Sounds True: Insights At The Edge

Tami Simon speaks with Sobonfu Somé, a teacher, author, and leading authority on African women’s spirituality in the West. Originally born into the Dagara tribe of Burkina Faso in West Africa, Sobonfu is the founder of Ancestors Wisdom Spring. She has written the books The Spirit of Intimacy, Welcoming Spirit Home, and Falling Out of Grace, and with Sounds True she has published the six-session audio learning program Women's Wisdom from the Heart of Africa. In this episode, Tami talks with Sobonfu about the use of rituals for our health and happiness, how we can see our wounds as potential gifts, and what we can do to invoke help from the spirit world and connect directly with our ancestors. (67 minutes)

Tami Simon speaks with Tessa Bielecki, former Mother Abbess of the Spiritual Life Institute, and founder of the Desert Foundation, an organization dedicated to fostering interfaith peace and understanding. She is author of Teresa of Avila: Ecstasy and Common Sense, and with Sounds True, the six-session audio learning program, Wild at Heart: Radical Teachings of the Christian Mystics. In this episode, Tami and Tessa have a heartfelt and honest conversation about how we can bring the vitality of monastic living into our everyday life, why the work of balancing polarities is so important to the Christian Mystic, and the transformative power of courageous acts. (62 minutes)

Tami Simon speaks with Peter Baumann and Michael Taft. Peter began his career as a member of the acclaimed band Tangerine Dream, and went on to found the Baumann Foundation, an interdisciplinary think tank dedicated to exploring what it means to be fully human. Michael has been a professional writer and researcher for more than two decades. With Natural Enlightenment Press, distributed by Sounds True, Peter and Michael have co-written the book Ego: The Fall of the Twin Towers and the Rise of an Enlightened Humanity. In this episode, Peter and Michael speak about the conceptual revolution that took place 50,000 years ago, the positive evolutionary potential of this particular time in history, and why we may be in the midst of an “enlightenment revolution” right now. (70 minutes)

Tami Simon speaks with Caroline Myss, a leading voice in the fields of energy medicine and human consciousness. Caroline is the author of four New York Times bestsellers, including Anatomy of the Spirit and Sacred Contracts. Her latest audio release from Sounds True is The Power of Prayer: Guidance, Prayers, and Wisdom for Listening to the Divine, which is a training course on what Caroline calls “the ultimate tool we have for sparking our spiritual evolution.” In this episode, Tami speaks with Caroline about faith and divine intervention, who or what hears our prayers, how to work with prayer in the face of illness, and why prayer is a force that counteracts evil in the world. (51 minutes)

Tami Simon speaks with Julia Cameron, an award-winning writer and director. In addition to her many films, television episodes, plays, and articles in publications such as Rolling Stone, Vogue, and the New York Times, Julia is the author of the bestselling book The Artist’s Way. With Sounds True, she has recorded the audio teaching program Reflections on the Artist's Way and, along with Natalie Goldberg, The Writing Life. In this episode, Tami speaks with Julia about how to break through creative blocks, how to deal with the internal censor that we all have when we write, and why creativity requires that we take risks. (50 minutes)

Tami Simon speaks with Bruce Tift. Bruce has been a psychotherapist since 1979, a practitioner of Vajrayana Buddhism for more than 35 years, and has taught at Naropa University for 25 years. He is the author of the new Sounds True audio learning course Already Free: Buddhism Meets Psychotherapy on the Path of Liberation. In this episode, Tami speaks with Bruce about his perspectives on therapy as informed by Buddhist insights—examining how our "neurotic organization" exists to insulate us from legitimate suffering, why much of our growth comes from acting in ways that are counter-instinctual, and what it might mean to practice psychotherapy with the view that there is no problem we actually need to solve. (66 minutes)

Tami Simon speaks with Matthew Fox, a teacher, writer, and theologian. An outspoken pioneer whose books include Original Blessing, The Coming of the Cosmic Christ, and The Pope’s War, Matthew was expelled from the Dominican Order and is now an Episcopalian Minister. With Sounds True, Matthew has published the audio learning course Radical Prayer: Love in Action. In this episode, Tami speaks with Matthew about how we can apply the four spiritual paths in every part of life, the value of grief rituals, the reinvention of Christianity, and what spirituality might look like in the future. (60 minutes)

Tami Simon speaks with Fred Kofman, author of the book Conscious Business: How to Build Value Through Values and the audio learning course Conscious Business: Transforming Your Workplace (and Yourself) by Changing the Way You Think, Act, and Communicate. Fred teaches people how to transform their workplace into an adaptive and resilient community that cultivates intelligence, creativity, and integrity. In this dialogue, he and Tami discuss the greatest challenge he faces as a consultant: how to be ultimately greedy in a way that actually benefits the whole, and how his life as a dharma practitioner relates to his life as a business consultant. (57 minutes)

Tami Simon speaks with Will Johnson, the founder and director of the Institute for Embodied Training. For more than 30 years, Will has taught Buddhist meditation and practiced Rolfing, and has developed a unique blend of these two techniques for having a fully embodied meditation practice. He is the author of the books The Posture of Meditation and The Spiritual Practices of Rumi, and with Sounds True he has created the audio learning course Awakening the Body: The Path of Somatic Surrender. In this episode, Tami speaks with Will about how his work as a Rolfer has shaped his approach to meditation, how we can balance all of our perceptions to open ourselves to a complete experience of life, and how the Sufi practice of gazing can lead us to embodied awakening. (63 minutes)

Tami Simon speaks with Joshua Leeds, a sound researcher, music producer, educator, and one of the leading authorities in the emerging fields of psychoacoustics and bioacoustics. Joshua is the author of The Power of Sound and Sound Alchemy. With Sounds True, he released three music programs in collaboration with Dr. Andrew Weil: Deep Calm, Increase Vitality, and Relax and De-Stress. He has also created Through a Dog’s Ear: Music to Calm Your Canine Companion. In this episode, Joshua discusses the psychoacoustic principles of how tone, tempo, and pattern affect our mind and body; why sound is a “nutrient” to the nervous system, and how sound and music affect the lives of our “best friends”—our canine companions. (66 minutes)

Tami Simon speaks with Caroline Casey, whose unique fusion of astrology, compassionate social activism, esoteric spiritual wisdom, and humor is known to audience internationally. Caroline hosts “The Visionary Activist Show” on KPFA in the San Francisco Bay area. With Sounds True, she is the author of the audio learning course Visionary Activist Astrology and the audio program Making the Gods Work For You: The Astrological Language of the Psyche. In this playful yet insight-filled discussion, Tami speaks with Caroline about the myths that are most relevant to our culture at this time, the cultural forces surrounding 2012, and how we can invite the “trickster redeemer” to play an essential role during this time when we most need it. (67 minutes)

Tami Simon speaks with Leslie Kaminoff, a yoga educator with more than 30 years of experience in the fields of yoga and breath anatomy. He is the founder of The Breathing Project in New York City, a non-profit dedicated to teaching breath-centered yoga. Leslie is the coauthor of Yoga Anatomy, and with Sounds True, a program called Freeing the Breath: Health, Clarity, and Relaxation Through Better Breathing. In this episode, Tami speaks with Leslie about the most common misconceptions about better breathing, how to experience a "breath koan," the relationship between the motions of the breath, and what it feels like in the whole body to take one beautiful breath. (62 minutes)

Tami Simon speaks with Harville Hendrix, a therapist and educator with over three decades of experience working with couples and singles seeking intimate partners. The cofounder of the Institute for Imago Relationship therapy with his wife Helen, Dr. Hendrix has authored and coauthored a number of influential books on relationship psychology including Getting the Love You Want and Keeping the Love You Find, as well as the six-CD Sounds True audio learning course, Finding and Keeping Love. In this episode, Tami speaks with Harville about a biological explanation for the notion that opposites attract, what it might mean to recognize "otherness" in relationship, and the value of creating a relationship that is without judgment, or "living with zero negativity." (57 minutes)

Tami Simon speaks with Cynthia Bourgeault, an Episcopal priest, author, and teacher of prayer in the contemplative Christian tradition. She is the principle teacher and advisor to the Contemplative Society and the founding director of the Aspen Wisdom School. Cynthia is the author of The Wisdom Way of Knowing: Centering Prayer and Inner Awakening, and with Sounds True she has created the audio learning course Encountering the Wisdom Jesusand the audio program Singing the Psalms. In this episode, Tami and Cynthia speak about "kenosis," or self-emptying, as the center point of Jesus' message, how we can understand Jesus' life as a sacrament, and how love lives on beyond death. (53 minutes)

Tami Simon speaks with Jean Shinoda Bolen, an author, Jungian analyst, and clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of California San Francisco. In her writing, Jean draws from spiritual, feminist, Jungian, medical, and personal wellsprings of experience. She is the author of Goddesses in Every Woman, The Tao of Psychology, and her latest audio book from Sounds True, Like a Tree. In this heartfelt and inspiring conversation, Tami speaks with Jean about our sacred relationship with trees and the wisdom they have to offer, what it might mean to “circumambulate the self,” and how we can discover our “assignment” in the world. (64 minutes)

Tami Simon speaks with Michael Brant DeMaria, a psychologist and multi-award winning composer. Michael has published and presented numerous papers on the roles of creativity, spirituality, and play in the healing process. He is the author of Ever Flowing On and a book of poetry titled Moments. In this episode, we listen to three songs from Michael's new album with Sounds True, In the Flow: Music for Emotional Healing. Tami speaks with Michael about the restorative and healing properties of his music, why the Native American flute has a particular power to help us move through grief, and how we can learn to flow like water through difficult times. (64 minutes)

Tami Simon speaks with Arjuna Ardagh, an awakening coach, teacher, public speaker, and the author of seven books, including the 2005 bestseller The Translucent Revolution. Arjuna studied with the great Indian teacher Papaji, and is the founder of the Living Essence Foundation and Awakening Coach Training organizations. With Sounds True, he has released the book and audio program Leap Before You Look and the audio learning course Let Yourself Go. In this episode, Tami speaks with Arjuna about how we may become a "channel of light" while accepting our shadow side, how our intimate partners can be our greatest teachers, and what it means to live a life that is "spiritually mature." (72 minutes)

Tami Simon speaks with Bradford Keeney, an internationally renowned scholar, therapist, speaker, and teacher. In addition to being the author of several classics in the field of psychotherapy, including Aesthetics of Change and Shaking Medicine, Brad has a deep connection to elders of numerous indigenous cultures and is a recognized spokesperson for the old ways of ecstatic shaking. He is the author of the Sounds True audio learning course Shaking, and the book Shamans of the World. In this episode, Tami has an intriguing and surprising conversation with Brad about being "struck by lightning" on the path to awakening, the value of both arousal and relaxation in our practice, and the vital role of absurdity in our spiritual journey. (55 minutes)

Tami Simon speaks with Mariana Caplan, PhD, a psychotherapist, cultural anthropologist, and professor of yogic and transpersonal psychologies at the California Institute of Integral Studies. She is the author of six books in the fields of psychology and spirituality, including Eyes Wide Open: Cultivating Discernment on the Spiritual Path and her newest book with Sounds True, The Guru Question: The Perils and Rewards of Choosing a Spiritual Teacher. In this episode, Tami speaks with Mariana about who needs a dedicated spiritual mentor, what to look for and what to avoid when seeking a teacher for yourself, and the path of "conscious discipleship"—what it means to be a great student. (72 minutes)

Tami Simon speaks with Joseph Goldstein, who is the cofounder of the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts, and has been teaching insight and lovingkindness meditation worldwide since 1974. He is the coauthor of the Sounds True audio learning course Insight Meditation (with Sharon Salzberg), and has recently released the third volume of his landmark audio course of advanced teachings and practical guidance on the Satipatthāna Sutta, Abiding in Mindfulness. In this episode, Tami speaks with Joseph about his study of the Satipatthāna Sutta as the Buddha's central teaching of mindfulness meditation, the evolution of his own practice over the past four decades, and what it might mean to live without any sense of there being an "I" or a "me." (60 minutes)