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Tantra Illuminated with Dr. Christopher Wallis — Religion & Spirituality
Tantra Illuminated with Dr. Christopher Wallis

Tantra Illuminated with Dr. Christopher Wallis is a journey through the depths of the human experience, as viewed through the lens of the tradition called nondual Shaiva Tantra. This multi-format podcast, hosted by professional Sanskritist and scholar-practitioner Dr. Christopher Wallis, delves into the fascinating world of Classical Tantra and its intersections with philosophy, neuroscience, psychology, healing arts, and the broader world of spirituality. Discover how the ancient wisdom of Classical Tantra offers profound insights for today’s world, and prepare to challenge conventional narratives about self, reality, and consciousness. The aim is to inspire, educate, and ignite transformative conversations. The podcast includes four types of episodes: conversations with prominent spiritual teachers and philosophers, readings of translations from luminous Sanskrit scriptures, guided meditations, and contemplative reflections. Discover a treasure trove of guided meditations, teachings and courses at tantrailluminated.org. Podcast Art by Jesse Molina camatkaracreative.com.

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Copyright: © Christopher Wallis

Latest Episodes:

Unbounded Freedom with Ruben Laukkonen Aug 30, 2024

Show notes

This week's episode features Dr. Ruben Laukkonen, an accomplished researcher in meditation and altered states of consciousness. With a PhD on insight experiences from the University of Queensland and postdoctoral work on the neuroscience of meditation at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Ruben now serves as an assistant professor at Southern Cross University. His research investigates some of the rarest states of consciousness available to human beings, utilizing methods like neuroimaging and phenomenology. A recipient of multiple awards, Ruben combines an eclectic contemplative background from traditions such as Zen, Advaita, and Theravada with a deep experiential understanding of altered states of consciousness, meditation, and awakening. In our discussion, Ruben shares insights from his personal journey and his experience of reality throughout it.

Discover a treasure trove of guided meditations, teachings, and courses at tantrailluminated.org.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Path of Tantra: Interview by Adam Keen Aug 25, 2024

Show notes

This week's episode revisits a conversation with Adam Keen from the Keen on Yoga podcast. Originally recorded in mid-2023, this discussion offers a personal glimpse into my journey, complemented by rapid-fire questions about Classical Tantra, neo-tantra, and hatha yoga, among other topics. We delve into the nuances of the Yoga Sutras, reincarnation, the process of digesting experiences for resolution, and connecting to the subtle body during yoga asana practice. It’s a comprehensive chat that blends personal insights with spirituality.

Discover a treasure trove of guided meditations, teachings, and courses at tantrailluminated.org.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tantra & Animism: a Double-barrel Interview with Josh Schrei Aug 16, 2024

Show notes

This week's episode features a conversation with Josh Schrei, a writer, teacher, and lifelong student of cosmologies and mythologies, particularly those from the Indian subcontinent. Throughout his life, Josh has explored the animate spaces of the imagination through teaching, meditation, yogic practice, wilderness immersion, art, music, and public speaking. He is the founder of The Emerald podcast, which hosts interviews with award-winning authors and luminaries, exploring human experiences through the lenses of myth, story, and imagination. The podcast challenges conventional narratives on topics ranging from politics to literature. In this double-barreled conversation, Josh first interviews me about the role of guardianship and protector deities in Tantra, and the complex dynamics of spiritual protection in a non-dual interconnected universe. Then, I interview Josh about his personal journey and the experiences that have significantly shaped him.

Support Josh on Patreon.

You can find a traditional daily space-clearing practice here (create a free account to access).

Discover a treasure trove of guided meditations, teachings, and courses at tantrailluminated.org.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Exploring the Subtle Body Aug 11, 2024

Show notes

This week's episode is a meditation practice in which we focus on fully feeling all the subtle sensations in our body, from the pelvic floor to the crown of the head. Beginning from a place of grounded awareness in the body, we are invited to explore the physical and energetic realms of our being. The practice gradually moves through our energy centers emphasizing direct experience over visualization, with the aim to be fully present with emotions and their associated sensations.

This 40-minute meditation is divided into three stages. If you have 18 minutes, you can complete the first part (01:20 - 19:17). For 24 minutes, continue through the second part (01:20 - 25:20). With 40 minutes, you can experience the entire meditation.

Discover a treasure trove of guided meditations, teachings, and courses at tantrailluminated.org.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Yoga of Being with What Is: Interview by Amisha Ghadiali Jul 28, 2024

Show notes

This week’s episode features an archival interview with Amisha Ghadiali, founder of a conscious jewelry brand, speaker, author, and facilitator. Her podcast, All That We Are (formerly known as The Future is Beautiful), explores the intersections of activism, the sacred, creativity, and regeneration—spaces where our inner and outer worlds dance. From healing trauma to connecting with nature, embracing new technologies, and rediscovering ancient wisdom, the aim is to move beyond silos into an integrated way of being. Here Amisha and Christopher delve into the true meaning of being a yogi, exploring the inner dimensions of yoga and tantra beyond common interpretations. They discuss how authentic yogic practices involve deep internal cultivation rather than merely physical postures, aiming for a state of unified awareness and self-mastery. The conversation also touches on how yoga and tantra intersect with everyday life, including politics and activism.

Discover a treasure trove of guided meditations, teachings, and courses at tantrailluminated.org.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Stanzas on Divine Pulsation (Spanda-kārikā) Jul 12, 2024

Show notes

This week’s episode is a scriptural reading from the Spanda-kārikā, or the Stanzas on Divine Pulsation, by the great 9th-century tantrik master Kallaṭa from Kashmir. The Spanda-kārikā is a foundational text of Kashmir Shaivism or nondual Shaiva Tantra, and it explores the dynamic nature of consciousness and how we can access it to live an awakened and liberated life. This episode presents a straightforward translation of the scripture, allowing the teachings to simmer in you on a deeper level beyond the mental or intellectual. For further insight, commentary on the text is available across three blog posts: 'First Flow,' 'Second Flow,' and 'Third Flow.'

Discover a treasure trove of guided meditations, teachings, and courses at tantrailluminated.org. For those keen to delve even deeper into the Spanda-kārikā, subscribers to the portal also gain access to an online retreat and a scriptural study course, both dedicated to this foundational text.

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The Play of Infinity with Artur Appazov Jul 05, 2024

Show notes

This week's episode features a conversation with Artur Appazov, a Stanford graduate international criminal lawyer who experienced a really profound shift during one of our immersion programs. The shift led to a year and a half of intensive integration practice to stabilize, ground, and fully integrate his realization. Artur shares his journey, detailing how the awakening process initially unfolded within him and his current perception of self and reality. He discusses how nondual inquiry, the continuous recognition of truth, and psychological work are interconnected, and explores the apparent paradoxes the mind must navigate to arrive at clarity. This episode provides a clear, vivid first-person account of a deep transformative awakening and how reality appears from this perspective.

Artur runs a transformative coaching practice and one that focuses specifically on nondual realization.

Discover a treasure trove of guided meditations, teachings, and courses at tantrailluminated.org.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Essence of Tantra, Chapter Five (Part One) Jun 28, 2024

Show notes

This episode features a scriptural reading from Chapter Five of Abhinavagupta's "Tantrasāra," The Essence of Tantra. In this chapter, titled “Illumination of the Individual/Embodied Method (ānava-upāya),” we receive specific practices that you can incorporate into your daily practice sessions. These practices engage the body-mind through imagination (buddhi) with powerful meditative visualization (dhyāna), movement of vital energy (prāṇa) in both subtle and less subtle forms, specific bodily poses (karaṇa), and ritual practices (pūjā). Each practice is designed to enable awakening to the true nature of reality. Notably, the first practice we share in this episode is a meditative visualization that, to our knowledge, is not publicly available elsewhere. We hope it enriches your practice.

You can read Chapter Five (Part One) here.

Discover a treasure trove of guided meditations, teachings, and courses at tantrailluminated.org.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Heart of Recognition: Interview by Ashton Szabo Jun 21, 2024

Show notes

This week’s episode features an archival interview by Ashton Szabo, dedicated yogi and co-founder of The Alchemy Yoga Center in Bali. The interview was recorded just before the release of The Recognition Sutras. It centers around this 11th-century tantric text, the Pratyabhijñāhṛdaya, which means “The Essence of the Recognition Philosophy”—recognition, that is, of oneself as a direct expression of the universal divine Consciousness. Recognition also that this Consciousness is, in truth, all that exists, and that its five fundamental powers of awareness, enjoyment, willing, knowing, and acting are the sacred endowments of every sentient being. Our conversation highlights how the text illuminates the non-dual nature of existence—where divine Consciousness is not merely transcendent but intimately woven into the fabric of everyday life and the practical applications of this recognition.

Discover a treasure trove of guided meditations, teachings, and courses at tantrailluminated.org.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Energy Body Jun 15, 2024

Show notes

This week's solo episode clearly and precisely explains the energy body, or subtle body (sūkṣma-śarīra), as understood in Classical Tantra—the tradition that originated these terms. I share precise definitions of terms such as nādī (energy channels), chakra (energy centers), and bindu (essence point), while addressing some of the most widely held myths and misunderstandings related to these concepts. We explore the notion that the energy body is synonymous with the psyche or mental-emotional body, highlighting how it interpenetrates the entire physical body rather than residing solely in the brain. This understanding profoundly impacts both our practice and our experience.

Discover a treasure trove of guided meditations, teachings, and courses at tantrailluminated.org.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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