Guru Viking Podcast

By: Guru Viking
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  • Summary

  • The Guru Viking Podcast specializes in in-depth interviews with remarkable figures in the world of meditation, spirituality, and self development. Steve travels internationally teaching somatic practices and meditation, and leads explorations in contemplative, mystic, & relational realms.
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Spirituality
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Episodes
  • Ep295: Life Cycle Ritual- Prajwal Ratna Vajracharya 3

    Ep295: Life Cycle Ritual- Prajwal Ratna Vajracharya 3
    Feb 27 2025
    In this interview I am once again joined by Prajwal Ratna Vajracharya, a tantric priest in a centuries old Newari Buddhist family lineage and master of the religious dance tradition of Charya Nritya. Prajwal Vajracharya reveals the rich world of Newari life rituals, in which major life events such as birth, coming of age, marriage, and death are celebrated by religious and community rites. Prajwal Vajracharya explains the initiation rituals for boys and girls, including a 12-day dark retreat in which girls are taught essential knowledge by community members, and reveals how divination and astrology are used to determine a child’s name and life path. Prajwal Vajracharya also discusses the importance of purity and discipline, bespoke rituals to clear obstacles, find a partner, and heal illness, and reflects on the challenges in bringing his ritual tradition to the USA. … Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep295-life-cycle-rituals-prajwal-ratna-vajracharya-3 Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’. … Topics include: 00:00 - Intro 01:02 - Life cycle rituals of the Newari tradition 02:17 - Pregnancy and birth rituals 04:40 - Is Western culture traumatising? 05:21 - Creating a happy pregnancy 06:28 - Rituals for infancy 08:28 - The baby knows what it needs 09:31 - Naming and earring rituals 11:39 - Divination and adornment rituals 12:50 - The 1 year ritual 13:41 - Egg, fish, and wine 14:26 - 2nd year ritual 16:!6 - 7th year initiation ritual for boys 17:54 - 12-day dark retreat initiation ritual for girls 20:28 - Variations among castes in Nepal 21:23 - Special, old age ritual for the 77th year 23:02 - 88th year and a rebirth ritual 25:42 - Grieving customs for parent’s death 27:36 - Science of rituals and living a happy life 28:29 - In Nepal, everyone takes care of their parents 29:07 - Lack of dementia in Nepal 29:44 - Ritual as a family and community activity 31:20 - Obstacle removal, house blessing, and healing rituals 32:44 - Clay-pot rebirth ritual at 99 years old 35:53 - Respecting the elderly 36:48 - How to choose a child’s name 38:25 - Spiritual names 38:58 - Divination to determine the child’s career and life path 40:39 - What did Prajwal’s son choose? 42:02 - Astrology chart for a new baby 42:53 - The Chudakarma ritual and monastic training 43:49 - Ritual obligations as a Vajrācārya 48:40 - When rituals go wrong! 50:28 - Origin of and textual sources for Newari rituals 52:37 - Purity and preparing for ritual 54:47 - Discipline and respecting others 55:52 - Rituals to get a girlfriend and other life situations 58:08 - The many benefits of rituals 01:01:35 - The complexities of married life 01:03:06 - Bringing Newari ritual traditions to the West 01:05:34 - Innovation and training Westerners in Vajrācārya rituals 01:08:10 - Self-initiation and awakening the channel and nerves 01:09:13 - An American Vajrācārya? 01:10:00 - Challenging reactions in Nepal 01:11:52 - Gurū maṇḍala, the heart of Newari ritual 01:13:40 - Mudrā healing … Previous episodes with Prajwal Ratna Vajracharya: - https://www.guruviking.com/search?q=prajwal To find out more about Prajwal Ratna Vajracharya, visit: - https://www.dancemandal.com/ 
For more interviews, videos, and more visit: - www.guruviking.com Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James
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    1 hr and 14 mins
  • Ep294: Shadow Work for the Soul - Mary Shutan

    Ep294: Shadow Work for the Soul - Mary Shutan
    Feb 21 2025
    In this episode I am once again joined by Mary Shutan: author, occultist, and spiritual teacher. Mary discusses her new book “Shadow Work for the Soul”, shares her lifelong fascination with the psychological power of dark fairytales, and explains the function of social masks and personae. Mary remarks on a notable increase in spiritual emergencies, a rise in nihilism and the “dark feminine”, and offers advice for those facing spiritual crisis. Mary then takes a deep dive into shadow work, challenges common misconceptions, and offers surprising reflections on both new age masculine-feminine trends and “The Work” of Byron Katie. Mary also reveals how to perceive the shadow in popular culture, warns about the danger of spiritual bypass, and explains how to identify and disarm the ego defences to go beyond one’s limitations. … Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep294-shadow-work-for-the-soul-mary-shutan Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’.
 … Topics include: 00:00 - Intro 01:03 - An notable increase in spiritual emergencies 03:51 - Nihilism and other trends on the increase 05:30 - Collective shadows and the dark feminine 07:25 - How to work with nihilism 08:27 - Mary’s advice for those in spiritual crisis 09:39 - The psychological power of myths and fairy tales 11:26 - What can myths and fairy tales teach us? 12:19 - Archetypes and mythic figures 13:18 - Princess and the Pea and Sisyphus 15:21 - Seeing oneself reflected in myths and fairy tales 16:50 - Trauma isolates 18:00 - What is the shadow? 19:43 - What is shadow work? 20:08 - How concepts change when they become mainstream 21:36 - The evolution of acupuncture 23:51 - Limitations of the pop-culture version of shadow work 26:58 - Comments on Byron Katie and “The Work” 31:27 - The healthy ego and ego defences 33:33 - How to identify the ego’s defence mechanisms 34:33 - Intellectualisation vs embodiment 35:32 - Superiority/inferiority loop 37:09 - The world as a mirror 40:02 - Pop culture and politics 41:29 - Dangers of spiritual bypass 45:50 - Masks, personae, and perfectionism 47:36 - The importance of mentors 48:47 - Self enquiry traps and the dangers of labels 50:47 - Identifying with spiritual attainments 53:30 - When did Mary call off the search? 55:35 - Letting go of the high-achiever identity 58:03 - Anima, animus, and the masculine-feminine continuum 59:34 - Masculine and feminine dynamics in the occult 01:02:13 - Identifying collective shadows through pop culture figures 01:04:12- Today’s cultural focus on narcissism 01:05:41 - Noting your personal reactions to celebrity 01:06:02 - The cultural phenomenon of Taylor Swift 01:08:36 - Shadows of light 01:10:02 - Dark feminine rising 01:10:56 - Why “dark feminine?” 01:12:48 - How do we emerge from times of change? 01:14:48 - Mary’s view of the future … Previous episode with Mary Shutan: - https://www.guruviking.com/search?q=shutan To find out more about Mary Shutan, visit: - http://maryshutan.com/ For more interviews, videos, and more visit: - www.guruviking.com Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James
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    1 hr and 19 mins
  • Ep293: Secrets of Consort Practice - Khandro Kunzang Dechen Chodron

    Ep293: Secrets of Consort Practice - Khandro Kunzang Dechen Chodron
    Feb 14 2025
    In this episode I am once again joined by Khandro Kunzang Dechen Chodron, teacher of Tibetan Buddhism and executive director of Saraswati Bhawan Publications. Khandro Kunzang reveals her experience as a spiritual consort to a Tibetan lama, and shares her understanding of this controversial practice. Khandro Kunzang recalls how she became a consort, details her extensive preparations, and explains the coarse and subtle body yogas involved. Khandro Kunzang also discusses the use of consort practice for life extension, how to respond if a guru suggests you become his consort, and why it is that she is now talking publicly about this hitherto secret practice. … Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep293-secrets-of-consort-practice-khandro-kunzang-dechen-chodron-3 Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’. … Topics include: 00:00 - Intro 00:48 - The graduated path 04:28 - The fruition of Dzogchen and Ati Yoga 05:41 - The effortless path 06:34 - Dzogchen mistakes 07:40 - Is a 3 year retreat necessary? 08:42 - Personalised retreat with guru 09:32 - Signs of accomplishment on retreat 14:31 - Secret training with Kunzang Dorje Rinpoche 16:03 - Jealousy of Tibetan students 17:33 - Pure Dzogchen vs gradual path 21:04 - How do I know my practice is working? 23:50 - The ultimate test of practice 25:30 - Lama Dawa’s terminal cancer and yogic death 31:17 - The practice of yogic dying 33:11 - Physiological signs of tukdam 34:07 - Death of Kunzang Dorje Rinpoche 35:42 - Miraculous behaviour of Lama Dawa’s relics 37:42 - Difficulties and challenges during Lama Dawa’s end of life 42:08 - Personal restoration during the pandemic 42:48 - The ultimate teaching 43:25 - Displacing grief to keep the show on the road 46:48 - When to begin consort practice? 50:37 - Authentic consort practice is very rare 52:01 - Classic consort stories 53:41 - Abusive lamas and gurus who claim expertise in consort practice 55:10 - The support role of a guru’s consort 56:50 - An “activity consort” 58:19 - Preparing to be Lama Dawa’s consort 59:13 - Using a consort to extend your life 01:00:59 - Using pipes to open the urethra 01:04:49 - Training to purify the lower chakras and draw in the essence fluid 01:06:49 - Working with the thigle drops 01:07:17 - Using eros to experience emptiness 01:08:20 - Consort practice is not romantic 01:08:49 - Extreme consort practice 01:10:06 - Unresolved traumas in consort practice 01:11:05 - Is vajrolī mudrā really possible? 01:13:22 - Jñānamudrā and self practice 1:17:06 - Test your lama if he suggests consort practice 01:20:48 - Why talk openly about secret consort practice? 01:21:24 - Disrobing as a nun to engage in tantric practice 01:23:17 - Seeing your teacher as a living Buddha 01:24:16 - Motives for marrying Lama Dawa 
… Previous episodes with Khandro Kunzang Dechen Chodron: - https://www.guruviking.com/search?q=khandro%20kunzang To find our more about Khandro Kunzang Dechen Chodron, visit: - https://www.phurbathinleyling.org/khandro-kunzang/
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    1 hr and 26 mins

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