Category: Spirituality

David Frenette: Consenting to the Presence of God

Tami Simon speaks with David Frenette, a leader and senior teacher in the Centering Prayer movement, and a friend and advisor of Father Thomas Keating for 30 years. He is a spiritual director, retreat leader, and serves as an adjunct faculty member at Naropa University. With Sounds True, he has published the book The Path of Centering Prayer: Deepening Your Experience of God. In this episode, Tami speaks with David about his apprenticeship with Father Keating in the practice of Centering Prayer, the role of a spiritual father or mother in one’s contemplative life, what he means when he talks about God and the Trinitarian mystery, and the most important contemplative attitude to support a practice of Centering Prayer. (66 minutes)

Descent and Renewal

Tami Simon speaks with Dr. Joan Borysenko, a cancer cell biologist, licensed psychologist, yoga and meditation instructor, and pioneer in the field of psychoneuroimmunology. Joan is the author of the New York Times bestseller Minding the Body, Mending the Mind, and has created several audio programs with Sounds True, including A Woman’s Spiritual Retreat and Menopause: Initiation into Power. In this episode, Tami speaks with Dr. Borysenko about the five most important qualities that build resiliency, the power of genuineness to open the heart, and the personal lessons about grieving, renewal, and appreciation that Joan learned in the wake of a recent devastating fire in Boulder Canyon. (66 minutes)

John Welwood: Healing the Core Wound of the Heart

Tami Simon speaks with Dr. John Welwood, a clinical psychologist, psychotherapist, and practicing student of Buddhism and Eastern contemplative psychology. Dr. Welwood is an author whose books include Journey of the Heart and Perfect Love, Imperfect Relationships, and with Sounds True he has created the audio learning program Conscious Relationships. In this episode, Tami speaks with Dr. Welwood about his understanding of the relationship between psychological work and the spiritual journey, as well as his view of the phenomenon of “spiritual bypassing.” He also spoke about committed relationships and the most common issue that couples present in couples therapy. (61 minutes)

Letters from the Infinite

Tami Simon speaks with Reverend Deborah Johnson, the founder and president of Inner Light Ministries, an omnifaith spiritual community of more than 1,500 people in northern California. Rev. Deborah is a tireless voice for compassion, equality, coalition building, and forward-thinking public policy. With Sounds True, she has authored two volumes of the Letters from the Infinite series, titled The Sacred Yes and Your Deepest Intent. In this episode, Tami speaks with Deborah about the extraordinary “divine download” that resulted in her two books, how we can purify our intent, the importance of sincerity in spiritual unfolding, and how we might each receive our own letters from the infinite. (60 minutes)

Reginald A. Ray: The Awakened State

Tami Simon speaks with Dr. Reginald A. Ray, gifted teacher in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition for 40 years in the lineage of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche. Reggie is the founder of Dharma Ocean and author of the book Touching Enlightenment. His most recent program with Sounds True is a historic 37-hour audio training course on the pinnacle teachings of Tibetan Buddhism, titled Mahamudra for the Modern World. In this episode, Tami speaks with Reggie about the possibility of using modern methods for capturing the essence of student-to-teacher transmission, how glimpsing the awakened state fits in with Mahamudra training, and the “three teachers”—a human teacher, the natural state, and life itself. (65 minutes)

Mirabai Starr: Naked with the Beloved

Tami Simon speaks with Mirabai Starr, author of God of Love: A Guide to the Heart of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam and the inspiring translation of Dark Night of the Soul by Saint John of the Cross. With Sounds True, she has created a series of books highlighting many famous mystical figures including Hildegard of Bingen, Saint Francis of Assisi, Saint John of the Cross, and Saint Teresa of Avila. In this episode, Tami speaks with Mirabai about interspirituality (practicing within many faith traditions simultaneously), the connection between grief and longing, the dark night of the soul in the modern world, and the experience of “being naked with the beloved, unknowing.” (61 minutes)

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