S2E7 Rafi Silver: Mindfulness in Performance and in Life

In this episode of Let’s Talk About That, Anirvan Ghosh sits down with Rafi Silver—actor, writer, and mindfulness teacher—for a wide-ranging conversation about performance, presence, and what it truly means to be “in the moment.”Many will recognize Rafi from Amazon’s Fallout and roles in shows such as Law & Order: Organized Crime and FBI: Most Wanted. But beyond being an actor, he is the founder of Peak Mind Performance and a faculty member at Columbia University’s MFA Acting Program, where he integrates mindfulness, neuroscience, and performance psychology.The conversation begins with a formative childhood moment on Broadway that ignited his love of acting—and unfolds into a deeper exploration of flow, self-consciousness, and the discipline of attention. Rafi explains mindfulness not as a retreat from life, but as a practice of bringing attention to the present moment without bias or judgment. He connects Buddhist philosophy to acting craft, elite athletics, and everyday life challenging the idea that performance is about control, and suggesting instead that it is about being fully present at the moment and allowing the self to disappear. Additional information on Rafi's Mindfulness Performance Training at https://www.peakmindperformance.com/