Archive for the 'Meditation' Category

Podcast 43: Joan Borysenko and Gordon Dveirin on “Your Soul’s Compass”

Published at March 16, 2008 in Great CDs, Resources, Meditation, Wellness/Fitness, Wonderfully Inspiring DVDs, Retreats, Personal Growth Courses, Podcasts and Great Books. 0 Comments

I first became acquainted with Joan’s work as a result of reading Dr. Herbert Benson’s book the, “Relaxation Response”. I ultimately found out from Joan that she and Dr. Benson co-founded the Mind Body Institute which is part of the Harvard Medical School. Joan is the author of more that 12 best selling books and lectures and facilitates workshops worldwide.

On a recent trip to Boulder, CO, I had the pleasure of meeting Joan along with a couple of her colleagues. We had the opportunity to briefly discuss her new book entitled, “Your Soul’s Compass: What Is Spiritual Guidance?“, co authored with her husband Gordon Dveirin. I must admit that this is one of the best podcasts I have completed, for I was intrigued by the research they both had completed with the Sages to have written this book. They consulted over 27 Sages from diverse wisdom tradition to explore the nature of spirituality guidance. What they found out is that several themes emerged from their research. First, that there’s no map no definitive “10 steps” for the journey of becoming fully human–what Joan and Gordon call Homo sapiens caritas ( a person of wisdom and compassion). But what they did find out is that there are guiding principles that can help us recognize whether or not we’re on the right track. The capacities for stillness, curiosity, comfort and uncertainty cultivate receptivity, rather than reinforcing secular or religious fundamentalism that promote rigid, in-the-box thinking.

I welcome you to join with me in listening to this wonderfully enlightening podcast with Dr. Joan Borysenko and Gordon Dveirin on, “Your Soul’s Compass”. During this podcast I explore with Joan and Gordon insightful questions about what the Sages taught them and how we can apply this wisdom and understanding to our everyday life. So if you are seeking greater understanding about your path of mastery, then this podcast is a must listen.

Dr. Joan BorysenkoI also encourage you to to visit Joan’s web site by clicking here. There you can learn about her books, CD’s, workshops appearances and subscribe to her newsletter. So sit back relax and enjoy our interview on “Your Soul’s Journey”

Want more resources and information on personal growth? Try the resources page.

Podcast 32: Meditation and Mind Chatter with Bill Harris

Published at December 28, 2007 in Meditation, Resources, Podcasts, Retreats and Great Books. 0 Comments

Bill Harris is the director of Centerpointe Research Institute in Portland OR. He is the originator of a method of meditation called, “Holosync”, which is being practiced and used by thousands of people today.  Centerpointe Research Institute had its modest beginnings in the fall of 1989. Bill Harris and Wes Wait, both with a long-term interest in meditation and personal growth, had spent the previous four years with a small circle of friends researching and personally experiencing the effects of what later evolved into Centerpointe Research Institute’s Holosync® audio technology.

The idea of using precise sounds to alter a listener’s state of mind came from a 1973 article in Scientific American by researcher Dr. Gerald Oster of Mt. Sinai Medical Center in New York. In this article, “Auditory Beats in the Brain,” Oster describes a characteristic of the brain wherein electrical brain wave patterns resonate to certain precise frequencies when presented with audio tones of certain frequencies.

As long-time practitioners of Transcendental Meditation, Harris and Wait were familiar with research done in the 1970s establishing a relationship between specific brain wave patterns and a variety of states including those of meditation, superlearning, increased focus and concentration, and enhanced creativity.

After four years of personal experimentation, during which those in the research group experienced what could only be described as profound mental, emotional and spiritual changes, Harris and Wait decided to create a structured method for using Holosync, and in 1989 they began marketing this program to the general public. With electronic tone generators and frequency counters borrowed from a local university, the master soundtracks were recorded for a series of 13 program levels, each more powerful than the last.

The initial idea was to re-create, with modern high-tech methods, the meditation experience usually reserved to those dedicated few willing to meditate many hours each day for many years. To recreate the second ingredient of the meditation process—the “rescripting” that takes place as meditators reach an altered, meditative state and then reprogram their unconscious mind through mantras, affirmations, or prayers—they added, beginning with the second level of the program, silent affirmations chosen by the participant and recorded in his or her own voice, and delivered using Centerpointe’s proprietary Autofonix® silent messaging technology.

The results were spectacular and participant feedback extremely positive. Participants reported a dramatic acceleration of positive results in their meditation practice, often reporting more change in a single year of the Centerpointe program than in ten or fifteen years of traditional meditation.

Today, Centerpointe has grown to be one of the largest personal growth companies in the world, with program participants in 172 countries.

Bill HarrisI hope that you enjoy this interesting and informative podcast with a man who has revolutionized the art of meditation. If you would like to learn more about Bill Harris and the Centerpointe Research Institute please click here.

Want more resources and information on personal growth? Try the resources page.