19, 2017

Show notes

This bonus practice episode invites you to ground your being in contemplating the universe. This practice is from Nancy Ellen Abram's book, A God That Could Be Real (pp. 89 - 90)

Becoming Esteemed Ancestors with a Cosmic Vision - Nancy Ellen Abrams (author of A God That Could Be Real) May 16, 2017

Show notes

'You will find that your beliefs are enriched by reading Abrams's [A God That Could Be Real]. I am thrilled that we have the creativity and originality that is exhibited in this book, and I recommend it highly to all, religious or secular, believer or atheist, who are ready to explore honestly their understanding of the divine in our beautiful, expanding universe.'

- Desmond Tutu

Nancy Ellen Abrams is the author of A God That Could Be Real. This episode will be of special interest for those who wrestled with the science vs. religion debate wondering if there was another perspective out there that transcends the typical binary conversation on this debate. In this episode, Abrams unpacks a new vision of God based on an agreed upon cosmology from today's leading cosmologists. The implications have the potential to lead this generation of humans to become the 'esteemed ancestors of the future'. You can learn more about Nancy Ellen Abrams work at nancyellenabrams.com or follow her on Twitter @cosmicsociety.

David Michie: Meditate to Know Thyself (Author of The Dalai Lama's Cat and Hurry Up and Meditate) May 08, 2017

Show notes

'You get the sense that this guy practices what he preaches. There's a confidence and peace that inspires.'

- Modern Sage Magazine

David Michie is a presenter, mindful safari guide and author, best known for his novel series The Dalai Lama's Cat. In our conversation we focused on the importance of meditation through the lens of his book, Hurry Up and Meditate: Your Starter Kit for Inner Peace and Better Health. You will hear David share how to overcome the usual hurdles to starting a meditation practice, how meditation is like going to the gym, the practical benefits he has seen in his own life thanks to his practice and we conclude our conversation with David unpacking the common philosophical statement 'Know Thyself' from a non-conceptual perspective. I think you will enjoy the light-hearted yet wise musings of David Michie. To learn more about David's work, visit davidmichie.com.

Scott Hartley: The Future Needs Philosophers (Author of The Fuzzy and the Techie: Why The Liberal Arts will Rule the Digital World) Apr 25, 2017

Show notes

Scott Hartley is venture capitalist and author. In 2016 he was a finalist for the Financial Times and McKinsey & Company's Bracken Bower Prize for the best business book proposal by an author under 35. He has served as a Presidential Innovation Fellow at the White House, a Partner at Mohr Davidow Ventures (MDV), and a Venture Partner at Metamorphic Ventures. Prior to venture capital, Scott worked at Google, Facebook, and Harvard's Berkman Center for Internet & Society. He has been a contributing author at MIT Press, and has written for the Financial Times, Forbes, Inc., Foreign Policy, and the Boston Review. He holds three degrees from Stanford and Columbia, has finished six marathon and Ironman 70.3 triathlons. He is a Term Member at the Council on Foreign Relations, and has visited over 70 countries. You can learn more about Scott's work at fuzzytechie.com and hartleyglobal.com. (from hartleyglobal.com)

In our conversation we touch on Scott's interest in Stoicism, how many leaders of the tech world have backgrounds in philosophy, how the liberal arts prepares one for the many ethical questions facing innovation today and how his father in his late 60s designed an app for the iPhone without any prior technical training. I'm going to do a giveaway for a copy of Scott's book, The Fuzzy and the Techie: Why The Liberal Arts will Rule the Digital World. If you want to enter the giveaway for a chance to get Scott's book, all you have to do is rate and review Contemplify on iTunes and then email me at hello@contemplify.com with your biggest takeaway from this conversation. As always, thanks for listening!

Washing Dishes with Thich Nhat Hahn and Hitchhiking to Thomas Merton: Jim Forest on a Life Worthy of Such Friendships Apr 03, 2017

Show notes

"Henry David Thoreau, by no means the most conventional man of his time, lamented on his death bed, "What demon possessed me that I behaved so well." He would have taken comfort in Holy Fools. They remind us of a deeper sanity that is sometimes hidden beneath apparent lunacy: the treasure of a God-centered life."

- Jim Forest (Praying with Icons)

Jim Forest is the author of numerous books, including The Root of War is Fear: Thomas Merton's Advice to Peacemakers. He serves as International Secretary of the Orthodox Peace Fellowship. In this episode, Jim shares tales about his friendships with Dorothy Day, Thomas Merton, Daniel Berrigan and Thich Nhat Hahn. The gentle straightforward nature of this conversation rallies around a pilgrim way of living in pursuit of embodying love and justice. Jim offers reflective wisdom on marriage, works of mercy, and guidance for those in the earlier stages of life. You can learn more about Jim's work at jimandnancyforest.com.

Art is Resonance: The Ambient Internal Landscape of Musician and Ecopsychologist Russell James Pyle Mar 25, 2017

Show notes

Russell James Pyle (russelljamespyle.com) is a national touring Musician and Ecopsychologist based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Russell is one of a kind--an ambient folk troubadour, Buddhist, ecopsychologist, flyfisherman, avid hiker, comic book enthusiast, and with deep roots in the Pamunkey tribe. You will find that all of these elements flow through Russell and are expressed articulately through his music. We cover a lot of ground, Russell's shift into a more contemplative way of being, the appearance of ecopsychology on TV, the joy of hiking alone, how the internal landscape is in relationship to the external and how Russell expresses that through music.

In Rhythm with Life: Alana Levandoski on Being a Contemplative Artisan and Collaborating with James Finley Mar 17, 2017

Show notes

"The thing about Alana [Levandoski] is that she's gifted. She's not just gifted as a musician, which she is, but she's gifted as a lyricist...she teased these words, kind of like mantras, highly evocative mantras. She strung them together in a developmental expansion. So it was really a stroke of creative insight. It was really lovely how she brought it together."

- James Finley (via interview with Ordinary Mystic)

After Alana Levandoski attended and graduated from the Living School for Action and Contemplation, Alana experienced a rebirth as an artist, finally opening to a way of integrating her spirituality, her craftsmanship and her lifestyle. Abiding by a monastic rule inspired by her time living with the Benedictines, Alana and her husband Ian have committed to a life of minimalism and sacred simplicity.

Alana released a new album in September 2016. The album is a series of chants and compositions with spoken word in collaboration with contemplative teacher and clinical psychologist James Finley (author of Merton's Palace of Nowhere). It is called Sanctuary ~ Exploring the Healing Path with Alana Levandoski and James Finley. (adapted from alanalevandoski.com)

The Priest of the Woods and the Fullness of the Earth with Stephen Blackmer Mar 07, 2017

Show notes

Stephen Blackmer is founding executive director of Kairos Earth and chaplain of Church of the Woods. Steve comes to this with 30 years of conservation experience, having founded and built conservation organizations including the Five Rivers Conservation Trust, Northern Forest Alliance and Northern Forest Center. A midlife shift led him to Yale Divinity School and ordination as a priest in the Episcopal Church, carrying the question in his heart and mind: "How can being a priest deepen my work to conserve the Earth? What does the Christian tradition have to offer to this work? How can the Christian tradition be re-understood and re-imagined in a time of need? How can the conservation movement recover its understanding of the Earth as holy ground?" (adapted from kairosearth.org)

The Contemplative Hint: Seeking to Say the Unsayable within Christianity with Rev. Dr. Peter Traben Haas Mar 01, 2017

Show notes

�Rev. Dr. Peter Traben Haas is the author of several books, including Centering Prayers: A One Year Daily Companion for Going Deeper into the Love of God. Peter is steeped in the Christian contemplative tradition, passionate about bringing the contemplative mind into church communities and the sheer number of books mentioned in this episode could chart the course for your next year (or two) of reading.

The Generous Cadence of the Singer of Solitude: Kevin Dann on Henry David Thoreau (Author of Expect Great Things: The Life and Search of Henry David Thoreau) Feb 20, 2017

Show notes

"Though I do not believe that a plant will spring up where no seed has been, I have great faith in a seed. Convince me that you have a seed there, and I am prepared to expect wonders."

- Henry David Thoreau

Kevin Dann is a historian, naturalist, and troubadour, and author of ten books, including Expect Great Things: The Life and Search of Henry David Thoreau; Bright Colors Falsely Seen: Synaesthesia and the Search for Transcendental Knowledge; Across the Great Border Fault: The Naturalist Myth in America; and Lewis Creek Lost and Found. Dann has taught at Rutgers University, University of Vermont, and the State University of New York. In the spring of 2009, Dann walked from Montreal to Manhattan to commemorate the 400th anniversaries of Hudson's and Champlain's voyages, and, having crossed the Brooklyn Bridge, decided to stay here. (adapted from drdann.com)

In this episode, Kevin shares his journey with Thoreau with us, the importance of careful attention to reality, and the two questions he would ask Thoreau if he had the chance. You can learn more about Kevin's work at drdann.com.

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