Time & Other Thieves

Send us Fan MailIn this episode (the first of its kind that I've made in almost a year!), I explore some of the ideas presented in Marion Woodman's "Bone: Dying Into Life," which is a collection of journal entries that chronicle her experience with uterine cancer from 1993–1995. I mostly muse on a smattering of quotes that Woodman wrote in the margins of her journal, from the likes of Carl Jung, Emily Dickinson, and Rainer Maria Rilke. Topics include the fast pace of our society and the importance of slowing down (group can help with that!); how we see versions of ourselves in others (group, anyone?); how symptoms are an attempt at healing, and how physical travails can bring us to higher consciousness; the relentless demands of dinner; the value and necessity of mundane activities; the joy of dwelling in Possibility (group again!); and the impossibility of ever knowing someone completely, which means we should try all the more to do it, like good bodhisattvas (and group members!).

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, I share a conversation I recently had with award-winning audiobook narrator and voice actor Brittany Pressley, who has also been a friend of mine since high school. Alongside my BFF Courtney Wait as co-interviewer, I ask Brittany all (or at least some) of the questions I've been wanting to ask her since I started listening to her books (e.g. Katharine Smyth's "All the Lives We Ever Lived," Piper Weiss's "You All Grow Up and Leave Me," Lori Gottlieb's "Maybe You Should Talk to Someone") several years ago. (In the episode I say "at least ten years ago," but that might not be accurate.) Brittany has recorded over 700 audiobooks! Voice acting is such a fascinating job, and she is so good at it. Courtney and I had tons of fun asking her stuff and laughing with her. What a delight. At the end of the episode I share the recording that Brittany made (so kindly at my brazen request) of herself reading some of my own writing.

Send us Fan MailIn this episode I share an edited version of a radio show I did back in October of 2022, about Van Morrison's 1968 sophomore album, "Astral Weeks," released when he was just 23 years old. I provide some history on the record's creation and then focus on three songs: the title track, "Cyprus Avenue," and "Madame George." Music critic Lester Bangs called "Astral Weeks" a "mystical document" and said it was "a record about people stunned by life, completely overwhelmed, stalled in their skins, their ages and selves, paralyzed by the enormity of what in one moment of vision they can comprehend.”

Send us Fan MailIn this episode I share an edited version of a Zoom lecture I gave in December of 2025 about applying the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius to the practice of group psychotherapy, and to interpersonal process groups in particular. I focus on the Stoic disciplines of perception, action, and will (or "divine acquiescence") and provide examples of how we can thrive—as group members and leaders—by bringing more awareness to these disciplines as we sit in the group circle.

Send us Fan MailIn this episode I share an edited version of a Zoom lecture I gave in the spring of 2025 called "Group as Spiritual Practice." A collection and synthesis of some of my favorite spiritual teachings, this lecture explores how interpersonal process groups are a way of "getting beyond conditioning," of learning how to be alive, of cultivating courage, of becoming more of oneself and accepting life on life's terms—all definitions of spirituality that I love (among others). The ideas of Anthony de Mello, Paul Tillich, Martin Buber, Howard Thurman, Shunryu Suzuki, and Edward Espe Brown will support my thesis that group's many invitations are guiding us into closer and closer contact with the truth of the present moment and how we are both a reflection and a integral part of that moment, of this eternal here and now.

Send us Fan MailIn this short episode I recap the past month, which has been busier and more stressful than your average December because I signed a lease on a new therapy office and have been scrambling to set up the place in every spare moment!

Send us Fan MailIn this episode I revamp an Asheville FM radio broadcast from November of 2022, in honor of Joni Mitchell's 82nd birthday (November 7th). One track at a time, I explore her 1972 album, "For the Roses," providing biographical and thematic context to illuminate each song's depth and richness. I draw from music reviews written at the time of the album's release, from filmed interviews with Joni, from David Yaffe's biography of her ("Reckless Daughter"), from the fabulous documentary "Woman of Heart and Mind," and from J.W.N. Sullivan's 1927 book, "Beethoven: His Spiritual Development." As "For the Roses" tends to get overshadowed by what came before and after—"Blue" and "Court and Spark"—I hope this episode will endear you to an album that is too often overlooked and undersung.

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, I share parts of a conversation I recently had with psychotherapist and organizational consultant Dr. Jeffrey Axelbank. In July of 2025, Jeff was featured in a New York Times article by Ellen Berry titled "The Ghost in the Therapy Room," about therapists who die unexpectedly—or at least their patients don't expect it. These patients are deprived of saying goodbye and otherwise preparing themselves for a profound loss that tends to go unrecognized by society. Jeff talks with me about his experience of such a loss, after having worked with the same psychoanalyst for 36 years, three sessions a week. He did not know she was dying of pancreatic cancer. He also discusses his earliest experience of psychotherapy, which he sought because he wanted help with a stutter, and about his work as a process group leader and an organizational consultant. To any therapists listening: I hope this episode will inspire you to be communicative with your patients about your impending death, should you fall ill, and to create a professional will regardless of your age or health status, so that your patients will be better cared for in the event of your unexpected passing.(If you'd like to listen to the Mount Eerie song I reference in the beginning, here is a Spotify link.) 

Send us Fan MailIn this episode I share parts of a conversation I recently had with Jacob Winkler,  founder and facilitator of the Masters of Group Therapy Club, of which I've been a member since August of 2024. I hope you enjoy this tiny sliver of the giant pie that is Jacob's knowledge and wisdom around the human psyche and how to work with it in the context of process groups. He talks about honoring what people are coming in with instead of pushing it to the side in order to stay on task, about the power of the unconscious mind, about writing as a form of self therapy, and about the value in studying one's own irritation with others as a way to help those people become more of themselves.

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, I explore some of the ideas that Carl Jung expounds upon in his 1933 book, "Modern Man in Search of a Soul." There's the notion that we cannot fully accept others unless we've fully accepted (i.e., loved) ourselves; that the parts of ourselves we deem unacceptable will be banished to the unconscious and wreak havoc in ways we can't control, while we WOULD have more control if we accepted them; that "certainties can arise only through doubt"; and that problems are necessary; problems are what necessitate our growth and expansion. I also talk about what it means to "be oneself" if that self is always changing, like a river. And I discuss the concept of everything containing its opposite, and why I no longer ascribe to the popular Buddhist belief that man's "true nature" is loving-kindness and compassion. 

Send us Fan MailIn this episode I share parts of a conversation I recently had with psychotherapist, process group leader, and group therapy consultant Sara Schreiber. I first met her in August of 2024 in the Masters of Group Therapy Club. Together we explore her approach to facilitating groups, what challenges her most about being a group leader and member, and how her spiritual practice informs her therapy work and everything else in her life. An observer of Orthodox Judaism, Sara answers some questions I have about various religious traditions—including no sex (or even touching of any kind!) before marriage—and shares some of the prayers she says multiple times a day (including one for after using the bathroom) as a way of staying in conversation with God. I felt very happy and peaceful listening to her, and I hope you will, too. 

Send us Fan MailIn this promotional-type bonus episode, I describe the new group I'm starting in late July, which I hope you'll consider joining! There will be two separate cohorts of Time & Other Thieves: A Discussion, Meditation, and Interpersonal Process Group. One group will meet on the last Tuesday of the month from 2:00 to 3:30 PM Eastern Standard Time, and the other on the last Wednesday of the month from 6:00 to 7:30 PM. In each Zoom meeting we'll explore a different book and its corresponding podcast episode. But the primary focus will be the here-and-now emotional, interpersonal experience of participants, with an open invitation to put thoughts and feelings into words as they arise, toward other members. Email me at [email protected] for more info!

Send us Fan MailIn this episode I explore some of my favorite ideas from the book "Not Always So: Practicing the True Spirit of Zen," by Shunryu Suzuki (edited by Edward Espe Brown). What does it mean to be oneself? How does being oneself relate to the Buddhist notion of emptiness? What is the ultimate goal or purpose of spiritual practice? I'll address these questions and more while also reflecting (yet again) on how these ideas apply to interpersonal process groups.

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, I explore some of the ideas presented in Howard Thurman's 1949 book, "Jesus and the Disinherited." Bo Aganaba (host of the GoodBeing Podcast) first told me about Thurman and this book (a huge inspiration for MLK Jr.) when I interviewed him back in December. The Baptist minister's thoughts on fear, deception, hate, and love are just as relevant today as they were when he wrote them. I apply some of Thurman's ideas to what's happening in the political realm right now, and of course I can't help but apply others to the work I do as a leader and member of interpersonal process groups. "A complete and devastating sincerity," anyone? Don't mind if I do!

Send us Fan MailIn this episode I explore some of the ideas in Martin Buber's "I and Thou," which presents the dialogical philosophy for which he's most well known. Given my continued passion for leading and participating in interpersonal process groups, I discuss these ideas through that lens, focusing on how group provides an opportunity to inhabit the You-world instead of the It-world, to encounter and actualize others instead of merely experience or use them. And through that encounter, we contact the eternal in others—and in ourselves. To quote Buber, "I require a You to become; becoming I, I say You.”

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, I get to explore one of my most favorite topics—group psychotherapy—with two women who are as passionate about the subject as I am: psychologist Sarah Taylor and spiritual director Vanessa Caruso. I met Sarah and Vanessa last summer in the Masters of Group Therapy Club, which continues to meet three times a week via Zoom. In this lively discussion, they talk about their 30-plus years of friendship and how they decided to start facilitating interpersonal process groups together. Among other aspects of group, they explore the sense of abundance that it cultivates, the courage and creativity inherent in the process, and the differences between being a group member and a group leader. If listening to this episode doesn't make you want to join a process group yesterday, I don't know what will. You can learn more about Sarah and Vanessa's groups here: https://www.sayingtheunsaidgroup.com/If you'd like to learn more about process groups happening in the Asheville area, you can email me at [email protected].

Send us Fan MailIn this first episode of the new year, I share parts of a conversation I recently had with Bo Aganaba, host of the GoodBeing Podcast and founder and principal at GoodBeing Co. He had me on his podcast a few months back, so now the tables have turned! Bo and I talk about climate change, Christianity, Alan Watts, yoga, time (is it really a thief?), and the importance of play. With musical interludes by Violet Ultraviolet.

Send us Fan MailIn this episode I explore my thoughts on the 2024 presidential election results, on humanity in general, and how I want to proceed with living my life—with a little help from Chuang Tzu, the ancient Taoist sage.

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, I share parts of a conversation I recently had with the musician MJ Lenderman, who happens to be a pal of mine. Jake talks about his nervousness around being interviewed, his desire for more solitude, and his perspective on what he calls "micro fame." He also shares some thoughts on the touring lifestyle and how it was made even more challenging when he and his Wednesday bandmate broke up several months ago. Along with fielding my questions, Jake asked me a couple and got me talking about group therapy, as well as my relationship with music of late. With selections from his fantastic new album, "Manning Fireworks."

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, I share what my experience of Tropical Storm Helene was like as a resident of Western North Carolina. I explore my thoughts and feelings around the different ways that people cope/respond when disaster strikes their community, and I ponder impermanence as a characteristic of existence. (This cloud photo was taken the morning after the storm.)

Send us Fan MailIn this episode I share a personal essay that I recently performed at the Diana Wortham Theatre in downtown Asheville, as part of an anniversary celebration for Harvest Records. I provide some background on my being included in the event—Found in Sound: Tales from the Record Store Universe—and the very gratifying process of writing (with the help of an excellent developmental editor) "Music as Divine Consolation." It's basically about how profoundly comforting music can be for us life-beleaguered humans.

Send us Fan MailIn this episode I explore my fascination with interpersonal process groups and why I'm so stoked to start one of my own! Using Louis Ormont's book "The Group Therapy Experience" as my focus, I discuss what makes process groups so effective and describe some techniques used by group therapists to deepen connections between members and help them practice new behaviors.

Send us Fan MailIn this spur-of-the-moment (ish) episode, I talk about the Chinese art of placement: feng shui! It literally means "wind" and "water." Merriam-Webster defines "feng shui" as "a Chinese geomantic practice in which a structure or site is chosen or configured so as to harmonize with the spiritual forces that inhabit it." And of course it applies to home interiors, which is what I'll focus on here. It is so very fascinating and fun! And it'll drive you to the point of distraction if you're not careful. That's partly why I made this episode, so I could get some of the feng shui out of my system and make room for other stuff in my head! 

Send us Fan MailIn this episode I talk about my decision to stop making these episodes on a monthly basis. Instead, I will do them when the mood strikes! I briefly discuss Thomas Aquinas, who said just a few months before his death in 1274 that his writing labors had ended: "Such things have been revealed to me that all I have written seems as straw." I love that. I also talk a little bit about the political situation in the US and what I think we need to do if DJT gets elected. And I rant about brain-computer interface technology. "You do not have to be good. You do not have to be good..."

Send us Fan MailIn this episode—the shortest one yet!—I talk a little bit about my recent experience of realizing (as a writer) how important and helpful editors are. I also discuss the sewing meditation retreat I did in February. But I didn't feel like going on and on about it or anything else, so I kept things brief. Just a little check-in! Maybe in April I'll have more to say. :)

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, I talk a bit about my tendency to have multiple projects going at once, and how that probably informs a recurring dream I have about never being able to get where I need to be. But mostly I explore some of the ideas put forth in the 1961 book On Becoming a Person, by Carl Rogers. We people are change, embodied. We are always in a state of becoming, so don't go thinking you've become who you're going to be! You'll never become who you're going to be because that would mean there's a goal in mind, some static version of yourself that, once achieved, you'll never stray from. To get the most out of our ever-changing-ness, we need to be open to our experience, and able to share that experience in word and deed with the people we care about. There's a lot more going on in this episode, so give a listen if you wanna!

Send us Fan MailHappy New Year! In this episode, I briefly discuss the difference between spirituality and religion, share the various challenges that life presented me with in the month of December ("man plans, God laughs"), and talk about the box of my late paternal grandparents' courtship love letters that I acquired over Christmas. I also revisit some of my thoughts and feelings about Christmas and how my attitude about it has changed since last month, and I touch on some of the books I've been reading: The Case for God, by Karen Armstrong; Angle of Repose, by Wallace Stegner; On Becoming a Person, by Carl Rogers; and Branching Streams Flow in the Darkness, by Shunryu Suzuki.

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, I talk about the obligatory gift-giving insanity that is Christmas (reminding you that you don't have to participate!), and I read an essay my husband recently wrote about climate change. I also share my experience of participating in National Novel Writing Month (a.k.a. NaNoWriMo) and of attending my first Buddhist lay minister ordination ceremony. Lastly, I discuss what I've been reading—namely, Thomas Merton's autobiography, The Seven Storey Mountain (finally finished it!) and The Sun magazine.

Send us Fan MailIn this "bonus" episode, which originally aired in radio format on November 25th, 2021 (and which I've only just now converted to podcast format), I discuss Thanksgiving the holiday, as well as the practice of giving thanks. I explore the history of the holiday, which actually has very little to do with the meal shared by Pilgrims and Wampanoags in 1621. That was more of a celebration than a thanksgiving, as (at least for the Pilgrims) giving thanks typically entailed fasting and quiet contemplation. In reading about the true origins of this holiday, I realized how thoroughly Christian it is, and what a large role religion originally played in US government, and how much more willing to go without certain creature comforts the American people used to be.

Send us Fan MailIn this episode I briefly discuss the bullshit that is war of any kind and I pay brief homage to Matthew Perry (R.I.P.) before reflecting on some favorite passages from Rainer Maria Rilke's Letters to a Young Poet and Mason Currey's Daily Rituals: How Artists Work. In reflecting on what Rilke calls "the happiness of being a beginner," I announce my intention to begin writing a novel this month—and to complete 50,000 words of it—as a first-time participant in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). And in sharing some gems from Daily Rituals, I discuss some of my own sacred routines, as well as some words of wisdom on discipline and inspiration from Gustave Flaubert, Steve Reich, Samuel Beckett, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, and Bernard Malamud.

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, I mostly talk about Luis Rubiales, whom I'd never even heard of prior to the infamous kiss he planted on the lips of Jenni Hermoso after Spain won the World Cup last month. I also talk about the books I've been reading (and listening to), and the recent epiphany I had (again) about meditation.

Send us Fan MailDon't be fooled by the photo for this episode! I only talk about Make Your Schools Work for a few minutes near the end, but it's the only book I say much of anything about for this installment, and I needed something to take a picture of... I thought about snapping a shot of my bare belly, because I devote a good amount of time to exploring that topic here—women's bellies in general—but that would have felt way too vulnerable in way too many ways! So here I am with my sweet boy dog Tyke and a random-as-hell recent book purchase. In this episode I also talk about my family trip to Topsail Island, my discovery of an implicit bias I carry against women philosophers, some thoughts on climate change, and my continued adversity in the realm of physical health, which has led me to get curious about menopause, and due to my resulting google searches I've been seeing lots of ads aimed at menopausal women and they are BULLSHIT. This episode's got a good long rant about what they call "meno belly"—the extra fat around their middle that many women acquire during menopause. I talk about how this fat serves a valuable, health-supporting purpose, and I denounce the ridiculous notion that menopausal women should have flat stomachs. We shall never again be as we were, y'all. And that can be a beautiful thing!

Send us Fan MailIn this episode I talk about my first freelance editing gig (and also my last, with this particular company); rant about ChapGPT and AI in general; rave about TOOL's 2001 album, Lateralus; and of course address some ideas from stuff I've been reading, including Pema Chödrön's Start Where You Are. 

Send us Fan MailIn this episode I talk about my continuing interest in all things editing and my deepening passion and appreciation for books, both for the education and entertainment they provide and for the quiet and solitude implied by being able to read them. I discuss my ever-evolving relationship with writing, and the realization that just because one is good at something doesn't mean they should make it their life's focus. I also share some of my thoughts and feelings about the recent school shooting in Nashville.

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, I reflect on the living and learning that's happened in the past month in regards to my writing practice, which, as writing practices often do, is informing the rest of my life. Thanks to a book by Philip Gerard called Creative Nonfiction: Researching and Crafting Stories of Real Life, I've decided to incorporate more research into my writing. Two topics I've researched are regret and noise pollution, so I talk about some of those search results. (Did you know that some of the loudest noises humans make, happen under water? It's hideous! People are the worst!) In this episode I also share some updates on my journey toward becoming a freelance editor. 

Send us Fan MailIn this second-ever podcast-only installment of the program, I catch you up on what I've been reading, writing, experiencing (including my first case of COVID), pondering, and witnessing over the last month. Along with continuing to immerse myself in the personal essay as a writing genre, I've been exploring literary editing as a possible new career, so HMU if you need something edited for cheap! This episode also includes a couple of short readings from Denis Johnson's "Train Dreams," more reflections on the book "Awakening the Buddha Within" by Lama Surya Das, and a monologue on the importance of having a regular practice of connecting to one's body and breath. There's also a good long rant near the end about the news media and about why I will never watch the footage of Tyre Nichols -- or anyone -- being murdered.

Send us Fan MailIn this first-ever podcast-only episode of Time & Other Thieves, I share some of my thoughts on Christmas (a.k.a. Guiltmas), New Year's fireworks (condoned aggression), New Year's resolutions (no, thanks), Bodhisattva vows, and what I've been up to since retiring the radio version of this show. I briefly (yay!) discuss some of the key ideas I've flagged so far in my reading of the book Awakening the Buddha Within, by Lama Surya Das, and I read a passage from the beautiful novel Gilead, by Marilynne Robinson. I also talk about how my new life as a disciplined-writer-with-the-goal-to-get-published is going, and the help I'm getting from an anthology called The Art of the Personal Essay, and through reading more literary journals. Lastly, I reiterate the importance of tending to your spiritual self -- the most important work that any of us can do!

Send us Fan MailThis is the FINAL Time & Other Thieves episode that originally aired in radio format. Its broadcast date was December 1st, 2022. In it, I explore some of the ideas presented in Stephen Levine's 1982 book, Who Dies? An Investigation of Conscious Living and Conscious Dying. Thank you for listening!

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, which originally aired in radio format on November 10th, 2022, I explore some of the ideas that C.S. Lewis presents in the first three books/sections of Mere Christianity (1952). How is the fact that human beings try to abide by a Moral Law proof of God's existence? Why would God create a species who regularly fails to uphold that law and in the process can do so much harm? How much charity is enough charity? What does it really mean to have faith? To love your neighbor as you love yourself? Give a listen to find out how Lewis answers these questions and more.

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, which originally aired in radio format on November 3rd, 2022, I explore some of the ideas presented in Part One of "The Spirituality of Imperfection," first published in 1992. We humans are imperfect for a reason; our task as spiritual beings is not to strive for perfection, but to learn how to live with its opposite. In this episode I also talk about my wholly (holy?) imperfect experience regarding a certain Chevy Nova 2. The obsession returned! 

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, which originally aired in radio format on October 27th, 2022, I revisit the book Addiction to Perfection, by Marion Woodman. The episode I made in 2021 about the first half of this book has received more downloads than any other by a long shot, so I thought listeners might enjoy learning about the ideas that Woodman explores in the second half. I discuss how the masculine and feminine principles are out of balance in this society, and how we as individuals can bring more of the conscious feminine into our lives. The word "perfect" means that something is completely and thoroughly done, which we humans will only be when we're dead, so let's embrace the imperfection of being ALIVE and stop letting the unconscious masculine principle prematurely deaden us! Let's remember that any imperfections we possess, exist within creation itself.

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, which originally aired in radio format on October 20th, 2022, I share a conversation I recently had with award-winning writer and former NC poet laureate, Joseph Bathanti. Mr. Bathanti also happens to be my all-time favorite college professor (he still teaches at App State) and one of my favorite humans in general. Here he  talks about writing as a habit, the role that inspiration plays, the importance of intimately knowing one's geographical place as a writer, how Catholicism still influences his work, why Buddhism appeals to him, and much more -- including the ekphrastic roots of his most recent book of poetry, Light at the Seam, which was largely inspired by a series of photographs taken by Carl Galie. Called "Lost on the Road to Oblivion: The Vanishing Beauty of Coal Country," Galie's photos portray the devastation of mountaintop removal, and in that way they are a form of environmental activism, as are Mr. Bathanti's poems.

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, which originally aired in radio format on June 30th, 2022, I explore some of the ideas presented in the book No Recipe: Cooking As Spiritual Practice, by Zen priest and chef (and author of The Tassajara Bread Book) Edward Espe Brown. It might just inspire you to engage more fully with your life-force energy!

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, which originally aired in radio format on June 23rd, 2022, I continue talking about some of the ideas that Wendell Berry explores in his 2017 essay anthology, The World-Ending Fire. Topics  include but aren't  limited to: how we must change our individual ways of living if we wish to change the world; how we must stop being violent towards the earth if we wish to end any other types of violence; the importance of work--especially working with one's hands; the importance of family work; the difference between "freedom" and independence; and how "more, faster, easier" should not be the defining features of what we call "progress." 

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, which originally aired in radio format on June 16th, 2022, and is the first of two installments on the writings of American novelist, poet, essayist, environmental activist, cultural critic, and farmer Wendell Berry, I also share parts of a conversation I had with KP Whaley and Ed Graves, co-owners of Tiny Bridge Farm in Hendersonville, NC. KP is also the General Manager at Asheville FM, the station that broadcasts Time & Other Thieves! He and his husband Ed were gracious enough to have me out to their farm and share what they've learned about the modern agrarian lifestyle and the importance of community. This episode also contains lots of ranting about air travel!

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, which originally aired in radio format on June 9th, 2022, I explore some of the ideas presented in the first 100 pages of Jeanne de Salzmann's book, The Reality of Being: The Fourth Way of Gurdjieff. Such concepts include the "ordinary I" or "individual self," the relationship between information and intelligence, the perpetual oldness of thought, the importance of connecting with one's body in order to know one's truth, how tension in the body prevents such knowing, how we ARE what we observe, and what de Salzmann calls "the most important question of my life."

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, which originally aired in radio format on May 19th, 2022, I reflect on some of the ideas presented in the 1971 spiritual classic, Be Here Now, by Ram Dass. I especially focus on the notion of life as a drama (a game, a dance), on making everything we do a spiritual practice/sadhana, on the unparalleled importance of working on oneself, on conscious protest, and, of course, on being here now.

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, which originally aired in radio format on May 5th, 2022, I geek out on the more philosophical aspects of Seinfeld -- both the sitcom and the man himself. Along with drawing on the book, Seinfeld and Philosophy: A Book About Everything and Nothing, I  discuss Seinfeld's unique perspective on life as portrayed in various episodes of Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee and a couple of his recent stand-up specials. I also discuss the spiritual side of Seinfeld and other characteristics that make him a modern-day wise man (and not just a wise guy).

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, which originally aired in radio format on April 28th, 2022, I share my conversation with chronic pain recovery coach Lily Oster. Together we  explore some of the concepts presented in the book The Way Out, by Alan Gordon, and Lily explains the phenomenon of neuroplastic pain (a.k.a. mind-body pain), how to determine if you have it (most chronic pain IS neuroplastic), and how to get the hell out of it. Hint: it's basically a spiritual thing. 

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, which originally aired in radio format on April 21st, 2022, I explore some of the ideas presented in the book How To Be Sick, by Toni Bernhard. A long-time meditator and Buddhist practitioner, Bernhard got mysteriously ill on a trip to Paris and remained ill for twenty years and counting. This experience brought her even closer to the Buddha's teachings on suffering and the cessation of suffering. Other topics include but are not limited to the three marks of existence, the brahma viharas or sublime states, and Byron Katie's The Work.