Mindrolling with Raghu Markus

Latest Episodes:

Ep. 495 – Selfistry with Sarah Marshank Jun 15, 2023

Show notes

Exploring the wisdom of Selfistry, Sarah Marshank joins to share her spiritual journey through the lens of Ram Dass's teaching of "from role to soul."

"There is a place that's always here that's in us and that holds us, that is 'okayness.' It's a relief to finally land there. And from there, to feel happy and sad, and witness the horrors as well as the exquisite beauty of the world, and feel okay with all of it. It's that dance—to know that everything is fundamentally okay and to address all the fucked up things in the world at the same time. Those are not mutually exclusive." – Sarah Marshank

In this episode, Raghu and Sarah mindfully explore:

Stories and themes from Sarah's new memoir, Being Selfish: My Journey from Escort to Monk to Grandmother
Sarah growing up in the religious container of Judaism, and how meditation helped her come to spirituality
Ram Dass's teachings of role to soul, and cultivating the witness
How Sarah came up with the term "selfistry" through playing with self and no-self
Opening to the okay-ness beyond the horror and beauty of the world
How Ram Dass's teaching of "loving awareness" is synonymous with "soul" as well as "okayness"

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Ep. 494 - Happiness & Uncovering the Authentic Self with Kesha Jun 11, 2023

Show notes

Raghu is joined by singer and songwriter Kesha to talk about living authentically, finding happiness, and bringing spiritual practice into our busy lives.

Check out Kesha's new record, Gag Order, featuring a heartful interlude from Ram Dass.

Kesha joins Raghu on Mindrolling to chat about:

Her experiences with Ram Dass’s teachings and her inspiration to sample him on her track, Ram Dass Interlude from her new album, Gag Order
The emptiness Kesha felt from outward seeking, the world of fame, and feeling unaligned with her truth
Feeding people to transform from “me land” to “we land”
Having the space to work from a state of authenticity
Motivations in the record business
The habitual patterns surrounding our spiritual practices
Reincarnation and Ram Dass’ manifestations after death
The surprising catalyst of Kesha's spiritual awakening
Humor as an essential quality of the spiritual path

"You’re making enough space to serve yourself to get calm enough to be able to then give to others." - Kesha

Raghu's book recommendation from this episode: Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ by Daniel Goleman

Sign up for the RamDass.org mailing list for a free five-day course that will help you build a daily practice of peace, presence, and spaciousness with Ram Dass: Enroll For Free

"You'd rather be vulnerable and be hurt than living dead." - Ram Dass

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Ep. 493 – Hope for the Future Generation: The Hidden Artists with Natalie Dayan Jun 01, 2023

Show notes

"The Hidden Artists podcast is about people who haven't been discovered yet—entrepreneurs, musicians, someone who is creative in what they do. People have all these talents, but they don't all have an opportunity to be known for what they do. I just want to give these people a chance to be able to do what they love for a living." – Natalie Dayan

In this episode, Raghu and Natalie dive into:

What it's like for Natalie being born Jewish, being raised in India, and now living in Los Angeles
Exploring the various parts of your identity
The inspiration behind starting her podcast, The Hidden Artists, which helps artists and entrepreneurs get discovered
Obtaining her Masters degree in Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine
Working with feeling lost in life, and using fear as a way to motivate yourself
The similarities and crossovers between Hinduism and Judiasm
How we are not our thoughts, we are not our story
Raghu's adventures through India, and learning Sab Ek (All One) wisdom from Maharaj-ji
Having faith that the universe is always working for you, as well as helping you be of service
ZaChoeje Rinpoche's wisdom to "stop struggling with struggle"
How with people like Natalie, the future is going to be okay

"You're not your story, you're not your thoughts; who you are, of course, is way behind all of that." – Raghu Markus

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Ep. 492 – Why We Meditate with Daniel Goleman May 25, 2023

Show notes

Raghu’s longtime friend, Daniel Goleman, returns to Mindrolling to catch up on his book co-authored with Tsoknyi Rinpoche, Why We Meditate.

“There’s more than normal consciousness. There are other possibilities that have their own kind of richness. There are paths to those possibilities.” – Daniel Goleman

In this episode of Mindrolling, Raghu and Daniel chat about:

Wild stories at Raghu’s family farm when they returned to the West
How Danny’s wife, Tara Bennet-Gorman’s book, Emotional Alchemy, along with traditional Tibetan practices served as Tsoknyi’s inspiration for addressing the things that get in the way of our lives, particularly as Westerners
Tsoknyi’s various methods for mindfulness: the handshake method, dropping practice, and more
How Ram Dass came up with the term, “little shmoos”
Cultivating a sense of “okayness” with things as they are
The different types of love on the spectrum of “essence love”

“These kinds of practices get integrated into your being. They're a resource for that intuitive trust.” – Raghu Markus

Open a copy of Daniel Goleman and Tsoknyi Rinpoche's new book, Why We Meditate, here.

Pick up Emotional Alchemy, written by Daniel's wife, Tara Bennett-Goleman here.

If you’re interested in general teachings of Tibetan spirituality, check out Blazing Splendor.

About Daniel Goleman:

Daniel is an internationally known psychologist and author. His New York Times bestselling book, Emotional Intelligence, was named one of the 25 “Most Influential Business Management Books” by TIME Magazine. Daniel is also a board member of the Mind & Life Institute, an organization that fosters dialogues and research collaborations among contemplative practitioners and scientists. Daniel has organized a series of intensive conversations between the Dalai Lama and scientists, and further merged Dharma and science, coauthoring Altered Traits: Science Reveals How Meditation Changes Your Mind, Brain, and Body. Learn more about Daniel’s work at danielgoleman.info

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Ep. 491 -The Mind-Body Connection with Dr. Shamini Jain, Ph.D May 18, 2023

Show notes

Dr. Shamini Jain connects with Raghu Markus to discuss harmonizing our autonomic nervous system via an integration of the mind and body.

“What we know now is that our emotions have a deep effect on our physiology; they're very interconnected. We can create health simply with our breathing, with our connection with energy, with our connection with a deeper core of who we are.” – Shamini Jain, Ph.D

In this episode of Mindrolling, Raghu talks with Dr. Shamini Jain about:

The multiple ways to experience God within our consciousness
Jainism and the main tenant of non-violence
The nature of vibration and its relationship to the healing process
Psychoneuroimmunology (PNI) and the mind-body connection
How we can prevent disease by harmonizing our autonomic nervous system
The subtlety of sound and Dr. Shamini's research on using music to heal
Reiki, Chi Gong, meditation and other traditions of vibrational practices

“If you transform polarization inside yourself, you probably transform the development of cells that are in opposition to each other.” – Raghu Markus

About Dr. Shamini Jain, Ph.D:

Dr. Shamini Jain is a psychologist, scientist, and social entrepreneur. She is the founder and CEO of the Consciousness and Healing Initiative (CHI), a nonprofit collaborative accelerator that connects scientists, health practitioners, educators, and artists to help lead humanity to heal ourselves. Dr. Jain also serves as adjunct faculty at UC San Diego, where she is an active member of the UC San Diego Center for Integrative Medicine’s Research Committee. Her bestselling book, Healing Ourselves: Biofield Science and the Future of Health, via Sounds True Publications, is available at booksellers worldwide.

Learn more about Dr. Shamini and her upcoming events/courses/books at shaminijain.com

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Ep. 490 – The Four Sacred Gifts with Anita Sanchez, Ph.D May 11, 2023

Show notes

On a mission to connect hearts all over the world through Indigenous wisdom, Anita Sanchez illuminates her new book, The Four Sacred Gifts, with Raghu.

Sign up for Ram Dass's Yoga of Heartfulness Course, starting May 15th, at RamDass.org/heart

“Out of the beingness that is whole, loving, collaborative, and grateful, then we do the doing. Wellbeing inspires well-doing.” – Anita Sanchez, Ph.D

This time on Mindrolling, Raghu talks with Anita Sanchez about:

Receiving wisdom, dreams, and prophecies passed down by indigenous elders
The healing path and how indigenous wisdom paved Anita’s way
Creating harmony in the heart, mind, body, and spirit to radiate it to the world
‘The Hoop of Life’ as an emblem for unity
Forgiveness as a pathway to freedom, a pathway to love fully, and the passcode to your own divinity
Putting ‘wise hope’ into action

“It’s a good day to heal. It's a good day to forgive. It’s a good day to be in unity. It’s a good day to have more dreams and more hope in action.” – Anita Sanchez, Ph.D

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 soul work at anita-sanchez.com and get the book, The Four Sacred Gifts, at foursacredgifts.com.

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Ep. 489 – Heartfulness as a Way of Life with RamDev (Dale Borglum) and Jackie Dobrinska May 05, 2023

Show notes

In this special episode, Raghu, RamDev (Dale Borglum), and Jackie Dobrinska weave the tapestry for heartfulness as a way of life.

Sign up for Ram Dass's Yoga of Heartfulness Course, starting May 15th, at RamDass.org/heart

“The development of heartfulness will help—we expect—to transform the polarity that we’re living in within ourselves and in our society and culture.” – Raghu Markus

In this episode of Mindrolling, Raghu, RamDev, and Jackie tap into:

The path for cultivating heartfulness
The abundance of ways that one can be in the presence of the divine
Raghu meeting Ram Dass for the first time
Navigating suffering with an open heart
Practices for developing the heart-mind
The antidote for isolation and separateness
A heart-awakening meditation guided by RamDev

“The heart begins to reveal how spacious it is, how connected it is. It's as vast as the sky. It's boundless.” – RamDev

“To hold our humanity in the context of our divinity, that’s the work.” – RamDev

About 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 Dying Center. He has taught and lectured extensively on the topics of spiritual support for those with life-threatening illness, on caregiving as a spiritual practice, and on healing at the edge, the edge of illness, of death, of loss, of crisis.

Learn more about The Living/Dying Project at livingdying.org

About Jackie Dobrinska:

Jackie Dobrinska is the Director of Education, Community & Inclusion for Ram Dass' Love, Serve, Remember Foundation and the current host of Ram Dass’ Here & Now podcast. She is also a teacher, coach, and spiritual director with the privilege of marrying two decades of mystical studies with 15 years of expertise in holistic wellness. As an interspiritual minister, Jackie was ordained in Creation Spirituality in 2016 and has also studied extensively in several other lineages - the plant-medicine-based Pachakuti Mesa Tradition, Sri Vidya Tantra, Western European Shamanism, Christian Mysticism, the Wise Woman Tradition, and others. Today, in addition to building courses and community for LSRF, she leads workshops and coaches individuals to discover, nourish and live from their most authentic selves.

Learn more about Jackie’s work at asimplevibrantlife.com.

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Ep. 488 - Riding the Spirit Bus with Ahad Cobb Apr 27, 2023

Show notes

Author, musician, and astrologist, Ahad Cobb dissects his new memoir, Riding the Spirit Bus, with Raghu Markus.

“The very fact of living in cooperative community on the earth together is itself a gift to many people in our culture.” – Ahad Cobb

This time on mindrolling, Raghu Markus and Ahad Cobb discuss:

Ahad Cobb's background with Ram Dass
Maharaj-ji's grace
Writing Riding the Spirit Bus
The Lama Foundation and becoming grounded
Communal living
Walking in the forest as meditation

About Ahad Cobb:

Ahad is the author, editor, and publisher of six books, including Image Nation and Early Lama Foundation. A musician and leader of Dances of Universal Peace, he has also served as a continuing member, officer, and trustee of the Lama Foundation. He studies and teaches Jyotish (Vedic astrology). He lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Check out Ahad's new memoir about spiritual awakening and Ram Dass, Riding the Spirit Bus, HERE

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Ep. 487 - The Mysterion with Kabir Helminski Apr 20, 2023

Show notes

Teacher, translator, and Rumi Scholar, Kabir Helminski, gets together with Raghu to discuss Sufi mysticism and his new book, The Mysterion.

"In Sufism, sincerity would be understood to be something like doing whatever you do for the sake of God; not for anyone's approval, not for attention, not for pleasure." – Kabir Helminski

In this episode of Mindrolling, Raghu Markus and Kabir Helminski chat about:

Kabir's encounter with Ram Dass
The tradition of Rumi
Sufism and sincerity
The sense of self in the Sufi tradition
Presence as a single field of awareness
Relief from judgment and the power of laughter

About Kabir Helminski:

Kabir has been translating Rumi and writing about spirituality for more than forty years. He is a respected teacher, a Shaikh of the Mevlevi Order, which traces back to Rumi. Kabir Helminski is co-director, with his wife, Camille Helminski, of the Threshold Society, a nonprofit organization dedicated to sharing the knowledge and practice of Sufism. He is the author of Living Presence and the translator of four volumes of Rumi’s poetry, including Love Is a Stranger and Rumi: Daylight. His most recent book, The Mysterion: Rumi and the Secret of Becoming Fully Human, can be purchased HERE.

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Ep. 486 - Death & Tibetan Traditions with David Silver Apr 13, 2023

Show notes

Making friends with death, David Silver and Raghu Markus explore Tibetan Traditions and the wisdom of death and dying.

"'Mindfulness is the path to the deathless, headlessness is the path to death. The mindful do not die, but the headless are as if dead already.' If you are not mindful through the flow of your earthly life, that will bring death and its fury." – David Silver quoting/commenting on the Dhammapada

In this episode, David Silver joins Raghu Markus to explore:

Death and dying in the Tibetan tradition
Individual success within the collective
Viewing death as an adventure
The ego as a servant instead of a master
Surrendering the bubble of separation

"Certainly a cause of sickness is the way we guard ourselves and the way we act in the world from this separated place. That's why you do not need to be old to get any benefit from some of the incredible wisdom of the Tibetan culture." – Raghu Markus

About David Silver:

David Silver is the former co-host of the Mindrolling podcast. He is a filmmaker and director, most recently coming out with Brilliant Disguise. Brilliant Disguise tells the unique story of a group of inspired Western spiritual seekers from the 60s, who in meeting the great American teacher, Ram Dass, followed him to India to meet his Guru, Neem Karoli Baba, familiarly known as Maharaji. Two days before he left his body, Maharaji instructed K.C. Tewari to take care of the Westerners, which he did resolutely until the day he died in 1997. K.C. Tewari—in the guise of a headmaster of a boys school in the foothills of the Himalayas—was secretly a High Yogi, frequently able to go into altered states of trance, known as Samadhi, at any moment.

Watch Brilliant Disguise HERE

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