The Tibetan Book of the Dead: What Bardo Teaches Us Now with Ann Tashi Slater

Dear FriendsIn this episode of Gateways to Awakening, Yasmeen Turayhi sits down with writer and teacher Ann Tashi Slater—a Tibetan-American author whose work has appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Paris Review, and more. Ann joins us from Tokyo to explore her new book, Traveling in Bardo: The Art of Living in an Impermanent World, a Next Big Idea Club “Must-Read,” and to unpack one of the most powerful spiritual frameworks for this moment in history: the bardo.Bardo, in Tibetan Buddhism, means “between state.” It can refer to the space between death and rebirth, but it also describes the in-between moments we all live through—career transitions, identity shifts, endings, new beginnings, illness, loss, and the quiet uncertainty of not knowing what comes next. Together, Yasmeen and Ann explore how accepting impermanence is not passive at all—it is the turning point that restores agency, clarity, and forward movement. Ann shares personal stories from her Tibetan family lineage in Darjeeling, including the fascinating ancestral connection between her great-grandfather and the early Western translation of The Tibetan Book of the Dead. “Acceptance is not giving up. Acceptance is the moment where we stop fighting reality and finally regain the ability to move forward.” - Ann Tashi SlaterIn this episode, we explore:1. What bardo actually means, and why it is not only about death but also about everyday life transitions.2. Why the only real certainty is change, and how accepting that can reduce anxiety rather than increase it.3. How “acceptance” creates calm because it helps the mind stop fighting reality and start seeing options clearly.4. A powerful Buddhist framing of agency: action of body, speech, and mind, including the choice to take no action.5. How victim narratives can subtly remove our power, and how the bardo teachings help bring responsibility back in a grounding way.6. Why karma means action, not fate, and how small daily choices create “forks in the road” over time.7. How to “practice impermanence” through everyday endings—the end of a day, a season, a trip, a conversation—so you are more resilient when bigger transitions arrive.Ann Tashi Slater’s book is Traveling in Bardo: The Art of Living in an Impermanent World, and you can learn more at anntashislater.com.​​​If this episode resonated, please share it with someone who is navigating a transition, facing uncertainty, or standing in the in-between—and needs language for how to move through it with more clarity, grace, and power.Tune in to Gateways to Awakening for more conversations with leading thinkers, creators, and spiritual pioneers shaping the future of consciousness. For more from me: follow my writing on Substack (substack.com/@therealyasmeent), find me on Instagram @TheRealYasmeenT, or visit InnerKnowingSchool.com.

In this episode of Gateways to Awakening, Yasmeen Turayhi sits down with Nicholas Pearson, award-winning author and crystal educator with nearly 30 years of immersion in the mineral kingdom. Nicholas brings a grounded, practical approach to psychic self-defense—one rooted in discernment, spiritual hygiene, and real tools you can use without catastrophizing your life.“Whether you are cursed, or you only believe you are, the remedy is usually the same.” - Nicholas PearsonTogether, they explore why so many people are becoming more sensitive right now, what “psychic protection” actually means in an increasingly connected world, and how to distinguish between external energetic interference and your own shadow. You will also learn Nicholas’s core framework for daily energetic care—cleansing, grounding, and shielding—plus a guided crystalline light shield visualization you can practice immediately. The conversation goes deeper into the mineral science and energetic nuance of protection stones, including the key difference between obsidian and black tourmaline, and why not all protective crystals work the same way. Nicholas also explains what it really means to “charge” a crystal (and why it is not the same thing as cleansing), and offers realistic, accessible techniques for caring for your stones when you have more than a few.The episode closes with a beautiful invitation: re-enchant your world by building relationship not only with gemstones, but with the “ordinary” rocks around you—granite, slate, chalk, flint—because the sacred is not rare. It is everywhere.Key TakeawaysWhy sensitivity is increasing and why “spiritual hygiene” matters nowHow to distinguish true psychic harm from projection and shadow materialThe 3-part daily framework: cleanse, ground, shieldA guided prismatic crystal shield visualization + affirmationThe difference between obsidian (reflection/insulation) and black tourmaline (grounding/discharge)What “charging” a crystal really means: intention, partnership, and co-creationPractical cleansing methods: salt baths, water (when safe), smoke, sound, breath, and visualizationHow to know when you are using “too many crystals” at once and how to experiment intelligentlyA grounded approach to escalation when you feel genuinely targeted: basics first, then divination and layered protectionNicholas Pearson is an award-winning author and crystal educator who has worked with the mineral kingdom for nearly 30 years. He is the author of Crystal Basics, Crystals for Psychic Self-Defense, and 145 Gemstones for Banishing, Binding, and Magical Protection, and teaches internationally online and in person.Where to find Nicholas: Website: theluminouspearl.com Instagram: @theluminouspearlTune in to Gateways to Awakening for more conversations with leading thinkers, creators, and spiritual pioneers shaping the future of consciousness. We would love to hear from you! What did you take away from this episode? Tag us and let us know. For more from me: follow my writing on Substack (substack.com/@therealyasmeent), find me on Instagram @TheRealYasmeenT, or visit InnerKnowingSchool.com.I recently wrote the book A Glitch In The Matrix: 10 Energy Codes to Become The Main Character of Your Life which is available in print, kindle and Audible (in my own voice). 

“We are not living in a dead universe. We are living inside a field of consciousness—and we are just beginning to remember.” - Alan Steinfeld What if everything you thought you knew about reality… was only one layer?In this expansive and thought-provoking episode of Gateways to Awakening, Yasmeen Turayhi sits down with researcher, author, and founder of New Realities, Alan Steinfeld, to explore one of the most fascinating and misunderstood topics of our time: UFOs, extraterrestrial intelligence, and the evolving nature of human consciousness.Together, they unpack the history of the phenomenon—from Roswell to modern-day whistleblowers—and explore why conversations around disclosure are accelerating globally. But beyond the headlines, this conversation goes deeper into what may be the real story: not just extraterrestrial contact, but a fundamental shift in how we understand consciousness itself.Alan shares insights on the intersection of UFO phenomena, telepathy, remote viewing, and non-local awareness, offering a perspective that challenges the traditional materialist view of reality. Yasmeen brings her own lens of intuition, multidimensional awareness, and energetic intelligence, bridging the conversation into the realms of embodiment, knowing, and inner perception.This episode also explores:The difference between thinking and knowing—and why it mattersWhy fear of the unknown has been conditioned into usThe role of dreams, creativity, and altered states in accessing higher intelligenceThe connection between consciousness, extraterrestrial contact, and human evolutionWhat “disclosure” might actually mean—and why it is as much internal as it is externalThroughout the conversation, a deeper theme emerges: that humanity is not separate from the phenomena we are observing. We are part of it.As Alan shares, the universe is not something happening outside of us—it is something we are actively participating in.This is not just a conversation about UFOs.It is a conversation about who we are, what we are capable of, and what becomes possible when we move beyond fear… and into awareness.Tune in to Gateways to Awakening for more conversations with leading thinkers, creators, and spiritual pioneers shaping the future of consciousness. We would love to hear from you! What did you take away from this episode? Please tag us and let us know. For more from me: follow my writing on Substack (substack.com/@therealyasmeent), find me on Instagram @TheRealYasmeenT, or visit InnerKnowingSchool.com.I recently wrote the book A Glitch In The Matrix: 10 Energy Codes to Become The Main Character of Your Life which is available in print, kindle and Audible (in my own voice).

Big thanks to Vastu Feng Shui Harmony, our sponsors, for this episode. Dear Community, What if Snakes and Ladders was never meant to be a children’s game?In this episode of Gateways to Awakening, Yasmeen Turayhi sits down with Polina Rud, art historian, therapist, and guide of the ancient Indian oracle gyān caupar (also known as Snakes and Arrows). Polina shares the little-known origin story behind the board we all remember: an archetypal map of consciousness designed to reveal patterns in the psyche, karmic loops, and the hidden forces shaping our choices.Together, they explore how this “theater of fate” becomes a real-time mirror for your inner world: the role of intention (and why you have to get radically honest to enter the game), what it means when you keep landing on the same squares, and how “snakes” symbolize shadow—not as punishment, but as an invitation to integration and transformation.They also go deeper into why ancient cultures encoded spiritual wisdom into play, how randomness can soften the ego’s grip, and why intuition must be trained—especially in a world flooded with noise, misinformation, and external authority.This is a conversation about destiny, discernment, shadow work, compassion, and the profound spiritual intelligence hidden inside a simple board game.In this episode, we cover:The ancient origins of Snakes and Ladders as gyān caupar / Snakes and ArrowsHow to use the game as an oracle (and why intention matters)Why repeating squares reveals repeating life patterns“Good company” vs. “bad company” and the psychology of truth-tellingWhat snakes symbolize: shadow, projection, compassion, and growthWhy play is foundational for mental health (and how it helps metabolize trauma)How to strengthen intuition without outsourcing your authority to divination toolsWhy compassion can take you further than “service” aloneAbout Polina Rud Polina Rud is a doctoral candidate in art history, an art curator and lecturer, and a therapist with training in mental health and suicide risk. She specializes in cross-cultural symbolic systems, including runic oracles, theosophy, and Hindu astrology, and she guides clients through gyān caupar as a tool for self-knowledge, decision-making, and transformation.Connect with PolinaWebsite: polinarud.com (as mentioned in the episode)Social: “It’s Not the End”NGO: theworldhurts.com (free psychosocial support and resources, including support for activists)Tune in to Gateways to Awakening for more conversations with leading thinkers, creators, and spiritual pioneers shaping the future of consciousness. For more from me: follow my writing on Substack (substack.com/@therealyasmeent), find me on Instagram @TheRealYasmeenT, or visit InnerKnowingSchool.com.

Dear Friends, What if Snakes and Ladders was never meant to be a children’s game?In this episode of Gateways to Awakening, Yasmeen Turayhi sits down with Polina Rud, art historian, therapist, and guide of the ancient Indian oracle gyān caupar (also known as Snakes and Arrows). Polina shares the little-known origin story behind the board we all remember: an archetypal map of consciousness designed to reveal patterns in the psyche, karmic loops, and the hidden forces shaping our choices.Together, they explore how this “theater of fate” becomes a real-time mirror for your inner world: the role of intention (and why you have to get radically honest to enter the game), what it means when you keep landing on the same squares, and how “snakes” symbolize shadow—not as punishment, but as an invitation to integration and transformation.They also go deeper into why ancient cultures encoded spiritual wisdom into play, how randomness can soften the ego’s grip, and why intuition must be trained—especially in a world flooded with noise, misinformation, and external authority.This is a conversation about destiny, discernment, shadow work, compassion, and the profound spiritual intelligence hidden inside a simple board game.In this episode, we cover:The ancient origins of Snakes and Ladders as gyān caupar / Snakes and ArrowsHow to use the game as an oracle (and why intention matters)Why repeating squares reveals repeating life patterns“Good company” vs. “bad company” and the psychology of truth-tellingWhat snakes symbolize: shadow, projection, compassion, and growthWhy play is foundational for mental health (and how it helps metabolize trauma)How to strengthen intuition without outsourcing your authority to divination toolsWhy compassion can take you further than “service” aloneAbout Polina Rud Polina Rud is a doctoral candidate in art history, an art curator and lecturer, and a therapist with training in mental health and suicide risk. She specializes in cross-cultural symbolic systems including runic oracles, theosophy, and Hindu astrology, and she guides clients through gyān caupar as a tool for self-knowledge, decision-making, and transformation.Connect with PolinaWebsite: polinarud.com (as mentioned in the episode)Social: “It’s Not the End”NGO: theworldhurts.com (free psychosocial support and resources, including support for activists)Tune in to Gateways to Awakening for more conversations with leading thinkers, creators, and spiritual pioneers shaping the future of consciousness. For more from me: follow my writing on Substack (substack.com/@therealyasmeent), find me on Instagram @TheRealYasmeenT, or visit InnerKnowingSchool.com.

Dear Gateways Community - What if the foundation of your self-worth was shaped long before you had the awareness to question it?In this deeply moving and expansive conversation on Gateways to Awakening, Yasmeen Turayhi sits down with Sean Smith, actor, author, and master neurotransformational coach, to explore one of the most profound and often overlooked dynamics in human development: the father-daughter relationship.He is the author of the book, Daddy, Are You Proud of Me? What Daughters Need to Hear, See, and Know From Their Dads. Through years of coaching tens of thousands of women, Sean uncovered a powerful throughline—self-worth is not just shaped by whether a father was present or loving, but by a single, formative question: “Was he proud of me?”We explore how this dynamic quietly influences everything—from career success and burnout to romantic relationships and patterns of validation. We also unpack the difference between performance-based approval and unconditional worth, and why so many high-achieving women are still left feeling unfulfilled.“Self-worth is not just shaped by whether a father was present or loving, but by whether a daughter felt: Was he proud of me?” - Sean Smith This conversation is not about blame. It’s about awareness, healing, and reclaiming your relationship with yourself.We also discuss:How childhood patterns around approval shape adult identityWhy silence from a parent can be more impactful than criticismThe hidden link between self-esteem and romantic dynamicsWhat healthy, “vulnerable masculinity” actually looks likeHow healing can occur—even without direct resolution with a parentThere is a tenderness to this conversation—one that opens the door to both grief and possibility. Because once something becomes conscious, it can change.This episode is for anyone seeking deeper self-understanding, more aligned relationships, and a new way of relating to their own inner world.Tune in to Gateways to Awakening for more conversations with leading thinkers, creators, and spiritual pioneers shaping the future of consciousness. We would love to hear from you! What did you take away from this episode? Tag us and let us know.  We love reviews! For more from me: follow my writing on Substack (substack.com/@therealyasmeent), find me on Instagram @TheRealYasmeenT, or visit InnerKnowingSchool.com.I recently wrote the book A Glitch In The Matrix: 10 Energy Codes to Become The Main Character of Your Life which is available in print, kindle and Audible (in my own voice). This show is sponsored by VastuFengShuiHarmony.com

In this episode of Gateways to Awakening, Yasmeen Turayhi sits down with her friend Natalie Levy, Managing Partner of She’s Independent Investments, a women-first angel investment group making investing more accessible through action and education. Natalie is an engineer and mathematician by training and a former Wall Street trader and private equity professional who now blends analytical rigor with values-based, heart-led investing. They explore Natalie’s new book, Cash Is Queen: A Conscious Journey in Angel Investing, and the deeper shift it represents in how we relate to money, power, and feminine leadership.“The business is not just numbers and data points. The business is people. It’s energy.” - Natalie Levy Key takeaways from this conversation:Why Natalie chose the title “Cash Is Queen” and how changing language can change culture, identity, and access.What a feminine approach to wealth-building looks like, including magnetizing and flowing versus forcing and grasping.Why investing is not just numbers and spreadsheets, but also people, energy, and values, and how that changes what you choose to fund.A candid look at unconscious bias in finance, including how privilege can create blind spots and why contrast often sharpens self-awareness.How to start redefining your relationship with money by recognizing that money is energy, and that nearly everyone carries some form of money trauma, whether they have wealth or not.Why “conscious capital” is often reduced to marketing language, and what it looks like when it is real, embodied, and practiced.Practical advice for founders, especially women and diverse founders, on how to think about funding, including why not every business needs venture capital and how to use accessible education tools to understand your options.The idea that the most powerful fundraising strategy is building something so aligned that it becomes magnetic, and support arrives through relationship and trust rather than panic and pressure.Tune in to Gateways to Awakening for more conversations with leading thinkers, creators, and spiritual pioneers shaping the future of consciousness. For more from me: follow my writing on Substack (substack.com/@therealyasmeent), find me on Instagram @TheRealYasmeenT, or visit InnerKnowingSchool.com.

In this episode of Gateways to Awakening, I sit down with my dear friend Sat Devbir, international teacher, speaker, and transformational guide, for a deeply expansive conversation on consciousness, yoga, nervous system healing, subtle perception, Metatron, and the multidimensional nature of reality.Sat shares why “everything is an inside job,” and how true transformation begins not by controlling outer circumstances, but by cultivating awareness, choice, and inner coherence. We explore why so many people remain stuck even after years on a spiritual path, and why consistency, devotion, and nervous system regulation are essential for real, lasting change.We also dive into the deeper meaning of yoga beyond posture, including the power of mantra, sound, and breath to shift consciousness and rewire survival patterns. From there, the conversation opens into multidimensional territory—Sat shares his early extrasensory experiences, his encounter with Archangel Metatron, the Merkaba, the soul of planets, and the unseen architecture of the universe.This episode is both grounded and cosmic—a bridge between practical healing and the deeper intelligence of the field.“Everything is an inside job. That’s where your power is.” — Sat Devbir“The greatest accomplishment you will ever make is who you become.” — Sat Devbir“Your true measure of success is not what you build, but the state you live in while building it.” — Sat DevbirIn this episode, we explore:What it means that everything is an “inside job”Why people stay stuck even on a spiritual pathThe difference between yoga as exercise and yoga as unionHow mantra, sound, and breath impact the nervous systemSat’s encounter with Metatron and multidimensional realmsThe Merkaba, chakras, and energetic architectureWhy left-brain dominance disconnects us from intuitionHow to measure success through your state of beingLearn more about Sat @: https://www.satdevbir.com/If you’ve been seeking a deeper understanding of consciousness, healing, and your place within a much larger field of intelligence, this episode opens a powerful doorway.Tune in to Gateways to Awakening for more conversations with leading thinkers, creators, and spiritual pioneers shaping the future of consciousness. We would love to hear from you! What did you take away from this episode? Tag us and let us know. For more from me: follow my writing on Substack (substack.com/@therealyasmeent), find me on Instagram @TheRealYasmeenT, or visit InnerKnowingSchool.com.

Dear Community, In this episode of Gateways to Awakening, Yasmeen Turayhi sits down with Elizabeth April, internationally recognized remote viewer, author, and intuitive teacher, for a mind-expanding conversation on quantum reality, timelines, anxiety, the Galactic Federation, disclosure, and the future of human consciousness.We begin by exploring the relationship between quantum mechanics and consciousness, and why Elizabeth believes reality is rendered through observation. From there, we dive into the power of awareness, how small choices can shift us into new timelines, and why so many people are living on autopilot rather than consciously creating their lives.Elizabeth also shares her perspective on 2026–2028 as a pivotal window for collective awakening, why humanity is being asked to choose between love and fear, and what she sees unfolding around ET disclosure, the Galactic Federation, and global timelines.We also explore her powerful framework around past, present, and future anxiety, and why healing anxiety requires understanding its relationship to time, trauma, and our focus on possible realities. This conversation is both cosmic and deeply practical—an invitation to step out of distraction, reclaim your sovereignty, and consciously choose the reality you want to live in.“The most important choice humanity is being asked to make right now is simple: love or fear, unity or separation.” - Elizabeth April We talk about the following and so much more: The connection between quantum mechanics and consciousnessWhy awareness is the gateway to intuition, spirituality, and creationHow to consciously shift timelines through small daily choicesWhy 2026–2028 may be a major turning point for humanityElizabeth’s perspective on the Galactic Federation and disclosureThe difference between past, present, and future anxietyWhy distraction keeps people disconnected from their powerHow to ask for more out of life—and be ready to receive itWhat it means to choose between love and fear, unity and separationIf you’ve been feeling the intensity of this moment, this episode offers a powerful reminder: your awareness is your superpower, your energy matters, and the timeline you live in is more malleable than you may think.Tune in to Gateways to Awakening for more conversations with leading thinkers, creators, and spiritual pioneers shaping the future of consciousness. We would love to hear from you! What did you take away from this episode? Tag us and let us know. For more from me: follow my writing on Substack (substack.com/@therealyasmeent), find me on Instagram @TheRealYasmeenT555, or visit InnerKnowingSchool.com.In this episode, we explore:I recently wrote the book A Glitch In The Matrix: 10 Energy Codes to Become The Main Character of Your Life, which is available in print, Kindle, and Audible (in my own voice).

In this episode of Gateways to Awakening, I sit down with Jose Maria Barrera, software engineer, photographer, and author of Dendera: Temple of Time, to explore one of the most mysterious and symbolically rich temples in all of Egypt — the Temple of Dendera.What begins as a conversation about ancient architecture quickly becomes something much deeper: a meditation on language, time, symbols, divinity, and the difference between modern precision and ancient wholeness.Jose bridges two worlds effortlessly — the scientific and the symbolic. As a data architect and lifelong student of Egyptian cosmology, he invites us to reconsider what we think we know about ancient civilizations. We explore:• Why the ceiling of Dendera — with its pristine zodiac — stunned Napoleon’s scholars • How astrology is “science expressed in symbols” • The difference between precision (modern language) and wholeness (symbolic language) • Why ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs were considered sacred sounds • The cyclical nature of time — and why linear thinking may limit our perception • The Nile as a living metaphor for life, death, and rebirth • Why the builders of Dendera weren’t building for “future civilizations” — but for eternityJose offers a profound reframe: the ancient Egyptians were not obsessed with death — they were celebrating life in its most finite and divine expression.This episode is a reminder that symbols are not primitive thinking — they are a different lens of intelligence.And perhaps most importantly:The world is not made of matter. It is made of meaning.1. Time is cyclical, not linear. Everything we measure — clocks, seasons, lunar cycles, the Nile flooding — is circular. The ancients lived inside this understanding.2. Astrology is symbolic astronomy. The zodiac at Dendera reflects Babylonian, Greek, and Egyptian synthesis — science encoded through sacred imagery.3. Precision and wholeness are two different intelligences. Modern civilization optimized for precision. Ancient civilizations optimized for symbolic integration.4. Language shapes reality. In ancient Egypt, sounds themselves were divine. To speak was to invoke god.5. Symbols preserve eternity. The Egyptians inscribed images in stone not for “future humans,” but because the symbols themselves were sacred and timeless.6. Life is divine because it ends. The finite nature of existence is what makes it miraculous.“Remember that from the moment you are born until the moment you die, you are the center of the universe. Every moment you experience is at the center of the universe — because everything is around you.”“They (The Egyptians) did not build for future civilizations. They built for eternity.”Tune in to Gateways to Awakening for more conversations with leading thinkers, creators, and spiritual pioneers shaping the future of consciousness. For more from me: follow my writing on Substack (substack.com/@therealyasmeent), find me on Instagram @TheRealYasmeenT, or visit InnerKnowingSchool.com.Thank you to Vastu Feng Shui, an app that aligns your home with your astrological grid.