The Wisdom of the Kashmir Sages with Paul Muller-Ortega

This is the second episode in which Spirit Matter's host, Philip Goldberg, moves to the other side of the interview table. The occasion is the publication of his latest book, Karmic Relief: Harnessing the Laws of Cause and Effect for a Joyful, Meaningful Life. In it, he dives into what karma is, what it is not, and all the practical implications of understanding the laws of karma. His interlocutor this time is Beryl Bender⁠, who has been teaching yoga and meditation since 1971 and has been training yoga teachers through her school, The Hard & The Soft Yoga Institute, for nearly 50 years. She’s also the best-selling author of several books on yoga, including ⁠Power Yoga⁠; ⁠Beyond Bower Yoga⁠; and ⁠Yoga for Warriors: Basic Training for Strength, Resilience, and Peace of Mind. She also co-founded the Give Back Yoga Foundation has been a leader in addressing the relationship between yoga practice and activism and service. [Listen as well to an earlier interview about the book with Rabbi Rami Shapiro interviewing Phil.] ⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Paul Muller-Ortega was a distinguished professor of the Indic religious traditions who retired from academia in 2006 and founded his school, Blue Throat Yoga. Since then, to quote from his website, “Paul has been teaching practices of deep meditation and the theories of meditation studies. His primary theoretical focus is founded on the teachings of lineages of the Śakta-Śaiva Tantra, particularly as brought forward by the extraordinary medieval siddha guru, Rājānaka Abhinavagupta. Paul is particularly committed to  bringing forward deeply authentic and highly effective practices and teachings of modern meditation practice in the context of householder spirituality. And doing so always on the direct basis of the theoretical and philosophical teachings of this important ancient esoteric lineage of the Kashmiri śaiva masters.”  He is also focused on training teachers to help carry on his work.  We spoke about what distinguishes Kashmir Shavism from other systems, the practical value of integrating deep meditation and other transformative practices into daily life, and other vital topics for living a spiritual life. Learn more about Paul and Blue Throat Yoga here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Yvonne Kason is a retired family physician, psychotherapist, and faculty member at the University of Toronto. She is also an internationally known expert on near-death experiences, kundalini awakening, and other spiritually transformative experiences (STEs). In 1990, she became the first Canadian MD to specialize in researching and counseling patients with diverse types of STEs, a term she coined in 1994. She is past-president of the International Association for Near-Death Studies and the current president of the organization she founded, Spiritual Awakenings International (SAI). SAI is a nonprofit organization dedicated to raising awareness about all types of spiritually transformative experiences. Dr. Kason has published six books, the most recent of which is Soul Lessons From the Light: How Spiritually Transformative Experiences Changed my Life. She lives in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Learn more about Dr. Kason here, and Spiritual Awakenings International here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Judith Carlisle, Ph.D., has a masters degree in Management Information Systems and a doctorate in Computer Information Systems from the University of Arizona. She also earned a masters degree in Yoga Studies from the first-of-its-kind program started by a previous guest on Spirit Matters, Christopher Key Chapple, at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. Judith, who began practicing yoga with her grandmother as a young child, is now an adjunct professor in that same Yoga Studies program, She also teaches at Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado. Her teaching integrates the rigorous exploration of yogic and Buddhist texts, philosophies, and history with practices from the Dharmic traditions, e.g. Yoga and Buddhism. Her teaching is dedicated to supporting students and practitioners as they seek to understand how yoga study and practice support personal and worldly transformation, enlightenment, and liberation. She is a credentialed yoga teacher, registered with Yoga Alliance, and her work has included the development and delivery of trauma-informed yoga curricula and the training of Yoga teachers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jacob Kyle is a scholar, educator, yoga teacher, meditation teacher, and writer. He holds a master of philosophy degree in classical Indian religions from Oxford University, an MA in philosophy from the New School for Social Research, an MS in political theory from the London School of Economics (2007), and is currently earning a doctorate at Oxford, researching a philosophy of creativity rooted in Kashmir Shaivism. A passionate advocate and practitioner of Kashmir Shaivism, he is the founding director of Embodied Philosophy, an online learning platform with an extraordinary collection of courses, lectures, and workshops, which is now celebrating its 10th anniversary. He also hosts the podcast “Chitheads” (chit means consciousness in Sanskrit). His guiding mission, he says, is “to re-imagine the modern function of the yoga teacher so as to be in greater alignment with the teachings, texts, and traditions of yoga's rich and profound history.”  We spoke about the challenges of doing that, the origin and purpose of Embodied Philosophy, and more. Jacob's website. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ramdev Dale Borglum has been a pioneering figure in the conscious dying movement for decades, beginning when he founded and directed the Hanuman Foundation Dying Center in Santa Fe, New Mexico, in collaboration with Ram Dass, Philip Levine, Elizabeth Kubler Ross, and others. Since 1986, he’s served as Executive Director of the Living/Dying Project, which is now based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The program guides individuals through the sacred journey of death, combining Eastern spirituality and Western psychology. He is also a meditation teacher, a workshop leader, the host of the podcast Healing at the Edge. He is the co-author of Journey of Awakening: A Meditator’s Guidebook, and his forthcoming book, How to Live So You Can Die Without Fear, will be released in 2026. He also offers one-on-one support to select individuals. This conversation focuses mainly on what he's learned in his decades of work with the dying, and also his fascinating spiritual journey, which brought him into the company of extraordinary individuals such as Ram Dass, Ananda Mayi Ma, Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, and his guru, Neem Karoli Baba.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A special episode of Spirit Matters. Regular host Philip Goldberg moves to the other side of the table, turning over hosting duties to Rabbi Rami Shapiro for a conversation about Phil's forthcoming book, Karmic Relief: Harnessing the Laws of Cause and Effect for a Joyful, Meaningful Life. It's an in-depth discussion of the concept of karma, which is at once simple and complex. The term, which is used more and more frequently in ordinary conversation, is often misconstrued. The conversation delves into common misunderstandings of karma and teases out a lot of its nuances and its relevance to everyday life. Karmic Relief will be released in October; click here to pre-order it on Amazon (authors are grateful for pre-orders as they upgrade the book's position on Amazon). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kamla K. Kapur was born and raised in India and studied in the United States. Her writing has included plays, novels, poetry, essays and re-imaged Indian and Mid-eastern spiritual writings. She is the author of 8 books, including: The Singing Guru, which is a novel about Guru Nanak, the founder of the Sikh tradition; Ganesha Goes to Lunch: Classics From Mystic India; Rumi’s Tales From the Silk Road; and her latest, The Privilege of Aging: Savoring the Fullness of Life. She is based in the seaside town of Del Mar, which is just north of San Diego, where she taught literature, creative writing, mythology, and Shakespeare at Grossmont College for 15 years. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Robert K.C. Forman had a distinguished, twenty-year career as a professor of comparative religion at the City University of New York, during which time he had a major influence on the study of mysticism and authored several books and more than forty academic articles. A writer, popular public speaker, and spiritual counselor, he has shared his insights in Sweden, Iran, Finland, Israel, England, and across the U.S. After retiring from academia, he founded and ran the Forge Institute for Spirituality and Social Change (full disclosure: I was on the board), and also served as a board-certified hospital chaplain, an ordained interfaith minister, and a certified meditation teacher. His academic books include The Problem of Pure Consciousness and his books for the general reader include Enlightenment Ain’t What It’s Cracked Up to Be, and his latest work, which we’ll be discussing here, Christianity Reimagined: A Mystical Approach for Doubters and the Dubious. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati is an American woman who was raised in Hollywood and educated at Stanford before her life was unexpectedly transformed by a journey to India. For the last 30 years, she has lived at Parmarth Niketan ashram in Rishikesh, the famously sacred city in the Himalayan foothills. At the direction of her guru, Swami Chidanand Saraswati, she serves as Parmarth’s international director and gives daily spiritual teachings to ashram residents and guests. A popular public speaker, she has addressed various worldwide forums, including the United Nations, on issues ranging from sustainable development to gender equality. She also serves as the Secretary-General of the Global Interfaith Wash Alliance, the world’s first interfaith initiative for water, sanitation, and hygiene, and as President of the Divine Shakti Foundation, which is dedicated to uplifting women and children. Her work earned her a presidential lifetime achievement award for service from President Joe Biden. She’s also the author of the memoir Hollywood to the Himalayas and her new book, Come Home to Yourself. We spoke about the substance of that book, about Sadhvi's unique and fascinating path, and about today's spiritual challenges. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices