The Mystical Positivist: The Mystical Positivist - Radio Show #162

Saturday, October 11, 2014

The Mystical Positivist - Radio Show #162 - 11OCT14

The Mystical Positivist is now a weekly radio show on KOWS-LP 107.3 FM, Occidental, CA. Listen live on Saturday evenings from 4:00 - 6:00pm, PST, via the web at KOWS Live Stream.

This week's podcast features:

A conversation with Regina Sara Ryan in advance of her recent workshop, Writing Your Way Home: Practical Steps in Navigating the Inner Life. Of the workshop, she writes: As we each make the journey through life, we frequently come to an interior boundary or edge — we sense that there is more to know, more to explore, more to love, and certainly more to let go of. We may speak of a desire to know myself, or to accept myself, or to take a new risk, or to express my life's purpose. Many of us long for guidance and clarity in taking that next step on the path. This workshop will use simple tools of journal writing (no experience necessary) to explore and celebrate our questions, our longings, and our intuitions for what's next, in an environment of safety, serenity, and creativity. Using quiet self-reflection, gentle awareness exercises, and journal writing, we will share the wisdom, the warmth and the good company of other pilgrims on the way.

Regina Sara Ryan is a professional writer and book editor. She is the author of numerous books, including the classic Wellness Workbook; The Woman Awake; Igniting the Inner Life, and Praying Dangerously. Since 1985 her workshops in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and Europe have been devoted to issues related to the inner life. For twenty-six years Regina worked closely with her spiritual teacher, the American Baul master Lee Lozowick.

More information about Regina Sara Ryan's work and interests can be found at:

Regina Sara Ryan's website: www.reginasararyan.com
HOHM Press website: www.hohmpress.com

1 comment:

UnknownOctober 16, 2016 at 8:33 AM
What a joy to find you all here. Thank you for this interview and all that you do for your community.
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"The Mystical Positivist" Radio Show

The Mystical Positivist is a weekly radio show on KOWS-LP FM 107.3 Occidental, CA, and on the web at KOWS-LP Live Feed, Saturdays from 4 - 6pm PST. Coming up on The Mystical Positivist:

April 20: A pre-recorded conversation with Ken McLeod, Buddhist teacher and author of the newly released book, The Magic of Vajrayana. In this conversation, we plan to explore a compelling quote from Ian McGilchrist's The Matter with Things: If you had set out to destroy the happiness and stability of a people, it would have been hard to improve on our current formula: remove yourself as far as possible from the natural world; repudiate the continuity of your culture; believe you are wise enough to do whatever you happen to want and not only get away with it, but have a right to it—and a right to silence those who disagree; minimise the role played by a common body of belief; actively attack and dismantle every social structure as a potential source of oppression; reject the idea of a transcendent set of values.

One of the more innovative Buddhist teachers today, Ken McLeod is known for his clear explanations, poetic translations, and pragmatic approach to practice. He is one of the first generation of Western teachers in the Tibetan tradition and one of the few to be authorized to transmit the full scope of these teachings to students. In particular, his approach resonates strongly with those whose path lies outside established institutions.

After graduating with a degree in mathematics, Ken cycled across Europe to Istanbul and then continued his journey overland to India. In 1970 he met his principal teacher Kalu Rinpoche at his monastery near Darjeeling. There Ken began a study and practice in Tibetan Buddhism that lasted more than twenty years. He completed the traditional three-year retreat program two times, translated for many teachers, and helped set up Buddhist centers in Canada and the United States. After his teacher's passing, Ken moved away from the hierarchical structures of Asian Buddhism to explore new approaches.

In 1990, he founded Unfettered Mind in Los Angeles. His approach of one-on-one consultations roiled the Buddhist world in the early '90s, but was quickly recognized as a viable way to teach and guide students in the West. He made individual interviews a central feature of the many retreats he taught in California, New Mexico, and British Columbia. Through numerous small groups in Southern California, he developed the materials that became the encyclopedic meditation manual, Wake Up to Your Life.

Now retired from formal teaching, he lives in Northern California where he hikes and writes. His writings and translations include The Great Path of Awakening (1987), Wake Up to Your Life (2001), An Arrow to the Heart (2007), Reflections on Silver River (2014), A Trackless Path (2017), and The Magic of Vajrayana (2022), as well as a corpus of articles and translations in Tricycle and other Buddhist magazines.