Mindrolling with Raghu Markus

Latest Episodes:

Ep. 565 - From Crisis to Clarity with Chrisspy Oct 25, 2024

Show notes

Influencer and cosmetic artist Chrisspy shares how Ram Dass inspired her to change her life after a traumatic accident.

In this episode of Mindrolling, Chrisspy and Raghu discuss:

- Chrisspy’s near-death experience and how it transformed her life

- Discovering Ram Dass, Eastern Philosophy, and connecting to spirituality

- Elements of influencer culture that are toxic

- Chrisspy’s decision to delete social media for a year and go on a spiritual journey

- Not taking ourselves so seriously or castigating ourselves

- The pressure to share every part of ourselves online

- Connecting through storytelling

- Gratitude practice and paying attention to what we take for granted

- Making a positive impact by showing up for others

- The ways that we view love versus real love

About Chrisspy:

Christina, aka Chrisspy, is the second-youngest of four children, raised on non-sugar cereals and 2% milk, in a home chock full of bluster and strong opinion. Displaying a penchant for the artistic from an early age, in order to make her voice heard, she learned to be concise, bold, and avant-garde. After working for MAC cosmetics in San Francisco, she moved to Los Angeles, earned a bachelor’s degree from UCLA, and began posting pictures online to showcase her make-up techniques under the name, Chrisspy. She hopes to curry favor and influence friends, but more importantly, she hopes to empower women with the tools to look their best! Check out her website HERE and find her @Chrisspy on Youtube, Tik-Tok, and Instagram.

“I didn’t feel comfortable acting as a reality star in certain ways. It felt performative and it robbed me of so many experiences because I always was gauging is this shareable, how is the audience going to like this, instead of just living it.” – Chrisspy

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Ep. 564 - Mother Earth: A Call to Protect and Reconnect w/ Anita Sanchez, Ph.D Oct 18, 2024

Show notes

Anita Sanchez and Raghu Markus confront the impacts of global warming, celebrate indigenous traditions, and explore the deep connection of nature and humanity.

This week, Raghu and Anita Sanchez have a compelling conversation on:

Anita's recent journey into the Amazon Rainforest
The intense impact of global warming on Amazonian landscapes
The strength and leadership of indigenous amazonian women
Climate change as the biggest threat to national security
Viewing plants and nature as our relatives
Asking our ancestors for answers in our dreams
The way that mother earth cares for us
Getting rid of the illusion of separateness
Anita's epiphany at a Sundance ceremony
Getting involved with protecting our planet
Reconnecting to sacred, ritualistic ways of being
Indigenous plant medicine and the potency of Ayahuasca
Appropriation of indigenous practices
What the four sacred gifts are

About Anita Sanchez, Ph.D:

Anita was born into a Midwest family that was economically poor, yet rich in Mexican-American and Nahua (also known as Aztec) heritage. Fortified with the strength of her elders and connection to the earth, she became the first in her family of over one hundred first cousins to earn a doctorate degree. She has gone on to a career as an international transformational leader.

Dr. Sanchez is committed to bridging indigenous wisdom and science with or contemporary work and life, to support our individual wholeness and collective conscious evolution in partnership with People, Spirit, and the Earth. With her loving spirit, presence and skill, Anita inspires people around the world to discover and trust their gifts, to become life-giving connections to all, in service and joy.

Learn more about Anita’s work at anita-sanchez.com and check out her own podcast on Be Here Now Network, The Four Sacred Gifts

“80% of the most biodiverse places left on this earth are lands that indigenous people live on. Yet, we’re only 5 or 6 % of the world’s population. That’s not a coincidence, that’s because we have this relationship.”– Anita Sanchez, Ph.D

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Ep. 563 - Science and Spirit with Stephanie Karzon Abrams Oct 11, 2024

Show notes

Bridging science and spirit, Stephanie Karzon Abrams chats with Raghu about integrating psychedelics and soul into the medical community.

This time on Mindrolling, Raghu and Stephanie delve into:

Out-of-body experiences through music
Addressing identity changes after Traumatic Brain Injuries
Utilizing plants to promote better health
Reconnecting to ourselves through psychedelic therapies
Trauma from displacement and immigration
Bridging science and spirit by integrating holistic views into medicine
The mental health impact of physical health issues
Getting the medical world to want to heal the mind and soul as well as the physical
The ways that psychedelic experiences can change us
The importance of having a guide through psychedelic experiences
Sitting with discomfort and being open to the lessons
How music expands our minds and creates a space for connection

About Stephanie Karzon Abrams:

Stephanie Karzon Abrams, a neuropharmacologist with a Masters of Science in Clinical Pharmacology, is the founding advisor of Beyond The Bench consultancy. The firm provides science, research, operations, and strategy solutions to organizations and clinics in the natural product, plant medicine, and psychedelic sectors. A recognized leader in shaping the future of integrative and innovative healthcare, Stephanie Karzon Abrams champions the exploration of novel therapeutic approaches. Her interests extend beyond neurology, encompassing plant medicines, women’s health, and the potential of music to enhance healing. Check out Stephanie’s music label, Public Secret.

“Anybody who has any kind of health challenge will have their mental health affected. There is an impact. Just treating that illness or symptom is not enough; you need to heal the mind. You need to heal the soul. They’re all interconnected. There’s no reason why medical science, especially when we talk about psychedelics, can’t address all of that. For me, that’s the ultimate goal, if I can use research as a tool to achieve this then I’ve succeeded.” – Stephanie Karzon Abrams

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Ep. 562 – Unfolding Our Grief with Poet Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer Oct 04, 2024

Show notes

Written in the key of grief and the melody of praise, Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer sits down with Raghu to discuss her newest poetry book, The Unfolding.

Enjoy your own copy of The Unfolding to read Rosemerry’s heart-opening poems! Purchase the book HERE

This week, tune into Rosemerry and Raghu’s conversation on:

The loss of Rosemerry’s son and father
Living through seasons of extreme grief
Understanding the gift of a poem
Oppositional feelings experienced at the same time (pain + joy, etc.)
Recognizing how desperately we need eachother
The Grand Quilt, The Medicine of Surrender, and more poems written and read by Rosemerry
Brave prayers and the things that open us / help us grow
Inspiration from Gregory Orr and Leonard Cohen
How grief strips us naked and makes us vulnerable
Raghu sends us off with a beautiful Kabir poem from the book Painting from the Palette of Love

About Rossemerry Trommer:

Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer is an American poet associated with Colorado. She was Poet Laureate of San Miguel County, Colorado from 2006–2010, and was named Poet Laureate of Colorado’s Western Slope by the Telluride Institute from 2015–2017. Most recently, Rosemerry published The Unfolding, a book of poetry exploring grief. Rosemerry was featured on TEDxTalks to discuss the art of changing metaphors and created an album of poetry called Dark Praise with Steve Law. Check out Rosemerry’s website, Wordwoman, and her daily poetry blog, A Hundred Falling Veils. You can also join Rosemerry in an immersive daily experience of poetry and reflection on the Ritual app.

“So many people reached out to help me… they’d say, ‘What can we do?’ And I’d just say, ‘Open me. Help me stay open. Please, help me stay open.’” – Rosemerry Trommer

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Ep. 561 – Wise Chiefs and Community Welfare with Daniele Bolelli Sep 27, 2024

Show notes

Daniele Bolelli contrasts the beauty of community and selfless leadership in Native culture with the epidemic of loneliness in America.

In this episode, Daniele and Raghu roll through:

Native American history and lessons
Daniele’s first exposure to Native culture through his journalist mother
How the Sundance ceremony shifted Daniele’s entire world
The purpose of Sundance ceremony and praying for the welfare of all living beings
The beauty and power of community we can see in Native American culture
Loneliness in America as an epidemic
Discussing a few of the great Native American chiefs, like Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull
Thinking collectively for the well-being of an entire village
Why a functioning community or tribe is essential for collective ideologies to work
The Native American myth of the Wendigo as a metaphor for insatiable craving

Grab the book Daniele suggests, Black Elk Speaks, for more Native American wisdom and stories.

About Daniele Bolelli:

Daniele Bolelli is an Italian writer, philosopher, and professor of comparative religion. Currently living in Los Angeles, Danielle Bolelli is also a martial artist and podcaster. Learn more about Danielle Bolelli and his published works as well as his suggested reading list on Daniellebolelli.com.

Be sure to subscribe to Danielle’s podcast, History on Fire.

“Loneliness is one of those epidemics that is killing us on a mental health level. When you see functioning communities, it’s a beautiful thing because that sense of relation that exists with this group of people that are not just your nuclear family but extend beyond that.” – Daniele Bolelli

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Ep. 560 – The Healing Path with American Author and Clinical Psychologist James Finley Sep 20, 2024

Show notes

Sharing inspiration from the monk Thomas Merton, James Finley explains what he has learned about God, healing, and mystical paths.

Grab James Finley’s Memoir, The Healing Path, HERE

This week, James and Raghu have a deep conversation about:

How James discovered a connection to God through Thomas Merton
James’ time living in the Abbey of Gethsemani immediately after high school
The resonance that happens between awakened people
The secret, safe place that God can commune with us
Never forgetting what we learn from dark times
Having empathy for others through our own suffering
Seeing children as our mentors
Becoming an act of acceptance for the unexplainable mystery
The healing stories in the gospels

About James Finley:

James Finley is an author, clinical psychologist, and spiritual director. He is one of the core faculty members of the Center for Action and Contemplation (with Richard Rohr) and is host of the CAC podcast “Turning to the Mystics.” A former novice under Thomas Merton at the Abbey of Gethsemani, he is the author of the classic book Merton’s Palace of Nowhere: A Search for God through Awareness of the True Self. A leading figure in the integration of psychology and spiritual direction, he has led workshops and retreats around the country.

“Often, when the terror is overtaking us, it isn’t until later that we reflect on it. We realize it isn’t that it wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t just terrible. That precisely because it got so dark I was able to see a light shining in the darkness that had come in looking for me, or it was there all along and I didn’t know it.”– James Finley

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Ep. 559 – The Quest for Healing and Home with John Philip Newell Sep 13, 2024

Show notes

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 world
The Celtic lineage and having awareness for the sacredness of nature
Knowing that wisdom resides deep within us, not outside of us
Seeing the universe as an expression of the divine
What we can learn from native traditions
A radical new beginning through humility and relation to earth and one another
Addressing the divine in one another and in every life form
Breaking cycles of war and repetition
The contributions of Carl Jung on the collective and individual unconscious
Merging Eastern and Western traditions

Check out The Marriage of East and West to learn more about the topics John and Raghu reference

About John Philip Newell:

John Philip Newell is a Celtic teacher and author of spirituality who calls the modern world to reawaken to the sacredness of Earth and every human being. In 2016 he began the Earth & Soul initiative and teaches regularly in the United States and Canada as well as leading international pilgrimage weeks on Iona in the Western Isles of Scotland. His PhD is from the University of Edinburgh and he has authored over fifteen books, including his award-winning publication, Sacred Earth Sacred Soul, which was the 2022 Gold Winner of the Nautilus Book Award for Spirituality and Religious Thought of the West. His new book, also with HarperOne (and published in the UK by Wild Goose), is The Great Search (August 2024), in which he looks at the great spiritual yearnings of humanity today in the context of the decline of religion as we have known it.

Join senior meditation teachers David Nichtern and Rebecca D’Onofrio for a free online discussion on the path of developing one's own meditation practice and supporting others who wish to explore this transformative path.

Register for free today: The Journey of Becoming a Meditation Teacher | Sep. 19th @ 6:00pm ET

“For me, it was the introduction to Celtic wisdom that awakened me to knowing that wisdom is deep within us and the divine is at the very heart of our beings. We don’t have to somehow invoke or implore a distance presence.” – John Philip Newell

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Ep. 558 – Irreducible: Consciousness, Life, Computers and Human Nature with Federico Faggin Sep 06, 2024

Show notes

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 Nature

This episode of Mindrolling with Federico and Raghu includes these topics:

Federico's life growing up in Italy
Neuroscience and studying consciousness
How physical feelings come from electrical processes in the brain
Connecting spirituality and physics
Considering if a computer could be programmed for consciousness
Faggin's experience recognizing the inner love that comes out of us
How quantum physics proves the interconnection within the universe
Federico's perspective on freewill and determinism in our lives
Going beyond what science has done
The limited freedom we have while incarnated
Predicting our behavior and how our consciousness is watching all
Grace and the unpredictability of free will
The divine mystery and why it will never be resolved

About Federico Faggin:

Federico Faggin is an Italian-American physicist, engineer, inventor and entrepreneur. He is best known for designing the first commercial microprocessor, the Intel 4004. He led the 4004 project and the design group during the first five years of Intel's microprocessor effort. Federico Faggin is one of the greatest luminaries of high technology alive today; his work underlies the modern world's entire information technology. His new book, Irreducible: Consciousness, Life, Computers and Human Nature, was just published in May of 2024.

“I eventually ended up deciding that I was going to spend the rest of my life studying consciousness and trying to connect spirituality and physics. In other worlds, connect the other inner world of experience and meaning with the outer world of symbols and matter in space and time.” – Federico Faggin

Register for free today: The Journey of Becoming a Meditation Teacher | Sep. 19th @ 6:00pm ET

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Ep. 557 – A Meditator's Guide to Buddhism with Cortland Dahl Aug 30, 2024

Show notes

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 aspirations
Tuning into ourselves and trusting ourselves
Learning through our relationships
Recognizing that the next Buddha is the sangha
Nurturing sparks of inspiration through practice
How meeting teachers helps us realize our own inner depth
Why curiosity can move us along the spiritual path
Patience, creating space, and being vs. doing
Self-compassion in a world of chaos and uncertainty
Discomfort as a zone of growth
Expanding our motivations for doing our practice
Seeing the awakened nature in everyone and everything

Pick up a copy of A Meditator's Guide to Buddhism HERE

About 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 and Nepal, where he spent long periods in solitary retreat in the Himalayan foothills and taught courses on Buddhism, meditation, and Tibetan language at Kathmandu University’s Center for Buddhist Studies and at the Tergar Institute, which he co-founded in 2007. He went on to study at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he was mentored by the renowned neuroscientist Dr. Richard Davidson and received a Ph.D. in Mind, Brain, and Contemplative Science, the first ever degree of its kind awarded by the university. Cortland's current work focuses on studying the psychological and neural mechanisms of different families of meditation practice. He is also the creator of the Healthy Minds program, a well-being training program that integrates insights from scientific research with a comprehensive path of contemplative training. Keep up with Cortland HERE or check out his books HERE.

“We have no clue of this depth and richness that is inside of us. How we stumble through life completely oblivious to these amazing qualities of mind and somehow we just haven’t learned to see it. Then, you meet a teacher and it gets cracked open a little bit and you start getting a glimpse just by being in their orbit.” – Cortland Dahl

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Ep. 556 – Mindfulness and Metta: A Mindrolling Anthology w/ Joseph Goldstein and Sharon Salzberg Aug 23, 2024

Show notes

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 beings be at peace.” – Joseph Goldstein

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